the hated

What to do when the chips are gone...

2011-05-19T16:02:00.003-05:00

A certain problem has arisen over the last several weeks. An earlier post regarding my wife leaving explains, but I find myself having issues socializing with anyone due to fears I didn't have before.

The problem arises that now that half of my circle of friends has evaporated, and the other half are really only work friends, I find it incredibly difficult to find others to talk to.

Dating sites are obviously out, not for the reasons that you might think though. Why in the world would I even think about dating someone now? I mean, if a 13 year relationship evaporated so quickly, why in the world would I risk putting myself back out there for even further disappointment?

Going out to bars isn't my bag. Got out of that a long time ago. But it is still a fact that humans are social creatures, and thus I need to find that outlet so that I might be able to mingle with others socially to keep a normal happy lifestyle.

It is a difficult thing, especially with my status. I am resolved to tell anyone about my current situation, just as I did initially when put on the registry. I found though that when I told it initially, I lost all but a very small group of true friends. So the question is, how in the heck will I be able to meet others, and inform them of my registry inclusion? This is a problem that I have not had to deal with for several years, and I am out of practice on how to accomplish it in a constructive way.

Any Suggestions?

So what's with all the slanted RSO stories lately?

2011-05-15T21:25:00.001-05:00

Is it the fact that the legislators haven't past enough laws to take away more rights of ex-offenders? Or did some news reporters get additional DWI's and they want to divert attention?

Seriously though, What's up with all of the stories on things that are not illegal?

Life's Changes

2011-04-11T10:13:00.003-05:00

Well, I guess it was time for a change for her. I'm not angry at her, but am very sad obviously.

My wife of several years decided that she needed to look up her previous boyfriend (one she dated before we married). They've been carrying on a relationship for about a while now, I only recently found out after she had left. She's turns 50 next year, so I guess she needed to grab up some new dick, you know just in case everything goes badly for her at 51... When he dumps her, I might laugh, but I am unsure at present.

What a waste, honestly. It is tough enough to have to explain that mom is a just one level above street hooker to the kids, yet she wants to play like all is normal.. hard thing to do. Then when one looks back at so many years, and you have to question, was it all an act? Was I a security blanket for her, sheltering her from her former husband and his physically abusive behaviors? I have no idea. All I know is that my life as I knew it is now lost. My direction is gone, and my purpose is somewhat faded.

Yeah, I will move forward from a life objective point of view, but damn it hurts to be used like this. To invest so much time, effort, love, life on someone that wanted you only for security, then will hop in the sack with a former fuck because he FINALLY completed his education (not bad for a 44 year old huh?) .. what a fucking waste. Shout out to that retard.. I completed MINE in my 20's...

Karma is a bitch, it will catch them both.

Just in case anyone reads this, I am not looking for sympathy or anything like that. it just helps to vent. Oh, and for anyone that wants to claim this is due to my 'status' or for my crime, go fuck yourself. This is strictly a case of an old whore that decided she needed to move along before her junk dried up..

Yay another new year, another bullshit law

2011-01-27T10:46:00.002-06:00

Currently, The state is attempting to ramrod through a requirement that states if a person gets a divorce, they must tell the court during proceedings if they have an RSO in their extended family IF the divorce deals with custody rights.

First, What utter bullshit. Ok, lets continue with the ostracizing of RSOs, and put more pressure on them to re-offend. Shut them off from their families. I guess the government being wrong with their lying statements in the news needs to create animosity between family and the RSO so that Government officials and their hired lackeys can claim that the non-offending RSO causes the family unit to be broken up 'due to their crimes'

Second, The vast majority of us have moved past our harmful ways and are attempting to become as productive as this country will allow (which isn't much I dare say). I don't think the statistics can get much better, 93% commit no further offenses. No other group can claim that. Not your drunk drivers, not your drug pushers, not even your spouse abusers. So why is it again that government wants to put even more pressure on us for crimes committed once, and something we have gotten treatment for and are moving past in our lives?

If I have a nephew somewhere that I have no intention of visiting, haven't seen him in 20 years, why is it so important that he tells the court that I am an RSO again? See, yet another example of punishment by the legislature for a crime I committed over 10 years ago. Yeah, that's constitutional!

I find it amazing as well

2010-02-16T16:23:00.004-06:00

Over at Preaching to the Choir, a recent posting made me sit up a little more, and pay attention.

http://rantsofapublicdefender.blogspot.com/2010/01/we-rock.html

What I find interesting is not so much that the Attorney got fired up over her topic. It was this statement:

So 200-some years ago, we wrote a contract with ourselves to make sure we would always respect the rights of the worst among us.

I find that telling with the state of things. She talks about the down-trodden being written in the Constitution however we see that laws everyday passed to punish us for things that occurred 5, 10 20 years ago. So To S, at Rantsofapublicdefender, I say kudos to you for believing; but there again, how can you be so naive?

Been awhile

2010-01-21T11:13:00.002-06:00

Life got busy, and so did I. But now I am back and continuing with this Blog.

Seems the Supreme Court has been busy lately, as well as states, to do their best to trample on the Constitutionally Promised rights of all citizens of the United States. Will research a few items to post.

if I still have followers, hope to see you soon.

S.O.

The inequalities of Sexual Assault

2009-10-24T12:23:00.003-05:00

Read two very different articles last night from the news. The first one dealt with a 33 year old female volunteer scout master having "unforced' sex with a 16 year scout. The article named the ACCUSED, placed her picture in the article, and basically proceeded to make all sorts of toned down remarks on the alleged crime. What I found most striking about it, the comments section. People although condemning her actions, or alleged actions were very supportive of the idea of an older female with a late teen boy. Unlike what comments have been in the past when the roles were reversed.

The second article dealt with a 9 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. THe alleged offender, and his alleged victim were neither named, however the coments were much more harsh, calling the 9 year old boy child a monster, terrible, and some even saying that he should be kill "to stop him from ding it again" .

This is troubling. A 9 year old child who probably had limited knowledge of what he was doing is a monster, yet a 33 year old female is just a little mis-understood? How does that work out again?

While I find both behaviors troubling at best, I clearly see the outcome of decades of programming by NOW, Code Pink, et. al. citing the fragility of the female species on one hand, but how they should be giving equal status in the world on the other. A 33 year old male would not have been treated in the same way. In the past, 33 year old men in the same situation are "Monsters", "evil", "perverts"; While females, no matter what the age are "mis-understood", "Abused at home", "seeking to escape from wrongs in her current relationship". Grow the fuck up people. Your misguided, uneducated stance on all things Sexually Related are so infantile it is sickening. Either label all as the same or sit down, and shut the fuck up on the matter.

Most women are more evil in the area of Sexual assault, due to the planning of the assault, their ignoring of multiple parental and adult programming traits, while men are more driven by power and sexual attraction alone.

Haleigh's Step mom Flunks Poly

2009-09-01T13:14:00.002-05:00

Very interesting. SHe says that her uncle, who is a registered sex offender in Tennessee is the one that took Haleigh, However it now looks like Misty Cummings might have been involved, and the Uncle had nothing to do with it. After several hours questioning, The Uncle was released from Questioning and the questions are now pointing straight back to the bimbo 17 year old. Her stories are not following any consistent manner, and well it looks like folks, she is lying through her teeth.

Misty Cummings says she does not regret taking the tests. She also feels she passed them, even though the independent test administrators say she failed them.

Very interesting, however if you look at past articles both here and at other rSO related blogs, you will see we called it first folks. Just another example that these assholes will try anything to get away with doing something harmful to a child, and then find an easily accessible target like an rSO to blame.

Here is a Topix post, although you can find several media outlets that will confirm the story. you can also use that C-Hunt, Nancy Grace, although I don't suggest it, even if this time she is using her media presence to show some truth.

So now, we get some interesting info, the under-aged girlfriend/baby-sitter/now step mom has a jealousy streak about a 5 year old child, she was the last adult to see her, AND she fails a polygraph directly relating to issues and questions about Haleigh's disappearance. hmm, starting to sound a bit fishy? Thought so.

Oh and P.S. to the wonderful person that commented on an earlier posting here please think before you come on here and rant again. As you see, I am showing the world that their pathetic excuses, and their out-right lies about most of us are unfounded, and lead to months of effort being totally misplaced. As an rSO, just like others that are, we can spot bullshit. The story that the 17 year old tart, Misty, was giving didn't jive for a moment, and we knew that something more was amiss with her. No, we don't have all of the answers, however the therapy that WE go through actually helps us spot bullshit lies by others. Misty is bullshitting you, but she didn't bullshit US.

Ronald needs to come out about what he's hiding as well. he knows something, he wouldn't have been redirecting the question from N. Grace if he didn't. Whether there was an accident involved, or some sort of drug-induced rage, both of these people need to come clean soon, else dead or alive that child will never be found.

Cop gets NO CHARGES for sending Lewd pictures to strangers...

2009-08-17T21:29:00.001-05:00

MARICOPA – A police officer was fired after allegedly showing lewd pictures of himself to strangers.

Officer fired after sending lewd pics - azfamily.com's Jared Dillingham reports a police office is fired after showing lewd photos of himself to strangers.

3TV just got a stack of documents outlining the allegations against Officer Martice Berry. He is not being charged with any crimes, just conduct unbecoming of an officer and it is enough for the City of Maricopa to fire him.

Witnesses started coming forward over the last few months-claiming officer Berry was taking pictures of his genitals on his cell phone before sending them to women trying to convince them to have sex with him.

The Internal Affairs report says the officer's unprofessional behavior happened while on duty.

Investigators say Officer Berry hit on a number of women using his job to get dates, once while investigating a suicide and two other times at Maricopa City Hall.

The officer is also accused of harassing two married couples and hitting on a 16-year-old girl who he kissed at a gym.

When confronted with the allegations in June, Officer Berry denied them but his bosses thought he was lying and he has now been fired.

One of the investigating officers reports Officer Berry was found guilty of doing the same thing at his last law enforcement job in Michigan.

Yay, another pig gets away with no charges again.. I guess this is really another case of haves and have nots. This guy has the goods on other cops, just as they all do, and here we see the kid gloves come out.

Link Here

Yet Another Innocent caught in the Witch Hunt..

2009-08-17T21:19:00.001-05:00

Be Proud America, you put a man in Prison for over 20 years because of your witch hunt. He needs to sue the 'victim' and everyone that came against him.

Ernest Sonnier was 23 when he was arrested and charged with rape and kidnapping. He was taken in handcuffs from his Houston home and didn’t leave prison for another 23 years.

A week and a half ago, at the age of 46, Sonnier was freed after essentially being told by prosecutors, sorry – but we now inform you that DNA evidence we’ve just gotten around to checking indicates you did not commit this crime...

Full Story Here

America's Most Wanted

2009-08-14T08:46:00.001-05:00

I found this very interesting article regarding John Walsh and AMW. It is from 1992, but still something that should not be allowed to fall of the Web. Have a look.

Nowadays one can be portrayed as a wanton murderer on a nationally televised program, get killed by police less than 48 hours later, and have the nation invited by television to applaud the death within the week.

That fate befell Cesar Mazariego-Molina, 26, an undocumented worker from El Salvador, who L.A. County sheriff's deputies said killed rookie Sheriff's Deputy Nelson Yamamoto in a gun battle. Less than two days after the case was featured on the TV program America's Most Wanted, New York State police killed him with a shotgun blast to the back of the head.

Story Link

What ever happened to Haleigh?

2009-08-14T08:34:00.001-05:00

I was reading some news and came across this very disturbing story. Regarding Haleigh Cumming's father and a dispute he has with his new father-in-law. The disturbing aspect of this is two fold. First, do you see how quickly the story has disappeared from the front page now that the only suspects are family members? Second, why is the father, in his deranged way, doing revenge hits on a mailbox when he should be out looking everywhere for his daughter?

Here is the problem I have. As a father of girls, I would be sleeping in tents, walking to every house I could find with flyers, pictures, anything that would help find my child. I would quit my job to search for ANY of my children or Grandchildren. It is very telling of a parent that runs out to marry a teen-aged 'girlfriend' just weeks after your child has disappeared. Does it say something of what became of Haleigh? Does it say something to WHO is involved? I find it all disgusting and in poor taste. Something happened to this child, and it had nothing to do with a Sex Offender uncle from Tennessee taking her. These two know what happened, maybe they had a drug induced violent outburst, maybe the child got into their drugs, or maybe, just maybe they were under full control of their facilities and harmed the child. Whichever happened, it is time to take these two behind the barn and get some answers. As an rSO, I am tired of being scared every time some low-rent human decides to off their kids, then scream a sex offender took them.. I grow weary of cops showing up at my house, and I REALLY despise the disregard they have for me as a person by not coming BACK and saying that they were sorry they violated my rights as a citizen by harassing me.

Ronald Cummings, father of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, stuffed a dead rat into his new father-in-law's mailbox, Hank Croslin told the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Story Here

Child Kidnapped, Police Looking for shadows

2009-08-14T08:14:00.002-05:00

Here is a story that is beginning to sound all to familiar. Child is left in a car by parents (or parent) and mysteriously after only 'a few minutes' the child disappears. This scam is happening more and more across the country as people attempt to get over with the fear of a kidnapper, or a sex offender, grabbing their kid. 15 years ago the authorities would have lost no time in grabbing up both of these assholes and putting thumb screws on them to find this little boy. But today, due in no small part to the myth of sex offenders grabbing kids, the police spend the first precious 48 hours handing out flyers and canvassing areas looking for this child. How many rSO's have they woken up out of bed or detained illegally so far because of the hysteria caused by the ilk of John Walsh and Family Watchdog? headline below, with link to full story.

OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- Family members of a missing disabled Fremont boy are hoping someone can help find him. Police say 5-year-old Hasanni Campbell was last seen in Oakland two days ago. He has cerebral palsy, but family members say he doesn't have leg braces on the outside of his pants.

Story Here

I hope the child is found, but I fear that too much time has been wasted by police looking for shadows instead of forcing the parents to confess their guilt. My Opinion obviously..

The myth of the high re-offense rate

2009-08-13T10:46:00.001-05:00

Are Americans really this stupid? Again and again I read that Americans truly believe that there is a high re-offense rate of sex offenders once they are through with Therapy and their sentences. Here is a comment from a recent news story:

To Saffman: I don't know the registry laws in VT, but in MA a person convicted of a level one offense (public urination, etc.) are NOT listed. It is is only the level 2 and 3 offenders. And they SHOULD be listed, because they have a very high rate of re-offending. And sorry, but most of the people CANNOT be helped. And way to go for blaming parents for a sex offenders "mistake"...let me guess, it's the kid's fault, too?

Is this person making things up, or does he know something that someone else doesn't. Again and again we have seen study after study that presents facts about the re-offense rates of rSO's. And the facts cannot lie. The University of Washington, The DoJ, and several scholars have also pointed out the incredibly low re-offense rate of offenders.

However, due to the sensationalist writers of the media, you never hear of such things and thus the myth of high re-offense remains. So I challenge all of you that read here, When you see a article about the lie of high re-offense, or if you see a idiotic comment such as that above, reply to it and show the facts. Call these morons to the carpet and lash them with the real truth. Making someone look like an idiot truly does brighten one's day.

DoJ report
3.5% Re-Offense rate

More proof the Public is too stupid ...

2009-07-31T13:26:00.001-05:00

This guy's a real winner.. I hope he gets to see what real cops do for a living very soon...

Link here

NBCDFW.com

A Johnson County man who is charged with carrying a fake police badge said he never claimed to be a police officer, but needed the badge to conduct pedophilia investigations.

Rick Monsour, of Joshua, was arrested Friday and charged with carrying false police identification. He was released from the Johnson County jail on a $25,000 bond, police said.

It's a legal badge," he said. “They took it away from me and put me in jail for it. And that's terrible. It's a big mistake."

In an interview on his front lawn Thursday, Monsour said he founded a nonprofit group in March called “Victims Who Kick Your Ass” to help police conduct pedophilia investigations.

Richard Monsour, of Joshua, was arrested carrying a fake police badge, police said.

He is the group’s self-appointed president.

Monsour said he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.

He said his group has not yet conducted any investigations in Texas but has worked on two in Louisiana.

In Joshua, police said they do their own investigations and arrested Monsour for carrying the authentic-looking badge.

"We just want all the citizens to know that Richard Monsour is not a part of the Joshua Police Department," said Lt. Leland Cheek.

Monsour was arrested after he allegedly went door-to-door, flashed his badge and asked residents about a woman who may have been a former girlfriend, police said.

The badge included the city's name and identified Monsour as an “investigator," Cheek said.

His arrest hardly came as a shock to his neighbors.

"It doesn't surprise me one bit,” said neighbor Nancy Green. “There's been more crazy things going on next door than anyone could imagine."

Green and other neighbors said Monsour moved into his house on Bentley Street several years ago claiming he was a victim of Hurricane Katrina.

But the more he talked, they said, the less they believed him.

“There’s just so many things he has told people that are totally untrue,” said neighbor Kim Smith.

“He’s said he was friends with the pope,” added her husband, James.

But he didn’t stop there, neighbors said.

“He’s told us that he’s in the FBI and the CIA,” James Smith said.

“He said he was in the KKK and proud of it,” Kim Smith said.

At various times, he also claimed to be a paramedic and a law student, neighbors said.

Monsour denied ever telling neighbors he was a federal agent, a lawyer or a Klan member.

“That’s crazy,” he said. “I don’t even know my neighbors.”

He said he did train to be an emergency medical technician but never actually worked as one.

Monsour said he knows the pontiff and receives Christmas cards from the Vatican. He said he does not consider the two of them to be friends.

He said he was stuck on the Louisiana coast for three weeks after Hurricane Katrina came ashore.

Monsour showed a Louisiana driver’s license with his name, picture and an address in Pearl River, which is where the hurricane first made landfall.

A very well written article..

2009-07-23T18:11:00.003-05:00

From The Texas Policy Foundation
Titled Robbed of a job
Written by Mark Levin, Director, Center for Effective Justice

http://www.texaspolicy.com/tppn_archive.php?cid=1196367884

Since the Foundation launched the Center for Effective Justice in 2005, we have identified policy solutions to reduce recidivism and limit the scope of criminal law. Similar concerns led Florida Governor Jeb Bush to issue a 2006 executive order requiring state agencies to justify barriers preventing ex-offenders from entering licensed occupations.

This is a problem in Texas because we have so many licensed occupations and so many criminal offenses that can potentially bar someone from receiving or maintaining a license. Texas has more than 2,000 criminal offenses and over 150 state-licensed occupations. Some 20 percent of Texas adults—4.7 million people—have a criminal record that would appear in a background check. Yet, ex-offenders who are employed are three to five times less likely to reoffend.

Texas law allows for revocation or denial of a license if a person has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that “directly relates” to the occupation, but this is often interpreted overly broadly. A conviction for drug possession, for instance, is deemed to be directly related to being a water-well driller, vehicle inspector, mortician or embalmer, and barber.

Locksmiths’ licenses are automatically revoked or denied for most offenses—one locksmith who hadn’t drank in a decade lost his license in 2006 for a 1994 DWI conviction. Yet, research has shown that a person with a conviction seven years or older is no more likely to re-offend than anyone else.

What is the motivation for these barriers? Are they to protect the public, punish ex-offenders again, or restrict competition?

We criticized proposals last session that would have added new licensed occupations, including lactation consultants, sheetmetal workers, and auto mechanics. Economics tells us that excessive barriers to entry—whether through licensing new occupations or excluding otherwise qualified professionals—will reduce the labor supply and increase the costs to consumers. Whether you are an advocate of free markets or second chances, or both, that’s reason to take offense.

Isn;t this what everyone except the Special Interests and the vigiantes have been saying all along. Problem is, There are no thinkers in the Legislature, only brainless moron bent on votes, money, and re-election. Let's see if we can't surprise one or two of them in the coming few elections.

All we hear is garbage...

2009-07-12T19:15:00.001-05:00

Over the last few days, American's have been given confirmation of what they already suspected. The Bush Administration was running black-ops programs with the CIA in the lead, but was holding the information back from every other organization. Alot of laws, rules, and other items were passed, all with out the benefit of true intelligence over the 8 years Dubya was in the Big House.

Now, loot back at the laws that govern all of us, the rSO... They are too based on garbage, lies, and information withheld from the greater population. All to ensure they get their next set of laws passed, to make sure the sub-class of humans, they call Sex Offender, continues to feel the full force of ever oppressive laws...

To be sure, Government, both federal and state, has definitely found its stride when lying to the public.. I wonder though, for how much longer they can continue the charade...

Yes, This is what we have become ...

2009-07-06T10:48:00.001-05:00

TORRINGTON, Conn. — A 16-year-old girl thought she heard her mother being assaulted by her boyfriend and rounded up some friends who beat him up, only to learn later that the couple actually were having sex, the woman and police said.

The girl misinterpreted the woman's amorous screams, and she and four other teens went to the woman's bedroom in the Torrington home on June 6, police Lt. Bruce Whiteley said Thursday. One of the teens beat the 25-year-old man with a bat and others punched him, police said. He suffered a black eye and several bruises.

The girl, two 17-year-old boys and Dilyen Langdeau, 19, of Torrington, were arrested Tuesday night and arraigned in Bantam Superior Court on Wednesday. Langdeau was charged with assault and conspiracy; the teens face similar counts. The fifth teenager was not charged.

A judge sealed the police report. The names of the girl and the two boys were not released because of their ages.

The 34-year-old woman, Melanie Arnold, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the girl is her daughter. Arnold denied she was screaming, and said her daughter thought she heard a slap and believed an assault was happening.

"Instead of asking what was going on, they assumed and took matters into their own hands," Arnold said. "Now they have to learn a lesson."

The teens knocked on the bedroom door and Arnold opened it, according to the couple, who recently broke up.

The teens rushed into the room and the man, Roger Swanson, said he didn't have a chance to explain himself. He said he tried to get away, but the teens chased him down and started beating him in the house.

He said he knelt down over a chair and tried to protect his face, but got hit in the eye and in the back. He said Arnold covered his back to try to protect him, but the teen with the bat started hitting him in the legs. Then the youths left.

"What if they fight someone else and those guys don't walk away? What if they kill somebody?" he said. "Then they're going to spend the rest of their lives in jail. These kids need to learn, go through the court system and see if you do something to somebody, you see what happens."

Story Here

So yes, now we have gone to the point where two consenting adults cannot have romantic interludes because we have so frightened our teens into believing that ALL SEX IS RAPE! Way to go America, You should be proud.. cretins. Hope the kids get some jail time..

Nancy Grace is a cunt.

2009-06-26T08:54:00.003-05:00

Yeah I said it, and I will say it again. Nancy Grace is a CUNT. Was watching the video regarding little Haylee Donathan, Nancy was blabbing about how she didn't like that fact that the feds have con-air (let's face it, this is acting. As a former prosecutor, she knows damned well that these planes fly "above her head"... talking about being dramatic..fucking tart).

