Author: Mark Draughn
SCATTERSHOT DEPT.
Scattershot 2009-06-25
A few random shots around the web: When I heard that bartender-beating Chicago cop Anthony Abbate got a light sentence, I wondered if someone who wasn’t a cop did the same thing, would he get off as easy? When Moser did some research, and the answers is probably yes. It was, after all, just a barfight.… Read more
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT DEPT.
Not Much Punishment For Abbate, Even Less For Conspirators
Chicago police officer Anthony Abbate—caught on video beating up a young woman bartender—has been sentenced. He got probation. Note that Abbate is still a police officer. The Independent Police Review Authority has recommended he be fired, and it sounds like he was convicted of a felony, which should disqualify him for the police force, but… Read more
LEGAL DEPT.
Lawyer as Juror in a Murder Trial
Illinois’s own Jeremy Richey does some actual journalism and interviews California civil attorney Brian Pedigo about his experience as a juror for a murder trial. He talks about deliberations, and what he thinks each side did wrong or right. By the way, he has one piece of advice for the prosecutor that I’d like to… Read more
MATHEMATICS DEPT.
Mathematics In Gangland
Scott Greenfield, font of so much that I can riff off of, has a complaint about gang experts who try to paint every action by the defendant as related to his membership in a gang: If a defendant has a tattoo, the expert will testify that tattoos are “brands” typically worn by gang members. If the… Read more
HEALTHCARE DEPT.
A Couple More Thoughts About Healthcare
Back on my latest I’m-going-to-be-blogging-about-healthcare post, reader Seth makes a few points in the comments. Here’s the first one: Making healthcare cheaper by saving money on billing data, etc. is saving money on clerks and bookkeepers. Whether the amount is large or small, it has no effect on the amount of healthcare provided (except perhaps… Read more