AltWeeklies Wire
Connecticut Tackles the DNA Questionnew
Connecticut is one of 29 states that doesn't collect DNA at the time of arrest for felonies. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, among others, would like to see that changed.
New Haven Advocate |
Daniel D'Ambrosio |
11-17-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Two North Carolina Cities Wonder: Who's Watching the Cops?new
Alleged misdeeds at two local police departments raise the issue: Whose job is it to hold police accountable? Citizens in Durham and Chapel Hill have long been calling for better public oversight of the police in their towns, but the best way to do that is up for debate.
INDY Week |
Samiha Khanna and Joe Schwartz |
11-12-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Using Soccer to Help Juvenile Offenders in Santa Cruz Countynew
For the last four years, Gina Castaneda has been a deputy probation officer for Santa Cruz County, working with juvenile offenders who live in the Watsonville area. Her soccer team is made up of a small handful of the 400 youths currently on, or at least in contact with, county probation, some of them from rival gangs.
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Jessica Lussenhop |
11-11-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Does U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke Have the Stones to Take on Sheriff Joe Arpaio?new
Will anything be done about Arpaio's possible violations of federal law? Everyone knows the Department of Justice and the FBI are investigating Arpaio, but will new U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke do anything about Arizona's rogue sheriff? History does not bode well.
Phoenix New Times |
Stephen Lemons |
11-10-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Chaos in the Casitas: Lawless Speakeasies Get a Grip on L.A.new
The casitas operate in what appear to be shuttered, recession-emptied storefronts or hollowed-out homes. But inside, patrons can get almost anything they want, in a one-stop shop: drugs, gambling, heisted cigarettes, after-hours booze and "B-girls" -- slang for "bar" girls, or prostitutes, who charge about $60 for sex.
L.A. Weekly |
Christine Pelisek |
11-09-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Santa Cruz Elder Abuse Case Goes Nationalnew
Last week, Congress heard James "Pops" Lee's story in a short documentary film prepared by the Elder Justice Now campaign, a partnership of the National Council on Aging and WITNESS, a human rights video documentary group, in an effort to push the passage of the so-called Elder Abuse Justice Act
Good Times Santa Cruz |
Jessica Lussenhop |
11-02-2009 |
Crime & Justice
A Troubled Rape Case in California's Contra Costa Countynew
The high-profile rape charges against Deputy District Attorney Michael Gressett are tainted by questionable facts, unorthodox prosecutorial conduct, and the unmistakable whiff of politics.
East Bay Express |
John Geluardi |
10-29-2009 |
Crime & Justice
San Diego Pot-Raid Search-Warrant Affidavits Reveal Dubious Undercover Opsnew
California's medical-pot organizations operate in a largely untested gray area of law. Yet, the only clear crime throughout a four-month sting in San Diego was perpetrated by the police.
San Diego CityBeat |
Dave Maass |
10-29-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Are Hate Crimes on the Rise in Mass.? Who Can Tell with These Numbers?new
Community leaders, victim advocates -- and even government officials -- says underreporting by both victims and police means the stats released by the State Police Crime Reporting Unit are essentially guesswork, and the victims who are least likely to report crimes against them actually bear the brunt of the attacks.
Dig Boston |
Jeremy Fox |
10-28-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Clemency for Six Colorado Prisoners Could Serve Justice and Save Millions -- So Why Won't the Gov. Try It?new
To date, Gov. Bill Ritter has issued just two pardons and not a single commutation, a situation that frustrates prisoner advocates.
Westword |
Alan Prendergast |
10-26-2009 |
Crime & Justice
A Snitch in Time: A Philly Gunshot Victim Defies the Inner-City Code of Silencenew
It's been five months since Maurice Ragland testified against the man he says shot him. In doing so, he broke the cardinal rule of the Philadelphia streets -- Do Not Snitch. That he survived his wounds is amazing enough, but that he testified is just as amazing.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Mike Newall |
10-19-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Is it Too Easy to Clobber a Cabbie in Chicago?new
Walid Ziada's fellow cabbies say his attackers are getting off lightly -- despite a new Illinois law intended to protect taxi drivers.
Chicago Reader |
Kari Lydersen |
10-19-2009 |
Crime & Justice
The Assassination of Deputy Abel Escalantenew
A young father had nothing to do with LAPD's killing of Danny Leon last year. The 27-year-old officer most likely heard about it on the news, like everyone else. But, federal prosecutors believe, Escalante died for it.
L.A. Weekly |
Christine Pelisek |
10-16-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Lauded Prison Drug-Treatment Services are the Latest Victim of California's Budget Cutsnew
The Amity Foundation's highly regarded Right Turn program, held up as a national model for effective prisoner rehabilitation, is being closed down at Donovan State Prison, making Donovan one of eight prisons statewide that won't provide any sort of professional in-custody substance-abuse treatment.
San Diego CityBeat |
Kelly Davis |
10-14-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Did a False Confession and Faulty Arson Science Land Alredo Guardiola in Prison for 19 Years and Counting?new
A six-month Observer investigation of the case -- using new research into arson and false confessions -- shows that he is probably innocent.
The Texas Observer |
Dave Mann |
10-14-2009 |
Crime & Justice