The gyst of the video is the mom stated she fell in love with Robbi Potter. Robbi is supposed to be living in a halfway house, but decided to split with the mother and the child.

Now you know the media is gonna continuously state that he is a predator, that is why he split. only Robbi really knows why. However, I would like to interject one thing. What if the reason the guy split is because of the registry? It is possible after all. Young man, tired of the bullshit dealing with the registry. Sorry folks, hate to disillusion, there is NOTHING civil about the registry. It is totally punitive. For those that would say "Good, it deserves to be punitive', I offer this. Adding punitive measures after someone does their time erodes the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States. There can be no exceptions to this, or it actually works against you as well. Freedoms that you believed to be inalienable are not so and the continued erosion will one day come around and bite you square on the ass. Now back to the video ...

Our dear Friend, Nancy, goes on to depict the mom and the 'sex offender' as doing this terrible thing. Now I might not be too bright but didn't they leave and basically take a vacation/ yeah Robbi did something bad by splitting, but did he actually commit any offense besides parole violations? yeah the Adam Walsh Act supposedly will come into play, but that is a bullshit law which shouldn't be there to begin with. In America we are supposed to deal with true justice, not some hokey fucking pipe dream made up by a drunk womanizing father, and a coked out, non-attentive mother...

I guess I am just confused is all, as to why they are so upset over all of this. The child was with her mom. According to the un-educated general public, this is what sex offenders do, right? I mean really, the Registry is there to allow them to punish us everyday... So where is the big surprise?

Here's the Link to the cunt...err Nancy

For those accused of a sex offenses, they are guilty until proven guilty

2009-06-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. - An Ellicott City violin instructor has been charged with sexually abusing an 11-year-old student during private lessons at his home, Howard County police said.

Ming Yueh Liang, 67, was charged with eight counts of fourth-degree sex offenses and eight counts of second-degree assault. He is free on bond, police said.

The victim and the victim's mother told police that Liang touched her repeatedly during lessons between March and May of this year. The girl's mother told police that she was present during the lessons, but she had an obstructed view of her daughter and Liang.

Police are urging other students who may have been victimized to contact the police department at 410-313-3200.

Detectives ask parents of students who have taken lessons with Liang to talk with their children and report any suspicious or improper activity immediately.

This man has not been sent before a judge, nor has a jury found him guilty. The man has also NOT entered a plea of guilty. Yet we see here, as usual, the media and police already claiming this man guilty. If he is, then by all means charge, convict and send him to his sentence. However, until that time he has been arrested for SUSPICION and nothing more.

The final few lines are very telling regarding police bias "all those who may have been victimized ... report improper behavior..." i.e. Coach your kids so that they can become 'victims' too..... Pathetic.

Link Here

Read this and understand..

2009-06-19T11:45:00.001-05:00

Her body wracked by a rare cancer, 10-year-old Colby Curtin hung on to life so she could watch Up, the new Pixar animated feature.

Colby, diagnosed with a vascular tumor in 2005, had set her hopes on seeing the film when she saw a trailer for the movie in April. Her mother, Lisa Curtin, told the Orange County Register that her daughter's health took a turn for the worse afterwards, and by June, after the movie had opened, Colby was too ill to travel to a theater.

Reached by family friends and told of her wish, executives at the digital studio based in Emeryville, Calif. arranged to fly an employee with a DVD of the film to the girl's home in Huntington Beach on June 10, the newspaper reported. (Pixar did not comment.)

Colby, who could no longer see, listened to the film while her mother narrated the action. She died seven hours later.

A vigil is planned for Friday.

The level of sorrow I have right now ... I didn't put this so much to draw attention to the little girl, although I feel so sorry for her parents and family right now.

What I wanted you to see the beauty in what happened. They didn't have to do it. Children die everyday on this earth, unfortunately. The beauty in this is that someone listened. Someone at Pixar had enough heart and caring to send someone with the movie to allow this little person their last wish. Although not a very big thing in the scope of the world, that one act by Pixar was the most powerful thing for the girl. Kudos to Pixar, and may Colby rest in peace.

Shining example of motherhood!!

2009-06-19T11:01:00.001-05:00

NEW YORK (WPIX) - A Queen's mom is accused of setting her six-year-old daughter on fire in a bizarre voodoo ritual that left the girl severely burned, authorities said.

Marie Lauradin, 29, a Haitian immigrant, apparently ignored little Frantzcia Saintil's screams as flames engulfed her body during the Feb 4. ritual, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. Frantizcia's grandmother, 70-year-old Sylvenie Thessier, reportedly came to her aide and extinguished the flames.

Instead of taking Frantzcia to the hospital, prosecutors say the pair, instead, sent the girl to bed, where she remained for a day before relatives begged them to take the girl to the hospital.

According to court papers, when Lauradin finally sought medical assistance for her daughter, doctors determined Frantzcia had suffered second and third-degree burns covering 25% of her body, including her face torso and legs.

Lauradin, who has been in the U.S for less than a year, was charged in Queens Criminal Court with assault and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years behind bars.

Why again is she not being charged with ATTEMPTED MURDER?

According to police, Lauradin sprayed a circle of rum on the floor around her daughter and lit it on fire. She then poured some alcohol on the girl's head and pushed her into the ring of flames.

Initially, Lauradin reportedly told police she was boiling rice in a pot and accidentally spilled it on her daughter.

Her attorney Jeff Cohen said she is completely innocent of the allegations.

"This is my client's only child," Cohen told the New York Daily News. "My client would not hurt her."

WHAT!?! It was just stated that "Lauradin sprayed a circle of rum on the floor around her daughter and lit it on fire. She then poured some alcohol on the girl's head and pushed her into the ring of flames" That is NOT hurting her?!?!?!

Thessier is facing charges of reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. She faces up to seven years in jail.

Sorry but Grandma should be charged with the same as mom, plus accomplice to attempted murder. Good Grief

Wonderful. Yet one more in a string of parents that treat their children lessor than animals, yet we are 'MONSTERS'!?! Where is her ass listed on the registry?

Museum shooter also into child porn!?!

2009-06-19T10:45:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI says it found child pornography on a computer used by the man charged with the fatal shooting of a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum June 10.
Museum shooting suspect James von Brunn remains in a Washington hospital.

Museum shooting suspect James von Brunn remains in a Washington hospital.

In court documents filed Wednesday, an investigator says the pornography was found on a desktop computer during a search of an Annapolis, Maryland, apartment where 88-year old James von Brunn had been living for the past two years. The documents did not provide details about the pornography, but investigators requested permission to make a more extensive search of the computer and others found in von Brunn's home.

Von Brunn has been charged with the murder of museum security guard Stephen Johns. The white supremacist was shot in the face after two other security officers returned fire. He remains in a Washington hospital.

The FBI also searched a red Hyundai that law enforcement officials say von Brunn left double-parked in front of the museum right before the shooting. In separate documents also filed on Wednesday, investigators say they found 35 rounds of live ammunition for a .22 caliber rifle. Officials allege von Brunn used a .22 caliber rifle, which was found at the scene, to shoot Johns in the chest.

According to paperwork detailing the car search, investigators found business cards advertising a USS Liberty Web site that claims Israeli forces "suddenly and brutally" attacked the U.S. Navy vessel in international waters in 1967. Investigators also found business cards for von Brunn's own Web site, which hosts postings of white supremacist writings.

Among other items found in the car were a disabled parking permit, mouthwash, a salt shaker and a roll of quarters totaling $7.25.

Earlier this week investigators filed papers saying among the items discovered in von Brunn's apartment was a painting that appeared to depict Hitler and Jesus. They also found a .30-30 rifle, ammunition and a handwritten will.

Link here

Now isn't this a weird one.. Ok maybe this guy did have it, but currently we only have the word of the FBI, and lets face it folks their word isn't worth crap. If dude did have child porn, he will definitely lose the support of many people from the different organizations that promote his rhetoric. It would definitely be a win for the Government if that happened, because then he would be totally alone and have NO supporters. hmm, make you wonder huh.

if I were an enterprising Federal Agent and was told to find things that would totally isolate him from other groups, thus stripping him of support of larger organizations what could I do to make this happen... I could say he killed puppies and kittens.. but ofcourse that would only piss off PETA. So what label can I give him that would so totally alienate him that no one would defend him.. Sex Offender!!! and not only offender, but child molester!! that will get us some funding for the AWA program, and score some new positions from Congress so we can continue to fight neo-nazi skinhead child porn molesters.. Genius!!!

Personally, I hope the old bastard dies in prison. He killed a man for an ideology that mandates the injury and extermination of groups of people. That is something I cannot stomach. When are people going to understand that there is no such thing as 'RACE' .. There are different SKIN colors, but we are all the same RACE.. THE HUMAN RACE. Black White Asian Jew. All the same. Our blood is the same, our brain is the same, our internal workings are the same. if you take a heart of a black man, and place it in a white man, does that man instantly become Black?

No, he doesn't. People of the world need to make TOLERANCE the first priority in life. There are many ideals on this planet, many religions, many governments, but one thing is a constant. People are the same.

Excerpt: Is an unjust government better than no government at all?

2009-06-18T15:22:00.001-05:00

I found this in browsing. It is a term paper excerpt that I found to be very telling. If your government is unjust, is that better than NO government at all?

My answer is this. It is my opinion that no government is above its people, and when a government stands to defraud its people of Liberty and Happiness granted them by the founders of that nation, then THAT government is unjust. Having an unjust government is far worse than no government at all, because eventually with no government majority rule will apply and a standard set rules or laws would be developed; However, an unjust government does not allow reasonable, majority rule to become the law of the land. An unjust government creates laws to keep themselves in power, and to disallow a peaceful overturning of the ruling class for that of the majority. This is why certain checks need to be put into place NOW. Solidly set term limits for all elected officials. The President currently have one, but Congress nor the Supreme Court have one for themselves. This needs to change. Representatives should be allowed 3 terms maximum, Senators should be allowed 6 terms maximum, giving both a 12 year maximum in which to pass law, and govern. The Supreme Court should not be a lifetime appointment. I feel that the supreme court should have no more than a 10 year seating on the bench in Washington.

Another thing that truly needs to change is the lifetime retirement given to those elected officials. Under no circumstances are we indebted to any elected official as a whole. Their reigns have been what has devastated us over the last 50 years.

Is an unjust government better than no government at all?

INTRO:
I do not agree that an unjust government is better than no government at all. Is it really logical to give your allegiance to a country whose government violates principles of fairness? I would have to agree with St. Augustine's famous quote, "an unjust law us no law at all," and therefore I think that an unjust government is no government at all.

CONTENTIONS:

a.) IF YOUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT LOYAL TO YOU THEN YOU DO NOT OWE IT YOUR ALLEGIANCE. I do feel that one has a moral responsibility to obey just laws, but I also feel that one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
1 For example, America would still be just a province of Great Britain if it wasn't for our forefathers who stood up and rebelled against the laws which were clearly unjust.
2 If it was acceptable for them to rebel, then it is definitely acceptable now.
3 We are all under the assumption that the laws of the land are in place......

Using 'RAPE' as your defense

2009-06-18T09:20:00.001-05:00

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI - FOX2now.com) - Two women are in police custody and accused of the murder. St. Louis investigators say the women are responsible for the beating death of a 26 year old man whose body was found in Forest Park. Willard Payne's body was found in the Kennedy Forest near a jogging trail Monday morning, just west of the St. Louis Zoo.

According to police, Payne met the women at a different location and asked them to smoke some marijuana with him. They eventually ended up in Forest Park. The women told police he then made some verbal advances towards the 25-year old female. She said no, so he allegedly started doing to same to her 20-year old companion.

It was later discovered by police that the women were apparently girlfriends, both of whom were larger than the victim. Reports indicate they started beating him. Payne ran and they then caught him and beat him to death, according to police.

Police caught the pair because they initially reported that the man tried to rape them. Police now say that's not the case. The names of the women will likely be released later Tuesday.

Link Here

Ok, Two women chase down this man, beat him to death, then claim he attempted to rape them?!?! I think it is fairly obvious that if they were big enough to beat him to death, that it would be near impossible for him to have forced a rape on them. How pathetic. Now the feminist groups will claim that the two are the 'real' victims because they were touched by their father, or the mailman, or some such stupidity and they will get either a light sentence or no sentence. When are we as a people going to stop blaming others for our own mental issues? These two are totally responsible for the murder, and they should get the needle for the crime they committed.

Convicted, but maybe not convicted SO in Court

2009-06-18T09:14:00.001-05:00

LAS VEGAS -- A Las Vegas man accused of killing a 7-year-old girl in 1994 told a judge Wednesday morning that he is not guilty.

Gregory Wallen, a convicted sex offender, was ordered to be held without bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 1.

Wallen was arrested Monday in Pahrump, more than 15 years after the disappearance and slaying of Diana Hernandez. Her body was found in a trash bin near the Sandpiper Apartment complex at Flamingo Road and Maryland Parkway.

Detectives went through a list of registered sex offenders and matched Wallen’s name to the list of volunteers who helped search for Hernandez when she went missing. Police said Wallen’s DNA matched evidence found on the girl’s body.

Wallen had been accused of sexual assault in 1992, but had not been convicted and was not added to the registry until 1999.

Link Here

hmmm, Ok, I give up. If he was accused of sexual assault, was not convicted, then how again is he a 'Convicted Sex Offender'?? And the cops used the list of volunteers that searched for her as the list of suspects? This sounds really really fishy..

Labels tell it all...

2009-06-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

Here's a story from Yahoo News. I don't have a problem with its outcome. This man did very bad things and deserved what he asked for, however the original headline was "Violent sex offender executed in Alabama". Yes, this man might have sexually violated someone, however he MURDERED 4 women. One bit of information states he sexually assaulted the last victim, but the information on the other three makes no mention as to if he sexually assaulted them or not. So factually, the headline states that a violent rapist was put to death, yes; However I believe a Headline of "Convicted Murderer put to death" would have been more truthful. The bias of media to grab the story and the reader is without shame when it comes to someone that has atleast one rape in their history.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A 62-year-old man who begged the judge at his trial to have him put him to death for the rape and murder of a young woman has been executed by lethal injection in Alabama, prison officials said Friday.

Jack Trawick was executed late Thursday after having been convicted of the murder of a 21-year-old woman in October 1992.

Local media reported that he had confessed to the murders of three other young women. Having been sentenced several times in the past, his lawyer had asked in vain that Trawick should not be paroled until he had followed a program for sex offenders.

All appeals to halt his execution were dropped, although his lawyers continued to insist that he was suffering from a mental illness.

Trawick was the fifth person to be put to death by lethal injection this year in the state.

Link here

Borrowed from another blog: How bad are police interrogations?

2009-06-11T10:26:00.001-05:00

I found this while researching SCOTUS cases. A very interesting look at interrogations by police, as well as some hard evidence about wrongfully obtained confessions at the bottom of the info. This has been published a few times here and there, but good information should always be reprinted so no one forgets. Originally written in April 2009

Police interrogations are the primary reason many actually innocent persons go to jail and are wrongfully convicted. The tactics frequently used in police interrogations are nothing more than psychological devices as well as some physical to coerce or (schmoose) a person into confessing a crime in which they more than likely have not committed and have no knowledge of prior to the police actually spoon feeding them details.

When the police interrogate a suspect and you are placed in an interrogation room the room itself and the tactics used are to get you to confess. This is called persuasive coercion. Almost sounds very Mafioso right? And if at this point what I am about to say should make you very uncomfortable when (taking that little ride downtown).

The psychological weapons used against you, and how they are used against as well as why are listed here as follows there are the steps used to in the interrogation of allegedly of guilty suspects;

1.) Combining the evidence of strategy with "direct confrontation" often known as "supported directed accusation". This can lead to false confessions because under standard operating procedure by the police details will be communicated to the to the suspect at the beginning of the interview. It then becomes damn near impossible to know with absolute certainty that the suspect is repeating the information that was spoon-fed to them by the police or actually is confessing to the alleged crime. Talk about being unethical and blurring the line.

2.) Theme development to lessen the moral implications of the alleged crime. In English that means tell the suspect that anyone else in that same situation or circumstances may have done the same thing. It is the classic "anyone in your shoes would've done it thinking". This goes far beyond ethical and professional limits. By doing this you begin to reduce the suspects feeling of guilt for the offense by lessoning its moral importance. So they say things like (other people committed worse crimes, what you did was not so bad) or (I understand you had no other choice). Doing this they give the suspect a morally valid reason for the crime thusly making a person feel (free) about confessing to a crime they may not have committed. Using flattery also works in this situation as well, they state how little your involvement in the crime may or may not have been. So basically what happens, make you feel good about confessing and how much better it feels then before you know it you've confessed details which they fed to you, and now you are in the system.

3.) When a suspect is constantly giving denials, law enforcement does not like this at all. It is extremely undesirable because the police lose the psychological advantage. This advantage then goes to the suspect. So it is then stopped by the interrogator at that point. They'll say things like (Stop lying, you know you did it we know).

4.) Guilty suspects will move from plain denials to objections. At this point the suspect is the inferior mentally. So at this point interrogators move quickly because they see this advantage and do not want to lose their mental edge over the suspect.

5.) When the police move in closer to the suspect while in the interrogation room, they are not doing this to better hear you speak trust me. By moving closer, touching the suspects hands gently, using first names, and even having strong eye contact. All of these are psychological devices used to relax you into a false confession. And those become extremely difficult to prove in court later, but we will examine this later. At that point the suspect becomes more alert listening to the officers suggestions, and therefore becomes more likely to believe in the picture they are painting now matter how much it may not have happened.

6.) When the interrogator exudes signs of understanding and sympathy and urges to the suspect to tell the truth, this is a joke. The primary focus is to play upon the weakness in order to breakdown the remaining residual weakness in the suspect and fattening them up for the kill or admission of guilt later on. They will say things like (If you will cooperate with us, no one will know about this. You may be working for use for years. If you do a good job you will get probation, deferred adjudication, community service, or maybe nothing). Keep in mind this is all bullshit at this point. Its all the more to get you mentally raped, because you are about to get fucked at this point always keep that in mind. They are there to make the collar. Does not matter who actually commits the crime just that someone goes down for it end of story.

7.) So after they've coaxed you into telling the (their truth of what happened)after spoon-feeding you intricate details, holding your hand to comfort you, making the crime seem morally OK. The suspect is presented with two alternatives for the crime. Both alternatives are worded in such a way that one acts as a face saving choice and the other as some deep dark callous grotesque motivation. Another words one is the pretty moral reason,the other the grime ridden horrible monstrous reason. The psychological reasoning behind this is done because it is easier for the suspect to admit what they did wrong at the time of the interrogation because the suspect gets to explain why it was done. It is that simple.

8.) Having the suspect tell of various details of the crime at this point serves as the confession the police have created for the suspect. This is done because it was predicated already in the following steps. They have made the suspect accept one of the alternatives from earlier and thus making the suspect self incriminate, and after spoon feeding the details along with getting the suspect to accept on of the alternative theories this now becomes a full blown confession at this point. Which ironically enough is 100/100 the video that is shown to juries when the person is confessing after all of this has taken place. They don't show all the events leading up till the final cut of that alleged confession video of feeding the suspect details. And they will not show you that, because it is unethical either way you slice it and they know that.

9.) Finally they get the person to literally sign off on the confession. A signed confession is much better than an oral confession legally. Even though all of what they have done to get a person to confess goes far beyond the border of ethical behavior.

The psychological effects of placing a person through this kind of psychological warfare if you will are staggering.

Post Traumatic Stress, Apathy, Internal conflict, withdrawal, depression, and even stroke.

Interrogation rooms are usually set up in the following manner;

Windowless room with no air conditioning, no locks on the door, an observation room directly next to the adjacent room.

Most people know what the "Miranda Warnings or Rights" are like right to remain silent, right to counsel. However what must people do not know is that these rights only apply to custodial suspects. Custodial suspects are people deprived of freedom in any significant way so says the SCOTUS. Now if and when a custodial suspect tells the interrogator that he does not wish to make or sign a statement or they want a lawyer. The interrogator must stop asking, recording anything further.

Whenever a person is picked up for questioning but there is no probable cause to arrest is lacking. They have to tell you and make clear you are not being arrested, and you do not have to go the police station unless you are willing to do so and once there you are free to leave if you so choose. The only time an interrogation may actually take place is when a person has been advised of their rights and then by their own choice wishes to speak. Unless the police have probable cause they have no legal right to interrogate you. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) also declared in Miranda in addition to self incrimination the suspect must be advised they have a right to counsel before and DURING the interrogation.

Questions such as (Do you know why you are here?) are 100% invalid. The courts consistently state that such questions elicit incriminating answers from suspects. And they then therefore are considered to be within the prohibition of Miranda when asked of a custodial suspect when they are not preceded by warnings and a waiver. They cannot promise you leniency any more they can promise to use force because this will also elicit and induce an innocent person to confess to a crime they may not have committed. They cannot promise you cooperation will result in a lesser sentence being imposed. That is solely up to the JUDGE or JURY. This is most unethical as well, and illegal. So if they promise you that, it is also BULLSHIT. Just be a wise guy keep your mouth shut say nothing at all.

Coercive persuasion is the systematic the application of psychological techniques and social influence in an organized way. Or simply known as brainwashing. These interrogation techniques are so psychologically overwhelming the average law abiding citizen can be made to confess to a crime even though they have done nothing wrong at all. They create such a bond of mental control that it is far more powerful and effective the putting a gun to your head and making you confess that way. The goal is to hold the suspect to the point of maximum mental stress before inducing a powerful psychosis. It disables a persons sense of self to induce anxiety and emotional distress and allows for cognitive confusion.

Six condition exist in order to induce this;

OBTAINING SUBSTANTIAL CONTROL OVER AN INDIVIDUAL’S TIME AND THOUGHT CONTENT (CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENT)

SYSTEMATICALLY CREATING A SENSE OF POWERLESSNESS IN THE PERSON

MANIPULATING A SYSTEM OF REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

MAINTAINING A CLOSED SYSTEM OF LOGIC

MAINTAINING A NONINFORMED STATE EXISTING IN THE SUBJECT

THE SUBJECT IS FORCED TO ADAPT IN A SERIES OF STEPS, EACH SUFFICIENTLY MINOR SO THAT THE SUBJECT DOES NOT NOTICE .

AND DOES NOT BECOME AWARE OF THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM UNTIL LATE IN PROCESS (IF EVER)

MANY EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT DEGREES AND DURATIONS OF DISTRESS, DISABILITY, AND DYSFUNCTION FOLLOWING SUCH PROGRAMS

In United States V Lee(1982) The California Supreme Court found that "when a person is subject to coercive persuasion without his knowledge or consent. He may develop serious and sometimes irreversible physical and psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, self mutilation, and suicide".

Still think the police are your friend?

