Animal Farm

Texas Woman Jailed for Outing Narc on Facebook

"In a case that would appear to raise First Amendment questions, a Mesquite, Texas, woman has been arrested and charged with a felony after she allegedly posted a photograph of an undercover narcotics officer on Facebook and identified him as a narc. Melissa Walthall, 30, was charged with felony retaliation after Mesquite police deemed her post 'a viable threat to the officer's safety.' The photo was copied from the officer's own Facebook page." Continue reading →

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Spain To Ban Photos of Police on Duty

"Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said after months of television and Internet scenes of sometimes violent clashes between police and demonstrators, a balance had to be struck 'between citizens' right to protest' and the need 'to uphold the integrity of state security forces.' The government's plans were unveiled a day after Spain's director general of police, Cosido Ignacio, said efforts are under way to secure such a ban. Television images of clashes near Parliament on Sept. 25 showed several protesters bloodied and in need of medical attention." Continue reading →

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A Commissarina Rises: Wendy J. Olson’s Reign of Terror

"After being appointed to her current post by Barack Obama in 2010, Olson wasted no time in building a large network of undercover informants and devising remarkably novel ways to turn innocent people into criminals. While Olson’s efforts have done nothing to enhance the security of persons or property, they have been immensely lucrative for the coercive class. An October 4 press release from the Commissarina’s office boasted that her staff had collected $84 million in fines, assessments, and forfeiture proceeds over the past year – ten times its operating budget." Continue reading →

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Human rights advocates raise concerns over increased police Taser use

"Taser use in England rose by 45% in 2011 and the numbers are expected to continue to increase as more weapons are given to rank-and-file officers. The stun guns were fired by police at 27-year-old Dale Burns in Barrow, Cumbria, last year, who later died. In the US, where they are more regularly used, there have been hundreds of deaths. Before 2008, the use of Tasers was restricted to firearms officers, but their use has increased in recent years as more frontline officers have access to them." Continue reading →

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Ben Affleck Defends TSA ‘Dick Grabbing’

"During a recent appearance on Bill Maher's Real Time, actor Ben Affleck defended the TSA's policy of grabbing people's genitals. Affleck probably isn't too fussed about what the TSA do because he is driven straight to the runway to board his private jet - he doesn't even have to go through TSA security!" Continue reading →

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Italy’s Political Scandals Rattle Public Trust

"Many of the current scandals have their origins in a 2001 law meant to promote greater federalism and, theoretically, more local accountability. The measure, which handed out generous state financing without requiring that the regions raise much money on their own, backfired badly, fostering reckless spending throughout the country. With the creation of Italy’s provinces in 1970, and especially in the years after 2001, the cost of regional governments exploded. The salaries of Italy’s 1,113 regional lawmakers expanded as well, to $4,000 to $6,500 a month, and often double that with added benefits." Continue reading →

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Why Firing a Bad Cop Is Damn Near Impossible

"All of these Rhode Island cops, and many more like them across the country, were able to keep their jobs and benefits—sometimes only temporarily, but always longer than they should have—thanks to model legislation written and lobbied for by well-funded police unions. That piece of legislation is called the 'law enforcement bill of rights,' and its sole purpose is to shield cops from the laws they're paid to enforce." Continue reading →

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‘Three Strikes of Injustice’

"The study showed that more than 4,000 inmates in California are serving life sentences for nonviolent offenses under the three-strikes law. Although judges have sentencing discretion in a very narrow band of three-strikes cases, the reality is that judges almost universally consider themselves bound under California law to impose a life sentence for a third felony offense, no matter how minor. We also learned that the law is disproportionately applied to minorities, the mentally ill and the poor." Continue reading →

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Medical Marijuana User Dies In Jail; Jailers Accused Him Of Faking Food Allergy

"Rose Saffioti was sure she was doing the right thing when she encouraged her son to turn himself over to police. An arrest warrant for Michael Saffioti had been issued after he missed a court date. But after one night in jail, he was dead. Now Snohomish County could face a lawsuit over a food allergy that may have been ignored. After eating oatmeal in jail, Michael couldn't breathe. Other inmates say Michael begged for help and was accused of faking it. The autopsy found his severe reaction to milk products contributed to his death." Continue reading →

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How the Feds Manufacture “Criminals”

"Undercover IRS informants posing as drug dealers offered to buy cars with cash they described as proceeds from narcotics deals. After Joseph Johnson was arrested and charged with money laundering, federal prosecutor Wendy Olson offered him a deal in exchange for testifying against Kurt Barnes. To enhance Johnson’s credibility, Olson sought to prevent disclosure of Johnson’s prior felony convictions – which is essentially the same act for which Barnes now faces a prison term. The difference here is that Olson, unlike Barnes, actually succeeded in stealing something – in this case, a year of a man’s life. Continue reading →

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