Crime and Punishment

Thirty years ago, Philip B. Crosby wrote Quality Is Free, in which he explained how a business that improved its products could earn higher profits. The basic insight was that the earlier you catch a product defect, the cheaper it is to fix: Catching a defect during your outgoing quality assurance testing is a lot cheaper than dealing with a product return from a customer, … [Read more...] about Public Defense Is Free

Just a quick note to point out something that really annoyed me this morning. Chicago cops are protesting at police headquarters.Before the marchers stepped off, several hundred officers were gathering in front of police headquarters, carrying signs including "More police/No Weis!!", "Simply resign" and "Free Cozzi," referring to Officer William Cozzi, who was convicted of … [Read more...] about Cops Protest for Right to Beat Up People in Wheelchairs

It appears that Sheriff Joe Arpaio is continuing his efforts to turn Maricopa County, Arizona, into some kind of third-world hellhole: The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has chosen not to prosecute Arizona Department of Corrections staff in the death of inmate Marcia Powell. Powell, 48, died May 20, 2009, after being kept in a human cage in Goodyear's Perryville Prison for … [Read more...] about Joe Arpaio’s Officers Getting Away With a Torture-Murder?

I had met my friend Fritz at a local pizza joint for some lunch, when we noticed something suspicious at another table: A couple of pasty-looking white guys, they had briefcases on the table and were exchanging things them while speaking in hushed tones. They wore paramilitary outfits -- matching blue shirts and pants and matching blue jackets -- and we could see … [Read more...] about As Long As No One Got Hurt…

Scott Greenfield wrote today about a case involving a police officer who caught one of those lucky breaks in court that cops seem to get so often: It seemed as if things couldn't get any worse for Police Officer Patrick Pogan, when his arrest of Christopher Long, a cyclist in the Critical Mass rally, for attacking him was covertly videotaped.  Only 10 days on the job and … [Read more...] about The Real Big Shove: Everybody Gets Life