This is the breakdown of this immense psychological pressure;

THE ASSAULT ON IDENTITY (SUPPORTED DIRECT ACCUSATION)
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GUILT (PREPLANTED EVIDENCE)
THE SELF-BETRAYAL (ADMISSION)
THE BREAKING POINT, (TOTAL CONFLICT AND BASIC FEAR)
LENIENCY AND OPPORTUNITY (FOR COOPERATION")
THE COMPULSION TO CONFESS (PLEA BARGAIN)
THE CHANNELING OF GUILT (PLEAD GUILTY)
LOGICAL DISHONORING (SENTENCING)
PROGRESS AND HARMONY
THE FINAL CONFESSION
REBIRTH RELEASE, TRANSITION, LIMBO (FELON)

According to www.justicedenied.org and www.truthinjustice.org ,
Saul M. Kassin, professor of Psychology at Williams College, a leading researcher into false confessions,
divides them into three categories:
1. Voluntary, involving no external pressure.
2. "Coerced-compliant" in which the person realizes he is not guilty but confesses to the crime to receive a promised reward or avoid an adverse penalty.
3. "Coerced-internalized" in which an innocent suspect is induced to believe he or she is guilty.

Police and courts often doubt that the second two cases actually exist.

Dr. Kassin and his student, Catherine L. Kiechel, designed a lab experiment demonstrating how innocent people can be led to a false confession, to the point that some may even become convinced they are guilty. (1,3) In the study, college students were asked to type letters on a keyboard as a researcher pronounced them. Some researchers read out the letters quickly (67 per minute), others slowly (47 per minute). The subjects were warned to not touch the ALT key, because a bug in the testing program would cause the computer to crash and lose all the data. One minute into the test, the computer was manually caused to crash. In half the tests, the researchers said they had actually seen the subject depressing the ALT key.

At first, the subjects correctly denied hitting the key. The researcher then hand-wrote a confession and asked the subjects to sign it. The penalty would be an angry telephone call to the subject by Dr. Kassin. One hundred per cent of the subjects who had typed the letters quickly, and who were told by the researcher that they had been observed hitting the ALT key, signed the confession; 65% of the subjects believed they were guilty; 35% even confabulated non-existent details to fit their beliefs. Overall, 69% signed the note and 28% believed they were actually guilty.

University of Michigan and supervised by a law professor there, Samuel R. Gross. They say that the number of exonerations is quite small when compared with the number of convictions during the 15-year period. About 2 million people are in American prisons and jails. The study identified 199 murder exonerations, 73 of them in capital cases. It also found 120 rape exonerations. Only nine cases involved other crimes. In more than half of the cases, the defendants had been in prison for more than 10 years.

The study's authors said they picked 1989 as a starting point because that was the year of the first DNA exoneration. Of the 328 exonerations they found in the intervening years, 145 involved DNA evidence.

In 88 percent of the rape cases in the study, DNA evidence helped free the inmate. But biological evidence is far less likely to be available or provide definitive proof in other kinds of cases. Only 20 percent of the murder exonerations involved DNA evidence, and almost all of those were rape-murders.

Some 90 percent of false convictions in the rape cases involved misidentification by witnesses, very often across races. In particular, the study said black men made up a disproportionate number of exonerated rape defendants.

The racial mix of those exonerated, in general, mirrored that of the prison population, and the mix of those exonerated of murder mirrored the mix of those convicted of murder. But while 29 percent of those in prison for rape are black, 65 percent of those exonerated of the crime are.

Interracial rapes are, moreover, uncommon. Rapes of white women by black men, for instance, represent less than 10 percent of all rapes, according to the Justice Department. But in half of the rape exonerations where racial data was available, black men were falsely convicted of raping white women.

"The most obvious explanation for this racial disparity is probably also the most powerful", the study says. "White Americans are much more likely to mistake one black person for another than to do the same for members of their own race".

On the other hand, the study found that the leading causes of wrongful convictions for murder were false confessions and perjury by co- defendants, informants, police officers or forensic scientists.

A separate study considering 125 cases involving false confessions was published in the North Carolina Law Review last month and found that such confessions were most common among groups vulnerable to suggestion and intimidation.

The authors of the Michigan study offered dueling rationales for the murder exonerations, and both reasons, they said, were disturbing.

There may be more murder exonerations, they said, because the cases attract more attention, especially when a death sentence is imposed. Death row inmates represent a quarter of 1 percent of the prison population but 22 percent of the exonerated.

That suggests that innocent people are often convicted in run-of-the-mill cases. Indeed, the study says, "if we reviewed prison sentences with the same level of care that we devote to death sentences, there would have been over 28,500 non-death-row exonerations in the past 15 years rather than the 255 that have in fact occurred".

The study offered a competing theory, as well. Mistakes, it said, may be more likely in murder cases and far more likely in capital cases.

"The truth, the study concludes, is clearly a combination of these two appalling possibilities".

If you still do not believe me, just remember these words.

"Evidence of innocence is irrelevant".--Mary Sue Terry, former AG Commonwealth of Virginia

Don't worry. I believe you....

You can find the original from Here

Are we really sheeple?

2009-06-10T12:01:00.001-05:00

Follow the link to a story of What-a-Burger employees that got a phone call and believing that they were talking to the home office 'tested' the fire system, stripped to their underwear and broke out every window in the place.

Article here

Are we really so used to following Big Brother that we would not at least question something that sounds on the surface to be totally against everything that is outside normal behavior? in this case, I guess not.

Yet another article on how ineffective the registry is in Texas

2009-06-09T17:56:00.001-05:00

Discretion is the hallmark of the criminal justice system in Texas. The laws are written clearly, but the decisions are left to people. Juries are empowered to examine the facts of cases and make responsible decisions regarding guilt and innocence. Judges are trusted to maintain decorum and uphold the laws so that justice can prevail. At all times, participants within the court system are expected to handle difficult and sensitive matters in the interests of fairness and justice.

The Sex Offender Registration Program is the exception to this general principle. Unlike most areas of the criminal justice system, judges are given no discretion whatsoever. Under Texas law, when a person is convicted of a qualifying sex offense he or she is automatically and permanently required to register as a sex offender.

The laws providing for mandatory lifelong sex offender registration are ineffective. For the justice system to live up to its name, judges should be given discretion over the terms of registration.

Texas Sex Offender Registration Laws

Under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, anyone who is convicted of a sexual offense is required to register with local law enforcement as part of the Sex Offender Registration Program. Depending on the particular crime, the offender must register for 10 years, or for his or her entire lifetime.

The duration of the registration requirement depends entirely upon the crime; once a person is convicted, a judge has absolutely no discretion. The judge cannot decide that the registration period should be limited or that registration is inappropriate under the circumstances. The required registration period is mandated by the relevant statutes.

The Problem With Eliminating Discretion: No Two Cases Are the Same

Some may argue that the lack of discretion leads to equitable treatment; one person convicted of possessing child pornography should be treated the same as any other person convicted of possessing of child pornography. However, in criminal matters the circumstances are always important. No two cases are identical and removing a judge's discretion does not lead to equitable treatment.

For example, consider the case of a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old who are engaged in a consensual sexual relationship. Despite the laws, such relationships are undoubtedly common and rarely draw the attention of Texas courts. However, in the event that the relationship turns sour or results in pregnancy, the 16-year-old may report the encounters as nonconsensual.

In accordance with Texas law, the 18-year-old could be prosecuted for indecency with a child. Indecency with a child is an offense requiring registration; if convicted, the older partner would be required to register for life.

This hypothetical is not intended to undermine the very real threat of sex offense or to suggest that all accusations are false. However, by leaving the judges without any discretion in sentencing, people who truly pose no threat are classified and publicly ostracized with those who are legitimately dangerous. Lifetime registration as a sex offender is a tremendous burden to place on someone for a mistake made at age 18 in a consensual relationship.

An Overinclusive Registry Undermines the Intent of Notification

Furthermore, including this hypothetical 18-year-old ultimately undermines the registry. One of the primary purposes of a sex offender registry is to alert the public to local people who are potentially dangerous. When people who are not truly threatening are included in this database, the registry is overinclusive and becomes less valuable.

If judges had discretion, they could examine the individual circumstances and determine whether a particular offender is likely to commit another offense in the future. Accordingly, the registry could be limited to those who truly threaten others and therefore warrant inclusion.

Alternately, the judge could consider the circumstances and determine whether a shorter registration period might be sufficient, rather than the current lifetime registration requirement. Again, this would alert the public to people who had recently committed sex offenses without including those who haven't committed crimes for decades.

Unfortunately, judges in Texas are not currently given this type of decision making authority; they are beholden to unbending laws. As a result, it is extremely important that anyone accused of any type of sex offense in Texas take these accusations seriously and consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney. A knowledgeable lawyer cannot change the laws, but can take actions to minimize the potential consequences of any accusation.

To the Article

The truth is HERE, why will the idiots in Austin not listen?

2009-06-09T17:55:00.001-05:00

Link to this article

Texas has more than 54,000 people in its sex offender registry database. Most of them are required to register for life, periodically reporting where they live and work. The sex offender registry makes this information, in addition to data on offenders' physical characteristics and relevant sex offenses, available to the public online.

The sex offenses for which defendants are required to register vary widely. Lawmakers and others have expressed concern that the registry is overinclusive.

Sex Offender Registration Laws
The purpose of Texas' sex offender registry is to alert neighbors and colleagues to the presence of convicted sex offenders. Ideally, this allows people to make informed decisions about interacting safely with those around them. Even though the vast majority of sex offenses are committed by people known to the victims, sex offender registries can bring some peace of mind to wary residents.

The shortest registration period in Texas is ten years, but most registrants must remain on the list for life. Some defendants are surprised when, after they have completed their sentences and other obligations, they are unexpectedly required to register. This outcome is not uncommon in Texas.

Placement on the sex offender registry does not mean only that the defendant's name and other information are available to the public. Registration also means that the registrant may not live near areas where children congregate. In some cities, it can even prevent registrants from going to the movies or eating in some restaurants.

Within the category of sex offenses that require registration is a broad range of behaviors. Some sex offenders have committed numerous violent assaults against women or produced child pornography. Others however, have engaged in sexual behavior with consenting partners who were minors only a few years younger than themselves, or solicited a teenager over the Internet. In addition, juveniles convicted of sex offenses may be required to register; the obligation may follow them for the rest of their lives.

The Jacob Wetterling Act, Megan's Law, the Pam Lychner Act, and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act are federal laws that provide registration and notification requirements. States must either follow these laws or lose federal money. States also may strengthen the laws if they choose.

Moving to Change Registration Requirements
Although sex offender registries may provide information that some people consider vital, others argue that the inclusion of nonviolent, juvenile and other less controversial offenders makes the registries too broad.

Some Texas lawmakers, registrants and even statutory rape victims who do not feel that they were truly victimized are calling for more selective registration requirements. They argue that people who are not a threat to society at large should not be on sex offender registries. Their presence on registries makes it more difficult to distinguish between violent predators more likely to reoffend and those who committed statutory rape crimes (unlawful sex with someone under the age of consent) or less serious crimes highly unlikely to be repeated.

Additionally, law enforcement resources are spent following up with registrants, making sure they are where they say they are. Registrants who do not keep up with their registration may be imprisoned for significant periods of time. Some see this as an inefficient way to monitor people who are arguably not dangerous.

Some assert that requiring juveniles to register may harm their chances for rehabilitation, forcing them to carry stigma that will prevent them from fully integrating into adult society.

The sense of security that the sex offender registry can provide makes it difficult for lawmakers to change the rules. But the chorus of voices against the strict rules is rising, making modifications more and more likely.

Seeking Creative Solutions
People who face sex offense charges could end up registering for the rest of their lives. An attorney who is familiar with the relevant laws may be able to help by negotiating a plea for a serious crime that is not a sex offense, such as assault with a deadly weapon. The defendant would then pay his or her debt to society without having to register as a sex offender afterward. With the frequent changes in and complexity of sex offender registration laws, a criminal defense lawyer's assistance could be invaluable to anyone charged with a sex crime.

Attorney General, Shapiro, and the lot...

2009-06-07T17:41:00.003-05:00

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, state Sen. Florence Shapiro and Rep. Aaron Pena today marked the Texas Senate’s passage of legislation that would require convicted sex offenders to provide their online and cellular telephone account information to the state’s Sex Offender Registry. Senate Bill 689 passed the Senate on Monday and is now pending in the Texas House of Representatives.

What they forget to explain to you is that even if you are NOT convicted that you still have to give these up. By legislating Guilt, the legislature has mandated those who's charges were dismissed to continue to register.

“This legislation will help protect children by ensuring that state law keeps up with modern technology,” Attorney General Abbott said. “By requiring sexual predators to provide their electronic identities, the Legislature is simply improving existing registration requirements – which require convicted sex offenders to provide their addresses to the Department of Public Safety. As Attorney General, I am grateful to Sen. Shapiro and Rep. Pena for their innovative approach and commitment to Texas children.”

Bullshit. This actually is a clever ploy by them to circumvent the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Sen. Shapiro added: “I have spent my career protecting the innocent against predatory sexual offenders, beginning with Ashley's Laws in 1995. With today’s new Internet sites, it is now time to take this fight into the virtual world and target those who target our children through social networking sites, chat rooms and live video gaming systems. I commend General Abbott for his work against these most heinous criminals as well, and am grateful to his Cyber Crimes Unit for the strides it has made to bring these offenders to justice.”

Actually no she hasn't. Ms. Shapiro has spent her legislative career getting family members appointed to the various Holocaust committees, diverting state funds to Israel for economic purposes, as well as allowing herself to also infringe rights of those she deems unpure... Funny how a Jewish woman would use the same tactics as Hitler did.. I will bet that her mother and father are turning over in their graves.

Rep. Pena said: “We are closer today to preventing sex offenders from using social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to prey upon our children. SB689 is an important progression in making the Internet safer from online predators. This legislation will provide law enforcement with new tools, resources and information to track sex offenders online.”

And Here they even tell you that they want to usurp the Bill of Rights by blocking access to all Internet sites.

The bills – Senate Bill 689 by Sen. Shapiro and its companion House Bill 1239 by Rep. Pena – include four key provisions that strengthen state sex offender registration laws:

689 was the only one to actually pass, but the other was exactly the same.

• Registration of Internet accounts and e-mail addresses. If enacted, the legislation would require all sex offenders to register their Internet account and online identifiers, including e-mail addresses and designations used for online chatting, instant messaging, social networking or other similar Internet communication. The law would require that sex offenders notify their primary registration authority or the Department of Public Safety, which manages the state’s Sex Offender Registry, any time offenders change their Internet service providers or other online identifiers.

Wow.. As you can see, they want your life so they can contact the ISP's, Social sites as well as ANY site that you register with to DENY you access. Yeah, that pretty much kills opportunity to have First Amendment rights...

• Registration of mobile telephone numbers. Dramatic growth within the mobile communications sector has increased children’s access to cellular telephones. As a result, young Texans now frequently send text messages, transfer photographs, and use their mobile telephones to chat online. To help prevent sexual predators from using mobile phones to prey upon children, the law would require registered sex offenders to register their cell phone numbers with the DPS.

This one I find interesting. How does this 'protect' the children again. What, some rSO is gonna randomly dial or text phones until he finds someone to exploit?.. Oh whatever, this is just another way to give out your information to be harassed

• Sharing information with law enforcement. Authorizes DPS to release state sex offender Internet identifiers to the OAG and social networking sites (i.e., MySpace.com, Facebook.com).

See! Explained this above. What does Facebook or Myspace need to know my phone number for again?

• Internet prohibitions for certain sex offenders. Requires sentencing courts and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to prohibit certain sex offenders (e.g., those who committed a sex offense against a minor; are designated a level 3 sex offender; or used the Internet to facilitate the commission of the crime), as a condition of parole or probation, from using the Internet to access obscene material; access a commercial social networking Web site; communicate with other individuals or groups for the purpose of promoting sexual relations with persons under 17; or communicate with a person under 17 when such offender is over 17.

Ok, as a PROBATION requirement, I can see that. However, I am not on Probation or Parole.. So how again can you legally MAKE me do these things?

In 2003, Attorney General Abbott established the Cyber Crimes Unit to crackdown on child pornographers and sexual predators who use the Internet to prey upon children. The Cyber Crimes Unit has arrested 105 predators in 25 Texas counties and Indonesia. These defendants were caught trying to arrange sexual encounters online with victims they acknowledged were young children. The “children” actually were undercover investigators. Cyber Crimes Unit investigators have also obtained convictions against 96 individuals on child pornography charges.

Ok, I cannot fault them for trying to stop people from harming children. That IS protecting them, however I find it a flat lie to say they arrested someone in Indonesia.. Texas law is long, but it ain't that long.

Since taking office, Attorney General Abbott has earned a national reputation for aggressively arresting and prosecuting child sexual predators. In addition to arrest roundups, Abbott also launched a series of town hall meetings statewide to educate parents and teenagers about the kind of criminal activity that goes on in connection with Internet diaries, chat rooms and social networking sites. Thousands of concerned Texans turned out at venues across the state to participate in the interactive presentation about the risks of online predators and the steps parents can take to protect their children online.

Well, I am happy that he aggressively goes after predators. So why in the FUCK is he still messing with the other 97% of us that are not predators? I think it is funny in the quote above, how he is trying to teach parents and teens the evils of having online information like 'diaries' .. Umm, earth to old dude.. What in the fuck do you think Myspace and Facebook are? Fucking idiots.

Calling all rSO in Texas with Deferred Adjudication

2009-06-05T14:12:00.005-05:00

If you are a Texas rSO, granted the lie of deferred adjudication leave a comment with an email address to get in touch with you. Comments will not be published (I can see them before anyone else). I would like to discuss if any of you are interested in helping with a lawsuit against the state for the recent changes about to become law in this state. This will be a John/Jane Doe filing.

Take a look at S.B. 689 for more details.

Direct Link

If any of you have been following the work of TAJLR and Rob Sandifer, you know that the Texas Legislature has time and again refused to honor their contract with any of us that were ignorant of the real reason they allow DA. Deferred Adjudication is not a conviction according to the law, however over the past 20 years, the State has exempted the DA that we were awarded from certain crimes that we accepted the 'bargain' against.

Recently TAJLR has done a good effort in trying to get a bill passed that would allow for a final expungement of DA's, however the Legislature first ripped the bill into shreds, and then they didn't pass what they had substituted. This along with several years of work from TAJLR has been poo'd on by our elected officials. It is time for them to understand that we are tired of the promises they made to us being broken. The only way to do this is to file a lawsuit.

For those of us that have called the Reps and state senators expressing our hope for more just legislation, you know how frustrating it is to be hung up on, or ignored by them. They cannot ignore a lawsuit.

For those of us that see everyday how the constant retroactive laws affects our family's well-being, we will show the legislature and all elected officials that we have had enough. Every day, each of us have seen our children harmed by these laws. How the government threatens our family unit and the mental upbringing of our children by passing their retroactive laws.

Everyday we see how they piss on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, everyday we see more of the Rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness being stripped away from us. And everyday our families suffer for something we paid for years ago! Enough is Enough. It is time to make them listen, it is time to drag their asses into court and make them face their illegal behavior.

If you are serious in wanting to help plan this out, leave a message. I'll delete them after I get a contact list created, but will not actually publish them. I am going to do this, but really need the help.

If you are tired of the bullshit, or if you are worried about losing your job/home/family over more and more restrictive laws then please leave a message.

If you don't care, or believe you are not affected, then I understand you not wanting to get involved.

Either way that you decide understand that these laws are RETROACTIVE. What affects one affects all.

As a side note, You will notice they are going to have a meeting about what to do next. Their idea of a lawsuit has helped me make my decision as well, although I think they are gonna do a lawyer, and mine will be pro se. However, if you are on DA or have completed one I am sure these folks would like to see you in Austin.

Man gets 4 years for murder, but rSO's get life.

2009-06-05T09:28:00.001-05:00

Ok I get it, the people of the world really believe that crimes that are defined as sex offenses are considered more heinous than pre-meditated murder. What I don't get is how these same people sleep at night knowing that you can murder someone and get a bare instance of time for it, when some 18 year old guy/gal gets 10 years in the pen and life on the registry for having sex with their 16 year old boyfriend/girlfriend. Call my crazy, but how again does that even out?

Link to the story here

(CNN) -- An Alabama man was sentenced to 4½ years in prison Friday for his wife's death during their honeymoon in Australia nearly six years ago.

David Gabriel Watson pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the October 2003 death of Tina Watson, an Australian court spokesman said.

Watson was 26 when she drowned while diving around the "Yongala" shipwreck, about 42 miles off the coast of Townsville.

Watson had told police that his wife appeared to panic 45 feet underwater and drowned accidentally. However, authorities found inconsistencies in his account.

As evidence of a motive, investigators cited her father's statement that Watson had asked her to maximize her life insurance and make him the beneficiary shortly before their wedding.

The insurance company confirmed that Watson asked about her policy after her death, investigators said.

Townsville Coroner David Glasgow noted in his inquest findings that David was an experienced diver while his wife was a novice.

The couple married in Birmingham, Alabama, and left for Australia two days later

The Price of over criminalization

2009-06-05T09:21:00.000-05:00

So they over criminalize everything, they lock MILLIONS up, some of which are known or proven innocent every year and now they want to slowly starve them to death. hmm.. So if the prison system is no longer serving breakfast or lunch, can the men and women stay in their cells instead of going to court mandated reeducation classes? I think they should be able to. Seriously, how in the hell can you expect someone to follow prison rules if you starve them? I understand that the prison states they will receive enough calories, but you can add extra sugar, or bread to the menu and they will get calories.

Welcome to America folks, we take our prison system rules direct from the Soviet Gulag playbook.

ATLANTA -- The recession is hitting home for inmates, too: Some cash-strapped states are taking aim at prison menus.

Georgia prisoners already didn't get lunch on the weekends, and the Department of Corrections recently eliminated the midday meal on Fridays, too. Ohio may drop weekend breakfasts and offer brunch instead. Other states are cutting back on milk and fresh fruit.

Officials say prisoners are still getting enough calories, but family members and critics say the changes could make prisoners irritable and food a valuable commodity, increasing the possibility of violence.

In Georgia, inmates are still getting the same number of daily calories: 2,800 for men and 2,300 for women. The portions at breakfast and dinner are bigger on days only two meals are served.

Almost 5 percent of the state's 58,295 prisoners still get three meals every day because they are diabetic, pregnant or have other special health needs.

Barbara Helie, whose 25-year-old son Nicholas is serving time for armed robbery in Valdosta State Prison, said he would go hungry without the roughly $60 a week she puts into his account to buy instant soups, cheese, beef sticks and other snacks at the prison commissary.

"I don't know how the guys who don't have someone on the outside helping out handle it," Helie said. "Food has been an ongoing issue for him ... He's hungry a lot."

