At the Conservative Political Action Conference last weekend, the nation’s largest annual gathering of conservatives, many speculated that the GOP might be veering in a more libertarian direction—or at least influential leaders within the party might be prodding it or might be anxious for it to go in that direction. The Daily Beast ran the [...]
"A bill introduced Tuesday by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) would require police obtain a warrant before scouring a suspect’s email accounts. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act (PDF), which was also introduced in the last Congress, returns right as the Obama administration has signaled readiness to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 by applying the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure to some emails stored on cloud services. Good news for Leahy and Lee: It appears the Obama administration agrees, at least in principle." Continue reading →
"Thousand of houses in the UK are being sent marijuana-scented 'scratch and sniff' cards in a new bid to track down marijuana growers. The charity group Crimestoppers explained the cards were designed to educate residents about the smell of marijuana. They hope once people can recognize the smell of cannabis plants, they will be able to help law enforcement officials identify illegal growing operations. The green-and-black cards also provide other signs to look out for, including homes that have 'visitors at unsociable hours' or buildings that generate an excessive amount of heat. Homes with closed blinds should be under suspicion as well." Continue reading →
"A second New York Police Department officer confirmed Wednesday that the department’s management continued using a system of quotas for arrests and citations even after the legislature explicitly banned the practice. Officer Pedro Serrano, 43, said he was labeled a 'rat' for refusing to bring in the 20 citations and one arrest per month required of him. Serrano also confirmed that the police union had accepted the quota system. Audio published Tuesday features another witness, officer Adhyl Polanco, speaking to a representative of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, who says the union trustees are okay with the requirement." Continue reading →
"Police in Washington state are working to retrain their drug-sniffing dogs so that they’re less likely to alert when they smell marijuana. The retraining is part of the state’s law enforcement reforms following November’s voter-backed legalization measure, which will ultimately require police to notify judges as to whether a drug dog used to obtain probable cause for a search has been trained to comply with state law. While most departments are going along with the change, including the Washington State Patrol, the Tacoma Police Department is refusing to comply." Continue reading →
"Benjamin M. Wassell of Silver Creek, New York, a wounded Iraq war veteran, is the first resident of that state to be arrested and face prosecution under its draconian new firearms law. He was arrested during an undercover operation by state police in which he sold an AR-15 rifle and six large-capacity clips on January 24. Wassell has been charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor. If they have their way, New York police officials will be doing a brisk business in incarcerating innocent gun owners. The State of New York has established an anonymous tip line encouraging people to report suspected 'illegal gun owners' for a $500 reward." Continue reading →
"That description was not applied to the masked, armor-clad Berserkers who kick down doors in the early morning or late at night and terrorize families over non-violent 'offenses.' Nor was it offered in reference to the militants who have purchased more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition -- much of it hollow-point rounds unsuitable for military use -- while distributing armored vehicles and other military hardware to their adherents in practically every city nation-wide. The Times didn't direct that rhetorical salvo at the people who are openly discussing plans to fill America's skies with robot planes that can -- and will -- be used as weapons platforms." Continue reading →
"South Carolina Senator Tom Davis has sponsored the Liberty Preservation Act to nullify the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill addresses the fact that 'Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 purports to assert the President’s authority to not only arrest suspected terrorists, but also to determine whether a trial, including the type of trial, will be held for those arrested;' and that 'Section 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 requires detention without trial by the military for a certain class of terrorist and authorizes, but does not require, the same for citizens of the United States.'" Continue reading →
"The Maryland General Assembly approved a ban of the death penalty on Friday, CNN reported. The bill, which passed in an 82-56 voted, now goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) for approval. According to WUSA-TV, he is expected to sign the bill into effect and make Maryland the 18th state to abolish the death penalty. O’Malley will also have the option of commuting the sentences of the state’s five inmates currently on death row to life in prison." Continue reading →
"A bill that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Maryland passed the state Senate Tuesday by a nearly two-to-one margin. The vote was 30-16. Senate Bill 297 would make possession of 10 grams (about a third of an ounce) or less a civil offense punishable by no more than a $100 fine. A state legislative fiscal and policy analysis of the bill estimated that it would result in small losses in fine revenues, small savings from decreases in the number of jail days, and would significantly reduce caseloads in the Office of the Public Defender. The bill now proceeds to the House, where it has been assigned to the Judiciary Committee." Continue reading →