Jury Finds Man Guilty of Murder in Kansas Abortion Provider's Death

The only thing I have to say about this is this one paragraph.

Roeder's attorneys were hoping to get a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter for Roeder, a defense that would have required them to show that Roeder had an unreasonable but honest belief that deadly force was justified.

I don't see why this was rejected, it's clear he honestly believes deadly force was justified. This sounds like grounds for an appeal since the Jury didn't decide this, the Judge did.

Scott Roeder
Dr. George Tiller


Jury Finds Man Guilty of Murder in Kansas Abortion Provider's Death - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Use of brain scans in courts

Wow.. this is incredible.... actually it's NOT credible which is the point.
Reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Kirk is convicted based on "infallible" computer evidence. Or a few others where they had a high tech lie detector in trials. But this seems to go further than just detecting a lie. This seems to suggest that a brain scan can read what a person remembers.. chilling....

India's use of brain scans in courts dismays critics - International Herald Tribune [This Post Continues after the jump...]

How reliable is DNA in identifying suspects?

I've always wondered about this.
If I were on a jury, how much stock would I put into DNA evidence. On TV and in the News it is offend presented as "iron clad" proof. To me it's a "blackhole" or reather a "blackbox" something that works and I trust, but I can't see "inside" it, I can't see or even understand "how" it works. I just have to trust it.

So it's not really physical evidence, it's "expert" testimony. Physical evident must be something that I, as jury member, can actually see. A fingerprint is a good example. While matching fingerprints isn't always as easy, I could at least see them both and make my own judgement.

But with DNA evidence, there is nothing for a jury to "see". So I've always wonder if DNA alone could make me change my conclusion.

The use of science in the courtroom is great, but it does raise a concern for me. It move the decision away from the jury. The jury is already operating "in the blind" to a large extent. Evidence is suppressed, we are told to "disregard" something we just heard. We can't ask our own questions of witnesses. Now we are asked to just accept scientific evidence that we ourselves cannot understand. Why not just made the decision for us, why ask us to make our own decision in such an isolated mannor?


How reliable is DNA in identifying suspects? - Los Angeles Times [This Post Continues after the jump...]

New rule restores rights to Florida's Ex-Cons

This seems like a good thing to me. If you did you time, then you should be released and have most of your rights restored. In some cases, voting rights might need to be taken for good, but not most cases.

New rule restores rights to 115,000 Fla. ex-felons | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Court Rules Officials Did Not Have Right to Seize Children

It's good to see the court view taking a child away from thier parents to be an "extreme" measure only authorized if the children were in immediate danger or when authorized by a court.

Taking all 400 children at once overloaded the system and prevents individual cases from getting the attention they need. It also keeps children waiting way too long.

I'm not defending this cult because I don't know what did or did not happen. But the state abused it's power when it took all the children at once. Only 31 were even thought to be underage teenage girls (only 16 were really underage). So why did the state take all 400 children? Basically because they COULD, and that is wrong.

FOXNews.com - Texas Appellate Court Rules Officials Did Not Have Right to Seize Polygamist Ranch Children - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Police not guilty in groom's death

Police not guilty in groom's death - CNN.com

I always struggle with cases like this. Police have to have the ability to defend themselves without be second guessed by armchair quarterbacks like me.

On the other hand, the great power and authority we give police offices MUST be balanced by great responsibility. Therefore an officer must be held accountable for bad decisions EVEN if they have a dangerous job and EVEN if they feared for their life. If you can't take the heat... don't be a NYC police officer.

One of the officers fired 31 times without stooping to reassess the situation. He though the guy had a gun, but didn't seem to notice no one was shooting back. He thought they were trying to use the car to run him over, but didn't simply get out of the way. Instead he reloaded and kept shooting.

Added to all of this, the police officers were in PLAIN CLOTHES. If a normal looking guy pulls a gun on me in New York. My first though is not going to be "Oh, he's a police man who just wants to ask me a few questions". No!! If I'm already in or near my car, I'm going to jump in it and try to get away.

I honestly don't know how to balance all of this. But I do think the guy that fired 31 times should be held accountable for his foolish and unnecessary action that night. At a minimum, he should no longer be allowed to carry a gun in NYC because he simply can't be trusted with one.

[This Post Continues after the jump...]

Record-High Number of Americans in Prison

Well, I guess if I'm going to criticize Saudi Arabia, then I have to criticize the US also... because we have 1% of our adults behind bars.... China has similar numbers..but they have 4 times our population.

The sad thing is that this is starting to change... not because it's wrong... or because a better way has been proven effective... but merely because it's starting to COST TOO MUCH.

To be fair, a lot of these people deserve to be in prison... but not all of them, even if they are guilty as hell, there has to be a better punishment than just locking them up.

Record-High Ratio of Americans in Prison

also from CNN [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Police collecting DNA samples During Traffic Stops

I'm not sure I like this. Just because you are being pulled over for a traffic violation, doesn't mean you should be forced to give a DNA sample. It just seems too open for abuse. Police can claim to have seen you roll through a stop sign when you really didn't. I trust the vast majority of police officers and will take there word for it for a $30 or even $300 fine. But there has to be a limit for what a police officer and do just on his word.

If we want to give police the right to collect DNA from anyone, then give them that power. Don't tie to to some observation of some minor violation. That puts too much pressure on police to make up a violation to collect information. They should not be put in that position.

I trust police at their mere word for a LOT of things. But there has to be a limit. And DNA collection goes past that limit in my mind.