Georgia's fast-growing prison system -- the fifth-largest in the nation -- has been hit hard by the same budget woes plaguing other states. For the current fiscal year, the state has slashed almost 10 percent from the state Department of Corrections' $1.1 billion budget.

Friday lunches were a casualty of the department's decision to save money on gas and other costs by scaling back the prisoner work week from five eight-hour days to four 10-hour days, said Calvin Brown, Georgia Department of Corrections Deputy Director of Facility Operations. He couldn't say how much the state is saving.

For years now, Georgia prisoners have received only two meals a day on weekends because they don't work, so now the same holds true on Fridays. They get three meals on work days because they are exerting themselves on road crews and litter pick up.

There are no federal minimum caloric standards for state prison systems, though they are encouraged to adhere to guidelines established by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Food and Nutrition Board. Georgia officials say they follow those guidelines, and Brown said there have been some complaints from inmates and family members but no lawsuits.

In Ohio, prisons director Terry Collins said eliminating breakfast on the weekends and replacing it with brunch "could save us some real dollars when it comes to staffing and food costs."

He said the move would not upset prisoners because it would not sacrifice quality.

"I don't expect them to be as good as mom's home cooking, but the food should be cooked and presented properly," Collins said.

Other states have kept three meals but are scaling back menus. Earlier this month, Alabama reduced the milk and fresh fruit it serves to save $700,000. Alabama inmates now receive an apple or an orange once a week, down from twice a week. Milk has been reduced from seven servings per week to three. Tennessee has also cut back on milk portions for men -- from two servings a day to one -- to save $600,000.

Gordon Crews, a professor at Marshall University in West Virginia, wrote a book looking at correctional violence and said historically there have been links between food and problems behind bars. He pointed to a February riot at the Reeves County Detention Center in Texas caused in part by poor food quality.

"A lot of prisoners will see something like that as some kind of retribution against them or some kind of mistreatment," Crews said. "It'll be something that the correctional staff will pay the price for ... another reason (for inmates) to argue and fight back."

In Georgia, reports of inmate assaults -- on both staff and other inmates -- are up substantially for fiscal year 2009 over the year before, according to data obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request.

Prison officials deny the increase has anything to do with the shrinking menu but didn't provide an explanation.

Sara Totonchi, of the Southern Center for Human Rights, called the elimination of Friday lunch part of a troubling trend of budget cuts in Georgia's correctional system.

"We don't think this is a good idea," she said. "It destabilizes things inside the prison and that is not good for any of the inmates or staff."

Child found in concrete block

2009-06-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

What a terrible thing this is. Although they have not identified the body 100%, it is still the body of a child and should be mourned. The problem here is that media and the ignorant people are immediately going after the rSO boyfriend. Ok granted, he has the background for it and thus should be a suspect. However sordid his past maybe though, the real suspect needs to be the mother. I think it will be very interesting when they begin to dig harder into her background and I can only hope they find the whole truth as to her involvement.

DETROIT -- A body discovered in the River Raisin Thursday is believed to be that of a missing 5-year-old Monroe girl.

Nevaeh Buchanan was last seen May 24 in the parking lot of an apartment complex about 35 miles south-southwest of Detroit.

Body Found In River Raison
Timeline: Missing Monroe Girl

Community Reacts To Body Found

Her mother, Jennifer Buchanan, told Local 4 that the Monroe County Sheriff's Department informed her late Thursday evening that they believe the body is her daughter.

Ryan Bickley, 15, told Local 4 that his father, Guy Bickley, and grandfather, Lowell Kirk, were fishing on the river near Ida Maybee Road and spotted a block of poured cement and noticed a bad smell.

At first they said they didn't think much about it. After about 2 hours, Bickley said he kicked the concrete and noticed something.

Bickley said he chipped away a piece of the cement, revealing what appeared to be human skin.

"He called me, and he was hysterical," Ryan Bickley said. "He saw flies around it and that it was starting to crack, and when he bent down the smell got really bad."

Bickley said his father quickly backed away and called police.

The discovery site is about 12 miles from the Charlotte Arms Apartment, where her mother said she was outside playing with a friend when she disappeared.

The sheriff's office will hold a 10:30 a.m. press conference Friday to reveal more details.

The community held a vigil on Thursday.

"I'm not giving up yet. I'm not giving up unless I see the body myself. I am not giving up hope yet because I still feel that she is near me," said Nevaeh's grandmother, Sherry Buchanan.

A local pastor held a small memorial service for Nevaeh bringing the crowd to prayers.

"We know Nevaeh is in heaven now. Nevaeh is in heaven with Jesus right now. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. We know there is no pain right now, no sorrow, only joy."

Friends of Nevaeh also spoke tearfully.

"My son is a total tragic mess because of this. He has missed her every single day she has been gone and now he is going to miss her for the rest of his life."

"It could happen to anybody and we hope it don't happen to anybody else," said Nevaeh's cousin, Shawn Lawson.

There have been no arrests in the case.

Everyone is writing, but noone is doing anything about it.

2009-06-03T10:53:00.002-05:00

Interesting writing showcasing the despicable level that we have sunk to as Citizens and members of the human race.

May 09, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Problems With the Texas Sex Offender Registry

Article provided by Patrick L. Hancock
Visit us at www.hancockcriminaldefense.com

Discretion is the hallmark of the criminal justice system in Texas. The laws are written clearly, but the decisions are left to people. Juries are empowered to examine the facts of cases and make responsible decisions regarding guilt and innocence. Judges are trusted to maintain decorum and uphold the laws so that justice can prevail. At all times, participants within the court system are expected to handle difficult and sensitive matters in the interests of fairness and justice.

The Sex Offender Registration Program is the exception to this general principle. Unlike most areas of the criminal justice system, judges are given no discretion whatsoever. Under Texas law, when a person is convicted of a qualifying sex offense he or she is automatically and permanently required to register as a sex offender.

The laws providing for mandatory lifelong sex offender registration are ineffective. For the justice system to live up to its name, judges should be given discretion over the terms of registration.

Texas Sex Offender Registration Laws

Under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, anyone who is convicted of a sexual offense is required to register with local law enforcement as part of the Sex Offender Registration Program. Depending on the particular crime, the offender must register for 10 years, or for his or her entire lifetime.

The duration of the registration requirement depends entirely upon the crime; once a person is convicted, a judge has absolutely no discretion. The judge cannot decide that the registration period should be limited or that registration is inappropriate under the circumstances. The required registration period is mandated by the relevant statutes.

The Problem With Eliminating Discretion: No Two Cases Are the Same

Some may argue that the lack of discretion leads to equitable treatment; one person convicted of possessing child pornography should be treated the same as any other person convicted of possessing of child pornography. However, in criminal matters the circumstances are always important. No two cases are identical and removing a judge's discretion does not lead to equitable treatment.

For example, consider the case of a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old who are engaged in a consensual sexual relationship. Despite the laws, such relationships are undoubtedly common and rarely draw the attention of Texas courts. However, in the event that the relationship turns sour or results in pregnancy, the 16-year-old may report the encounters as nonconsensual.

In accordance with Texas law, the 18-year-old could be prosecuted for indecency with a child. Indecency with a child is an offense requiring registration; if convicted, the older partner would be required to register for life.

This hypothetical is not intended to undermine the very real threat of sex offense or to suggest that all accusations are false. However, by leaving the judges without any discretion in sentencing, people who truly pose no threat are classified and publicly ostracized with those who are legitimately dangerous. Lifetime registration as a sex offender is a tremendous burden to place on someone for a mistake made at age 18 in a consensual relationship.

An Overinclusive Registry Undermines the Intent of Notification

Furthermore, including this hypothetical 18-year-old ultimately undermines the registry. One of the primary purposes of a sex offender registry is to alert the public to local people who are potentially dangerous. When people who are not truly threatening are included in this database, the registry is overinclusive and becomes less valuable.

If judges had discretion, they could examine the individual circumstances and determine whether a particular offender is likely to commit another offense in the future. Accordingly, the registry could be limited to those who truly threaten others and therefore warrant inclusion.

Alternately, the judge could consider the circumstances and determine whether a shorter registration period might be sufficient, rather than the current lifetime registration requirement. Again, this would alert the public to people who had recently committed sex offenses without including those who haven't committed crimes for decades.

Unfortunately, judges in Texas are not currently given this type of decision making authority; they are beholden to unbending laws. As a result, it is extremely important that anyone accused of any type of sex offense in Texas take these accusations seriously and consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney. A knowledgeable lawyer cannot change the laws, but can take actions to minimize the potential consequences of any accusation.

Find the original here

Can someone of law-minded thought pick this apart?

2009-06-03T09:55:00.001-05:00

This was decided in 2002, but an interesting take on things. Pick it apart and tell me what you think the decision could affect.

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS

OF TEXAS

NO. 006-03

THE STATE OF TEXAS

v.

WILLIAM OWEN JUVRUD, Appellee

Womack, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.

The question in this case is whether Section 20 of Article 42.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure mandates that a defendant on deferred-adjudication community supervision must complete "one-third of the original community supervision period or two years of community supervision, whichever is less," or whether Section 5(c) of Article 42.12 permits a trial court to terminate a defendant's deferred-adjudication community supervision at any time.

After William Owen Juvrud, the appellee, pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of fiduciary property,⁽¹⁾ the trial court, pursuant to a plea bargain between Juvrud and the State, deferred-adjudication of Juvrud's guilt and placed him on community supervision for 10 years. Approximately four months later, Juvrud filed a motion to dismiss and discharge his community supervision. The trial court granted Juvrud's motion, discharged him from community supervision, and dismissed the indictment against him.

On appeal, the State argued that "the trial court lacked the authority to discharge Juvrud's community supervision and dismiss the indictment before he had satisfactorily completed two years of community supervision as required by Article 42.12, [S]ection 20." Juvrud responded that the trial court discharged him pursuant to Section 5(c) of Article 42.12, which does not impose any minimum length of time for community supervision. The Eighth Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment of the trial court. By reference to the legislative history of the sections, the Court of Appeals concluded that Section 20 applies only to regular (also known as "straight") community supervision, while Section 5(c) governs the early termination of deferred-adjudication. Because Section 5 provides no minimum term which must be served before a defendant is eligible for early termination, the Court of Appeals held that the trial court had authority to terminate Juvrud's community supervision. State v. Juvrud, 96 S.W.3d 550 (Tex. App. --El Paso 2002, pet. granted).

We granted review. We agree with the Court of Appeals that the trial court had authority to terminate Juvrud's community supervision under Article 42.12, Section 5(c).

Article 42.12

Article 42.12 defines community supervision as the "placement of a defendant by a court under a continuum of programs and sanctions, with conditions imposed by the court for a specified period during which (A) criminal proceedings are deferred without an adjudication of guilt; or (B) a sentence of imprisonment or confinement, imprisonment and fine, or confinement and fine, is probated and the imposition of sentence is suspended in whole or in part."⁽²⁾ The Code of Criminal Procedure provides several specific forms of community supervision for various circumstances and offenses--such as regular or straight, deferred-adjudication, shock, boot camp, and state jail felony.⁽³⁾ Each type of community supervision has its own limitations and requirements. As a Court of Appeals held, in an opinion by a retired Presiding Judge of this Court, the special provisions for deferred-adjudication in Section 5 prevail over provisions for regular probation in Section 3, the general definition of "community supervision" in Section 2(2) notwithstanding. See Rodriguez v. State, 939 S.W.2d 211, 220-21 (Tex. App.--Austin 1997, no pet.) (Onion,J).

Here, Juvrud was placed on deferred-adjudication community supervision pursuant to Article 42.12, Section 5(a). The rules and requirements of deferred-adjudication community supervision are distinct and separate from those applying to other types of community supervision.⁽⁴⁾

Section 5

Section 5 of Article 41.12 addresses deferred-adjudication community supervision. Not only does it provides for the availability of deferred-adjudication, but it also sets out the requirements, restrictions, and procedures concerning deferred-adjudication. Section 5 addresses no other types of community supervision.

Section 5(a) provides the procedures for placing a defendant on deferred-adjudication. It also limits the maximum time a defendant can be placed on deferred-adjudication for a felony and misdemeanor case. There is no minimum term of supervision except in the case of a defendant charged with a felony under specific enumerated sections of the Texas Penal Code. A trial court may, however, increase the maximum period of community supervision by following the procedures set out in Sections 22(c) or 22A. Section 5(b) provides the procedures for violation of a condition of deferred-adjudication supervision imposed under Section (a).

Section 5(c), the section at issue in this case, provides the requirements regarding the expiration of deferred-adjudication community supervision. Under this section, "[t]he judge may dismiss the proceedings and discharge a defendant, other than a defendant charged with an offense requiring the defendant to register as a sex offender . . . prior to the expiration of the term of community supervision if in the judge's opinion the best interest of society and the defendant will be served." Under this section, a dismissal and discharge "may not be deemed a conviction for the purposes of disqualifications or disabilities imposed by law for conviction of an offense," although the fact that a defendant had received deferred-adjudication may be considered by a judge or jury (in the punishment stage of a subsequent criminal conviction), by a state agency (if the defendant is an applicant for a license or is a licensee under Human Resources Code, Chapter 42), or by the Interagency Council on Sex Offender Treatment (if the defendant is a person who has applied for registration to provide mental health or medical services for the rehabilitation of sex offenders). Finally, Section 5(d) provides the limitations on a trial court's grating of deferred-adjudication, and Section 5(e) deals with the confidentiality of deferred-adjudication.

When necessary, Section 5 references other sections of Article 42.12. For example, Section 5(a) provides that "a judge may increase the maximum period of community supervision in the manner provided by Section 22(c) or 22A of this article." However, in regard to dismissing and discharging a defendant prior to the expiration of the term of community service, there is no reference to Section 20, or to any other section of Article 41.12.

Section 20

Section 20 provides the guidelines for the reduction or termination of community supervision. Although its title, "Reduction or Termination of Community Supervision," refers generally to "community supervision," the definition of which includes deferred-adjudication, its language indicates that Section 20 can apply only to the types of community supervision that follow a conviction and sentence.

Under this section, "[a]t any time, after the defendant has satisfactorily completed one-third of the original community supervision period or two years of community supervision, whichever is less, the period of community supervision may be reduced or terminated by the judge." After community supervision is successfully completed, "the judge, by order duly entered, shall amend or modify the original sentence imposed, if necessary, to conform to the community supervision period and shall discharge the defendant. If the judge discharges the defendant the judge may set aside the verdict or permit the defendant to withdraw his plea and shall dismiss the accusation, complaint, information, or indictment against the defendant, who shall thereafter be released from all penalties resulting from the offense." However, should the defendant again be convicted of another criminal offense, "proof of the prior conviction or plea of guilty shall be made known to the judge."

From its language, Section 20 concerns defendants placed on community supervision after they were convicted. Among the types of community supervision--regular, shock, boot camp, state jail, deferred-adjudication--all but deferred-adjudication require a conviction first. For example, Section 15 provides for procedures relating to state-jail-felony community supervision. It provides that "on conviction of a state jail felony punished under [S]ection 12.35(a), Penal Code, the judge may suspend the imposition of sentence and place the defendant on community supervision or may order the sentence to be executed." Thus, there is no mention of conviction in Section 5 which deals with deferred-adjudication. However, under Section 20, a judge can amend or modify the sentence (not present under deferred-adjudication), set aside the verdict (not present under deferred-adjudication), and must be made aware that the defendant had a prior conviction or guilty plea, should the defendant again be convicted (not present under deferred-adjudication because the initial grant of community supervision is not deemed a conviction).

Section 20 also grants the judge authority to set aside the verdict: "if the judge discharges the defendant under this section, the judge may set aside the verdict or permit the defendant to withdraw his plea, and shall dismiss the accusation, complaint, information or indictment against the defendant. . ." Under Section 5, the judge has no such discretion; the judge must dismiss the proceedings against a defendant when the judge discharges the defendant from deferred-adjudication. More important is the reference to "under this section." Section 5(c) and Section 20 each refer to a dismissal and discharge "under this section." This provides support for the conclusion that these are separate and distinct early-termination procedures and the legislature, in creating these two distinct termination sections, made them such. If the legislature had intended for Section 20's procedures for early termination to apply to Section 5(c) and deferred-adjudication, it could have done so--either by eliminating the "under this section" restricting language or by referencing one section in the other.

While the title of Section 20 may be misleading, a close reading of the article demonstrates that Section 20 and its procedures for terminating community supervision do not apply to a defendant placed on deferred-adjudication community supervision. Rather, Section 5(c) controls deferred-adjudication community supervision and requires no minimum term of supervision that must be served before early dismissal.

Conclusion

Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals.

Conflicting Statutes

2009-06-02T21:55:00.003-05:00

(c) On expiration of a community supervision period imposed under Subsection (a) of this section, if the judge has not proceeded to adjudication of guilt, the judge shall dismiss the proceedings against the defendant and discharge him. The judge may dismiss the proceedings and discharge a defendant, other than a defendant charged with an offense requiring the defendant to register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, as added by Chapter 668, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, prior to the expiration of the term of community supervision if in the judge's opinion the best interest of society and the defendant will be served. The judge may not dismiss the proceedings and discharge a defendant charged with an offense requiring the defendant to register under Chapter 62, as added by Chapter 668, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997. Except as provided by Section 12.42(g), Penal Code, a dismissal and discharge under this section may not be deemed a conviction for the purposes of disqualifications or disabilities imposed by law for conviction of an offense. For any defendant who receives a dismissal and discharge under this section:

This is what is supposed to happen if someone in Texas completes deferred adjudication successfully. However if you read Article 62.005, you will see that they added the bit in about Deferred Adjudication:

(5) "Reportable conviction or adjudication" means a conviction or adjudication, including an adjudication of delinquent conduct or a deferred adjudication, that, regardless of the pendency of an appeal, is a conviction for or an adjudication for or based on:

So If one law is saying ONE thing, and another law says the exact opposite, what is the remedy?

Any f you lawyer minded folks out there care to push out a real world explanation?

Rights

2009-06-01T14:22:00.001-05:00

Here is something I found very interesting. The source it seems is from a student?!? at MIT, link included at the bottom. IT seems to be an opinion of the individual, but a good thought process.

What is Punishment: Any discrimination is a punishment since the person is punished for having the property being discriminated on, except that discrimination by private people (who have no special authority) that does not abridge fundamental rights does not qualify as a punishment. Thus, remedies in civil cases, administrative actions, and punishment of children by the parents are examples of punishments.

Fundamental Rights

The Right to Travel

2009-06-01T14:03:00.001-05:00

Here is an interesting article (date unknown) about an American's Right to travel. Take a look at the excerpt and the linked article and tell me if any of you have updated information.

For years professionals within the criminal justice system have acted on the belief that traveling by motor vehicle was a privilege that was given to a citizen only after approval by their state government in the form of a permit or license to drive. In other words, the individual must be granted the privilege before his use of the state highways was considered legal. Legislators, police officers, and court officials are becoming aware that there are court decisions that disprove the belief that driving is a privilege and therefore requires government approval in the form of a license. Presented here are some of these cases:
CASE #1: "The use of the highway for the purpose of travel and transportation is not a mere privilege, but a common fundamental right of which the public and individuals cannot rightfully be deprived." Chicago Motor Coach v. Chicago, 169 NE 221.

CASE #2: "The right of the citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, either by carriage or by automobile, is not a mere privilege which a city may prohibit or permit at will, but a common law right which he has under the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Thompson v. Smith, 154 SE 579.

It could not be stated more directly or conclusively that citizens of the states have a common law right to travel, without approval or restriction (license), and that this right is protected under the U.S Constitution.
CASE #3: "The right to travel is a part of the liberty of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment." Kent v. Dulles, 357 US 116, 125.

CASE #4: "The right to travel is a well-established common right that does not owe its existence to the federal government. It is recognized by the courts as a natural right." Schactman v. Dulles 96 App DC 287, 225 F2d 938, at 941.

Right2Travel

I also found this on another site. A finding by the courts regarding freedom of travel as a fundamental right.

To repeat, we deal here with a constitutional right of the citizen, a right which we must assume Congress will be faithful to respect. We would be faced with important constitutional questions were we to hold that Congress, by § 1185 and § 211a, had given the Secretary authority to withhold passports to citizens because of their beliefs or associations. Congress has made no such provision in explicit terms, and, absent one, the Secretary may not employ that standard to restrict the citizens' right of free movement.

Courts Opinion on Travel

Definition

2009-05-30T18:08:00.000-05:00

Indentured Servant --
An indentured servant (also called a bonded laborer) is a labourer under contract of the employer in exchange for an extension to the period of their indenture, which could thereby continue indefinitely (normally it would be for seven years). In other cases, indentured servants were subject to violence at the hands of their employers in the homes or fields in which they worked.

In theory, the person is only selling his or her labor. In practice, however, indentured servants were basically slaves and the courts enforced the laws that made it so. The treatment of the servant was harsh and often brutal. In fact, the Virginia Colony prescribed "bodily punishment for not heeding the commands of the master." (Ballagh, 45) Half the servants died in the first two years. As a result of this type of treatment, runaways were frequent. The courts realized this was a problem and started to demand that everyone have identification and travel papers. (A.E. Smith 264-270).

Secret Service and Airport security rough up and detain a female Minister

2009-05-29T14:53:00.003-05:00
For unknown reasons, a Female Minister was roughly pulled away from the Press line at LAX. This was a concerted effort from the Secret service and Airport Security. No Charges have been files against the good Reverend, and no reason giving for such a rough detainment.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/05/29/reverend.dragged.speaks.out.kabc

Hmm, so now it is OK for the Government to physically assault members of the Clergy. Way to go boys, You've graduated to offending the church!!!

What has come of the World?

2009-05-29T11:23:00.005-05:00

Ok folks, I know this isn't pornotube or what ever, but I found this incredibly weird, and somewhat funny. A 'Christian' dating service selling sex. Look at the picture and tell me what you see, cause all I see are cute faces and boobs. And no, you cannot judge either on her intellectual merits, as there is nothing to say that either isn't a sack of flour mentally.

This wasn't something I went looking for either. It was presented to me in a sidebar ad in my email. I wonder if this falls in the do as I say, not as I do type of philosophy?

Dirty Little Secrets

2009-05-29T10:20:00.000-05:00

Ok folks. Here's the plan. If you are blogging, or not send me information about your congressional or State reps that is embarrassing. If you blog and have published this already, send me a link so I can link it here (with full accreditation back to you ofcourse).

This must be factual information, with atleast one accredited source. I prefer Texas based officials, but will be happy to include all. Lets shame their asses and see if they enjoy the spolight for a while. If we can get enough blogs with the same info, we might be able to get some press involved as well.

So come-on, No shame is too big or too small here at SO's Shaming Shack!!! Operators are standing by!

