Recently in Crime & Punishment Category
A man in Chicago who had served 26 years of a life sentence for murder was released on bond and granted a new trial because -- get this -- two attorneys came forward with a client's confession after the client died in prison. They had known the entire time that their client was guilty of the murder, but could not say anything because of attorney-client privilege. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't seem right to me AT ALL. Don't you think it should be OK for an attorney to "tattle" on a client if they know someone else is serving time for the crime??? How could they live with themselves for TWENTY-SIX YEARS??? That just isn't right. Not even a little bit.
Speaking of things that aren't right, have you heard about the Mayor and his wife in Adelanto, California, who were sentenced to 6 months in jail for the theft of more than $20,000 from Little League coffers? Yeah, that's right, they stole money from little kids who wanted to play baseball! How low can you get?! They should have to serve more than just six months! Low-life idiots.
I think I've discovered the perfect way for a criminal to bug the hell out of the cops who arrested him: haunt the police station!! Apparently the police people at the cop shop in Homestead, Pennsylvania, are hearing slamming doors, phantom footsteps and typewriters that type on their own.
Investigators from the Greater Pittsburgh Paranormal Society revealed their evidence at a news conference Wednesday.They showed audio and video recordings from inside the buildings that validated the rumors of hauntings for years.
Members of the Pittsburgh Paranormal Society call the mysterious happenings a residual haunting.
They found a cold spot in a cell and research showed there was a hanging in there in 1982.
Other unexplained items caught on tape include footsteps, doors slamming and a cable being pulled.
Workers at the police department said they are spooked, but not scared.
Hmmmm .... I dunno .... maybe they should be a little scared. Who knows what a former inmate would do now that he can't be jailed for his malicious behavior! ;)
Do any of you watch Court TV? I love watching court stuff and law shows. Sometimes they have some pretty compelling trials on Court TV, shown live. I've been watching one coming out of Detroit that is pretty incredible. An 18 year old kid is accused of killing a 26 year old guy by slitting his throat, stabbing him, beheading the corpse, and then finally taking it to a field and lighting it on fire. I know, pretty revolting, huh. So while I'm watching it I'm thinking this guy is SO guilty. Then today he takes the stand in his own defense, and suddenly I'm not so sure he's guilty of cold-blooded murder. Now it kind of feels like his assertion that he killed him in self-defense may actually be true. It's one of those cases that you just can't make up your mind about, you know? On one hand, he's got to be guilty of premeditated murder; on the other, he must have done it in self-defense. Do you know what that amounts to? Reasonable doubt. Therefore, he must be found not guilty. Right? I don't know. I'll wait until all testimony is over before deciding. Right now the kid is being cross-examined by the prosecution, and aside from becoming obviously irritated by some of the questions, he's holding his own and doing well. He seems credible and is answering questions without hesitation, which usually indicates one is telling the truth. Who knows, though, maybe he's a complete sociopath who can tell a lie as easily as the truth. That's what makes this trial stuff so fascinating.
Anyway, if you're interested, you can watch the trial live on Court TV, and then streamed live at www.cnn.com/CRIME after they end live trial broadcasting for the day, which is at 3:00PM (eastern time). But I warn you, it can be addicting. ;)
Police have identified the little girl known as "Baby Grace", whose body washed ashore in a box last month near Galveston, Texas, and have arrested her mother and stepfather. Authorities believe she is actually 2 year old Riley Ann Sawyers who, according to her grandmother, Cheryl Sawyers, has been missing since June.
According to CNN.com:
The child's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 19, and a man identified as her boyfriend, Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said.The couple lives in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston.
Their bonds were set at $350,000 each.
The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip, the sheriff's department said.
What I want to know is why are they not charging those two monsters with murder??? At the very least it should be child abuse resulting in death! What's with the "injuring a child" crap? She was a lot more than just injured! Maybe they're waiting for all the other evidence, including DNA evidence, to be confirmed before adding more charges. I'm thinking perhaps they used those far-too-lenient charges as a way to place them in custody. I hope those two get what they deserve -- and it ain't just life in prison!
Baby Grace, Baby Grace Identified
Human beings are fascinating animals, aren't they? I mean, we can do such amazing things with our hearts, minds and bodies. We're so unique in that we have the capacity to be enormously giving, loving and compassionate, but also hurtful, deviant and evil. In fact, the depth of evil humans can reach is staggering and unimaginable.
