Crime Control Digest back issues from March 2005:
Congress Is Wary Of Supreme Court Restraint On Sentencing Guidelines
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Supreme Court's decision to strike down mandatory sentencing guidelines has sent tremors through the federal and state judiciary, and wariness in Congress about reviewing the restraint and addressing the proposal for more money in the current year's judicial budget. Chief Justice ...
COLORADO CRIME LAB INTRODUCES ROBOTICS
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has introduced a robotics platform that is producing faster results in testing materials brought to the forensics laboratories. The robotics platform automates DNA processing to speed analysis and make matches faster than a human ...
OPEN-AIR DRUG MARKETS
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has published a guide that reviews the problems of drug dealing in open-air markets. The guide identifies a series of questions that might assist police in analyzing local problems ...
JUSTICES LIFT CAPITAL AGE LIMIT FROM 16 TO 18
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Supreme Court raised the age limit from 16 to 18 for capital punishment of juveniles that commit aggravated and heinous murders. The decision commuted from death to life the sentences of 72 felons in the 19 states that had allowed execution for aggravated homicides committed before ...
2nd Circuit: DYING VICTIM'S ACCOUNT MEETS 6TH AMENDMENT
Mar 04, 2005; ... A dying victim's confirmation of his assailant to a police witness meets the 6th Amendment test of allowing a defendant to confront his accuser, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals said. The defendant claimed the victim's statements to police "were so inherently unreliable that, despite ...
Arizona: WEAPONS BILLS ADVANCE
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Senate and House advanced bills that ease restrictions on citizens carrying concealed weapons. The Senate approved SB 1363 to allow customers to carry weapons into a bar or restaurant. The House passed HB 2325 to cut in half the amount of training required to get a state ...
9th Circuit: VEHICLE SEARCH JUST AS DRIVER EXITS IS LEGAL
Mar 04, 2005; ... The 4th Amendment permits police to search an automobile after arresting its recent occupant, even when evidence related to the crime is unlikely to be found. The incident here is an example of the rule. An officer arrested defendant Dale Osife for indecent pubic urination exposure, ...
Arizona: METH OFFENDERS ARE MOST ACTIVE CRIMINALS
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Tucson Police Department said meth offenders are among the most active criminals in the city. The department said 38 "high-profile meth ...
Ohio: SHERIFF SUSPENDS STUN GUN USE AFTER DEATH
Mar 04, 2005; ... Lucas County Sheriff James TeIb suspended the use of Taser stun guns following the death of a suspect who had been shocked by both police and jail deputies. TeIb ordered an inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Jeffrey Turner, ...
HOMELAND SECURITY
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation is accepting nominations for $20,000 awards for innovations in homeland ...
DISABILITIES INITIATIVES
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Corporation for National & Community Service is operating funds for outreach programs that engage persons with disabilities in meaningful community activities. Deadline is April 12. The corporation offers $5.1 million for up to five awards for a period up to ...
TRIBAL YOUTH
Mar 04, 2005; ... OJJDP has $10 million for tribal youth programs that will be awarded to a variety of initiatives including the $1 million for mental health discussed above. Deadline is March 31. Eligible programs include training and technical assistance. Upgrading law ...
CALENDAR
Mar 04, 2005; ... March 29-April 2-Conference of International Law Enforcement Education and Trainers Association, Arlington Heights, Ill. Inf.: Mary Grace Barbye, 856-223-5437. March 30-April 2-National Youth Crime Prevention Conference, OJJDP, DEA, Miami. Inf. : www.ycwa ....
U.S. ALIEN TRAFFIC PLAN EMERGES IN CALIFORNIA
Mar 04, 2005; ... A federal strategy for enlisting state and local law enforcement to combat human trafficking is emerging in California, which has one of the nation's most severe problems. The Justice Department has awarded Los Angeles County a threeyear grant to train officers to identify immigrants ...
METH, TERROR HIKE LOAD FOR NEBRASKA PATROL
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Nebraska State Patrol in a bid for a budget increase to hire more officers got support from other local law enforcement agencies that claimed meth crimes and homeland security demands are stretching their resources. State Patrol Superintendent Tom Nesbitt asked the legislature for ...
BUSH PROPOSES CHANGE IN RESPONDER FUNDING
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Bush administration asked Congress to change the formula for homeland security grants to first responders, giving priority to localities designated as terrorist threats. "We owe it to the American public to have a more focused, prioritized approach," said Homeland security Secretary ...
JAIL CELL ASSIGNMENT BY RACE GETS HEARING
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Supreme Court remanded for fact-gathering a case involving temporary racial segregation of inmates for the beneficial reason of inmate security against gang attacks. The justices directed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear arguments to determine whether the policy was ...
