Police State

Imagine Being Locked Up in Prison because of Bad Forensics

"Out of the 351 cases in which the Innocence Project used DNA to exonerate wrongfully convicted defendants, flawed forensic evidence contributed in nearly half. Many Americans, especially those who think shows like Forensic Files and CSI accurately represent real life, believe that forensic evidence presented in criminal trials must be valid. But we have known for years that many forensic evidence techniques are highly subjective and unreliable."

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The State of Our Union: A House Divided, Enslaved & Mired in Past Mistakes

"The list of abuses being perpetrated against the American people by their government is growing rapidly: SWAT teams crashing through doors. Militarized police shooting unarmed citizens. Traffic cops tasering old men and pregnant women for not complying fast enough with an order. Resource officers shackling children for acting like children. Citizens being jailed for growing vegetable gardens in their front yards and holding prayer services in their backyards. Drivers having their cash seized under the pretext that they might have done something wrong. Brace yourselves. We are approaching critical mass."

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German police sue American woman for slander for calling them ‘Nazis’

"An angry American traveler found herself plunged into German legal waters this month after allegedly calling federal police officers 'Nazis' during a dispute at Frankfurt International Airport. Police say the woman, a 49-year-old professor, became 'unreasonable and irritated' when they told her she had too many liquids in her carry-on during a screening for explosives. The issue of too many liquids morphed quickly — by her own account – into a tail-chasing argument over her deodorant: They insisted it must go; she claimed that made no sense since it was a solid."

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FBI fatally shoots victim of kidnapping trio, alone and with his hands bound

"A kidnapping victim was shot to death Thursday during an FBI investigation at a northeast Houston home. Investigators said FBI agents were conducting an operation at a home in the 7300 block of Elbert Street when the victim, 47-year-old Ulises Valladares, was shot and killed. Court records indicate that authorities found Valladares' with his hands bound tape. According to sources, FBI agents accidentally shot Valladares. He was taken to LBJ Hospital, where he was pronounced dead."

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National park police gun down stopped, unarmed motorist in his car

"In an interview, Austin said he suspects Ghaisar, who has no criminal record, drove off after stopping because he was spooked by the very first stop initiated by Park Police, in which police cut him off in the middle of the highway and approached with guns drawn, yanking at his front door."

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ICE gains access to database that tracks license plates in realtime

"Using the database, ICE agents will be able to see where license plates have been located over the past five years, as well as find individual’s residences, according to The Verge. Officials can also be instantly alerted when new records of specific plates are located. Civil liberties groups slammed ICE’s access to the database."

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U.S. Border Crossings Have Become Authoritarian Testing Grounds

"The border is seen by the government as a civil rights-free zone where U.S. citizens are being increasingly treated like criminals and subject to the exact same sort of degrading abuse as my brother’s girlfriend. This is something I’ve been meaning to write about for a while, and this recent experience inspired me to do so today. Many of you have no idea how bad things already are."

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NJ Man Arrested After Purchasing Multiple Gift Cards From CVS

"Mount Olive Township Police were called to the CVS location on Tuesday over 'suspicious activity,' according to a police report. A man later identified as 28-year-old Craig Nakonechny had 'repeatedly' entered and exited the store and ultimately purchased several gift cards. This was somehow enough to trigger a call to the police (it's not clear from whom) and a visit from Officer Anthony Gardner."

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Homeland Security’s Multibillion-Dollar Comedy Show

"What does the United States have to show for tens of billions of dollars of Homeland Security antiterrorism spending by local and state governments? Michael Sheehan, former New York City deputy commissioner for counterterrorism, observed, 'I firmly believe that those huge budget increases have not significantly contributed to our post–9/11 security.' But the war on terrorism has been an unmitigated victory for Leviathan and politicians at every level of government."

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New Jersey Requires a Permit To Preach In Public

"The preachers sued, arguing they were deprived of their right to free expression. They also claimed they were discriminated against on the basis of religion. But true to form, the New Jersey government closed ranks and doubled down on their position. As a state agency, New Jersey Transit argued that they have immunity from civil claims of rights violations. And the worst part is, a U.S. circuit court of appeals agreed with the state of New Jersey. They said state permitting laws trump basic rights like free speech."

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