New Laws, New Punishment

2009-05-29T09:15:00.001-05:00

As the years go by, most of us that are on the Registry see more and more 'restrictions' in our lives. Yes, I know this is the home of the brave/free/bullshit-artists, but as American citizens our Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms get washed away with each new pen stroke of State and Federal governments.

The time is now, and I mean NOW to start pushing back. Start writing your Congressional and State officials. Let them know that this onslaught of infringements must stop. Explain to them that as individuals we are weak, but with 700,000 people on the registry, we are a force to be reckoned with. Do not threaten them, but allow them to understand that WE have the power to change things, like what businesses we shop at. What services we purchase, What country we live in. Then STICK TO IT! Many of us have jobs that allow for purchasing power. Let them know that. Choose to live a meager lifestyle, save your money, and help to kill your local economy. If any service advertises they are 'Predator' free (which is totally another discussion), then ask your friends, family NOT to purchase anything from them. When school send home stuff for your child to sell, return it with a note saying that they infringe your parental rights, thus you will not support their causes. When the Fire department holds its funds drive, refuse to donate. Don't give them a fucking dime.

I cannot say this will financially harm them, but it might atleast make people start to think about things a bit more. Another thing. Ensure that if you are presently unemployed, or underemployed, you use any social service that you can get your hands on to pay your bills. Medical, power, water, anything. If they want to drive us into servitude, then they are going to have to pay for us as well.

2009-05-17T19:52:00.004-05:00
Throwing a few thoughts around today. One of these in inalienable rights. There is a good debate through history regarding them, and just exactly what they are. In more modern history we see this:

Many documents now echo the phrase used in the United States Declaration of Independence. The preamble to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that rights are inalienable: "recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." However, there is still much dispute over which "rights" are truly natural rights and which are not, and the concept of natural or inalienable rights is still controversial to some.

Contemporary political philosophies continuing the liberal tradition of natural rights include libertarianism, anarcho-capitalism and Objectivism, and include amongst their canon the works of authors such as Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Ayn Rand, and Murray Rothbard. A libertarian view of inalienable rights is laid out in Morris and Linda Tannehill's The Market for Liberty, which claims that a man has a right to ownership over his life and therefore also his property, because he has invested time (i.e. part of his life) in it and thereby made it an extension of his life. However, if he initiates force against and to the detriment of another man, he alienates himself from the right to that part of his life which is required to pay his debt: "Rights are not inalienable, but only the possessor of a right can alienate himself from that right – no one else can take a man's rights from him

I emphasized the one part, as I find it fairly interesting. You keep your life asw long as you do not initiate force against another, but then you only lose that part of your life in which you initiated such force. This would create a liberty interest in that the continued 'civil' punishments laid upon us AFTER we have completed time under the hand of law would be in direct violation of the life,liberty, pursuit of happiness granted by the Declaration of Independence.

One interesting opinion from the Supreme Court was this:

Earlier judicial opinion, in Butchers' Union Co. v. Crescent City Co., 111 U.S. 746 (1883)[5], had, however, considered Jefferson's phrase in the Declaration of Independence to refer to one's economic vocation of choice rather than the more ephemeral search for emotional fulfillment, even though one may be predicated on the other. U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Johnson Field, in his concurring opinion to Associate Justice Samuel Freeman Miller's opinion, wrote:

Among these inalienable rights, as proclaimed in that great document, is the right of men to pursue their happiness, by which is meant the right to pursue any lawful business or vocation, in any manner not inconsistent with the equal rights of others, which may increase their prosperity or develop their faculties, so as to give to them their highest enjoyment.

But the registry stops those of us on it from doing that. The registry is the sole creator of no less than 7 jobless states that I have seen for myself in the last 11 years. So it violates the premise of liberty regarding happiness.

Another point on Lawsuits

2009-05-15T12:54:00.002-05:00
On Conn. Dept or public safety vs Doe (11/13/02) it was found that truthful information in the registry for those convicted of sex crimes is not a liberty interest. What about those NOT convicted? This is a troubling argument that I have been attempting to find everywhere.

Civil Lawsuits

2009-05-15T10:38:00.002-05:00
Hey folks. I am currently researching how to write and file a lawsuit. if anyone has direction relating to the filing of a lawsuit 'Pro Se', post a link and I will happily research away. I am seriously considering how best to fight the HB 22 if it becomes law. I know that the District Court in Utah has already stated that such law is unconstitutional, but I feel that another lawsuit will need to be filed for these assholes to actually READ the Constitution.

Interesting.

2009-05-12T12:46:00.002-05:00

I found this and was intrigued that after 80 years, we haven't learned a thing.

THE NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, December 17, 1934

"Adolf
Hitler's secret police, aided by the Elite Guards, began a nationwide
drive today to purge the Reich of sexual abnormality. They threw into
jail between 500 and 700 men accused of perversion. In recent
conferences of the party, Herr Hitler emphasized a determination to
stamp out sex perversion among all Nazi organizations. It was recalled
that after his purge of June 30, he made a pledge to German mothers
that their sons would never be contaminated if they joined his Storm
Troopers'."

As I said, Interesting.

Do as I say...

2009-05-12T10:07:00.001-05:00

It seems that not everyone who sexually abuses gets to be a sex offender on the list. I see nothing regarding his inclusion on the list, nor do I think that they will do anything about it. 33 months is pathetic, and the judicial system should be ashamed for protecting one of its own like this. I guess 'protecting the public' only applies if it isn't someone that is an elected or appointed official.

Then how pathetic, they allow him to come in on June 15th??? If this was Joe Blow, he would have already be under the jail..

Story Here

HOUSTON -- Federal Judge Sam Kent is facing 33 months in prison for lying about sexually abusing some of his female employees.

“Apparently justice is for everyone,” said Cathy McBroom, the woman who decided to take on the federal judge and on Monday won.

McBroom, also known as “Complainant A” in court documents, says the ordeal has cost her marriage, her home and her mental health.

During an interview at her attorney's office, the 50-year-old expressed her gratitude for the judge’s punishment. She said she was also surprised at the $6,500 restitution visiting Judge Roger Vinson imposed.

McBroom says the abuse began in 2003 and she filed a complaint in 2004, after the worst and most dangerous episode occurred.

In her court statement, McBroom read, "After forcing himself upon me and asking me to do unspeakable things, he told me that pleasuring him was something I owed him. That was it for me."

Later she said that there are still some parts of the whole traumatic experience that she has not been able to talk about, even in therapy.

She described Judge Kent as being often, but not always, drunk when he confronted her. She said he would sometimes grope or attempt to conduct sexual acts with her. She also said he was later apologetic and promised not to repeat his behavior.

“He would brag constantly about his power and just about dare anyone to do anything against his will,” McBroom said. “I also clung to the hope that he was going to stop, because he would tell me he was going to stop.”

She says she did not come forward earlier because she feared retribution.

“I would just find ways to cope with it and what that meant to me was staying under his radar,” McBroom said. “It was a big conflict at home. Of course, my husband didn't want me to have to go to work every day and face that. I, on the other hand, didn’t want to have to give up my position.”

McBroom says she is still irritated by Kent's now recanted claim that the encounters were “enthusiastically consensual."

“Of course it was not. There was nothing consensual about it whatsoever,” McBroom said.

McBroom says finding a lawyer to oppose a federal judge was tricky. She says she didn't expect famed attorney Rusty Hardin would even agree to speak with her.

“It never occurred to me not to. You've all seen her now. How the hell would I have said ‘no’?” said Hardin.

Attorney Rusty Hardin, applauded McBroom’s courage.

“It was sexual abuse in the workplace and it goes on everyday all over this country. Every professional woman knows it does and only a few decide to pay the price to come forward,” Hardin said.

Kent’s former secretary, Donna Wilkerson, had also joined the suit, alleging similar abuses over seven years.

The deadline for any civil action expired last month.

McBroom has declined to seek any civil penalties. She says the case was never about money.

Kent was also fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $6500 in restitution to McBroom and Donna Wilkerson his former secretary.

As part of the plea agreement, five sex crime charges were dismissed.

Kent, who claims he has a drinking problem, plans to retire due to a disability. That would allow him to collect his full salary of roughly $170,000 a year for the rest of his life.

Many experts believe he will be impeached. If so, he would get nothing.

Kent is to surrender on June 15 to begin his sentence.

SB 2075 -- Texas State Legislature

2009-05-08T12:30:00.002-05:00
Well, now the State Senate Committee has done it. They too have re-worded the deferred adjudication bill that was submitted excluding all those with more than a State Jail felony. S.B. 2075 relies on the person wanting expungement to fit in the narrow definition of being able to have gotten an order of nondisclosure. What a crock of shit. This does nothing but continue to punish ALL of us not fitting in the narrow scope to continue to deal with punitive practices of the state legislature. Here's a list of numbers to start calling. These are the state legislators that are responsible for taking a bill that would have allowed Texas to finish its promise to all of us that are being unlawfully held to the list WITHOUT a CONVICTION. Bills of Attainer are ILLEGAL, but yet they pass them every year.

(thanks to tajlr for compiling this list)

Senator John Whitmire (Chairman)
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0115
Capitol Fax: (512) 475-3737
john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us
Legislative Director Lara Wendler (512)-463-0115
lara.wendler@senate.state.tx.us
Legislative Aide Susan Fontenette

Senator Kel Seliger
kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0131
Capitol Fax: (512) 475-3733
kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us
Chief of Staff Bryan McMath (512)-463-0131
Bryan.McMath@senate.state.tx.us

Senator John Carona
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0116
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-3135
john.carona@senate.state.tx.us
Chief of Staff Margie McCloskey
margie.mccloskey@senate.state.tx.us
Administrative Director Detta Haffelder
detta.hoffelder@senate.state.tx.us
Administrative Aide Stephanie Schotz

Senator Rodney Ellis
rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0113
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-0006
Chief of Staff Brandon Dudley
brandon.dudley@senate.state.tx.us

Senator Glenn Hegar
glenn.hegar@senate.state.tx.us
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0118
Capitol Fax: (512) 475-3736
Chief of Staff Lisa Craven lisa.craven@senate.state.tx.us
Administrative Director Barbara Erickson
barbara.erickson@senate.state.tx.us

Senator Hinojosa
juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0120
Capitol Fax: (512) 463-0229
Chief of Staff René A. Ramirez (512)-463-0120
Policy Analyst, Capitol Athena Ponce
athena.ponce@senate.state.tx.us
General Counsel, Capitol Jerry Haddican
jerry.haddican@senate.state.tx.us
Legislative Aide, Capitol Carlos Gutierrez
carlos.gutierrez@senate.state.tx.us
Legislative Assistant, Capitol Oscar Garza
oscar.garza@senate.state.tx.us
Media Relations/Policy Analyst, Capitol Arturo Ballesteros
arturo.ballesteros@senate.state.tx.us

Senator Dan Patrick
dan.patrick@senate.state.tx.us
Capitol Phone: (512) 463-0107
Fax: (512) 463-8810
Legislative Director Logan Spence
logan.spence@senate.state.tx.us

Seeing as I do not like this person...

2009-05-06T15:20:00.006-05:00
I thought it would be a good idea to compile some publicly available information on her.

Senator Florence D. Shapiro (TX)

Current Office: State Senate
Current District: 8
Party: Republican

Background Information
Gender: Female
Family: Husband: Howard -- Funny, Howard is a defense lawyer who "defends" those charged with sex offenses.. wonder how good THAT money is spent?
3 Children: Lisa, Staci, Todd-- Todd is also an attorney at dear old Dad's shop....
Birth Date: 05/02/1948
Birthplace: New York, NY
Home City: Plano, TX
Religion:

Education:
BS, Secondary Education, University of Texas-Austin.

Professional Experience:
Former Teacher, Richardson Independent School District
Former Owner/President, Shapiro and Company.

Political Experience:
President Pro Tempore, Texas State Senate, present
Senator, Texas State Senate, 1992-present
Governor for a Day, April 9, 2005
Mayor of Plano, 1990-1992
Plano City Council, 1979-1990.

Organizations:
Advisory Director, Plano Chamber of Commerce
Director, Presbyterian Hospital of Plano
Past Vice Chair, National League of Cities Advisory Council
Past President, North Central Texas Council of Governments
Past President, Plano Economic Development Board
Past President, Texas Municipal League.

Caucuses/Non-Legislative Committees:
Education Commission on the States
Southern Regional Education Board.

Committees:
Administration, Member
Committee of the Whole Senate, Member
Education, Chair
Finance, Member
Transportation and Homeland Security, Member

Senator Florence D. Shapiro (TX)

Current Office: State Senate
Current District: 8
Party: Republican

BiographicalVoting RecordIssue Positions
(Political Courage Test)Interest Group RatingsCampaign Finances

Senator Florence D. Shapiro REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY
RESPONSES TO CITIZENS ON ISSUES THROUGH THE 2006
NATIONAL POLITICAL AWARENESS TEST WHEN ASKED TO DO SO BY

Key national leaders of both major parties including:
John McCain, Republican Senator
Geraldine Ferraro, Former Democratic Congresswoman
Michael Dukakis, Former Democratic Governor
Bill Frenzel, Former Republican Congressman
Richard Kimball, Project Vote Smart President

Over 100 news organizations throughout the nation also urged their candidates to supply their issue positions through the National Political Awareness Test.

Her voting record speaks for itself. Consistently, Shapiro has voted against Women's Rights to choose, has voted to raise taxes against the common citizen, voted no against AIDS/HIV awareness/prevention, voted for christian only expression in schools, and voted against requiring loan companies informing individuals about terms of complex loans.

http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=5456

This doesn't surprise that the top 80% of her finances comes from special interest groups in Finance, the lobby, general business and the construction industries.

http://votesmart.org/finance.php?can_id=5456
UPDATED:

We see what her game is by passing all of these feel good laws, and backing business over the people.

Name FLORENCE SHAPIRO US SENATE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE INC
Connected Organization Name --
Address 5700 GRANITE PARKWAY SUITE 900
PLANO, TX 75024
Interest Group Category --
Affiliated Party Republican
Affiliated Candidate Florence Shapiro

She has aspirations of ruling from the Capitol...
If you follow the money on contributors list, funny but they seem to all be millionaires and business owners...

Family:

Lisa Shapiro Strauss -- Plano HS grad 1990, Oh Look She's on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Lisa-Shapiro-Strauss/578082415
http://www.facebook.com/profile/pic.php?uid=AAAAAQAQJtVzTh4X9fdEt7rwL12WNAAAAAnEDbH_3M3KAmjAisPzNsKb

Now THIS is interesting. Texas lege Shapiro was given a place on the national board for Holocaust survivors (which I say nothing derogatory about). HOWEVER, it is pretty handy that her Son-In-Law,Rabbi Brian Strauss, serves on the board of the Holocaust Museum Houston .. hmm, wonder how he got THAT job? Way to go Ma!

Staci Shapiro Rubin --Oh gee, she's on Facebook too. http://www.facebook.com/people/Staci-Shapiro-Rubin/1079406166

There is a picture, but only of her kids (I imagine, and I won't link that alone).

Get a trend here. Let's cash in on the NAME.. So I'll keep- Shapiro..

Again will update later. For those that think it is too much to include the kids in on this, I say NO WAY. If MY kids and wife are exposed to the hatred, then HER family will be as well. I am looking for further info on Todd, and will post it as soon as I can.

and in case anyone is wondering, here is an opinion from SC Justices Scalia on the matter:

http://abovethelaw.com/2009/04/justice_scalia_responds_to_for.php

Discussions of privacy rights in the digital era should distinguish between such confidential data as medical records and information that might be personal but is easy to find out, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia...

Texas, New Bill Passed for de-registration

2009-05-06T13:07:00.002-05:00

Sex offenders who were convicted despite having consensual sex with their victims would be allowed to petition for removal from the state's sex offender registry, under a bill the House passed on Wednesday.
The bill allows offenders who were no more than four years older than their victims - and whose victims were at least 13 years old - to ask a judge to remove them from the sex offender registry if their relationship was consensual. The bill passed 131-12.
Under current law, young men who were convicted after having sex with their underage girlfriends are often forced to register for years, a stigma that keeps them from finding work or renting apartments. Many of the men who came to testify on the bill this spring were married to the women they were convicted of assaulting.
"This is one of the most morally compelling pieces of legislation that I have ever filed," said Rep. Todd Smith. "We rarely have the opportunity to do something that takes people out of a living hell."

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/05/de-registration-bill-for-conse.html

Although This is a great bill, now moving to the Governors Office. If passed, it will be a good thing for those of us that were trapped with their underaged girlfriends that have been placed under the bullshit laws. It does not go far enough in my opinion, but This is still a good step.

I would like to point out that even the good legislator brings to the front the truth.. " We rarely have the opportunity to do something that takes people out of a living hell. "

Florence Shapiro

2009-05-06T10:28:00.001-05:00
It's time for this cunt to go. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) has been in the State Senate since 1993. It is time she goes. She is so out of touch with the facts and reality she need to go back to her bullshit small business.

These next elections, lets get this bitch out of office and off of the people's tax money.

correction Texas S.B. 689

2009-05-06T10:23:00.003-05:00
it seems that the pinheads from Plano have gotten their bill through. Senate Bill 22 originally made it illegal NOT to give up your online identifiers, excluding email addresses. Now it seems they substituted extra into the bill, requiring email addresses, as well as game tags and a few other things.

This is where I say Fuck the government.

There is a companion of cshb 22 that is identical..

inequality

2009-04-25T21:24:00.002-05:00
I wanted to enter something here that really bothers me.. Lane Garrison, actor, drunk driver, killer will be released soon since he has paid off the wrongful death suit against him. Seem Mr. Garrison got 40 months for using his car, and a bottle of booze, to murder a young person.

Lane Garrison leaves prison in the next few weeks having settled litigation filed by the victims of the crash of a car driven by the intoxicated actor.

While no settlement amounts were released, the lawsuit brought by the parents of 17-year-old Beverly Hills High School student Vahagn Setian, who was killed in the 2006 accident, sought damages from the former Prison Break star for wrongful death and gross negligence. The action filed by injured passenger Michelle Ohana, who was 15 at the time, sought payment for medical bills, lost wages and home nursing care.

Garrison is currently in state prison finishing up a 40-month sentence for vehicular manslaughter. A spokesman for California Department of Corrections tells PEOPLE that Garrison is expected to be paroled in the next "few weeks."

The spokesman declined to discuss Garrison's plans, but similar parolees are generally released into community residential facilities and assigned to a parole officer somewhere in the state. For safety reasons, the corrections department does not disclose inmate release dates or the location of the residential facilities they are assigned to in a community.

Garrison began serving his sentence on Nov. 20, 2007, after pleading guilty. He is entitled to be released from his three-year, four-month sentence by earning good behavior credits behind bars, where he is working as a peer mentor for other inmates.

Funny. 40 months for killing a kid, and injuring another for life and he gets off with good behavior!?! How does that shit work. Yeah, he's a good guy, he only killed one and wounded another, that isn;t too bad, right?

Give me a freaking break..

Car washes

2009-04-25T19:15:00.003-05:00
Here is a problem I have. People call rSO's sick perverted old men, regarding teen-aged females. But then, those same 'parents' allow their teen-aged daughters to hang out on street corners wearing nothing more than a thong bottom and a bikini top to get you to 'donate' money to their church, lodge, school, etc. Get it straight folks. Stop sexually exposing your kids so that you can be the parents with the highest dollar amount for the bake sale.

As for the tarts on the corners selling views of their body , err I mean car washes, I guess they are just getting started for their future careers as street walkers....

I was terribly wrong

2009-04-11T14:56:00.003-05:00
The other day I wrote or blogged about the little Cantu girl. I even went as far as to say "Dude". I was terribly wrong and apologize to any one I might have offended. From CNN:

Melissa Huckaby, 28, was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail early Saturday and faces charges of kidnapping and murder in the death of Sandra Cantu in Tracy, California.

For some unknown reason this woman grabbed that little girl, and killed her. Why? Did she think that someone else would be indicted for the crime and go to prison? And what about the 44 people that had their lives turned upside down? Did the Sheriff give them a call to say that he was sorry for screwing with their lives?

To Ms. Huckaby, I say.. Die bitch, Die in the worst possible way!

This woman makes me angry. We know this crime was motivated by some sick power thing she has going on. But all the articles pointed to the rSO's in the community. To those media outlets, Fuck You!

Sandra Cantu's Body Found Monday

2009-04-08T22:58:00.000-05:00
OK, Ok. You guys have probably heard this already. But It has pissed me off to the nth degree so I wanted to enter something here.

What kind of a sick fuck grabs an 8 year old, kills her, then dumps her body in a suitcase into a pond? I mean What sort of sick twisted fuck is that? Dude, If you are out there: I hope you are found and roasted over a open pit of fucking napalm..

Words cannot describe how horrible I feel for this little girl's parents, family, and friends. I hope that now, that she has been found, she can rest in peace. only 8 years old.. terrible loss of such a young life.. Rest well little one, I am deeply sorry you had to go through this....

S.O.

TO the assholes grabbing kids...

2009-03-31T08:50:00.000-05:00
Whether you are a parent taking them from a 'toxic' relationship, or an uncaught SO Listen and think about it.

Every year a number of kids are taken from their homes, yards, schools, friends, or right off the street. A great number of these children are never heard from again. That is just wrong. Leave these kids alone. I doubt that any one of you are reading this blog, however on the chance that one of your are, or someone is thinking about grabbing a kid is reading I want you to read these words and then think about it.

PUT YOUR EGO TRIP DOWN. The world does not revolve around you, asshole. People do NOT think you are cool, suave, hip, down, or any of those other stupid fucking words that were made up by OTHER egotistical assholes to describe themselves. These children are not here to allow you to complete a sexual fantasy, nor win back your 'loved' one, nor use as a pawn in a game. They are human beings, leave them alone!

Put aside whatever sick, demented thought you are having, take the kid to a fire department, hospital, church, somewhere, and then LEAVE. The kids are suffering enough without having some asshole come in and grab them off the street.

Now I know that although we are watching a spike in news coverage, that this is not a normal occurrence. I also know that many of the kids grabbed are taken by family members to 'escape' a bad relationship. Some are even taken to 'show someone that you love them', which is utter and complete bullshit. You are scarring a child here people, and it is far time it stopped. So goddammit, if this message reaches anyone out there that either has taken a child, or is THINKING about taking a child, here's a parting shot.. Go and seek some fucking help, and leave the kids out of this.

H.R. 1623 -- International Megan's Law

2009-03-30T09:01:00.002-05:00

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1623/show

Ok, Ok, so what is the harm in proposing a law that would protect children? How can this possibly get any negative looks?

Well overlooking the obvious items that should scare the hell out of you, one should notice the out in out lies they use to justify this law. Here are a couple of examples:

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, most victims of sex offenders are children and youth, and sex offenders have a high risk of reoffending.

In order to protect children, it is essential that United States law enforcement be able to identify child sex offenders in the United States who are traveling abroad and child sex offenders from other countries entering the United States.