I'm sure by now most of you have heard of Baby Grace, right? If not, then be prepared when you read the story. When I first heard about her yesterday, it literally took my breath away and I instantly began crying. How someone can do something so sick and demented to a child is beyond any normal person's comprehension. My heart is absolutely breaking for Baby Grace. The sketches they've done in hopes of identifying her depict a lovely, adorable little girl, completely innocent of the evil this world can hold -- until it came and ended her life. Whomever did this to her deserves to die. In fact, they deserve the same kind of death they dealt her. An eye for an eye, ya' know? Child killers don't deserve anything humane, least of all the manner in which they die.
Bob Smither, co-founder of the Laura Recovery Center For Missing Children, has launched a web site in hopes of generating more leads in identifying who this precious child is and who did this to her. I encourage all of you to visit, learn what you can do, and then post something -- anything -- about Baby Grace on your own blogs so that she can be identified and laid to rest with the name she was given, and the perpetrator of this horrific crime can be caught. You all know how powerful the blogging community is! Perhaps we can play a part in helping law enforcement find justice for Baby Grace.
I want to share with you a press release given by Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo of the Galveston County Sheriff's Office:
I don’t often make an appeal of emotion, choosing to stick with the facts of cases as we should. However, a case such as this draws out emotions in all that touch it – even us cynical old cops. I ask that you “buck the system” and include the emotions you, like me, are experiencing in looking at this case as a parent, a child, one who has children as part of your life, or just as a human being. The emotion in this case is strong – likely stronger than many I’ve seen in my 20+ years in this business, and we need your help to make this case break.You must admit this case tugs at your heartstrings, just like it does mine. I hide behind the façade of the stoic cop – and you behind your “just the facts” media approach. It’s going to take more than “just the facts” to make this one work, and I appeal to your (and your heartless editors!!!) sense of humanity to give this case a face – and a heart.
I think Chau (the alleged short timer) said it well – “This case makes me sick to my stomach.” Cynthia had a comment something to the effect this was a sad case. They’re both right.
I cannot help but emphasize we are dealing with a little girl, not just unidentified body. To us, she isn’t unidentified – we simply don’t know her name. She has an identity to the lives she touched – and there are likely more than just a few of those, including every one of us involved in this case and has come to know her, in our own way, during the past couple of days. There is someone out there that is missing her in both the literal and emotional sense, and it is absolutely critical that we hear from that someone. That’s where you come in, getting that message to that some.
Feel free to quote me on any of the comments above…I’d appreciate it, and I would hope our little girl would as well.
Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo
Galveston County Sheriff's Office
601 54th St., Suite 2100
Galveston, TX 77551
409-766-2369
fax: 409-765-3100
ray.tutt@co.galveston.tx.us
Don't you think bloggers are part of the media? I do! So come on, people, let's do our part in helping to "make this case break". Do it for Baby Grace.
I had jury duty yesterday. I was to be at the Justice Center by 8:30AM. Due to being so emotionally upset over losing Daisy the night before, I had not gone to bed until 3:30AM. It was very hard getting up at 7:00AM, to say the least, but I managed it.
I got the the Justice Center about 10 minutes early and waited. And waited. Then waited some more. Finally after all of the prospective jurors had arrived, the new District Court Judge decided to talk to us and introduce himself. Nice enough, I guess. After that we were required to watch a 13 minute videotape about juries and how our jury system was born, etc., etc. I've seen it before. I almost fell asleep. I was happy it was over. Until they announced we'd have a 10 minute break, then would have to come back to watch yet another videotape. Groan. After all the smokers and people who needed to use the bathroom had returned, the video began. Guess what it was about? How judges are chosen. OK, that was educational, I guess, but why do I need to know that to be a juror??? Just before the video ended, we heard the phone ring for the jury commissioner. FINALLY it was time to go upstairs to the courtroom and get started. I was gearing up for a long day, because there were A LOT of people there.
So we get to the courtroom, which is quite beautiful, by the way, and take a seat. To my right was the defense table where an older attorney and his young well-dressed client were sitting. The judge has already taken the bench. He then announces that at this very late date the parties have come to a plea agreement and we can all go home. Oh.My.God. We sat there for NINETY minutes watching all of that stuff for no reason. Aside from being annoyed by that fact, I was happy and relieved. All I wanted was my bed and a niiiice looong nap, which is exactly what I did once I got home.
