Crime

Rufus Farmer, 33, was tired of all the ways he saw black men being mistreated by the nation’s law enforcement system — from the police officer who once berated him for crossing the street to the mandatory prison sentences that sent so many of his peers away. So when former President Bill Clinton appeared on April 7 in Philadelphia at a rally for his wife, Hillary, Mr. Farmer protested, carrying a sign denouncing Mr. Clinton’s 1994 crime bill, which set lengthy prison sentences and flooded the streets with police officers. A fiery exchange broke out between the activists and the former president as Mr. Clinton forcefully defended the legislation. But it was not just Mr. Clinton who criticized the young protesters. Afterward, some older African-Americans did, too. “I think it is crazy to protest the crime bill,” said Caryl Brock, 53, a social worker from the Bronx, who scolded the protesters on social media. “Should it be amended? Maybe. But a lot of people really wanted it. I … [Read more...] about On Crime Bill and the Clintons, Young Blacks Clash With Parents

Coronation Street's executive producer has revealed that the hate crime storyline involving Seb Franklin and Nina Lucas has been planned for years. Iain MacLeod admitted the plot has been in the pipeline for quite some time and that bosses felt it was "something that really needed to be told". On Wednesday, Corrie fans watched on in horror as Corey Brent (Maximus Evans) and his nasty friends set upon Seb (Harry Visinoni) and Nina (Mollie Gallagher) in a dark alley and left them both fighting for their lives in hospital. Speaking about the horrific storyline, MacLeod explained: "A couple of years ago, a story of this type was floating around the writers' room and it just felt like it was something that really needed to be told. Corrie's executive producer has revealed that the hate crime storyline involving Seb Franklin and Nina Lucas has been planned for years ( Image: PA) "It felt like it was something that sits very well in the soap genre and, albeit we don't … [Read more...] about Coronation Street boss says Nina and Seb story has been ‘planned for years’

“Gangs and drugs have taken over our streets,” President Bill Clinton said in 1994 as he signed a far-reaching anti-crime bill to bipartisan acclaim. Defending the law at the time, a frightened era of crack cocaine wars and record murder rates, Hillary Clinton, as first lady, warned about an emerging generation of “super-predators” — a notion she later repudiated. Confronted last week by protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement, Mr. Clinton defended his tough crime stance, even though he, like Mrs. Clinton, has joined in recent calls for sweeping reforms in criminal sentencing. For some critics, the 1994 crime bill has come to epitomize the late-20th-century policies that sent incarceration to record levels and ravaged poor communities, taking a particularly devastating toll on African-Americans that political leaders are only now working to reverse. History and statistics tell a more complex story, according to criminologists. The Violent Crime Control and Law … [Read more...] about Prison Rate Was Rising Years Before 1994 Law

Weldon H. Angelos, a 25-year-old producer of rap records, will be sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Salt Lake City for selling several hundred dollars in marijuana on each of three occasions, his first offenses. He faces 63 years in prison. Laws that set mandatory minimum sentences require 55 of the 63 years because Mr. Angelos carried a gun while he sold the drugs. "It would appear effectively to be a life sentence," the judge, Paul G. Cassell of Federal District Court there, wrote in a request to the prosecution and the defense for advice about whether he has any choice but to send the man to prison forever. Judge Cassell, a brainy, conservative former law professor, surveyed the maximum sentences for other federal crimes. Hijacking an airplane: 25 years. Terrorist bombing intending to kill a bystander: 20 years. Second-degree murder: 14 years. Kidnapping: 13 years. Rape of a 10-year-old: 11 years. He noted that Mr. Angelos would face a far shorter sentence in the … [Read more...] about Long Term in Drug Case Fuels Debate on Sentencing

WASHINGTON — Usually bitter adversaries, Koch Industries and the Center for American Progress have found at least one thing they can agree on: The nation’s criminal justice system is broken. Koch Industries, the conglomerate owned by the conservative Koch brothers, and the center, a Washington-based liberal issues group, are coming together to back a new organization called the Coalition for Public Safety. The coalition plans a multimillion-dollar campaign on behalf of emerging proposals to reduce prison populations, overhaul sentencing, reduce recidivism and take on similar initiatives. Other groups from both the left and right — the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Tax Reform, the Tea Party-oriented FreedomWorks — are also part of the coalition, reflecting its unusually bipartisan approach. The coalition will have initial backing of more than $5 million, with groups also spending independently on their own criminal justice initiatives. Organizers of the advocacy … [Read more...] about Unlikely Cause Unites the Left and the Right: Justice Reform

