After one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in history, oil company BP has said that it will pay $61.2 billion to repair damages stemming from its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident killed eleven workers, released approximately 3.2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf, and caused untold damages to local business, … [Read more...]
Court Rules that Government Does Not Have to Post Mug Shots
Citing the fact that the Internet and social media has dramatically reduced U.S. citizens’ privacy over time, a federal appeals court ruled last week that federal authorities can choose to withhold criminal mug shots in order to protect defendants. In its ruling the Court said that it used to believe that releasing the photos could do no harm, but … [Read more...]
New State Laws Debrief
Over 100 new state laws will be enacted on July 1, 2016. The following article will provide highlights of these new laws. Crime and Law Enforcement Colorado will enact a law that increases the amount of time that a victim of sexual assault has to file a case to 20 years after the event. Florida and Georgia will now speed up the process of … [Read more...]
Lawmakers Act to Change California State Definition of Rape
In response to public outcry over Brock Turner’s lenient sentence for his criminal sexual acts, lawmakers in California are currently attempting to change the legal definition of rape. Brock Turner was sentenced to six months imprisonment in California State Prison and an additional 3 years of probation on the 2nd of June. Turner committed … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Ruling Forgives Some Cases of Unlawful Searches
On Monday, June 20th, the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 on a case that will now allow evidence obtained following an illegal stop to be used in court. The case involves an incident in which a police detective found contraband on a driver after conducting an illegal stop. Detective Douglas Fackrell, the defendant, was tasked with staking out a house … [Read more...]
New Litigation Progress for Gun-Control
Judge Barbara N. Bellis of the Connecticut Superior Court ruled that the discovery process may proceed in a case against Remington, a firearms manufacturer, for wrongful death and loss of consortium on Monday. The 10 plaintiffs of the case comprise some of the families that lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting on December 14th, … [Read more...]
Iowa Supreme Court Rules against Life without Parole for Juvenile Offenders
One of the most important concepts in the U.S. Constitution, as it relates to criminal justice, is the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Over the past two and a half centuries, concepts of just what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment have evolved. In the latest court decision on the subject, Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled that … [Read more...]
Oklahoma Senate Makes Abortion a Felony
https://youtu.be/IGlg8abpaSo From the AP: Oklahoma's state senate passed a bill that would make it a felony to perform an abortion. Governor Mary Fallin has until Wednesday to decide if she'll sign it. … [Read more...]
Lawsuit Alleging Fresno High Staff Knew About Teacher-Student Affair
Fresno attorney Warren Paboojian has accused the staff members of Fresno High about having knowledge regarding English teacher Darren Klassen’s illicit sexual affair with an underage student. The victim, identified as L.P., was engaged in sexual abuse and molestation for over two years with Klassen. The affair was said to have started in January … [Read more...]
New Florida Death Penalty Law Rule Unconstitutional
Florida’s new death penalty law is now in doubt after a Monday ruling in which a judge found it to be unconstitutional. The law, known as HB 7101, was enacted in March and requires that 10 out of 12 jurors vote for the death penalty in order to successfully sentence the defendant to death. But, according to Florida Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch, … [Read more...]