Jury Duty, Juries, Judges, Justice System
I read a story out of Morrisville, North Carolina, wherein it was reported that a man, Kent Kauffman, was arrested and charged with assault on a government official after an officer said the man coughed into his face during a traffic stop.
Are you kidding me???
Yeah, the cop said that Mr. Kauffman coughed in his face three times, even though he (the cop) was standing outside Kauffman's car, with him in it!! Kauffman freely admits he did cough from the window of his minivan, but did so toward Officer Gill's waist. He told the reporter, "He says I coughed in his face, but that would only work if he had a 4-foot-long face." LOL! I love that part! So tell me, when did coughing become a crime???
A while back a cop here in my town arrested someone for -- get this -- swearing at him. LOL! How boneheaded can you be?! The judge threw the case out the window, as well he should. Um, did said cop ever hear of FREE SPEECH? Idiot.
Let's hope the judge in North Carolina is just as smart. And let's hope Officer Gill learns how to arrest real criminals!
Stupid Cops, Police Officers, Bogus Arrests, Morrisville, North Carolina
I've talked a lot about Phil Spector and his murder trial over the last 4 1/2 months. I still can't believe it takes so long to try a star as opposed to a "regular" person. I think it all boils down to money. But anyway, regardless of what I think, I've discovered a cool blog written by former Los Angeles Prosecutors in California. If you want opinion and fact from those who have actually been in the trenches, this is where you'll find it.
In fact, if you go visit the Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers Blog | California Criminal Defense Law Forum right now, you'll see a great post about the Spector case, written only as a trial lawyer could. They give both sides of the story, just as you'd see in the courtroom, leaving it up to you, the reader, to decide what you think. Scroll down the front page and you'll see many other entries dealing with important and timely issues in today's society. You can even leave comments regarding your own thoughts on any post. I think I'll put this blog in my bookmarks. Even though I don't live in California, I'm sure there is a lot of information there I could find useful, if not simply interesting, educational and enlightening!
Today the jury in the Melanie McGuire case came back with a verdict of guilty, convicting her of 1st degree murder, as well as desecrating human remains, weapons violation and perjury. Wow .... I have a hard time understanding how the jury could come up with a guilty verdict based on the evidence given to them during the trial. In my opinion, there was just too much reasonable doubt to convict, but ... the only opinons which count or the ones of those 12 people, so ... she's going to prison for a very long time. Sentencing has been set for July 13th. She will be facing 30 years to life. The judge has revoked her bail pending sentencing.
I can't help but feel sorry for her.
Melanie McGuire, Law, Crime, Murder, Melanie McGuire Verdict
I don't know why other people are so attracted to listening to all the little details of events such as what happened today at the Johnson Space Center or at VA Tech on Monday, but for me it is simply the mind-boggling study into the human psyche. I know that may sound cold, but it really isn't. My heart literally breaks for all those people, and I have shed many bitter tears. But doesn't it make you curious at all? Even a little?
Take, for instance, what I just heard reported on TV about the hostage-taker at JSC and his two hostages - they were all Engineers in that building, having worked together for years and, in fact, may have even had lunch together today! What could have possibly happened at lunch or immediately thereafter to cause him to kill his co-worker and then himself? Or maybe it was something he was planning for a while and had simply hidden very well. After all, he did purchase the gun used in his crime a month ago. He must have had a reason to buy it, right? Of course all of that is speculation and conjecture on my part. But that is what fascinates me - the intricacy and psychology of the human mind. It is a very, very powerful thing which can drive us to succeed in amazingly wonderful ways, or drive us into insanity. Where, and how, does that happen? That's what I want to know.
Human Psyche, Insanity, Psychology
The jury in the Mary Winkler murder case came back with a verdict of guilty of voluntary manslaughter. As I stated before, I would have voted not guilty, but I think this verdict is the next best thing. She's not completely getting off, but she won't be spending the rest of her life in prison, either. In fact, I think she can only get 3 to 6 years for her conviction. I think that's fair. I truly believe the poor woman was victimized by her husband for their entire 10 year marriage!
Mary Winkler Verdict, Voluntary Manslaughter, CourtTV
The Right Choice!
Getting Paid
