Police State

New York: Judge Rules Careful Driving Is Not A Crime

"Driving with hands on the wheel, arms extended, without passing other vehicles is not a crime in New York, a county judge ruled last week. St. Lawrence County Surrogate's Court Judge Kathleen Martin Rogers found the US Border Patrol had been wrong to stop Corene M. Deer and Rachel C. Morgan, who were driving carefully at around 8pm on January 18, 2012 in the town of Gouverneur. Agent Brandon Carrier spotted Deer and Morgan's white SUV and became suspicious when he saw the driver had more than one hand on the wheel and did not appear to be relaxed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York: Judge Rules Careful Driving Is Not A Crime

When Proactive Policing Becomes Harassment

"The track record of the NYPD's stop-and-frisk program suggests that its officers' suspicions of criminal activity are frequently less than reasonable, since they turn out to be right only 12 percent of the time. Forms officers fill out after these encounters rely heavily on all-purpose excuses such as 'furtive movements' and 'high crime area' to justify stopping people. As the number of stop-and-frisk encounters initiated by the NYPD grew from about 100,000 in Michael Bloomberg's first year as mayor to almost 700,000 in 2011, the share of stops yielding guns fell from 0.38 percent to 0.033 percent. Bloomberg says that trend shows the program is working." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhen Proactive Policing Becomes Harassment

ACLU: Email reveals feds misled judges to abuse wiretapping powers

"Federal law enforcement agents misled judges for years on what type of wiretaps they were carrying out when they requested permission for so-called 'pen register' searches, an email obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reveals. Instead of collecting data on incoming and outgoing callers (among other general information), the ACLU said that agents commonly used a vehicle-mounted technology called the 'stingray' that intercepts all nearby communications in order to pinpoint the location of a particular signal. The ACLU argues that these devices in effect resulted in a de facto wiretap, when that was not yet authorized." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingACLU: Email reveals feds misled judges to abuse wiretapping powers

FBI Pursuing Real-Time Gmail Spying Powers as “Top Priority” for 2013

"Despite the pervasiveness of law enforcement surveillance of digital communication, the FBI still has a difficult time monitoring Gmail, Google Voice, and Dropbox in real time. But that may change soon, because the bureau says it has made gaining more powers to wiretap all forms of Internet conversation and cloud storage a 'top priority' this year. FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann said that the FBI wants the power to mandate real-time surveillance of everything from Dropbox and online games ('the chat feature in Scrabble') to Gmail and Google Voice. 'Those communications are being used for criminal conversations,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFBI Pursuing Real-Time Gmail Spying Powers as “Top Priority” for 2013

One Man Blocking Arizona Anti-NDAA Bill

"Arizona has the chance to become the first state in America to enact real protections for its citizens against the NDAA. HB 2573, introduced by Rep. Carl Seel, passed Committee 6-2 last month, and passed the Rules Committee yesterday. Yet, one Representative does not see the tide turning to liberty. Representative Andy Tobin is currently blocking HB 2573 from receiving a full House vote. He is willing to kill protection for the people of Arizona, and allow the Federal government to trample the rights of his constituents." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOne Man Blocking Arizona Anti-NDAA Bill

Inside Oklahoma’s Quest To Dominate The American Drone Industry

"Oklahoma businesspeople, academics, and politicians are collaborating through an organization named USA-OK, which aims to make the heartland state the focal point of American UAV development. A quasi-affiliated group, the Governor’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Council (PDF), was formed via an executive order from Governor Mary Fallin in 2011. Both organizations are lobbying for commercial drone test sites in Oklahoma and increased government assistance in luring more large military contractors to the state. Oklahoma is already home to approximately 15 companies servicing the UAV industry." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInside Oklahoma’s Quest To Dominate The American Drone Industry

Welcome to Sulphur Springs, Where the Police Chief is a Murderer

"Last April, the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement reinstated Brackney’s 'peace officer' certification. All that he needed now was a job opening – and one was soon created in Sulphur Springs. Between late 2010 and March 25 of this year, residents of Sulphur Springs had known the singular blessing of living in a community devoid of police. There hasn’t been a murder in Sulphur Springs in recent memory. By hiring a murderer as police chief, the people who presume to rule that tiny village managed to handle both the supply and demand side of law enforcement, as it were. Arkansas is riddled with tiny towns afflicted with police who are not merely corrupt, but demented." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWelcome to Sulphur Springs, Where the Police Chief is a Murderer

Cops running out of bullets? Thank the NRA

"Dayne Pryor is the chief of police in Rollingwood, Texas, a small suburb of Austin. 'I’ve been in law enforcement for 31 years and I’ve been a chief for eight years,' he sighs. 'And it’s just one of those things that I never thought I’d have a problem with, especially being in Texas.' Pryor’s problem, he explains to Salon, is that he’s having trouble finding ammunition and firearms for his officers, thanks to a national shortage. The cause? A run on supply from gun lovers afraid that Congress or state legislatures will impose new gun control laws in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCops running out of bullets? Thank the NRA

Police restrain crowd from taking food to be thrown away after supermarket eviction

"Law enforcement officials pushed back hundreds of people who were crowding around a large pile of merchandise outside an Augusta grocery store Tuesday afternoon. But the goods sitting in the parking lot of the Laney Supermarket didn't make into anyone's hands. Instead, the food people hoped to take home was tossed into the trash. SunTrust Bank in Atlanta owns the property and they're sending the merchandise to the landfill after evicting the Chois, the owners of the grocery store." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice restrain crowd from taking food to be thrown away after supermarket eviction

Officer Convicted In Shooting Death Becomes Police Chief

"A former Bella Vista police officer who served jail time after shooting a suspect to death was sworn in as a police chief Monday night. A district court ruled that Brackney was to blame for the shooting death of James Ahern following a high-speed pursuit in January 2010. His negligent homicide conviction was a misdemeanor, so Brackney was spared prison time. 'I told the guys the day I left I would be back, and I told them it may take me a while because it was going to be a long fight,' Brackney told 5NEWS on Tuesday. 'But I’m back.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficer Convicted In Shooting Death Becomes Police Chief