6th Circuit: INFORMANT IDENTITY IS NOT NEEDED IN WARRANT
Mar 04, 2005; ... A warrant based on an informant's information is legitimate even when the document fails to identify the informant or certify the informant's history of veracity, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals held. Defendant Terrence May contends that a warrant was insufficient for three ...
D.C. Circuit: BRIEF DETENTION IS OKAY FOR SUSPICION OF CRIME
Mar 04, 2005; ... A police officer may briefly detain a citizen for a reasonable, articulable suspicion that criminal activity may be afoot, the District of Columbia Circuit held. The criminal activity in this case occurred in a high crime area where there had recently been robberies of taxicab ...
Arizona: HOUSE PANEL APPROVES LIMITS ON MEDICATIONS
Mar 04, 2005; ... The House Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee approved an anti-meth bill that restricts the sale of any medication that contains pseudoephedrine. HB 2175 would require consumers to present identification and sign a log that could be examined by police. The bill requires ...
Indiana: FUGITIVE KILLS OFFICER TO END VEHICLE CHASE
Mar 04, 2005; ... A fugitive driving a stolen van crashed into a police cruiser, killing officer Craig Herbert, 34. The Lawrence Police Department ...
Oklahoma: RULES GOVERN CHEMICAL USED TO MAKE EXPLOSIVE
Mar 04, 2005; ... Gov. Brad Henry put into force new rules for controlling the sale of chemicals that can be used to construct explosives. The rules require identification for the purchase of ammonia nitrate fertilizer, a primary ingredient in the explosive used to kill 168 in the Oklahoma City ...
RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Corporation for National & Community Service will award 15 grants to state and local entities to recruit volunteer staff under the AmeriCorps program. Deadline is May 3. Grant applicants receive funding, but are responsible for recruiting their own ...
TRIBAL MENTAL HEALTH
Mar 04, 2005; ... The Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention opened competition for $1 million in discretionary grants for tribes to provide substance abuse and mental health prevention and ...
IOWA ADVANCES PLAN TO CURB METH INGREDIENTS
Mar 11, 2005; ... Iowa is advancing one of the nation's most comprehensive plans to curb public access to over-the-counter medications that contain the main ingredient for processing meth. A broad coalition of leaders in the Iowa legislature have joined forces with Gov. Tom Vilsack to adopt a new law in ...
CALIFORNIA PURSUIT POLICY CUTS DEATHS
Mar 11, 2005; ... California jurisdictions tightening standards for pursuits have resulted in a decline in the number of deaths during chases to apprehend suspects, the State Highway Patrol said. In a report to the California Senate Public Safety Committee, the Highway Patrol said it recorded 7,171 ...
JUDGES WEIGH MEANS TO IMPROVE COURT SAFETY
Mar 11, 2005; ... The National Center for State Courts and other judicial groups have called for action to improve security. The murders of a judge, two deputies and an aide in a courtroom assault in Atlanta and the murder of a Chicago judge's relatives spurred the review. The Law Enforcement ...
JUSTICES BAR POLICE REPORTS IN SENTENCING
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Supreme Court decided judges are prohibited from using police reports on past crimes in determining the sentence of a felon. "The question here is whether a sentencing court can look to police reports or complaint applications to determine whether an earlier guilty plea necessarily ...
Arizona: AGENCIES WILL ALIGN JUSTICE BUDGET PLANS
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Pima County Board of Supervisors would require eight agencies involving law enforcement, courts and others to cooperate in shaping budgets and programs to lower operating costs. The program initially would be voluntary to work out conflicts among the agencies. Law ...
9th Circuit: SINGLE MIRANDA ALERT CLEARS ALL QUESTIONING
Mar 11, 2005; ... A single delivery of a Miranda warning is sufficient to cover all subsequent questioning of a suspect even when the venue and the interviewers change, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held. Police officers explained to Antonio Rodriguez-Preciado in an Oregon motel room that they were ...
Florida: STATE PROBES STUN GUN USE ON CUFFED SUSPECT
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Florida Department of Law Enforcement opened an inquiry to determine the standards for police use of stun guns. The triggering incident was an Orlando officer's use of a stun gun to ...
Illinois: SEX SLAVES COULD SUE PIMPS FOR DAMAGES
Mar 11, 2005; ... The House Civil Law Committee passed a bill that allows girls and women forced into prostitution to sue pimps for damages. Illinois law currently doesn't provide for civil damages claims arising from illegal activities. The Predator Accountability Act, HB 1299, bars eligibility ...
Indiana: DISARMING DEPUTIES IN COURT IS NEW OBJECTIVE
Mar 11, 2005; ... Marion County Presiding Judge CaIe Bradford recommended disarming all deputies during court proceedings. The presiding judge noted pepper spray and batons would be effective alternatives, citing their use by corrections ...
