Gregory Taylor has been in prison since 1997 for trying to get some food. He was homeless at the time and had a criminal record. Today Taylor is free—thanks largely in part to two Stanford students who worked to have him released. [Read More...]
A Lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department sent out a memo to deputies in Norwalk recently, urging them to weigh heavily the individual behind the crime and use their discretion carefully when deciding whether to make an arrest. Although the memo was likely well intentioned, it does bring up some good talking points. [Read More...]
The term “contempt of cop” is being used to describe arrests where police feel their actions are being interfered with or someone is resisting arrest. A recent study in Los Angeles County is said to indicate no racial disparity in this type of arrest, despite feelings to the contrary by community members. [Read More...]
The city of Oakland laid off 80 police officers last week in an effort to help with the $30.5 million budget deficit. The result—more crimes will go unreported and unsolved. As the city encourages people to file their own reports and tells them police won’t be responding to many non violent calls, faith in the city to protect them from crime is at a new low. [Read More...]
An evidence building of the Hemet, CA police department burned this week in a case of suspected arson. According to the LA Times, the fire was reported in the early morning hours in a building across the street from the main police station. This marks the seventh attack on Hemet police this year. [Read More...]
In an extreme, though not unusual enough case, a Redlands man is predicted to be facing serious charges in a police chase that ended with the death of a CHP trooper. The twenty year old is reportedly being held in San Bernardino County on suspicion of homicide and a slew of additional charges. [Read More...]
It’s not unusual at all to see drug deals happen in plain sight in the Los Angeles neighborhood known as Skid Row. This area, according to Wikipedia, contains the largest concentrated population of homeless in the country. Crime here is commonplace and has been for sometime. [Read More...]
People classified as a “sexually violent predator” know they are being watched constantly. These people have been released from prison and are sent back into society to live, though monitored strictly and forced to adhere to very stringent requirements. One man is back in custody after violating his release terms. [Read More...]
Under California law, the government is allowed to institutionalize those people it feels are too dangerous to be within society. This system, as it applies to sex offenders, is in need of an investigation, says lawmakers, and they just approved $250,000 to make that study happen. [Read More...]
When you are a defendant in a criminal case, the prosecution can call witnesses to testify against you. Among these witnesses are any police officers that may have played a role in your arrest or the investigation against you. But what happens when your lawyer isn’t informed about the officer’s criminal past? [Read More...]