About 20 years ago I was driving down Cermak Road in Cicero, Illinois, when I passed a Cicero police car that had pulled someone over for a traffic violation, and I thought, "Man, that's got to suck!" Just imagine being that motorist: Cicero had been mobbed up since Al Capone took over and made it his headquarters in 1924, local newspapers routinely discussed the brothels … [Read more...] about Extortion and Lies in Melrose Park
Crime and Punishment
A Cop Who Should Be Fired
I'm pretty late with this one. According to the story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, King County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Schene is shown here beating down a 15-year-old girl because she...wait for it...kicked off her shoe in a way caused it to struck him in the leg: I suppose it's possible that something else was going on here that we can't see, although the … [Read more...] about A Cop Who Should Be Fired
A Response to Scott’s Comments on the Frederick Conviction
A police officer named Scott in Hampton Roads has this to say about the Ryan Frederick verdict: Ryan Frederick will forever be known as a cop killer. He shot and killed Detective Jerrod Shivers in January 2008 while the Chesapeake Police Department was serving a search warrant at his house. He is a cold blooded killer. Our justice system, however, has seen fit to … [Read more...] about A Response to Scott’s Comments on the Frederick Conviction
Manufacturing Guilt in Louisiana
The amazing Radley Balko has just posted a story he uncovered about a couple of forensic experts working on a case for the state of Lousiana who apparently mutiliated a child's corpse in order to frame a man for murder. Really. There's video. The images are disturbing. … [Read more...] about Manufacturing Guilt in Louisiana
Ryan Frederick Verdict
From the Virginian-Pilot: A jury convicted Ryan Frederick of voluntary manslaughter this afternoon in the January 2008 death of Chesapeake police Detective Jarrod Shivers. It also convicted him of simple possession of marijuana. In the process, the group opted against the two most serious charges filed against the 29-year-old - capital murder and manufacturing marijuana. As I … [Read more...] about Ryan Frederick Verdict