Category Archives: Articles

The Hit-and-Run Homicide and the Fifth Amendment

On August 23 of last year, in Minneapolis (MN), Amy Senser apparently driving both while talking on a cellphone and possibly after a few drinks, hit a man and drove off without either stopping or notifying the police. The man died, though he might have been saved if help had … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Criminal Justice Issues, Current Criminal Justice Headline News, News, Polls | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Public Enemies #9 and 10: How to Break Into the FBI Most Wanted List (and more Tuesday Morning Miscellany)

Michigan lawyer Gbenga Anjorin was quite active during the three years he practiced: now the state has to figure out what to do after discovering he didn’t have a license to practice Public Enemies Number 9 and 10 — how does somebody break into the FBI list? When a Hazing … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Criminal Justice Issues, Lawsuits | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

”The challenge for courts … is enforcing social-media bans during trials … at a time when authorities can’t even stop some people from risking their lives by sending text messages while driving.”

The Tweeting Juror Problem: “The challenge for courts … is enforcing social-media bans during trials … at a time when authorities can’t even stop some people from risking their lives by sending text messages while driving.” We discussed a couple of specific cases right here back in December., Why Do … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Editorials, Lighter Side, Weird World Of Crime | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Update: Federal Investigators Decrypt Ramona Fricosu’s Hard Drive

And just like that, all the court decisions made, all the court decisions waiting to be made, and all the constitutional issues are rendered moot.February 28, 2012: The case of the Colorado woman ordered to turn over the contents of her hard drive to federal investigators is on hold: at … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Court Rulings, Criminal Justice Issues, Polls | Tagged , , , | 42 Comments

When Should a Justice Be Recused?

Hamilton County (Ohio) prosecutor Joe Deters, in response to Ohio Supreme Court justice Paul Pfeifer’s recent comment that the death penalty system is “broken” and should be scrapped, sent out letters to prosecutors and judges across the state questioning whether Justice Pfeifer can be “fair to both sides,” and suggested … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Bill Bickel, Managing Editor, Criminal Justice Issues, Editorials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Wednesday Morning Miscellany

Ignorance is Bliss: Why, for forensic scientists, it’s sometimes better not to know so much Payback is a– Well, Actually It’s Sometimes a National Security Crisis: Don’t mess with your teenage daughter and her friends Sort of related: Appeals Court Rules Man Can Be Charged With Felony For Reading Wife’s … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Court Rulings, Criminal Justice Issues, Don't Be a Victim, Lighter Side, Weird World Of Crime | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Truth About Cupcakes, the Problem With Dirty Photos, Danger in the Drugstore, and How Greece is Rewarding Pedophiles

Why Being a Pharmacist is Now a Dangerous Job Greece declares pedophilia a “disability” — along with kleptomania, exhibitionism, compulsive gambling, pyromania, and sadomasochism — entitling said pedophiles, kleptomaniacs, et al, to disability pay and other legal and financial benefits. That cupcake kurfuffle at the Las Vegas airport last month? … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, General Topic Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Why a California Assemblywoman Got Probation for Shoplifting

Last week, California Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi had shoplifting charges against her reduced to a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to three years probation. On October 23 of last year, she was arrested after leaving the upscale Nieman Marcus store in San Francisco with about $2500 worth of unpaid merchandise. Her lawyer … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Bill Bickel, Managing Editor, Criminal Justice Issues, Editorials, Polls | 9 Comments

Monday Morning Round-Up: Hot Coffee, Pizza, Arson Forensics, In-Flight Pornography, and More

Arson Forensics How the field has changed How Pizza Became a Vegetable A return to Reagan-era school lunches? Tennessee Law Requires Everybody To Report Child Abuse Well, except for the whole “no actual punishment if you don’t” part In-Flight Pornography No, this isn’t a new perk for first-class travelers; this … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Lawsuits | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Can Police Execute a Warrantless Search Based on Smell Alone?

If police see evidence of a crime in plain sight — for example half a dozen bags sitting on the windowsill of your home, all labeled First National Bank with dollar signs underneath, just after the First National Bank was robbed — they can execute a search without a warrant. … Continue reading

Posted in Articles, Court Rulings, Criminal Justice Issues, Polls | Tagged , , | 19 Comments