Nevada: POLICE SEEK PROTECTION AGAINST FALSE CLAIMS
Mar 11, 2005; ... Law enforcement officials asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve a bill, SB 150, to protect officers from false and malicious complaints against them. The Peace Officers Research Association and the Las Vegas Police Protective Association are ...
CALENDAR
Mar 11, 2005; ... March 29-April 2-Conference of International Law Enforcement Education and Trainers Association, Arlington Heights, Ill. Inf.: Mary Grace Barbye, 856-223-5437. March 30-April 2-National Youth Crime Prevention Conference, OJJDP, DEA, Miami. Inf.: ...
New Ruling On FBI Analysis Of Bullet Lead Raises Question On Reliability
Mar 11, 2005; ... A New Jersey state court is believed to be the first to have decided the FBI forensics theory that bullets are unique in their manufactured composition is erroneous. The New Jersey decision, and research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in Livermore, Calif., and the ...
ARIZONA NAMES SHERIFF TO HEAD PUBLIC SAFETY
Mar 11, 2005; ... Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano nominated Final County Sheriff Roger Vanderpool to direct the Department of Public Safety. The director oversees about 1,1OO Highway Patrol troopers, 900 support staff and the state crime lab. The governor said Vanderpool was one of three finalists ...
COLORADO CITES METH USE AS CHILD ABUSE
Mar 11, 2005; ... Colorado is nearing passage of a bill that would create a new crime of child abuse for mothers whose infants test positive for drugs at birth. The legislation is based on recommendations from a blue ribbon panel headed by Lt. Gov. Jane Norton that explored the rise of meth addiction in ...
6th Circuit: DEFINED POLICY ASSURES IMMUNITY FOR OFFICERS
Mar 11, 2005; ... A police department's defined policy for suicide prevention safeguards the qualified immunity of an officer, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decided. A three-judge panel rejected the claim that a police officer who failed to prevent a suicide in a holding cell was liable for monetary ...
U.S. SEEKS NAMES FOR 9/11 VALOR RECOGNITION
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Justice Department requested recommendations for certifying law enforcement officers for Medal of Valor recognition for deaths in the 9/11 terror attacks. The Justice Department has compiled a list of eligible officers, but asked for police agencies to submit ...
Indiana: SOME SENTENCING IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Indiana Supreme Court invalidated portions of state law that allow judges to enhance sentences. "Portions of Indiana's sentencing scheme violate the 6th Amendment's right to trial by jury," the court said. The justices cited the U.S. Supreme Court's Blakely decision striking ...
Arizona: SPOUSAL RAPE BILL DIES
Mar 11, 2005; ... The House Human Services Committee killed a bill to raise spousal rape from a misdemeanor to a felony. Supporters said spousal rape is the most underreported domestic violence crime, but House opponents of the ...
Illinois: SENATE CUTS TIME FOR SEX FELONS TO REGISTER
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Senate approved a bill that reduces from 10 to five days the time for sex offenders to report a change of address to law ...
Indiana: JURY CLEARS OFFICERS IN DEADLY FORCE CASE
Mar 11, 2005; ... A jury cleared two officers of criminal neglect in the alleged illegal use of deadly force for shooting at the vehicle of a fugitive. Clinton County Deputy Sheriff Matthew K ....
Maine: DOMESTIC ABUSE PANEL WOULD TOUGHEN BAIL
Mar 11, 2005; ... The Governor's Advisory Council on the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence recommended tougher bail requirements for defendants charged with violent offenses. The committee will submit its findings to Gov. John Baldacci for review in preparation for legislative ...
Las Vegas Says Model Shows Results That Justify New Mental Health Court
Mar 18, 2005; ... Las Vegas criminal justice authorities said a successful pilot study of a mental health court justifies the establishment of a permanent bench. The city's law enforcement community has petitioned the Nevada legislature for a $1 million appropriation to continue the program, which ...
IOWA ADOPTS STIFF RULE TO BLOCK METH OUTPUT
Mar 18, 2005; ... Iowa overcame rigorous lobbying by retail interests to adopt a new law that restricts public access to ingredients for meth production. Under the bill (SB 169) that cleared the legislature and Gov. Tom Vilsack agreed to sign, consumers would have to show a photo identification and sign a ...
COURT GROUPS ASSESS SECURITY MEASURES
Mar 18, 2005; ... The National Center for State Courts and the Judicial Conference intensified consideration of ways to improve security for courts and judges. The Judicial Conference whose nominal head is Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said safety of judges represented "the gravest concern to the ...
6th Circuit: KNOCK-ENTER LAPSE CAN BE SHORTER IN DAYLIGHT
Mar 18, 2005; ... The reasonable elapsed time between police knock-announce and forcible entry depends, and may vary, based on the time of day to execute a warrant, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals held. Memphis detectives waited 10 to 12 seconds at the residence of defendant Jackie McCraven when there ...