First, The NCMEC numbers are an absolute lie. Less than 33% of known cases of exploitation are that of children. The government and several scholarly groups have published reports on this. MOST sexually exploited individuals are above the age of 18. Secondly, 1.8 million kids a year? there are over 60 MILLION kids just in the United States. So basically, the US government is stating that they are going after criminals internationally that are fewer than that of killers, robbers, etc. Why is that? Because Children are our more treasured assets? I highly doubt it. This gives them a way in to countries that have otherwise shunned US support. Sex Offenders also are one of the LOWEST re-offenders out there. This statement is absolutely fabricated to gain support and votes.

The second statement, in order to protect children blah blah blah... sorry, that doesn't hold water either. Over 93% of all children that are sexually abused are abused in their own homes or by a family friend. If this is true (and it is) then that means a very tiny portion of sex offenders globally are being looked at.

So why fight this law? Any reasonable person would sit back and think, this is good, we won't allow anyone into the country that has harmed a child. Wrong. This relies on the other governments want or need to tell you that they are coming, and as well, also relies that they are on the other countries 'registry'. Ex-Offenders are not your worry, the ones that are not on the registry, and are still offending should be your worry. This law does nothing to stop THOSE offenders from entering legally, and causing a child harm.

One more point to ponder. What happens to a person on the registry that has a job requiring them to travel for business? They will not be able to travel, will lose their job, and then will be homeless, unstable,. and have a much greater chance to re-offend.

Bad Law, Bad Politicians pushing for it. I think it's time we let them know this shit won't fly anymore.

We are still citizens!

2009-03-17T12:23:00.004-05:00
A ton of new ex poste facto bills in the Texas Lege over the last couple of months. Far too many to post here but a link to them is here.

Put very simply, it seems that everyone other than Dutton, is pushing for harsher and harsher laws. I'll have to see if this is an election year..

So, the call is again to you. contact your local Reps. Get involved. Write them a letter, Fax Them, Get an invite to their office, tell them of the truths that they are ignoring for far too long. They already know you are out there, you are part of their district.

Let your elected officials know that you are tired of the BullShit, let them know that if they do not clean up their laws, that WE will be voting differently next go around.

That brings us to another point.. You are voting right? Vote in every election you are eligible. If there is one for dog catcher, cast your ballot. We have to begin to show these assholes that we are here

Nosey People in Sex Offender's Lives

2009-03-09T15:47:00.001-05:00

I, like many of you, have children that go to public School.

Where I live, the Superintendent is so kind when you are released from your probation/parole by sending you a letter stating that you will be arrested if you enter into the school grounds due to your appearance on the registry.

As you might guess, it makes it very difficult to pick up my small children from school, if I will be arrested for picking them up. Yes, interesting paradox wouldn't you say. Become responsible, keep your nose clean, do the right thing...

Well, it is very difficult to do the responsible thing, such as picking up the kids, if I am not capable of doing so. The problem here is, the letter, isn't even a law. However in the State of Texas, once you are warned about trespassing it is a felony to break that warning.

So how do I pick up the kids, without breaking this 'order'? I pick them up off school property. Not the greatest of setups I understand, but it keeps my kids safe (I can watch them leave the building), and it keeps me safe because I am not on their precious school grounds.

Something happened today that REALLY irritated me. I was sitting again at my normal spot waiting on the kids to walk down the sidewalk to get in the car, when this irritating old cunt decides to do the slow drive by. I understand in this world of bullshit information about SO's lurking in every bush, that she was probably in high alert for the ever lurking 'pedo'. I think though, that one of the most irritating parts of it, she continues to stare, and drives even slower as she rounds the corner, and CONTINUES TO LOOK AT ME and the car. I can see her reaching for her cell phone, and all the while thinking that today is the day that I have to explain to my SMALL children why dad cannot pick them up at the front door.

This irritates me greatly. In trying to live by these stupid retroactive laws, I lead myself into even more scrutiny. How poetic.

So tomorrow, I will handle things a bit differently. If this same woman drives by, I will make it a point to hang out of my window, flip her the bird, all the while scream at her to mind her own fucking business. Yeah, I am that tired of the bullshit.

So anyone out there reading this, that is an rSO and can pick their kids up directly from school remember, life could suck that much worse.

As for me, I will continue to pick up my kids there.. I am not violating any of their laws, tenets, or mis-information. If I do however see that bitch again, I am going to go out of my way to give her the finest one-fingered salute I can muster.

Attorneys who do not defend 'Child Molesters'

2009-03-09T10:37:00.002-05:00
I was just ready an attorney's blog regarding child molesters and his not defending them. By not defending, I mean he will not take that person's case.

Although, I do not find an issue with anyone not wanting to do something that they might find distasteful, immoral, or something that makes their day feel not so warm and fuzzy, I do take issue with this.

A person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, right? Well, here is a defense attorney that states he will not defend a 'child molester'. Mr. Attorney, umm, how do you know he did it? If this guy still has to go to Trial, He has not been reviewed in front of the bench as guilty or innocent, then how are you defending a child molester again?

I know several defense attorneys. I have talked to them at great length about what they do or do not do in their chosen field, and what their take on things such as sex offenses are. I have never had one of them say, sorry I will defend a mass murderer that just took out a school of children, but I will not defend a child molester...

How do you make the determination, or is it that he too, the attorney. falls into that majority of idiots that allow the mis-represented fear actually control his thoughts, and allows him to pass judgment when sometimes, none is warranted?

When do the defenders stop defending, and become just another moron that believes information that is not based on facts, nor studies? I guess in this case, I have found that out.

Public Hearing

2009-02-28T10:38:00.002-06:00
There is to be a public hearing this week on several of the bills in the Texas Legislature regarding Sex Offender laws. Make sure you call, write, or fax your Representatives NOW! We have to voice our dis-approval of these unconstitutional laws and ensure we let them know that we are watching them very closely. It is our right to fight for our rights folks, noone else is going to do it for us!

Amazing ...

2009-02-24T18:45:00.001-06:00

That today, with crimes perpetrated by SO's going down, we see state and federal government passing more and more laws to level punitive sentences on the ones off paper. Amazing to see that they are still riding the stranger danger myth, and how all SO's are trolling the Internet looking for a child 'victim'...

Yeah, pretty amazing.

Point to ponder...

2009-02-21T12:28:00.002-06:00
Something struck me today while reading the news. Here it is.

When a child in the US is killed or abducted, the outrage is extreme. Not saying that it should not be, but it is extreme in the sense that it is a single child, yet people spew angry, hateful things towards the person convicted of doing such a thing.

However, The US Government can bomb a Country, kill COUNTLESS children, and Women, and innocent others, yet it is sadly, collateral damage. We as a population can agree with that and move on.

So the point here is, why is a child's life in the US so important, yet one in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan is not viewed in the same sense of anger, hatred when they are killed by one of our bombs, bullets, drones?

Point to Ponder today.

More Bullshit 'to save the children'

2009-02-20T23:52:00.003-06:00
John Coryn(R), US Senator from Texas has proposed a new Internet Safety Bill.. here are some basics.

Internet Providers, Business offering Access, and PRIVATE CITIZENS with Internet access in their homes are going to be made to keep all internet records of access and tracking info. Basically the Bill states that you will keep the info, and when the Nazi's, err cops, show up on your door you must throw open your doors and allow them inside without so much a a nod..

BUT IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN...

Time to get rid of this fuckwad.. He likes pissing on the Constitution too much..

Find it Here

I guess that everyone that we 'elected' has forgotten that there are certain liberties that cannot be usurped.. but then again, it hasn't stopped them yet... I voted against this asshole, for exactly the same reason that he is attempting to pass this bill.. because he's an asshole.

Texas Legislature Puts rSO Family MEMBERS on Registry.

2009-02-19T23:51:00.001-06:00

Texas House Bill 1239 and Texas Senate Bill 689 Requires rSO's to report all Cell phone numbers, Home Phone numbers, email addresses, Internet Identifiers.

This means that any phone number in the home MUST be reported. Your Kid's Cell phone, Your Wife's Cell Phone, WORK Cell Phone. ANY ID used on the Internet. Children's Webkin's account, ToonTown Account, Wife's Email Address, Husband's Email address .. All must be reported.

Email addresses as well, and this part is going to cause mass unemployment for Texas rSO's, as they do not make an exception for WORK email. DPS keeps the list secret, however once the list is released to a THIRD PARTY, they can do with it as they wish. So expect those phone numbers and email addresses to be on Family Watchdog the moment it all goes public.

Businesses are not going to want that sort of exposure, and you know what is going to happen after that.. rSO without a job, mortgage goes unpaid, WHOLE FAMILIES on the streets!!!

WE HAVE PAID OUR FUCKING TIME, LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE!!!

From the YOU GOTTA BE SHITTING ME DEPARTMENT! Castle Hills Texas to CHARGE for 911 calls!!!

2009-02-17T13:17:00.001-06:00

Joke? Nope
Stoned? Probably
Government Corruption? ABSOLUTELY

Here's the link. 55 Dollar charge (one is free, oh BOY!).

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Thanks-911---Do-You-Take-Visa.html

if you catch someone stealing the lawn mower, you are clear, but gawd forbid grandpa having a stroke twice in one year!

Woman claims fictious baby was kidnapped

2009-02-17T13:06:00.002-06:00

I wonder how many rSO's were rousted from their beds that night for a session of "We Know You DID IT!"?

Just like in the Florida search currently going on for the little 5 year-old. They first go to the homes of the rSO's within 5 miles. and ALL were cleared. hmm, trend? Yep, seeing as we have the second lowest re-offense rate, it is not surprising. My money is still on the father or 'girlfriend'.

But I digress, Here's this woman, who was trying an extortion racket against an ex-boyfriend. The jig is up, and she knows it, but has to try and gain some sympathy for her 'plight'... I can hear the FEM groups crying that she is abused or something already. Her statement:
"I guess I live in a fantasy world," woman admits to police.
ummmm, Ya think? To be honest, we should jail the ex-boyfriend as well. LOOK AT THE MUG on that one. sheesh....
http://media.nbcdfw.com/images/300*164/Deborah-Holste.jpg
A woman who had reported her baby girl missing Monday night in Terrell was arrested after detectives discovered the baby never existed, police said.

Child welfare workers took custody of a 5-year-old boy who was with the woman, police said.

Deborah Holste, 46, of Lake Charles, La., faces a charge of filing a false police report.

Police said she told officers her 5-month-old baby, "Jacqueline," had vanished from her car seat while driving from Louisiana to Texas.

Holste said the baby apparently disappeared when she stopped to use the bathroom at a roadside park, but she didn't notice the baby was missing until later, police said.

Police started to mobilize to find the baby, but investigators got suspicious when she couldn't remember key details, including the location of the rest area.

"But she was sticking to her guns," said Terrell police Det. Walt Newell.
Ofcourse she was, most that lay out false charges normally do!

Officers doubted the woman's story even more when they searched her car and found brand new diapers, but no bottles. A baby's car seat "was just laying there" and not strapped in, Newell said.

After more than an hour, police said she finally admitted she made the story up.

"I guess I live in a fantasy world," she said, according to police.

Police said she had driven to Terrell to meet a former boyfriend after telling him he was the baby's father. The boyfriend had sent her money and "was giddy" about meeting his baby for the first time, police said.
Now here's some guy, extorted, and being taken by this THING.. Will she pay the money back, doubt it. We'll see her on Oprah soon, extolling her poor life and some made-up abuse story so she can get the pity that she believes that she deserves...

"He was just an honest guy trying to make it right," Newell said.

Police put her in jail and called Child Protective Services to pick up the 5-year-old boy who was travelling with her.

Holste claimed she had adopted the boy but police could not verify that, Newell said.

Detectives informed the woman's former boyfriend that the baby didn't exist.

"I don't know if he was relieved or disappointed," Newell said.

Yeah! Thank you America.. We now have people that beleive it is ok to lie and create situations AND try to pin it on others... Someone took my baby!! Oh, well, If I had a baby, someone would have taken her.. I'm sure of it!!!

Transparency in Government

2009-02-17T12:36:00.001-06:00

Seeing that we are in the new "Transparency in Government' ideology, thought I would post about it briefly.

If this idea is to ever take off, the current administration MUST mandate that all areas of government become more transparent. Now I agree that *some* areas MUST remain cloaked, defense is just such an area. However, other than national defense, I cannot think of any other arena that should be given the secrecy that is awarded so many functions today.

One such arena of secrecy that comes to mind is adjournment broadcasting from the National Senate and House on CSpan. Currently, once these two adjourn, it is no longer possible for CSpan to be allowed coverage. Why is that? Why aren't we as US Citizens allowed to view our elected officials in chambers discussing ideas that will in future shape the amendments put upon us by those same elected officials? If items of interest are discussed on the Floors of the House and Senate, then we as the 'electors' should be given access to such discussions.

Just a thought from someone that would like to see MORE information being given from our elcted governemtn. I am tired of the secrecy.

S.O.

Texas Legis...

2009-02-16T21:04:00.003-06:00
OK folks, time to start calling the legis again. several bills in session now that need to be defeated. Take a look at the Texas State Legislature page and search sex offender. will show you several bills. Call your reps NOW, and tell them how you really feel about their bullshit laws, and illegal activities. These are your rights folks!

Thank god it is over.

2009-01-21T09:29:00.003-06:00
Yesterday, for anyone just waking from a coma, a new era was realized. Out with the fat, old bastard of company-related government thought processes and in with a fresh new way of thinking.

Barak Obama, 44th President of the United States was sworn in, and former President George W. Bush thankfully boarded 'Executive 1' and flew back to Texas. Too bad he didn't move to Florida with Jeb. I can already see the affects from the drop in the IQ when he landed...

In his speech at Midland, the former president stated that he was happy to be back in Texas, and that he left Washington with the same values that he took to Washington 8 years ago. Well, you won't get an argument out of me. The ex-Texas Governor showed those values many many times, allowing big business a strangle hold on Texas Economics for many years, he showed us those values in the very suspicious election results from Florida four years ago, and he continues to show us those values today by finally getting to cash in all of those stocks from Halliburton that have been gaining 300% since he took Office. He might want to unload those quickly, as President Obama is trying to form a 16 month plan to get our kids home from the invasion Bush started.

I have high hopes for the new President, as does the world. Whether he is favorable to the plight of the ex-Offender is high on my opinion list, but as long as he does what he stated he will do for this nation, I will be happy no matter how long he is in office. I am hoping for 8 years, but the republicans still control Ca, Tx, and FL.. so we will probably see another hanging chad event soon.

Yesterday was a momentous occasion. Not only has a little bit more of the bigotry and hatred been pulled from the society of America, but I think now we might actually have a chance at making things happen as a country again.

UN says we've been bad.. What are they gonna do, spank us?

2009-01-19T17:04:00.004-06:00
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/19/mexican.execution.violation/index.html

From CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A United Nations court has found that the United States violated an international treaty and the court's own order when a Mexican national was executed last year in a Texas prison.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a ruling Monday in an unusual case that pitted President Bush against his home state in a dispute over federal authority, local sovereignty and foreign treaties. Mexico had filed a formal complaint against U.S. state and federal officials

"The United States of America has breached the obligation incumbent upon it" to stop the execution, the ICJ announced in a unanimous opinion.

-- So What else is NEW? We violate our own people all the time, why not a few Mexican Nationals?

Jose Ernesto Medellin's death by lethal injection in August followed a 15-year legal dispute after his conviction for two brutal slayings.

At issue was whether Texas and other states had to give in to a demand by the president that the prisoner be allowed new hearings and resentencing. Bush made that request reluctantly after the international court in 2004 concluded that Medellin and about 50 other Mexicans on various states' death rows were improperly denied access to their consulate upon arrest, a violation of a treaty signed by the United States decades ago.

Their home countries could have provided legal and other assistance to the men had they been notified, the court said.

In a separate judgment, the ICJ declined Mexico's demand that the United States provide guarantees against executing other foreign inmates in the future.

The U.S. Supreme Court last March ruled for Texas, allowing the Medellin execution to proceed.

Efforts stalled in Congress last summer over legislation that would have given foreign death row inmates like Medellin a new hearing before any punishment could be carried out.

State Department officials have said the international ruling will not help other foreign inmates in U.S. prisons, because federal officials cannot force states to comply. Administration officials also said that the president did all he could to force state compliance and that Congress now needs to intervene with specific legislation.

-- BullShit! I CALL BULL SHIT. The legislature passed Megan's law, they passed Jessica's law, and they passed the ADAM WALSH ACT and forced states to go along by mandating they pass 'state' authored laws.. This is horse shit. Again, the government denying responsibility for their actions.

Medellin was 18 when he participated in the June 1993 gang rape and murder of two Harris County girls: Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Pena, 16. He was convicted of the crimes and sentenced to death.

The prisoner's lawyers argued that Mexican consular officials were never able to meet with the man until after his conviction.

Only Oklahoma has commuted a capital inmate's sentence to life in prison in response to the international judgment. Days after Medellin died by lethal injection, Texas executed Honduran native Heliberto Chi Acheituno, who also said his treaty rights were violated.

The ICJ in 2004 ordered the United States to provide "review and reconsideration" of the sentences and convictions of the Mexican prisoners. That world court again in July mandated that the United States do everything within its federal authority to stop Medellin's execution until his case could be further reviewed by American courts.

Based in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICJ resolves disputes between nations over treaty obligations. The 15-judge panel is the principal judicial organization of the United Nations, laying out rights of people detained in other nations.

The Supreme Court appeal turned on what role each branch of government plays to give force to international treaty obligations. After the ICJ ruling, the United States pulled out of that international court's jurisdiction in matters arising from the Vienna Convention.

In allowing the Medellin execution to proceed, the Supreme Court majority noted congressional "inaction" on the issue, efforts that had "not progressed beyond the bare introduction of a bill in the four years since the ICJ ruling."

--

I am not saying what this asshat did was right, nor do I say that the end should have been any different , he raped and KILLED two young girls. For the murder, he got what should have been given. What I take exception to is the sheer bullshit being spewed from the State Department.

The real problem here is though, there is nothing that the UN can do about it. If they threaten sanctions, we'll threaten to either not pay our dues, or be a little 'late' like we did a few years ago, and not a single one of them will say another word.

Yes We Can.. Lie to the people

2009-01-18T23:49:00.005-06:00
UPDATE-- I was absolutely incorrect. Anonymous pointed out that you CAN find the topics, if you know where to look. Do not attempt to search the topics on the first page, you have to go to the link Anon provided. I need to spend a bit more time searching and less getting angry. I take responsibility for flying off the handle...

Prez-elect Obama's transition team created a Citizen's Book at change.gov.. Seems they wanted to hear about what problems the president should hear about and look at fixing. I have been following several regarding the re-vamping of SO laws and regs. Last told, I saw 110 or so regarding the registry, re-vamping the laws, repealing AWA. Funny, but since they closed the ability to allow topics today, ALL of the requests for more just and less illegal laws, they were ALL deleted.

Funny..

Yes, We can.. oppress over 600 thousand American citizens...

Way to Go Obama, you have just proven that politicians truly are the lowest, most lying group of individuals on the planet. With this as an example of how you promote 'change' I guess we can look forward to many more years of business as usual politics...

Great Job.. You ..

Legislative Bills to contact your reps about.

2009-01-16T19:47:00.002-06:00
Some of the little gems Texas wants to saddle SO's with. Call your reps today!

HB 22.

Online identifiers. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Search/DocViewer.aspx?K2DocKey=odbc%3a%2f%2fTLO%2fTLO.dbo.vwCurrBillDocs%2f81%2fR%2fH%2fB%2f00022%2f1%2fB%40TloCurrBillDocs&QueryText=sex+offender&HighlightType=1

HB 79

Forced Punitive Taxation for being registered

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Search/DocViewer.aspx?K2DocKey=odbc%3a%2f%2fTLO%2fTLO.dbo.vwCurrBillDocs%2f81%2fR%2fH%2fB%2f00079%2f1%2fB%40TloCurrBillDocs&QueryText=sex+offender&HighlightType=1

HB 322

Restricting access to family members

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Search/DocViewer.aspx?K2DocKey=odbc%3a%2f%2fTLO%2fTLO.dbo.vwCurrBillDocs%2f81%2fR%2fH%2fB%2f00322%2f1%2fB%40TloCurrBillDocs&QueryText=sex+offender&HighlightType=1

HB 460

Putting Sex Offender's Children at risk

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Search/DocViewer.aspx?K2DocKey=odbc%3a%2f%2fTLO%2fTLO.dbo.vwCurrBillDocs%2f81%2fR%2fH%2fB%2f00460%2f1%2fB%40TloCurrBillDocs&QueryText=sex+offender&HighlightType=1

"Victim" angry about SO deal...But read the WHOLE story, won't you?

2009-01-12T15:12:00.003-06:00
I want everyone to read this carefully. pay attention to information about the victim and the "sex offender".

SACRAMENTO, CA - An Elk Grove man convicted of his second sex offense avoided prison Thursday under a plea bargain that one victim told the judge is a "gross injustice to my family and the community."

Raymond Ralph Evans, 40, was an offender convicted on child pornography charges in 2001 who flew under the radar as he ran a mascot business employing teenagers and catering to children's parties and advertisers. Last July, Elk Grove police investigating a stalking allegation say they found a large amount of child pornography at his home. By the time their investigation was over, charges of rape, burglary and other charges were added to the list.

Over the past few months, however, the Sacramento County District Attorney's office dropped many of the more serious charges and agreed to a plea bargain where Evans avoids prison time and only serves one year in county jail. The 39-year-old woman who says she was the minor depicted in the child pornography testified and expressed anger at the sentencing hearing.

"The message you are sending to other predators is 'do the crime, not do the time. We will release you and wait for it to happen again, maybe crossing our fingers it won't'," Kimberly P. told the court. "I have known Mr. Evans more than 24 years and in those 24 years I have known a violent, predatory, addicted man. He is a predator of the worst kind."

The victim is an ex-wife of Evans who says she was the victim of spousal abuse and violence at his hands, as well as the victim of the child pornography he allegedly produced.

In the plea bargain, Evans pleaded no contest to a felony stalking charge and a misdemeanor charge of working with children while being a registered sex offender. Under the plea deal, Sacramento Superior Court Judge John P. Winn suspended a three-year state prison term but imposed a county jail term of 365 days. Evans will get credit for the past six months he's spent in county jail since his July 2008 arrest.

Among several other felony charges dismissed were two counts of rape and one count each of burglary and possession of child pornography with priors. Misdemeanors of violating a protective order and secretly photographing or videotaping people in a state of undress were also dropped.

Assistant District Attorney Stan Alancaster told News10 after the hearing the rape counts were dropped because the victim, a business associate of Evans according to the arrest warrant, wouldn't cooperate. Alancaster refused to comment or answer questions about why the other charges were dropped or why he agreed to no state prison time.

