Police State

New Mexico’s Torture State

"The habeas corpus guarantee requires that anyone arrested by the police be quickly brought before a judge and either formally charged or released. Slevin was never given a judicial hearing. Nor was he given medical attention by his jailers. He was literally left to rot in solitary confinement until relatives inquired into his case. After being released, Slevin was awarded a $15.5 million tax-funded civil settlement – and nobody has been held accountable for the two years of torture he endured." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Mexico’s Torture State

Brooklyn man released from jail after 22-year murder conviction is overturned

"A 58-year-old Brooklyn man was released from prison Thursday after his murder conviction was overturned following a witness’ confession that he was coaxed by authorities into identifying him as the suspect, CNN reported on Friday. 'As I said from the beginning, I had nothing to do with this case,' David Ranta said after leaving prison. Ranta’s case was reopened in 2011, after a witness, Menachem Lieberman, told his court-appointed attorney that police had told him to 'pick the guy with the big nose' when identifying suspects in a lineup." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBrooklyn man released from jail after 22-year murder conviction is overturned

Police summoned, multiple schools locked down after man spotted carrying umbrella

"A typical Tuesday morning for 42-year-old Michael Di Marzo quickly became a citywide multi-jurisdictional manhunt for him and what witnesses thought was a assault rifle in his hand. Three schools were locked down and delayed as police scoured the area by ground and air, looking for a man described by a teenage tipster as wearing black clothes and a ski mask. It wasn’t realized until hours later what was believed to be something along the lines of an AR-15 or AK-47 was more of a AU-15: a 15-inch compact 'assault umbrella.' The 'ski mask' was a pulled-up black turtle neck sweater paired with a black watch cap." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice summoned, multiple schools locked down after man spotted carrying umbrella

Maryland cop probed for installing camera in boys’ school bathroom

"A police officer in Maryland has had his 'police powers' suspended after he was accused of installing a camera in the boy’s restroom at Glen Burnie High School. A spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police on Thursday confirmed that the 14-year veteran had installed the camera, according to WJZ. Details of what had been recorded and why were being investigated. Police said that a boy discovered the hand-held camera in the top corner of the restroom and reported it to school officials on Wednesday morning. 'We do not know that the officer’s intentions were,' Lt. T.J. Smith explained." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMaryland cop probed for installing camera in boys’ school bathroom

New York man released after being wrongly imprisoned for 23 years

"A New Yorker was freed Thursday after serving more than 20 years in prison for the murder of a rabbi that the authorities now say he did not commit. David Ranta was sentenced to 37 years behind bars after being convicted in 1991 of killing an Orthodox Jewish rabbi during a botched robbery. He always maintained his innocence. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced an internal probe had found evidence unavailable during the trial that cleared the imprisoned man." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York man released after being wrongly imprisoned for 23 years

Crime Lab Scandal Leaves Mass. Legal System In Turmoil

"A scandal in a Massachusetts crime lab continues to reverberate throughout the state's legal system. Several months ago, Annie Dookhan, a former chemist in a state crime lab, told police that she messed up big time. Dookhan now stands accused of falsifying test results in as many as 34,000 cases. As a result, lawyers, prosecutors and judges used to operating in a world of 'beyond a reasonable doubt' now have nothing but doubt. Already, hundreds of convicts and defendants have been released because of the scandal. Now, the state's highest court may weigh in on how these cases should be handled." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrime Lab Scandal Leaves Mass. Legal System In Turmoil

Bipartisan bill would require a warrant for police to search emails

"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 →

Continue ReadingBipartisan bill would require a warrant for police to search emails

Second New York cop confirms illegal arrest and ticket ‘quota’ system

"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 →

Continue ReadingSecond New York cop confirms illegal arrest and ticket ‘quota’ system

Washington cops working to ‘desensitize’ drug dogs to marijuana smell

"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 →

Continue ReadingWashington cops working to ‘desensitize’ drug dogs to marijuana smell

Disarm Subjects and Make them Spy on Each Other: New York State’s Totalitarian Formula

"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 →

Continue ReadingDisarm Subjects and Make them Spy on Each Other: New York State’s Totalitarian Formula