by Katherine.Stiplosek · Aug 12, 2020 3:59 pm
Early Monday, August 10th, Don Babwin of the Associated Press reports that the city of Chicago hit a new level of crime, resulting in more than 100 arrests. Shortly after midnight, the city suffered looting and unrest that damaged its Magnificent Mile district and left 13 officers injured.
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 23, 2020 3:27 pm
On Wednesday July 22 President Trump announced that the Justice Department would be sending hundreds of additional federal agents into major cities, in an attempt to reduce the number the shootings and violence that has escalated in recent in weeks, and compensate for weak local governments.
“We will never defund the police. We will hire more great police. We want to make law enforcement stronger, not weaker. What cities are doing is insanity.” Continue reading . . .
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 20, 2020 3:43 pm
Last Monday, the Ninth Circuit scaled back a nationwide order that blocks the Trump administration from cutting off grants to sanctuary jurisdictions after finding that the mandate should only apply in California.
Nicholas Iovino of Courthouse News reports that the new verdict comes after a 2017 lawsuit brought by San Francisco. The city sued the Justice Department after the Trump Administration announced plans to make jurisdictions ineligible for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, unless they gave immigration agents unrestricted access to local jails, and provided 48 hours’ notice before releasing undocumented immigrants from jail. California joined the lawsuit as a plaintiff, and later passed it’s own separate set of “Sanctuary State” laws in October 2017.
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 17, 2020 3:48 pm
Violent crime rates have been soaring across the US, as the global pandemic and nation-wide protests create the ‘perfect storm of distress.’
The summer season brings substantially higher crime rates in most parts of the country, causing many agencies to deploy more officers than usual to keep cities safe. This year, police departments are also struggling amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the challenges of safely battling civil unrest, and heightened political tensions. Now, they also facing rising crime. Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones compares crime data from across the country, reporting how cities have been affected by this year’s challenges.
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 10, 2020 12:57 pm
After nearly 2 decades of postponement, white supremacist Daniel Lewis Lee is scheduled to be executed on Monday. As reported in the Washington Free Beacon, this will be the first Federal execution in 17 years. Should it proceed as planned, Lee’s execution will mark the culmination of continued efforts by Attorney General William Barr to restart the death penalty.
Lee is facing the death penalty for the 1996 murder of the Mueller family, including husband and wife William and Nancy Mueller, and their eight-year-old daughter, Sarah. Lee, and his accomplice Chevie Kehoe were members of a white supremacist group that envisioned the a white ethnostate as the future of the US, supporting their cause with the proceeds of their killing spree. The duo suffocated William and Nancy before torturing and murdering their daughter, later dumping the bodies in a bayou and joking the family was now on a “liquid diet”.
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 9, 2020 2:18 pm
Last month, the Public Policy Institute of California released a report, entitled “Proposition 47’s Impact on Racial Disparity in Criminal Justice Outcomes”.
The report examines Proposition 47, “The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act”, which implemented three broad changes to felony sentencing laws. First, it reclassified certain theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, including shoplifting, forgery, insufficient funds, petty theft, receiving stolen property, and petty theft with a prior. The proposition also reclassified drug possession under Health and Safety Code sections 11350, 11357(a) , and 11377 as strictly misdemeanors. (As with the aforementioned theft offenses, these new misdemeanor rules do not apply to individuals who one or more prior offenses (specified under Penal Code section 667(e)(2)(C)(iv).)
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 7, 2020 9:33 am
Amidst a global pandemic and a nation full of political tensions, this year’s 4th of July weekend proved to be another marker of civil unrest.
In Chicago, gun violence left at least 17 people killed, with another 63 injured. Two of these deaths are children, continuing a string of children fatally shot in recent weeks.
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 2, 2020 3:34 pm
Part 3 in a three-part series.
Shortly after president Trump signed a new executive order aimed at initiating police reform at the federal level, both parties in the House and Senate drafted their reform bills, proposing new laws and amendments.
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina led the Senate Republican Bill, which was quickly and harshly shut down by Senate Democrats. The vote against the legislation is tragedy, as it eliminates any possibility of passing police reform this year. Continue reading . . .
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jul 1, 2020 2:27 pm
Part 2 of a three part series.
On Tuesday, June 16, President Trump signed an executive order, establishing preliminary measures taken by the federal government to begin police reform.
Trump’s speech started strong, as he revealed in his Rose Garden remarks that he’d had met with nine families who had lost members as a result of police brutality or racially motivated killings. As he unveiled the details of the new order, he addressed his private meetings with the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Antwon Rose, Atatiana Jefferson, Jemel Roberson, Michael Dean, Darius Tarver, Cameron lamb, and Everett Palmer. Continue reading . . .
by Katherine.Stiplosek · Jun 30, 2020 1:40 pm
Part 1 of a three part series:
Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at guiding police reforms following weeks of national unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd.
The order would create federal incentives through the Justice Department for local police departments that implement “independent credentialing” to certify that law enforcement is improving standards for the use of force and de-escalation training.
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