statism

Man Found Innocent After 20 Years in Prison, But Sent Back Anyway

"A man who spent more than 20 years in a Nevada prison for a crime he didn't commit could be on the hook for three more crimes if the state of Florida has its way. After spending more than two decades behind bars for a murder he said he didn't commit, a Nevada court recently found Fred Steese is actually innocent of the crime. Instead of freedom, though, Steese remains in lock-up awaiting extradition to Florida. It seems the Sunshine State doesn't credit the time he has already served. He remains imprisoned on a hold from Florida for failing to report to his parole officer more than a quarter century ago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan Found Innocent After 20 Years in Prison, But Sent Back Anyway

Charlotte Citizens Review Board Has Ruled For The Police In Every Instance In 15 Years

"Charlotte’s City Council on Monday may take steps to strengthen the Citizens Review Board after an Observer investigation found that the board, set up nearly 16 years ago to look into allegations of police misconduct, has always sided with police. Proponents of reforming the review board hope to pressure the City Council to give it more power. They’re trying to gather dozens of residents to speak at the council meeting or wear black in silent protest." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCharlotte Citizens Review Board Has Ruled For The Police In Every Instance In 15 Years

Police In New York Times Determine The Obvious: “Defend Yourself”

"The speed and deadliness of recent high-profile shootings have prompted police departments to recommend fleeing, hiding or fighting in the event of a mass attack, instead of remaining passive and waiting for help. The traditional advice to the public has been 'don’t get involved, call 911.' But research on mass shootings over the last decade has bolstered the idea that people at the scene of an attack have a better chance of survival if they take an active stance rather than waiting to be rescued by the police, who in many cases cannot get there fast enough to prevent the loss of life." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice In New York Times Determine The Obvious: “Defend Yourself”

Police Nationwide Say “You’re On Your Own”

"Project Veritas visited police stations nationwide and asked law enforcement officials how they could protect themselves in the event of an armed break-in. 'Go get some bleach. Go get ammonia,' one officer instructed. Yet another officer instructed the undercover journalist to, 'lock yourself in a bedroom' and 'start yelling and screaming.' Vice President Joe Biden recently advised Americans to, 'get a shotgun' for home protection. But when asked whether or not they should follow the Vice President’s advice, law enforcement officials told the undercover journalists they would be arrested for doing so." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Nationwide Say “You’re On Your Own”

Man Faces Charges After Defending Himself from a Bear in His Own Yard

"Richard Ahlstrand, of Auburn, Massachusetts, faces criminal charges after encountering a bear in his back yard and shooting the damned thing to avoid being mauled or eaten. Specifically, as noted at Reason 24/7, he's charged with 'illegally killing a bear, illegally baiting a bear, illegal possession of a firearm and failure to secure a firearm.' All of these charges, once translated from Massachusetts to American, seem to stack up to outrage that Ahlstrand didn't make his yard completely inhospitable to animals that are rarely seen in the area." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan Faces Charges After Defending Himself from a Bear in His Own Yard

Judge declares using Google Maps for driving directions illegal in California

"Judge Hamlin reasoned that the law's intent was to prevent all manual operation of the cellphone to curb distracted driving. Hamlin felt this even though Sprigg argued that when the original law specified voice calls, it was felt necessary to append the law to add texting to its purview. Using that example, if the law didn't specify the other operations it covered, then it shouldn't apply to those other operations. Hamlin's decision countered that there was no legislative history that demonstrated the bill's original supporters didn't want texting covered by the law originally." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJudge declares using Google Maps for driving directions illegal in California

Environmental activist re-jailed after writing blog post about prison conditions

"Environmental activist Daniel McGowan was taken back to prison on Thursday after he wrote a Huffington Post op-ed post while in a halfway house asserting that his fellow inmates were imprisoned for their religious or political beliefs. After publishing his op-ed, McGowan was then sent back to a high-security prison facility Thursday morning. His wife, Jenny Synan, told the Huffington Post, 'If this is indeed a case of retaliation for writing an article about the BOP retaliating against his free speech while he was in prison, it is more than ironic, it is an outrage.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEnvironmental activist re-jailed after writing blog post about prison conditions

Jim Bovard: Farmers fight for the right to grow raisins

"Marvin Horne, a 67-year-old raisin farmer in Fresno, Calif., was fined almost $700,000 for refusing to surrender control of much of his harvest to the federal committee in 2002. Horne, who has been growing raisins for more than 40 years, has battled the raisin committee for more than a decade and describes its regime as 'involuntary servitude.' His challenge -- which is supported by many California raisin growers -- landed in front of the Supreme Court last month. According to the Obama Administration and USDA, the Raisin Administrative Committee needs vast power to protect farmers from selling too many raisins." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJim Bovard: Farmers fight for the right to grow raisins

Will Grigg: Nationalizing Children

"Like many others of her ideological persuasion, Harris-Perry is a stranger to concision. In describing the totalitarian state’s proprietary claim on children, someone who represented a slightly different strain of collectivism – albeit not as different as Harris-Perry would insist – stated the matter much more tidily almost exactly eighty years ago." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWill Grigg: Nationalizing Children

German Family Seeking Asylum to Continue Homeschooling Kids in US Fights Deportation

"On April 23, 2013, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case of Romeike v. Holder, where the family will attempt to have the deportation order made against them set aside. While the Romeikes had originally been granted asylum in the United States, on the grounds Germany prevented them from homeschooling their children, that decision was overturned by a panel of the Board of Immigration Appeals. German parents have not been able to legally homeschool their children since the practice was banned by the Nazis in 1938." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGerman Family Seeking Asylum to Continue Homeschooling Kids in US Fights Deportation