The victim who testified says she wasn't kept informed about what was happening in the case until she learned of the plea bargain. She said with the child pornography and priors cases involving Evans, she was always willing to testify.

"When you walk into somebody's home and you confiscate photographs of a minor child, and that minor child says, 'Yes, that's me,' how can you dispute that?" she told News10 afterward. "I have been a victim countless times. I have told them every single time I would testify."

After she testified Thursday, Winn told her, "I sympathize with your situation. I'm in a difficult position of trying to come up with a fair disposition. This was a case that was negotiated at length." Attorney Hayes Gable represented Evans.

"The only lesson learned is if you hold out long enough, pay enough lawyers, you, too, can walk out with charges dropped," the victim testified in court.

Since 2001, Evans has been required to register as a sex offender but because the charge was a misdemeanor his name does not appear on the public Megan's Law Web site. Elk Grove police said because Evans used a different first name in his mascot business, they were unaware he was the same man listed on their sex offender registration.

With this latest misdemeanor offense, Evans will remain off Megan's Law.

"I'm scared for the children of the community wherever he ends up. It'll probably be Elk Grove but those parents have no way of knowing when he gets out. They have no way of knowing the crimes that he's committed. So yeah, it does scare me," said the victim.

Ok, now that you have read this, notice anything weird. They say that he is 40, and that he had pictures of children? This 'Victim' is angry because of the plea deal.. But notice her age? She was 15 at the time of the pictures, and is 39 now. Meaning he was 16 years old!!!

Good Gravy folks, if you are gonna lie about someone, atleast make it a bit hazier. Seems that She is his ex-Wife, she was in them, and has had full disclosure to these pictures for 19 years! She allowed them to be taken, and only NOW when they are divorcing does she claim victim's status. I hope this bitch dies in a fiery hell of a trailer fire.. I really do.

Yeah, dude had another sex offense that was a misdemeanor, but this is absolutely the biggest bunch of bullshit there is. And this news page, they should be made to issue a statement saying they apologize for being fucking idiots.

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=53033&catid=2

Yeah, and the standard idiot fuck-ups screaming in comments" How can this 40 year old get away with harming children",. etc etc etc.. It seems that not only are theses folks well below the average IQ, but they also cannot add the answers together as presented in the story and come up with the correct conclusion that intelligent people would...

2009-01-01T01:06:00.003-06:00
From CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts renewed his call for higher judicial pay on Wednesday, warning of long-term damage to the fabric of the courts.
Chief Justice John Roberts says federal judges were denied cost-of-living allowances.

Chief Justice John Roberts says federal judges were denied cost-of-living allowances.

In his annual year-end report, Roberts noted judges' salaries have declined over the past two decades when measured against inflation, causing many judges to leave the bench for more lucrative jobs in the private sector.

Roberts, 53, and other judges have said a crisis in the administration of justice could result if the bench cannot attract "judges who are the best of the best."

"I must renew the judiciary's modest petition: Simply provide cost-of-living increases that have been unfairly denied," wrote Roberts. "We have done our part -- it is long past time for Congress to do its."

The last time judges received a substantial pay increase was 1991, but they have received periodic increases designed to keep pace with inflation.

The chief justice noted his colleagues again were denied a cost-of-living allowance this year. Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, insisted the increase be included in the auto bailout legislation considered in December, but it was dropped after some lawmakers objected.

Roberts complained that every federal employee, including all members of Congress, received a cost-of-living allowance this year, except for judges. Lawmakers' cost-of-living allowance increase was 2.8 percent, or $4,700. Congressional salaries are roughly on par with those of district court judges.

House and Senate committees earlier this year approved a 30-percent pay increase for the federal judiciary, but Congress as a whole has not acted on the proposal.

Some members of Congress are cool to the idea of higher pay for federal judges, who are among the highest paid federal employees. They also enjoy lifetime job security, and can retire at 65 with full salary after 15 years on the job.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the judges were "rightfully dismayed that they were not even accorded a cost-of-living adjustment this year."

"I share their disappointment and will continue working to enact the needed legislation to provide that adjustment," he said.

Leahy lamented that his own bill on judicial compensation, which he said would have made up for the lack of cost-of-living allowances in previous years, failed to pass the House or the Senate, even though both Judiciary Committees reported the bill out.

"As the economic crisis has deepened, it will be harder to enact this measure, but these adjustments are no less important," he said.

Higher pay has long been a crusade for Roberts and his predecessor, William Rehnquist. Recent year-end reports have contained more pointed criticism of congressional inaction, but Roberts' comments this year were relatively muted. As chief justice, he has administrative oversight over the entire federal court system. He is also the highest paid federal judge.

"The legal issues in today's global, technology-driven economy are increasingly complex, and judges must respond with wisdom and skill acquired from study, reflection, and experience," said Roberts. "The government must attract and retain the finest legal minds, including accomplished lawyers who are already in high demand, to join the bench as a lifelong calling."

Roberts proudly noted belt tightening in the federal courts, which submitted a budget calling for no new spending. The third branch of government only makes up two-tenths of one percent of the $3 trillion annual U.S. budget. He called that "miniscule."

The moment that we see the Sup. Court actually delve out some just opinions, then I am all for the pay raise. Until then, you're just gonna have to make do with you 200K a year.. Pathetic..

Happy New Year to all

2009-01-01T00:21:00.002-06:00
I can only hope that this year justice will be allowed, and the moniker that resides in the lives of over 600,000 people becomes less punitive. I doubt that this will happen, the hate groups will see to it, but I have my hope.

Take Care, S.O.

Social Mind Control...

2008-12-19T12:02:00.001-06:00

Here's the reason that there should be NO Registry...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/19/milgram.experiment.obedience/index.html

CNN) -- If someone told you to press a button to deliver a 450-volt electrical shock to an innocent person in the next room, would you do it?
Common sense may say no, but decades of research suggests otherwise.
In the early 1960s, a young psychologist at Yale began what became one of the most widely recognized experiments in his field. In the first series, he found that about two-thirds of subjects were willing to inflict what they believed were increasingly painful shocks on an innocent person when the experimenter told them to do so, even when the victim screamed and pleaded.
The legacy of Milgram, who died 24 years ago on December 20, reaches far beyond that initial round of experiments. Researchers have been working on the questions he posed for decades, and have not settled on a brighter vision of human obedience.
A new study to be published in the January issue of American Psychologist confirmed these results in an experiment that mimics many of Milgram's original conditions. This and other studies have corroborated the startling conclusion that the majority of people, when placed in certain kinds of situations, will follow orders, even if those orders entail harming another person.
"It's situations that make ordinary people into evil monsters, and it's situations that make ordinary people into heroes," said Philip Zimbardo, professor emeritus of Stanford University and author of "The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil."
How Milgram's experiments worked
Milgram, who also came up with the theory behind "six degrees of separation" -- the idea that everyone is connected to everyone else through a small number of acquaintances -- set out to figure out why people would turn against their own neighbors in circumstances such as Nazi-occupied Europe. Referring to Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann, Milgram wrote in 1974, "Could it be that Eichmann and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices?"
His experiment in its standard form included a fake shock machine, a "teacher," a "learner" and an experimenter in a laboratory setting. The participant was told that he or she had to teach the student to memorize a pair of words, and the punishment for a wrong answer was a shock from the machine.

The teacher sat in front of the shock machine, which had 30 levers, each corresponding to an additional 15 volts. With each mistake the student made, the teacher had to pull the next lever to deliver a more painful punishment.
While the machine didn't generate shocks and a recorded voice track simulated painful reactions, the teacher was led to believe that he or she was shocking a student, who screamed and asked to leave at higher voltages, and eventually fell silent.
If the teacher questioned continuing as instructed, the experimenter simply said, "The experiment requires that you go on," said Thomas Blass, author of the biography "The Man Who Shocked The World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram" and the Web site StanleyMilgram.com.
About 65 percent of participants pulled levers corresponding to the maximum voltage -- 450 volts -- in spite of the screams of agony from the learner.
"What the experiment shows is that the person whose authority I consider to be legitimate, that he has a right to tell me what to do and therefore I have obligation to follow his orders, that person could make me, make most people, act contrary to their conscience," Blass said.
An update
Because of revised ethical standards for human subject research, this kind of experiment cannot be replicated exactly. But Jerry Burger, professor of psychology at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, made some tweaks to see if Milgram's results hold up today.
His study's design imitated Milgram's, even using the same scripts for the experimenter and suffering learner, but the key difference was that this experiment stopped at 150 volts -- when the learner starts asking to leave. In Milgram's experiment, 79 percent of participants who got to that point went all the way to the maximum shock, he said.
To eliminate bias from the fame of Milgram's experiment, Burger ruled out anyone who had taken two or more college-level psychology classes, and anyone who expressed familiarity with it in the debriefing. The "teachers" in this recent experiment, conducted in 2006, also received several reminders that they could quit whenever they wanted, unlike in Milgram's study.
The new results correlate well with Milgram's: 70 percent of the 40 participants were willing to continue after 150 volts, compared with 82.5 percent in Milgram's study -- a difference that is not statistically significant, Burger said.
Still, some psychologists quoted in the same issue of American Psychologist questioned how comparable this study is to Milgram's, given the differences in methods.
The idea of blind obedience isn't as important in these studies as the larger message about the power of the situation, Burger said. It's also significant that the participant begins with small voltages that increase in small doses over time.
"It's that gradual incremental nature that, as we know, is a very powerful way to change attitudes and behaviors," he said.
Stanford Prison Experiment
This idea of circumstances driving immoral behavior also came out in the Stanford Prison Experiment, a study done in 1971 that is the subject of a film in preproduction, written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Work on the film will resume in 2009 after McQuarrie's "Valkyrie" is released, his spokesperson said.
In this study, designed by Stanford's Zimbardo, two dozen male college students were randomly designated as either prison guards or prisoners, and lived in the basement of the university's psychology building playing these roles in their respective uniforms.
Within three days, participants had extreme stress reactions, Zimbardo said. The guards became abusive to the prisoners -- sexually taunting them, asking them to strip naked and demanding that they clean toilet bowels with their bare hands, Zimbardo said. Five prisoners had to be released before the study was over.
Zimbardo's own role illustrated his point: Because he took on the role of prison administrator, he became so engrossed in the jail system that he didn't stop the experiment as soon as this cruelty began, he said.
"If I were simply the principal experimenter, I would have ended it after the second kid broke down," he said. "We all did bad things in this study, including me, but it's diagnostic of the power situation."
Turning the principle around
But while ordinary people have the potential do to evil, they also have the power to do good. That's the subject of the Everyday Heroism project, a collection of social scientists, including Zimbardo, seeking to understand heroic activity -- an area in which almost no research has been done, he said.

Acts such as learning first aid, leading others to the exit in an emergency and encouraging family members to recycle are some heroic behaviors that Zimbardo seeks to encourage.
"Most heroes are everyday people who do a heroic deed once in their lifetime because they have to be in a situation of evil or danger," he said.

So, scientifically proven that people, average everyday people will attempt harm on someone simply by being asked. Politicians tell American to punish people everyday for crimes that were committed and since paid for 10, 15, 20 years ago. They say it is not punishment, but society safety concerns that allow them to put it online... But what they are really saying is "The Experiment must go on, pull the lever .."

And people will continue to deal out punishment to the ex-offender. The Experiment must go on... No matter how much pain is delivered, no matter how long ago they actually paid for their crime.. pull the lever...

Texas violates Bill of RIGHTS .. AGAIN!

2008-12-10T11:23:00.001-06:00

<blockquote>

A state representative from our area wants to bring the Texas sex offender registry into the 21st century.

Representative
David Leibowitz filed House Bill 22, which would make it easier to
identify sexual predators online. The bill is actually an amendment to
the current sexual offender registry law.

Leibowitz said with today's technology, changes to our current law need to be made.

If his bill passes, more information will be added to the current registry on the DPS website.

"When
they register with the DPS database, they have to provide any e-mail
addresses they may have or any aliases," Leibowitz said.

That would include names on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Leibowitz says he got the idea after watching Dateline's "To Catch A Predator" and doing his own research on MySpace.

The
bill will go to a house committee at the beginning of the year. If it
passes during this legislative session, it will go into effect in
September of 2009.

</blockquote>

Yet another politician that wants to take MORE of our civil rights and flush them.. Have any of you fuckwads heard of the Bill of Rights? You know, that piece of paper you are wiping your asses with on a daily basis.. yeah that one. It mandates that ALL citizens of the United States have certain inalienable rights, and that rights not specifically named remain with the People, not with corrupt fucked up law makers.

I will fight this fucking thing till I run out of money. Fuck you Rep. Cumslobber, I can't wait to see your ass in court.

City of Juneau violates Citizen's Rights

2008-12-10T10:56:00.001-06:00

http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/317863

JUNEAU - A convicted sex offender accused of photographing children while they trick-or-treated in the city of Waupun on Halloween faces three felony charges.

Edward R. Lieber, 36, 127 1/2 S. Madison St., Waupun, was released on a signature bond after making his initial court appearance Monday on three counts of photographing children without consent as a registered sex offender. He could face a maximum 10 1/2 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

According to the criminal complaint, Waupun Police were tipped-off when a woman reported that Lieber had photographed her 4-year-old daughter without permission while she walked through a Halloween display outside his home on the evening of Oct. 31.

The woman told police she felt uncomfortable after Lieber, who was sitting inside the Halloween display, took the photo. After the incident, the woman logged on to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Web site and found Lieber is a registered sex offender.

The mothers of a 2-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl also told police Lieber had also photographed their children in the Halloween display without permission.

Lieber stated in the complaint that he took the photos for his father, and didn't know it was a sex offender registry violation.

A Waupun Police officer recovered Lieber's camera, and reported finding six photos of costumed children on an undeveloped roll of film found inside.

According to online court records, Lieber served six months in jail on a 1994 Fond du Lac County conviction of third degree sexual assault. Nine additional charges of second degree sexual assault of a child were dismissed in the case.

So what exactly is illegal again? Notice they did not charge him for having a Halloween display, just taking photos.. If someone enters my property, then there shouldn't be anything to do with permission. And what law exactly did he break? Use of a Camera on his own property?

pathetic... How can photography be a sex offender restriction? is there no more freedom to do anything.. I mean shit, if it is this easy, then I want the police to stop taking my picture IMMEDIATELY. Or I will sue.. Is that how it works? Can I now arrest the cops? How about the School, can I have a priciple arrested for snapping a picture of my kid for the annual?

Dublin to screen for sex offenders -- read: Bill of Rights? What is a Bill of Rights?

2008-12-10T10:44:00.001-06:00

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/10/copy/dublaw.ART_ART_12-10-08_B3_UCC6I3E.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Dublin police couldn't do anything when a registered sex offender was seen volunteering as an Irish history re-enactor in a tent filled with adults and children at this year's Dublin Irish Festival.

Keith S. Culbertson, who pleaded guilty to raping a young boy in 1996, was breaking no laws by being there. Yet some festivalgoers were frustrated that he was allowed to have close contact with young people.

Monday night, Dublin City Council found a solution.

Beginning immediately, Dublin will require that all city employees be checked each year with a national sexual-offender registry. Those found in the registry won't be permitted to work at Dublin's Spooktacular, Independence Day Celebration or Irish Festival.

Culbertson, 40, of 431 Wildberry Lane, was found inside the "10th Century Village" by an Irish festival visitor who called police.

Culbertson was a member of a group that studies and re-enacts Irish history. He was allowed to stay at the festival. His previous restriction prohibited him from living within 1,000 feet of a school.

Culbertson has called his offense a one-time mistake.

But Dublin officials were pressed by residents to do more.

"The public was interested in this and they did let us know," Councilman Tim Lecklider said.

Dublin resident Derek Ochs, father to a 3-year-old, is pleased with the city's actions.

"I am really concerned that they don't let it happen again," said Ochs, who saw Culbertson acting with children. "I'm happy to know that they're definitely checking up on issues.

"What's more interesting to a little kid than going up and learning to sword fight? I'm not even sure I saw their parents around."

A pilot study of nearly 400 volunteers and workers at the Spooktacular event in October found no offenders. The city used that study as a model.

In addition to city employees, city volunteers also will be checked annually. If they are found in violation, they won't be allowed to be a Dublin volunteer at any activity.

Outside groups, such as the one Culbertson belonged to, would be encouraged to conduct sex-offender checks or have Dublin police do so for them.

"We will run those checks on your membership at no cost," city spokeswoman Sandra Puskarcik said. "We want to take away the excuses, if they think they're unable or don't have the time."

The new policy will require about 125 hours of labor a year by various employees. Officials use the U.S. Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Web site for the searches.

But the checks can't prevent all possible incidents.

"We cannot guarantee that a sexual offender won't attend something, someday," she said. Visitors aren't subject to background checks.

First, Earth to idiots. Sex Offenders are out in force everywhere, stop trying to feed the fear monster. It makes you look stupid. Second, the statement at the end of the story is ridiculous. "we cannot guarantee ..." Guess what folks, it is NOT illegal for RSO's to attend a festival, just as it is not illegal to attend Church, or be a member of society. Get over yourselves. I hope that anyone that is shut out sues the living shit out of this town, and any town for that matter. It is time to make these assholes pay through the nose when they circumvent our rights as citizens of the United States. Fuck You Dublin Ohio .. I hope your citizens die of a Plague.

Unequal treatment

2008-12-03T09:25:00.001-06:00

NEW YORK–It is hard to believe that seven years have passed since the capture of the so-called American Taliban.

‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh

John Walker Lindh was a troubled young man, a boy really, who left home in search of himself. He was sickly as a child. There is the suggestion that he was closeted as a teenager. And far more serious, the allegation that he was tortured when captured. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years.

But the times have changed. And now his supporters are asking for clemency. And President Bush has talked of his belief in redemption. But if that isn’t enough, consider this: In 2004, the Bush Administration released another U.S. citizen who was accused of fighting for the Taliban. His name was Yaser Hamdi and the similarities suggest a review of the Lindh case is in order. Both young men went to Afghanistan prior to 9/11, when they believed the Taliban was fighting in a civil war, not against the U.S. And there is no indication that either ever fought against us.

In fact, both were captured at a prison uprising of Taliban forces who had already surrendered. But get this, Hamdi was never charged. He went home to Saudi Arabia. But John is serving a 20-year sentence. Any measure of compassion would suggest a reduction of that sentence. But justice demands it.

So now a group of supporters are fighting to have a known terriorist gain a pardon from the out-going President? You're kidding right?

"Bush has talked of his believe in redemption"

Oh really Mr LameDuck? Redemption for someone who trained, and had a hand in fighting AGAINST this country? As he is a US citizen, that is high treason sir, and that is supposed to be death...

So Yeah, SO's are truly the lowest class of humans. Thanks for reminding us of that...

After Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T18:25:00.003-06:00
I think one of the worst parts of After Thanksgiving festivities is that wonderful Black Friday sale.. Read two men killed each other.. Good Riddance, but wished there hadn't been kids around.

A worker at Wal-Mart was run over and was trampled to death... Talk to me about the kindness of man again...

There was a fist fight over items at a store I went to at 4 am..

Talk to me about the joy of Christmas again.. Tell me of Humanity that I am supposed to aspire to... And I'll show you a gang banger killing someone, or a red-neck running down a pregnant woman..

Not counting the 150 or so killed and several hundred wounded in India...

Yea! The spirit is upon us.. Joy to the world...

County DA gets some SO love...

2008-11-22T23:24:00.003-06:00

MARTINEZ, Calif. -- Contra Costa County Senior Deputy District Attorney Michael Gressett pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he raped and sodomized a fellow prosecutor in May.

The charges, which were filed Friday in Martinez, include two counts rape, four counts sodomy, three counts forced sexual penetration, one count forced oral copulation, one count false imprisonment and one count of making criminal threats for allegedly threatening to kill the alleged victim, according to the complaint.

Gressett, 51, also faces multiple enhancements for allegedly tying up the alleged victim and using a handgun and an ice pick during the alleged assault.

If convicted, Gressett could face a life sentence, Deputy Attorney General Peter Flores said.

Because Gressett is a county prosecutor, the state attorney general's office was prosecuting the case.

"As firmly and uncategorically as anyone has ever entered a not guilty plea, we enter a not guilty plea," Gressett's attorney Michael Cardoza said in court.

"This false accusation has shaken me to the core," Gressett told a swarm of reporters outside the courthouse. "I know that the accuser knows these accusations are not true."

Gressett, who was one of the top sex crimes prosecutors in the county and has been an attorney since 1987, said that after so many years of prosecuting "bad guys and fighting to get ... the truth out" it was extremely difficult and painful to be on the other side.

The fact the he was falsely accused and that the state would take the investigation as far as they have, Gressett claimed, has shaken his faith in the criminal justice system.

"He didn't do anything to force sex upon this woman," Cardoza said.

According to Cardoza, Gressett and his accuser had a consensual romantic relationship on May 8 when the alleged assault occurred.

The woman waited four and a half months before reporting the alleged assault and then came forward with her accusations just after she found out her contract to work for the district attorney's office was not going to be renewed, Cardoza said.

Because she waited so long to report the alleged assault, all of the exculpatory evidence was gone, Cardoza said.

Gressett and his accuser had allegedly sent text messages to each other that would have revealed the nature of their relationship, but by the time she accused Gressett, those text messages had been deleted from the system, Cardoza said.

"As a prosecutor she would know that," Cardoza said.

Flores declined to comment on the reasons why the victim waited so long to report the alleged assault and declined to characterize the nature of their relationship.

The allegations were being investigated by the state attorney general's office, the Martinez Police Department and the district attorney's office, according to standard protocol, Flores said.

Cardoza, however, said he believed the district attorney's office should have stayed out of the investigation.

Gressett was arrested Oct. 2 and remains out of custody on $1 million bail. He was also ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

Ahh, yes.. another caught in their own net.. good luck there dude, but ofcourse people like you don't need luck.. you have the system in your hand. And I thought that they are alleged victims until guilt is proven.. biased media again..

Erie Man Guilty Of Murdering Son's Accused Molester

2008-11-18T16:28:00.001-06:00

http://www.wpxi.com/news/18009433/detail.html

ERIE, Pa. -- A northwestern Pennsylvania man has been convicted of third-degree murder for shooting a man who was accused of molesting the suspect's 10-year-old son. Terry Sherlock, 34, of Erie County, will face up to a 20- to 40-year prison sentence when he's sentenced Jan. 15 on the murder charge, and more time on four lesser charges including reckless endangerment. Erie County prosecutors said Sherlock purposely shot and killed 28-year-old Kenneth Himrod on Nov. 20, while Himrod was being investigated on allegations he molested Sherlock's son.Sherlock's attorney argued at trial that he killed Himrod in a rage and should have been convicted of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. A jury Tuesday agreed with prosecutors instead.

Oh yeah, nothing punitive here. Just a killing... And this guy wasn't guilty.