Police Swabbing Mouths During Traffic Stops In Serial Killer Hunt - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando

*** UPDATE ***

Daytona Cops to take DNA in all Arrests

This Orlando Sentinel story says DNA is collected in all ARRESTS which is much different from just a traffic stop. It doesn't make it clear that is is ONLY for arrests, but that is implied. This is better and not that much different from finger printing that also happens when a person is officially arrested.

My only concern with DNA use (which is an entirely different issue) is how the common man (myself included) cannot see or examine DNA. Fingerprint match is an art and a science too, but at least I could see both fingerprints and see the similarities and the patterns. I might still be fooled by someone claiming two prints match, but only if they are close to matching. If they were grossly different, then that would be spotted. With DNA you simply have to take the expert's word. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Gun-Free-Zones

This is starting to come to light....

FOXNews.com - Media Coverage of Mall Shooting Fails to Reveal Mall's Gun-Free-Zone Status - Opinion

Let's see, which makes more sense...

• Gun Free Zone - 8 Killed, when done, the gunman killed himself
• Gun's Allowed Church - Only 2 killed, gunman shot by armed church member while the gunman had plenty of ammo left.

[This Post Continues after the jump...]

Where Can Sex Offenders Live?

FOXNews.com - Georgia Court Overturns Ban Limiting Where Sex Offenders Can Live - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

Well, this is good news... the laws were a good idea, but they are getting out of hand. Especially the "School Bus Stop" which can change from year to year and are everywhere. I support some, even a lot of limits on where registered sex offenders can live, but if they don't need to be locked up in jail, then they need to be allowed to live somewhere.

I also question the effectiveness of restricting where they live. Do they typically do crimes on kids near their home, or do they travel somewhere else? Do they typically do crimes in areas with LOTS of kids (schools and parks) or do they victimize kids in remote areas? There is a certain safety in numbers, isn't there?

Resticting where they live, IS VALID, but it has to be limited meaning it can effectively ban sex offenders from anywhere in a city. And it has to be "value added" in my opinion, meaning the ban has to make since and not just be an attempt to harass them so much that they go elsewhere. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Saudi defends verdict against gang-rape victim

Saudi defends verdict against gang-rape victim | Reuters

This is absurd!
How can we "support" a country and system of government like this? [This Post Continues after the jump...]

House passes thought crimes bill

House passes hate crimes bill - Yahoo! News

Just the name "Hate Crimes" (or "thought crimes") makes my skin crawl. Making "hate" a crime is no different than making "love" a crime, and gay right activists are always saying that "love" should not be legislated, morality should not be legislated. But they forget those principles when it's convenient to.

Plus, liberals show their true colors when they refuse to add "military service" to the list. I know Vietnam vets were targets of "hate" crimes after then came home, I bet some peaceniks will target Iraq vets too. But NO!! They don't get any special protection like gays. Why not?

I'll tell you why, because even libs realize that protecting EVERY special group is no different than protecting NO special group. And we would be back to normal laws against violent crimes (regardless of the "hate" of the criminal) as we should be. [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Deltona, FL - off-limits to sexual offenders

This is wrong on so many levels. If these people are THAT dangerous, then keep them locked up. If they can safely be released, then they have to be able to live somewhere. Some restrictions are necessary, but this is ridiculous. Beside, just not living near a park doesn't mean they can't visit the park (or does this law bar that too? It would not surprise me if it did!)

Warning: Deltona off-limits [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Blogger freed after record contempt stint - CNN.com

Well, it looks like he gave in a little. But the video he put on-line doesn't have the crime in it, and the part he sold did (I think), so this may not be over yet.

Blogger freed after record contempt stint - CNN.com

I just don't understand this, If I would be required to testify about something I saw on private time or even while at work, why shouldn't Joshua Wolf or any reporter? [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Overzealous Porn Prosecution Tramples Accused's Rights

This sounds like a nightmare to me...

This and the Duke "rape" case clear show the danger of a powerful government and police force....

FOXNews.com - Overzealous Porn Prosecution Tramples Accused's Rights - Blog | Blogs | Popular Blogs | Video Blogs [This Post Continues after the jump...]

L.A. Vows Gang Crackdown (or should they just withdraw?)

The soaring violence is prompting police and politicians to promise one of the toughest crackdowns against gangs in city history.

I don't know if I support this idea of a "surge"...and they're asking for more money to do it...

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has appealed to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez for millions of dollars in anti-gang funds and for more federal prosecutors

But this "war" is not winnable according to some...

"It's too big, it's too entrenched, it's too intimately connected with the urban setup here," Malcolm Klein, a gang expert at the University of Southern California, said of the gang problem.

If the people of LA want to kill each other, I say we should withdraw and let them... right? I mean, that is an option isn't? I know I've heard it somewhere before...

My Way News - L.A. Vows Gang Crackdown After Kids Die [This Post Continues after the jump...]

Painful Execution?

Botched execution likely painful, doctors say
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16241245/


This looks like a very bad situation, but is any amount of pain automatically "cruel"? Can we really make death painless? Certainly there is the emotional pain of knowing you will day on a given day, and just putting the IV needles in causes some real (but trivial) pain.

When we come up with a new mix of drugs, how are we going to "test" it. There will always be some doubt that the person has some amount of pain. The people fighting this because it may be "painful" won't be happy when we make sure it isn't painful.

So even though this is a real bad situation and needs real attention, its hard to take it seriously because I know nothing the state of Florida does will satisfy them [This Post Continues after the jump...]