Progressive DA Declines to Prosecute Sex Offender

by · Jul 17, 2025 1:31 pm

The newly-elected District Attorney of Arapahoe County Colorado is facing a recall after announcing that her office will not be prosecuting sex offender Solomon Galligan for attempting to kidnap a little boy from a school playground last year. Jennifer Taer of the New York Post reports that District Attorney Amy Padden announced last Friday that it has been determined that Galligan, 33, is not competent to stand trial and will be released to a mental health facility.  Galligan, who is currently receiving gender transition treatment, was caught on video approaching a group of students at an Aurora elementary school playground and grabbing an 11-year-old boy.  When the child broke free, Galligan ran off.  His older sister told reporters that her brother has been in an out of jail for twelve years and that it’s not safe for the community or Galligan to be out on the streets.  She said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder when he was 16, he was deemed unfit to stand trial in previous instances and wasn’t institutionalized because of a shortage of beds in mental-health centers.  Another relative said “This has been like the fourth time that we’re sitting here thinking, ‘How the hell did he get released? Who’s letting him out?’ “

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Of Crime and Groceries

by · Jul 11, 2025 8:43 am

Among the many strange ideas of New York mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is the notion that government can do a better job running grocery stores than free enterprise. This strange idea arises from the combination of the fact that some neighborhoods have inadequate or insufficient groceries combined with the ideological imperative to blame problems on approved villains, with businesses being at the top of the list.

Steven Malanga, in the City Journal, argues that the true cause is quite different:

New York City retailers have been closing shops by the hundreds in the last seven years because of growing social unrest and crime sparked by misguided criminal-justice reforms. Moreover, Mamdani’s own criminal-justice agenda, which includes reducing enforcement by the police department, promises to add to retailers’ woes.

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The Cushy Prisons for Murderers Act of 2025

by · Jul 11, 2025 8:23 am

Just when one thinks that the California Legislature has already maxed out its soft-headedness on crime, it goes and demonstrates that there is no limit. A bill has passed the California Senate by a wide margin declaring that “life inside prison should be as close to life outside of prison as much as possible.” [Sic.] As amended in the Assembly, Senate Bill 551 now includes this provision*:

The Legislature recognizes that life in prison can never be the same as life in a free society. However, active steps should be taken to make conditions in prison as close to normal life as possible, aside from loss of liberty, and to ensure that this normalization does not lead to inhumane prison conditions.

Unbelievable. Yes, we do not want our prison conditions to be inhumane. But “as close to normal life as possible”? It’s supposed to be punishment. And since the 2011 realignment, nearly everyone in California state prison (as opposed to county jail) is there for serious crimes, multiple repeated crimes, or both.

For premeditated murder, death is justice and anything less is mercy. Mercy is sometimes the right choice, but that does not mean we have to go overboard. A premeditated murderer who gets life in prison with a possibility of parole has already gotten off with less than he deserves. So now we have to take “active steps” to make sure he is comfy and entertained during his too-short time in the slammer? And we spend taxpayer money to do so while far more important functions of government go unfunded?

Who votes for this insanity? Continue reading . . .

Understanding retail theft in California

by · Jul 9, 2025 11:14 am

Concerns about retail theft in California have grown in recent years, with implications for businesses as well as the broader economic climate and the sense of safety across communities. In response, California lawmakers and voters have enacted several legal reforms aimed at curbing theft. A recent report from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office breaks down what we know about retail theft trends over the past decade, explores potential contributing factors, and reviews how recent policy changes may have affected these trends.

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A Baltimore Miracle?

by · Jul 9, 2025 8:21 am

Is the infamously violent Baltimore City* on track for a miracle? Joshua Crawford, director of criminal justice initiatives at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, has this op-ed in the Baltimore Sun,** titled “Are we witnessing a Baltimore Miracle in fight against crime?” He notes Baltimore’s sky-high crime rates, followed by dramatic drops beginning in 2023:

Murder declined nearly 22% in 2023, and then another almost 23% in 2024 — erasing all of the post-2014 increases. Through May 1, 2025, homicides were down another 31%, putting Baltimore on pace for its fourth sub-200 murder year since 1970, and the city’s lowest total since the mid-1960s.

This success follows adoption of a three-pronged effort:

First, in January 2022, Mayor Brandon Scott’s office launched its Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS). GVRS is a focused deterrence policing strategy that focuses on violent groups driving violence. It does so by credibly delivering three messages. Respected members of the community convey that violence is unacceptable and must stop, optional services are offered for those who wish to desist from shootings and other gun violence, and finally, predictable, swift, and certain consequences are promised to those whose groups continue to engage in gun violence.

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New Cases at the Supreme Court

by · Jul 3, 2025 8:27 am

This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court took up five cases for argument next term, two of which are consolidated. None are criminal cases. One case, Oliver v. Brandon, Mississippi involves the scope of the rule of Heck v. Humphrey, which prevents the use of civil litigation to do an end-run around the limits on collateral attack on state convictions in habeas corpus law. We will take a closer look at that one, although on its facts it appears that the plaintiff has a valid complaint.

Quadruple Murderer Pleads Guilty to Avoid Death Penalty

by · Jul 1, 2025 11:41 am

Bryan Kohberger, the criminology student charged with the brutal murders of four University of Idaho co-eds in 2022, has agreed to plead guilty in exchange for four consecutive life-in-prison-without-parole (LWOP) sentences.  CBS News reports that in a letter delivered prior to Kohberger’s upcoming trial his attorneys asked for the plea deal, which includes a waiver of his right to appeal.  Overwhelming evidence pointed to Kohberger as the person who, early on the morning of November 13, 2022, entered an unlocked home in Moscow, Idaho and stabbed college friends Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21,  and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 to death while they slept.

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$380m federally funded Justice Reinvestment Initiative fails to deliver on public safety promises

by · Jun 30, 2025 4:36 pm

The federal Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI), launched in 2010 and funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), was designed to help states reduce prison populations through legislative reform and evidence-based practices. The initiative offers grant funding as an incentive for states to revise sentencing, pretrial, and community supervision policies. The core idea is to save money by reducing incarceration and reinvesting those savings into local, community-based programs that address root causes of criminal behavior, such as mental health and substance use issues, with the ultimate goal of lowering recidivism.

Despite these aims, there is limited evidence that JRI reforms have consistently achieved their intended outcomes. While many state programs report success in reducing their prison populations, these analyses often rely on superficial data and overlook critical metrics such as public safety. The lack of rigorous evaluation, narrow definitions of “success,” and inconsistent implementation have led to growing concerns—especially about whether offenders released under JRI reforms are adequately supervised.

A recent report published by CJLF critically assesses the impact of JRI, exploring the shortcomings of its implementation in various states. Policymakers are urged to adopt a more cautious, evidence-based approach, including piloting programs and closely monitoring outcomes to ensure public safety is not compromised in the name of reform.

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Japan Executes Serial Killer

by · Jun 27, 2025 5:14 pm

Junko Ogura and Chris Lau report for CNN:

Japan has executed a man dubbed the “Twitter killer,” who was convicted of murdering and dismembering nine people, mostly women, in the country’s first use of capital punishment in nearly three years.

Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, was hanged Friday at the Tokyo Detention House. He was sentenced to death in 2020 after pleading guilty to killing the nine people – eight women and one man. Continue reading . . .