Massachusetts: PAST HISTORY CAN BE PRESENTED TO JURY
Mar 18, 2005; ... The State Supreme Judicial Court decided the past violent history of a person involved in a crime could be legally introduced into the proceedings. The ruling brings Massachusetts into alignment with most states that let a jury hear evidence about a victim's past only if the defendant ...
Arkansas: CHIEF JUSTICE FAVORS TIGHT COURT SECURITY
Mar 18, 2005; ... Chief Justice Jim Hannah called for better security at courthouses across the state. Hannah also promised to work with the governor's office and the legislature to develop a plan to upgrade security. Hannah said inadequate security is an issue that local court officials had ...
California: NEW CONTRACT RAISES DEPUTY SALARIES BY 8%
Mar 18, 2005; ... Orange County supervisors approved a new contract with the Association of Orange County Deputies that raises salaries by 8 percent over two years. The pact also allows the supervisors to monitor how the union spends $13.3 million in county donations for health care ...
Iowa: JURY CLEARS OFFICER IN USE OF DEADLY FORCE
Mar 18, 2005; ... A Mills County grand jury refused to indict an officer on charges of illegal use of deadly force for the shooting death of a suspect during a drug and weapons raid at a ...
Massachusetts: LAWMAKERS TAKE AIM AT 'COP-KILLER' HANDGUNS
Mar 18, 2005; ... Senate Public Safety Chairman Jarrett Barrios opened a legislative drive to outlaw the possession of socalled cop-killer Five-seveN handguns and .50-caliber rifles. The Five-seveN is easily concealable and is designed to shoot ammunition that can pierce 48 layers of Kevlar, the material ...
Mississippi: POLICE ADOPT RULE FOR RELEASE OF SUSPECTS
Mar 18, 2005; ... Jackson Police Chief Robert Moore instituted a new written policy of requiring officers to check the National Crime Information Center database for outstanding warrants before releasing any suspect. Moore said the previous unwritten policy was unclear about procedure following an ...
Montana: SUPREME COURT WILL CONDUCT OPEN MEETINGS
Mar 18, 2005; ... The Supreme Court elected to conduct administrative meetings in open session to comply with the spirit of the state's sunshine ...
Pennsylvania: ILLEGAL FORCE PAYMENT WILL EXCEED $250,000
Mar 18, 2005; ... The Attorney General's Office agreed to make one of the largest payments in State Police history to settle an illegal use of force claim against a trooper. State Police insurance will pay $250,000, the maximum under the policy, and the Attorney General's Office will pay an additional ...
Tennessee: LAWMAKERS ADVANCE BILLS TO CURB METH
Mar 18, 2005; ... Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposal to enact an anti-meth law similar to one adopted in Oklahoma last year has advanced through committees in the Senate and House. The Governor's Methamphetamine Task Force developed ...
CALENDAR
Mar 18, 2005; ... April 12-14-Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Training: Mental Health Service Delivery, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, New Orleans. Inf.: 800-830-4031. April 12-14-Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, Ontario, Oregon. Inf.: ...
PHILADELPHIA SEEKS AID TO QUELL GUN VIOLENCE
Mar 18, 2005; ... Philadelphia Mayor John Street has appealed to Pennsylvania's governor for state assistance to quell gun violence that has resulted in 77 deaths this year including 22 in nine days. In a three-year period ending February 2004, the mayor said gun violence killed or maimed 4,859 victims ...
GEORGIA INITIATES PLAN TO PROTECT COURTROOM
Mar 18, 2005; ... Georgia lawmakers moved quickly to advance legislation to increase courtroom security in the wake of the murders of an Atlanta judge and three court employees. The Senate public safety and homeland security committee approved Senate Resolution 431 that would create a study committee to ...
TRUANCY PREVENTION
Mar 18, 2005; ... The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention launched a web ...
10th Circuit: USE OF DOG AFTER CHASE IS NOT EXCESSIVE FORCE
Mar 18, 2005; ... An officer's use of a police dog to apprehend a burglary suspect at the end of a high-speed vehicle chase falls short of excessive force, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals held. The court said the plaintiffs did not raise the issue of whether the use of a dog constituted deadly force and ...
Arizona: GOVERNOR VETOES BILL HITTING ECO-TERRORISM
Mar 18, 2005; ... Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have authorized the use of state racketeering laws to prosecute ecological terrorists. Napolitano said she supported prosecution of persons who commit acts of violence in the name of protecting ...
Arkansas: HOUSE KILLS MEASURE ON ADDICTED INFANTS
Mar 18, 2005; ... The House defeated a proposal to require doctors delivering infants bom with drug addictions to file a report with law enforcement. The proposal was an attempt to soften a bill (SB 114) that mandated all medical personnel with knowledge of an ...