Crime and Punishment

Apparently, iPhone theft is a big enough problem in San Francisco that police have come up with a special solution: ...these cops are taking a different approach than just running after iPhone robbers and cuffing them. Instead, they are going after the buyers of the stolen products, in a scheme that they call “cutting the head off the snake”. San Francisco Police Captain Joe … [Read more...] about Fighting Crime the Easy Way

One of the reasons I'm not a criminal defense lawyer despite my obvious interest in the subject, is that I'm pretty sure it would make me angry all the time.Even now, when I think about the things I hate about our criminal laws and the way those laws are applied, I get all worked up with simmering rage at the hubris and callousness of those who claim to protect us. The war … [Read more...] about Putting Angry Words in Perspective

I'm a fan of the TV show Castle, largely because of its character-based humor and the fact that it stars Nathan Fillion. Of course, being a show about a mystery writer who helps the New York police solve crimes, it does occasionally go over the top in its worship of the criminal justice system.I especially remember one episode where the detective team discovered someone who … [Read more...] about Who’s Responsible For a Wrongful Conviction?

I've been following some of the discussions about the prosecutorial conduct that may have lead to Aaron Swartz's suicide, but I haven't posted anything about it because it didn't seem all that unusual, except for the suicide, which is not really all that unusual either. I didn't initially understand why so many people are heaping verbal abuse on US Attorney Carmen Ortiz for … [Read more...] about Abusing US Attorney Carmen Ortiz