A top forensic expert has claimed he doesn’t agree with police claims that Nicola Bulley fell into the River Wyre. Mum-of-two Nicola hasn't been seen since the morning of January 27 and police are still unable to explain what happened to her as the search reaches its tenth day. A close family friend said her loved ones and pals are "not willing" to accept the river bank fall as a conclusion. Though police have said it's the most likely scenario, one senior officer said there's no evidence that she fell in. Now a world-renowned forensics expert, who has been active on hundreds of cases across the southeast and works as a diver for police, echoed the superintendent's comments. Peter Faulding has conducted countless searches for missing people across the southeast ( Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror) Peter Faulding said investigators should have found some evidence by now considering how long they've been searching the water. He told GBNews: "The amount of … [Read more...] about Nicola Bulley: Forensic expert rubbishes cops’ theory missing dog walker fell in river

Bryan Kohberger is the sole suspect in the slayings of four University of Idaho students . Kohberger, 28, a former doctoral candidate in criminology at Washington State University, allegedly drove from his home in Pullman, Washington to Moscow, Idaho in the early hours of November 13 and fatally stabbed Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Authorities arrested Kohberger at his family's home in Pennsylvania on December 30 after connecting DNA recovered from trash discarded at the home to DNA that was found on a knife sheath found at the scene of the killings, according to a probable cause affidavit. He is facing four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He has not entered a plea, but a lawyer representing him previously said Kohberger was "eager to be exonerated." A preliminary hearing scheduled to begin on June 26 will likely be the first time the prosecution's case is detailed in court. But so … [Read more...] about Is recovery of Idaho murder weapon crucial? Experts weigh in

Live Updates An arrest has been made in connection with the November murders of four University of Idaho students, nearly seven weeks after the brutal attack. Authorities took 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger into custody Friday in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Kohberger, a graduate student at Washington State University, is facing first-degree murder and burglary charges, a Latah County prosecutor said in a press conference. Kohberger is being held without bond and will appear in a Pennsylvania court on Jan. 3 before he is extradited to Idaho. Police received over 19,000 tips and conducted over 300 interviews in the weeks since Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20, were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home on Nov. 13. On Friday, police searched Kohberger's apartment in Pullman, WA, and began cleanup efforts at the rental home where the four students were killed. Officials said the home remains an active crime … [Read more...] about Idaho Murders Updates: Suspect arrested, motive under investigation

It takes great courage for a victim of sexual assault to waive their right to anonymity and speak out. But for a woman who suffered at the hands of one of Britain’s worst sexual offenders to not only share her terrifying story but show her face is remarkable. Darciane Nunes Da Silva was subjected to months of abuse by Met Police rapist David Carrick – describing today for the first time how he strangled and slapped her, and tried to control every aspect of her life. But even after his conviction, Darciane believes Carrick had more victims who have not yet come forward. Darciane Nunes de Silva detailed the abuse she suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend David Carrick ( Image: Reach Commissioned/Steve Bainbridge) She hopes by speaking out they will be encouraged to do so. The ordeal of Carrick’s victims may never end but when he’s sentenced this week he should be given a jail term that fits the awful scale of his known crimes. Darciane believes 48 rapes … [Read more...] about ‘Serial rapist cop David Carrick must pay for the pain his victims suffered’

Sheridan Smith has been confirmed as the star of controversial BBC1 docudrama about the 'abduction' of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews in 2008. But rather than playing Shannon’s mother Karen – later jailed for eight years for her part in kidnap plot – she will take the role of the woman who organised the local community in a desperate search to find the missing schoolgirl. Julie Bushby was the chair of the residents and tenants association on the Moorside estate in Dewsbury, West Yorks. Former Downton Abbey star Siobhan Finneran will play family liaison officer Christine Freeman while Game of Thrones actress Gemma Whelan takes the role of shamed mother Karen. The drama will be made by the same team behind Appropriate Adult, which told the story of serial killers Fred and Rose West from the perspective of Janet Leach. Role: Community leader Julie Bushby was a friend of Karen Matthews ( Image: Daily Mirror) It also reunites Sheridan with Jeff Pope, who she … [Read more...] about Sheridan Smith to star in controversial BBC docudrama about ‘abduction’ of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews