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Tag Archives: media
Let’s NOT Turn the Connecticut Shooter into a Celebrity
I’ve written this before, and unfortunately I’ll write it again: now that we know the name of the man who killed 18 schoolchildren in Connecticut, let’s forget it. I don’t want to see his smiling face on the evening news. I don’t want to read interviews with his friends. I … Continue reading
Posted in Bill Bickel, Managing Editor, Current Criminal Justice Headline News, Editorials, News
Tagged Bill Bickel, editorial, media, murder
5 Comments
Really Bad Timing, the Insanity Defense, ”Onion Field” Killer Dead, and What Happens When a Jury Doesn’t Believe an Accused Murderer Murdered Anybody
One afternoon earlier this month in Turlock, Florida, Larry Laugen went to the police station to register as a sex offender, as required by law. That morning, also in Turlock, a woman confronted a man who’d broken into her home, and he fled. She gave police a description, and that … Continue reading
Another Mass Shooting, Another Instant Celebrity
And now, after another mass shooting, we have another instant celebrity whose history and opinions will be discussed, analyzed, and in some cases actually taken seriously. At one point this afternoon, the two top stories on cnn.com were about the guy who shot up the Sikh temple and the guy … Continue reading
The James Holmes media blitz, why it will be a challenge convicting Drew Peterson, how John (”Monday”) Perrault’s lawyer Geragos-ed him, and how two sexual attackers’ attorneys Streisand-ed them
Okay, here’s a thought… let’s stop delving into the minutiae of James Holmes’s life as if he’s this week’s celebrity, okay? Most of the time, these killers just wanted the world to pay attention to them. Maybe we shouldn’t show them that this is a good way to get it. … Continue reading
Badly-Written Article of the Week
According to this ABC News report, a former police captain shot and killed his adult son late Friday night, thinking he was an intruder, while they were both staying at an upstate New York motel as part of a motorcycle club outing. Local prosecutors are still deciding whether to file … Continue reading
Posted in Bill Bickel, Managing Editor, Current Criminal Justice Headline News, Editorials, News
Tagged Bill Bickel, Editorials, guns, media
17 Comments
Friday Morning Miscellany: Etan Patz, Casey Anthony, Guns, and Bombs
New Jersey Man Arrested After Confessing That He Strangled Etan Patz in 1979 — A little perspective, though: he’s offered no motive, and as far as the public has been made aware, there is no physical evidence. The media, in its zeal to report the end of one of nation’s … Continue reading
Posted in Current Criminal Justice Headline News, Lawsuits, Lighter Side, News, Weird World Of Crime
Tagged bombs, Casey Anthony, Caylee Anthony, Etan Patz, guns, media, murders, terrorism
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”Millionaire gets 16 years for DUI death… at home”
This one wins our “Misleading Headline of the Week” Award, and the article goes on to say “Convicted multi-millionaire John Goodman was sentenced to 16 years in prison for a DUI manslaughter Friday — but instead of living in a small cell with prison food and inmates, Goodman will be … Continue reading
Posted in Bill Bickel, Managing Editor, Current Criminal Justice Headline News, Editorials, News
Tagged headlines, media
6 Comments
CNN On-Air Reporter Apologizes For Using a Racial Slur — But Was It Justified?
Susan Candiotti, reporting on the recent racially-motivated shootings in Tulsa, quoted a Facebook post by one of the (alleged) shooters, prefacing it with an apology and a warning that she’s about to use “sensitive language,” and then read it verbatim rather than substituting something like “It’s been two years since … Continue reading
Posted in Current Criminal Justice Headline News, News, Polls
Tagged censorship, media, polls, profanity, racism
17 Comments
”I May Be Crazy But I’m Not Stupid” and More Monday Morning Miscellany
The line is supposed to be “I may be crazy but I’m not stupid,” but Susan Cole got it backward: The 54-year-old Colorado woman showed up in court last year pretending to be mentally unbalanced, in order to get out of jury duty, and then a few months later bragged … Continue reading
Posted in Court Rulings, Lighter Side, Weird World Of Crime
Tagged jury duty, media, pejury, polls
2 Comments
Employers Demand Job Applicants Turn Over Facebook Passwords — Or Do They?
There has been much written over the past couple of weeks about employers demanding that job applicants turn over their Facebook passwords, as part of the vetting process. I have to wonder whether this has all been severely overstated, misreported, or is simply a new urban legend. Because what additional … Continue reading