Ok, for anyone reading this and saying, he was guilty, he was being investigated... Sorry folks, Mr. Himrod was under investigation, no indictment, no trial. Therefore in the eyes of the law he was innocent. America used to be a place where innocence was inferred until someone went to trial and was found guilty. Not anymore. We can try, convict, and punish BEFORE they ever go in front of a judge now!!

Victim's Rights.. Victim's Rights.. Oh whatever. It had not been proven that there was a victim yet. People will forget about that little fact.. Oh but I know the hate groups will forget to print that little fact...

All we can hope, is that Mr. Sherlock will get the maximum allowed sentence.

Teen In Trouble For Hugging Teacher

2008-11-18T16:11:00.001-06:00

http://www.kctv5.com/news/18007514/detail.html

OLATHE, Kan. -- Olathe, Kan., police are investigating after a 13-year-old student hugged his teacher.

It happened on Nov. 11 at Chisolm Trail Junior High at 16700 W. 159th St.

The hug made the teacher feel uncomfortable, so she told the school's resource officer, who filed a police report.

Police were classifying the incident as a sex crime, said Officer Johnny Roland, the Olathe Police Department's public information officer.

Police wouldn't discuss the incident because it involved a juvenile, and school officials declined to comment.

Olathe parents were split about whether the student should be in trouble.

"I'm all for hugging kids. Kids deserve and require a lot of affection, but in a school setting, that really might not be an appropriate thing," said Karen Brown, a mother of three.

Brown said the teen was old enough to understand that might make his teacher feel uncomfortable.

"He should know where the boundaries lie, especially as he's becoming an adolescent," Brown said.

Denise Ketelle is also an Olathe mother.

"I have kids that are used to hugging other adults. We encourage that in our family. It's very natural for that to carry over in the schools."

What punishment, if any, the teen may face may never be known to the public because juvenile criminal records are kept confidential.

Have these people lost their fucking minds!?!

OK, 13 year old male. Yes, hormones are active, he's beginning to get those urges, growing a little facial hair. Probably having his voice crack a little on him. Ok, so I can see where he is beginning to become a 'man' physically. But claiming this is even REMOTELY close to a sex offense is so far in left field. These are supposed to be caring, nurturing people?

What the fuck is wrong with this teacher? And that Karen Brown woman.. How if you have affection for someone, not sexual, I mean that type of affection that children should have for their teachers, is this a sexually offensive act? Go ahead fuck-wads, put this kid on the registry, ruin his entire life.

A good talking to, or even a parent/teacher conference might have been in order. They are reporting that he is gonna be in trouble with the law? How is this possible??????

Congratulations America. You have completely and utterly changed the nation. We are now a nation of people that no longer are allowed to have social interaction. You should be proud of yourselves, you've fucked up the country...

'Think about the children!!'.. pffft, it is all about making the population afraid. These people don't give a shit about 'the children'

Declaration of Independance

2008-11-18T09:21:00.002-06:00
If you have never read the Declaration of Independance, You should.

I spent 10 years in the military, took many classes in American and World History, but yet had never actually sat down and read the Declaration.

After reading it, along with the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution, my conclusion is that everyone should be made to read them. All citizens should read and understand the most basic freedoms of America.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the Declaration. Read them, and remember the men that signed it, and were willing to lay down their lives to defend their decision.

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.
...
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence

Second Chance for Sex Offenders?

2008-11-14T10:56:00.002-06:00

From Tristatehomepage.com

Offenders of sexual crimes are by many, considered the worst.
They are often isolated from other inmates in prison--and once they go back into society--they're isolated even more---with their name on the public sex offender registry--they must live among us with a proverbial scarlet letter.
Most of the organizations involved with the Evansville Police Department's Offender Re-entry program do not include violent or sex offenders.
One of those offenders, is a man we'll call "John".
He was convicted in 2000 of child molestation. He served time for the crime, and was released three years and nine months years later. The hardest part for him, was finding a job, although he does have one now.
John believes more programs like the offender re-entry program are needed--and need to include more serious crimes--but Deputy Tom Wedding, who maintains the Vanderburgh County sex offender registry says--some offenders may be beyond rehabilitation.

Some offenders may be beyond rehabilitation ... So Deputy Fife, as an 'expert' can you please explain your qualifications that you have to make such a statement? What certificates do you have, Can you explain the topic of your Ph.D papers, and when was your opinion published?

I doubt seriously this badge wearing retard has much more of an education than the average high school drop out. Donut Eating 101, huh Dep. Goober? This guy has no intelligent opinion to share, yet the person who made the story published it on the Internet without so much as a counterpoint, nor a disclaimer stating that Goober has no medical certifications to be able to make such a statement.

No, he's just the schmuck that got stuck with registry duty.. Just like the person that monitors mine in my town, and possibly the person in your town as well. All third rate flunkies, that can't do patrol duty due to , in my town's case, the person in charge is rather obese and cannot fit in a squad car. maybe Deputy Goober here, is too large to wear anything more than a moo-moo, or he just sucks with a handgun..

EDIT. For Anon: http://tristatehomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=38951

Okla. To Build Sex Offender Nursing Home

2008-11-14T10:33:00.001-06:00

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma is a step closer to building the nation's first long-term care facility exclusively for sex offenders.

A nonprofit group, A Perfect Cause, said there are currently 30 sex offenders living in Oklahoma nursing homes. The group hopes that moving offenders out of those facilities will make them safer for other residents.

"The Department of Corrections talked about there being thousands of people moving from the criminal justice system who are 65 or older in the coming years," said Wes Bledsoe, of A Perfect Cause.

Bledsoe's group said it has calculated more than 60 murders, rapes and assaults committed by criminal offenders while living in nursing homes throughout the country.

Gov. Brad Henry signed a bill into law last July that required the state to build a separate nursing home for sex offenders. The Oklahoma Health Department is preparing to seek bids to run the facility, but also wants to know how those bidders would plan to operate it.

"The proposal will include provisions for heightened, 24-hour security to protect the residents and the public," said Henry Hartsell, of Protective Health Services.

State health officials hope to begin accepting bids next month and will pick a winner by February.

Once the nursing home is built, it will be used as an example to other health departments around the country.

60 Murders, rapes, and assaults... Ok, identify the people who did it. Were these murderers, and rapists previously convicted of similar crimes? Were they patients or staff?

See, he sort of 'forgets' to bring that little point out. He leaves it hanging so that he allows you to believe all of this were due to Sex Offenders. I call Bullshit.

How does this 'protect' the public? Advocates for harsh treatment of Sex Offenders always seem to have information based on nothing more then their bullshit opinion that they are more than willing to spew across the airwaves, in print and on the Internet, yet noone will ask them where they get their information. Why is that? Are the reporters in on it too? We all know the Media has a horse in this race too. No sensational stories, readers and watchers go down the tubes. Publish information that is truthful, and amazingly everyone knows. It becomes a a non-story. It isn't large majorities of Sex Offenders, it is actually a very small percentage.. Oh no, no more headlines.. No more free grants to John Walsh and the pro-Fem hate groups....

Why is it that the experts are all people that had a hard time passing grade school, and they never actually talk to the people that went to college and studied SO's? where are the therapists here, those are the real experts.

Court upholds Iowa sex offender cohabitant law

2008-11-14T10:19:00.000-06:00

Associated Press
8:50 AM CST, November 14, 2008

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a law that bars single parents from living with sex offenders.

The case involves a Coralville woman who was found guilty of child endangerment and sentenced to one year probation. The woman, Holly Mitchell, lived with a convicted sex offender and let her children stay with the man while she was at work.

Mitchell appealed her conviction, claiming the state's law is unconstitutional because it treats people who are not married and living with a sex offender differently than people who are married and living with a sex offender.

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected that argument, saying it's reasonable to believe that an unmarried parent living with a sex offender poses a greater risk to a child than a parent who is married to a sex offender.

So now they say who we can and cannot live with? How is that constitutional..

There is this little thing called the Constitution that was just used to wipe the ass of the State Supreme Court... How in the hell can this be justified? I do not see in the story if dude was convicted of sexually offending against a minor,or what his conviction if for...

So can anyone else see a problem with this? Who you can live with, who you can't.. How is this law again? Truly speechless here. So now the State of Iowa is creating their own laws, making people live as the government wants, infringing on the rights of citizens...

Senator's Aide Arrested for Child Porn

2008-11-13T17:02:00.001-06:00

WASHINGTON - A former high-level aide to California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer has been charged in federal court with receiving and distributing child pornography.

The aide, Jeff Rosato, 32, was arrested last Friday. Boxer's office fired him the same day upon learning of the charges.

Rosato appeared in federal court in suburban northern Virginia on Wednesday and was released to home detention on condition he not interact with children or use a computer. He was not required to post bail or bond money but is being told to undergo medical treatment.

"On Friday, the Justice Department informed our office of criminal charges made against a Senate employee. Sen. Boxer has zero tolerance for crimes against children, and the employee was immediately terminated," Boxer spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz said in a statement Thursday. "Our office is cooperating fully with the Department of Justice in this matter."

Rosato had worked for Boxer since early 2005, beginning in her personal office as a legislative assistant and last year becoming a counsel to the Environment and Public Works Committee, which Boxer chairs. His areas of expertise included water policy, oceans and endangered species.

Rosato's attorney, Patrick N. Anderson of Alexandria, Va., did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

According to an FBI affidavit supporting the criminal complaint and arrest warrant, Rosato used a now-defunct Google program called Google Hello to share child porn images and movies with an undercover detective whom Rosato believed was a 13-year-old boy.

Between Jan. 2 and Jan. 23, during more than 15 online chats, Rosato sent the detective more than 600 files of graphic images, according to the affidavit by FBI special agent Chad Gallagher. An analysis of Rosato's computer revealed he was also trading child porn with other Google Hello users.

Investigators subpoenaed Google Inc. and Comcast in order to identify Rosato and last week executed a search warrant on his Arlington, Va., home, seizing computers and hard drives.

A preliminary review of Rosato's personal laptop computer, which was in his bedroom, found some 200 child porn images and some videos, according to the affidavit. "Many of the images and videos depict prepubescent boys engaged in sexual acts," the affidavit stated.

The criminal complaint charged Rosato with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography, both felonies.

The charges were first reported Thursday by The (Washington) Examiner newspaper.

Five bucks says this will disappear...

He was arrested but released to his home? no bond, only an order to seek medical treatment??? Oh come on, how lopsided is this fucking thing.

Criminals, advocates target Texas parole restrictions as unfair to low-level offenders

2008-11-12T08:51:00.002-06:00

It's called Condition X: tough restrictions on the way some criminals, mostly paroled sex offenders, must live once they're out of prison.

'I'm not at war trying to defend sex offenders,' says Bill Habern , with fellow attorney Richard Gladden. 'I'm at war trying to protect our Consti- tution.'

Condition X determines the minutiae of their daily lives – whether they can visit a school or attend church; whether they can live with their families or in an apartment with a swimming pool; whether they can access the Internet, work at a convenience store, even whom they can date or marry.

But a growing number of offenders are fighting back against the strict limits, which they say are most often imposed without a fair hearing, and treat low-level offenders and violent predators alike.

"I'm not at war trying to defend sex offenders," said attorney Bill Habern, who has scored several incremental victories in court against how Condition X is imposed. "I'm at war trying to protect our Constitution."

The current system is unfair to low-level offenders such as young people who had consensual sex with minors, said Mary Sue Molnar, co-founder of Texas Voices, a new organization devoted to changing sex offender laws.

Ms. Molnar's son was 22 when he had sex with his 16-year-old girlfriend. He received deferred adjudication but was sent to prison several months later when he was caught with drugs and alcohol. She worries how he'll cope with the Condition X restrictions he'll face upon release.

"You're looking at a young man who, because the place of employment is listed on the [public] registration, cannot find or keep a job – which is one of his probation or parole conditions.

"Where is he supposed to live? You're looking at a man who cannot come up with the money for the order to pay probation fees, treatment fees, polygraph."

Matter of due process

Ms. Molnar and others say they're not championing pedophiles or rapists. But when someone has consensual sex with an older teen, "it is not as serious a crime as someone who has fondled a 6-year-old," she said.

That distinction is one reason Mr. Habern and attorney Richard Gladden are determined to force state officials to give parolees more due process.

And though their efforts mostly have been rebuffed by state judges, they're gaining some traction in federal courts:

• In 2004, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that "Condition X" can't be imposed on parolees who haven't been convicted of a sex offense, without an "appropriate hearing."

• In 2006, the Texas parole board quit automatically denying sex offenders access to their own children, after a lawsuit claimed the board did not give a parolee notice or a hearing.

• Earlier this year, federal Judge Sam Sparks in Austin expressed "grave concerns over the fundamental fairness" of such parole board hearings and commented that the Texas attorney general's office, which represents state agencies, "has apparently failed to take such constitutional challenges seriously."

Assistant Attorney General David Morales said his office "takes all constitutional challenges seriously."

Condition X is imposed on almost all paroled sex offenders, from those who had consensual sex with an underage teen to violent pedophiles. In some instances, sex offender conditions are even imposed on offenders who don't have a conviction for a sex crime, but whose offense included a sexual aspect. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, about 90 percent of paroled sex offenders have Condition X imposed on them.

Majority vote

It doesn't take much to require the sweeping restrictions of Condition X – just a majority vote of a three-person panel from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. No face-to-face hearing is held before the vote. Instead, each member individually reviews a "parole packet" with information from an institutional parole officer and prison officials, and any supporting material from the inmate's friends and family.

The system gives "someone who is getting out on parole with sex offense stuff less due process than someone who is having their driver's license suspended," said Mr. Gladden, whose business card bears a picture of the Revolutionary War-era "Don't Tread on Me" flag.

Mr. Gladden and Mr. Habern are challenging that procedure in Judge Sparks' court.

When board members consider putting a convict under Condition X, the inmate doesn't know what evidence is presented against him and has no opportunity to respond. He can't even be sure panel members have read his file, Judge Sparks noted.

A parole division employee testified in one case that board members spend an average of 10 to 30 minutes reviewing materials in each case.

"It would certainly appear that if the voting members actually reviewed the files, the ... [process] would take substantially longer than 30 minutes," the judge wrote.

Parole board member Jose Aliseda, who is a lawyer and former county judge, said the recent court cases "have caused us to examine our policy," and the board is trying "to make sure our policies meet constitutional muster." But he said he's "sufficiently comfortable" with the current process.

In a recent 5-4 decision in one case, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found the system acceptable.

Going case-by-case

But Mr. Habern intends to keep chipping away, hoping eventually to "force the parole board to examine each individual situation" about what restrictions are needed, rather than impose blanket restrictions on all offenders.

Mr. Gladden agreed.

"In Texas, before your driver's license can be suspended, you have a right to an in-person hearing," he said. "You have a right to know on what grounds they're going to suspend. You have a right to be heard as to why your license should not be suspended. And you have a right to appeal from that determination.

"And it seems to me that ... you start saying, 'What's more important – my driver's license or not being able to live with my kids?' "

Ms. Molnar, of Texas Voices, which has about a thousand members and supporters, said the system is not set up for offenders "to reintegrate into society and be productive members of society. It's set up for them to be roadblocked at every single turn."

Parole board member Aliseda acknowledges that the restrictions make life difficult, but "I see success stories all the time," he said. "It's not impossible and it's especially not impossible after an offender has established the trust."

Torie Camp, deputy director of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, a victim's advocacy group, said the restriction issue is difficult for everyone.

"I can easily see how being a parole board member, you would want to err on the side of caution," she said. "They want to do their very best to keep the community safe."

Balancing the offender's constitutional rights with public safety is hard, she said. But painting all sex offenders with a broad brush "does a disservice to victims of sexual assault," she said, because the restrictions become meaningless.

Like Mr. Habern, she advocates a more individualized approach instead of the restrictions routinely recommended by the parole division and imposed by the parole board.

"For our own community safety, we actually have to look at reasonable and fair treatment for sex offenders when they're coming back into our communities, so they can reintegrate," Ms. Camp said.

Those concerned about the process blame the parole division and the Legislature, which crafted the sweeping laws, for the problem, not the parole board.

"The parole division does not exercise discerning judgment," said parole attorney Gary Cohen. Mr. Cohen said he has no doubt the parole division "deliberately sat down to fashion the most minimal cursory review that they possibly could."

Officials with the parole division declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

Mr. Cohen has little faith that politicians will rush to protect the constitutional rights of sex offenders.

"It's not a politically favorable position for them," he said.

Michele Deitch, who teaches criminal justice policy at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, said that eventually, the courts will have to address the issue of how to balance public safety with restricting individual freedoms.

The issue of restrictions is "affecting more and more people," she said, and the inability to live a certain way is more than an inconvenience.

"It's very clear there's an open question. ... Clearly there's deprivation going on there that needs some kind of due process protection," Ms. Deitch said.

Well, this needs to be looked at from the level of ALL SO's not just parolee's. Those little things that are written in the Constitution are not suggestions, those are our civil rights. Texas, AND the US government, have been trampling on our rights for well over 10 years now. it is a time for a change. If not, then as they pass more and more restrictive laws, more and more of us will begin to slip off the registry.

Ultimately it is the call of legislators to stop their "regulatory" laws in favor of intelligent laws that allow for the worst to be watched, and the low level offenders to be allowed to pck up their lives and live like any other citizen.

S.O.'s ARE Everywhere

2008-11-11T17:09:00.001-06:00

WASHINGTON - A sergeant in the uniformed division of the Secret Service was early Saturday after he allegedly solicited sex from an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute.

Uniformed Secret Service Sgt. Michael Wright was arrested about 12:50 a.m. Saturday near 11th and K streets NW.

D.C. police say they were running a prostitution sting there. Investigators say Sgt. Wright was in uniform when he pulled up in a marked Secret Service vehicle around 12:50 a.m.

Wright asked one of the undercover officers about what she would charge for a sex act, police said. She quoted him a price between $50 to $100, depending on the nature of the act; the officer allegedly claimed to have only $20.

The undercover Metro police officer told him to wait around the corner, which is the point at which other Metro officers appeared to arrest the man.

"No matter, you know, who you are, or what job or title that you have, you know, us with the Metropolitan Police Department (web|news) are out doing our job," said Lt. Brian Christian, MPD.

The Washington Post reports that the officer was cited for soliciting a prostitute and released.

The Secret Service confirms that one of their officers has been arrested but will not discuss the charges, saying only that the case has been turned over to internal affairs and the employee is on administrative leave.

District resident Grace Lee responds, "There's definitely going to be a need for re-evaluation of some of their officers, especially with the new administration coming in and with D.C. sort of being a focal point for all of that -- that's amazing."

There you have it folks. Sex Offenders are in all walks of life in ANY job... ANY...

This guy is part of the overall organization to protect the President of the United States. He's off trying to find a hooker..

I can only hope that they will keep this one in the spotlight. This one incident needs to be watched very closely.

More Calls for Obama Criminal Justice Reforms

2008-11-07T11:33:00.000-06:00

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/11/5/212529/973

Earlier I made some suggestions for President Elect Barack Obama's transition team. One was John Wesley Hall, President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), who before getting his own blog, blogged at TalkLeft as Last Night in Little Rock.

John has just released this NACDL Message From the President on Obama's election. Here are some quotes:

[T]here is much work to be done by the new president and the next Congress. The prison camps at Guantanamo Navy Base have become a symbol of shame around the world. President-Elect Obama should close them within hours of taking the oath of office. Those believed responsible for crimes against Americans should be charged and prosecuted in the federal criminal justice system or in traditional military courts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The time has come to address the racism that infects the U.S. criminal justice system. Congress should eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, a reform supported by President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden. To further root out racial and ethnic bias within the federal criminal justice system, Congress should pass the Justice Integrity Act, introduced this year by Vice President-Elect Joe Biden, which would mandate the creation of pilot programs in 10 federal districts to evaluate racial and ethnic fairness in the U.S. Attorneys Offices.

These two measures are just the beginning. We will not have a truly color-blind system of justice until our policymakers address the over-incarceration of minorities, racially disproportionate application of the death penalty, racial and ethnic profiling, and the chronic underfunding of indigent defense.

The criminalization of undocumented workers should cease. Mass arrest is not immigration reform; it is an admission that our immigration policies have failed.

This has been the longest presidential election season I have ever seen. We were excited with the election of 1968, but that excitement was lost for Americans until this year. I’m relieved that it is finally over, because now it is time to buckle down and get to work.

More Calls for Obama Criminal Justice Reforms | 5 comments (5 topical)
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Racial/ethnic disparities are obvious to anyone (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by JSN on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 09:51:03 PM EST
who has visited juvenile detention centers and adult jails. When the juvenile offenders turn 18 they are promoted to the adult criminal justice system.

The racial disparities for those held for longer than a week in jail do not appear to differ significantly from the racial disparities in prison. The racial/ethnic disparities depend very strongly on offense type/severity, gender and age.

What that means is that most of the racial/ethnic disparity already exists when the offenders are booked and any criminal justice system amplification of the disparity operates within the first week of detention. IMHO the prosecution and sentencing policies play a very minor role in the amplification of racial/ethnic disparities (with the exception of plea bargaining).

School zero tolerance policies have increased the frequency of minority contacts with the juvenile justice system but that is not the sole cause of the observed juvenile racial/ethnic disparities. A high percentage of the juveniles detained have been abused and they have a high incidence of mental illness.

I think the next administration should devote a lot of resources in trying to reduce the amount of juvenile crime.

What is needed to bring this to the attention (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by No Blood for Hubris on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 10:49:18 PM EST
of Obama?

Who has access/knowledge/useful intuition?

This is the knowledge gap that needs to be overcome, here and now. Very do-able, I might (and do) add.

Yup (none / 0) (#1)
by coigue on Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 09:34:17 PM EST

"crusader for justice" (none / 0) (#4)
by diogenes on Thu Nov 06, 2008 at 07:01:54 AM EST
If this were France, then this would be so. In the Anglo-Saxon legal system, the Judge and Jury are supposed to be the impartial crusaders for justice. The US Attorney General is fundamentally should be a just prosecutor who has power to act in the event of rogue injustices in the legal system. If Obama picks a strong prosecutor as attorney general and wants to have a roving ombudsman in the administration to give him the other side of the story, so be it.

While most of the (none / 0) (#5)
by JamesTX on Thu Nov 06, 2008 at 12:01:17 PM EST
real comments Obama has made about the criminal justice nightmare relate to racial disparities, I urge that we not let this one issue become the single defining issue of the need for criminal justice reform. That will provide an easy way out for the criminal justice system. The criminal justice machine, faced with pressure to reform their treatment of racial minorities, will simply shift their injustices elsewhere. There will be no real change of the system, only a change in the demographics of the victims.

The current criminal justice system is based on a misguided ideological belief system about crime and punishment which needs to be deconstructed, dismantled and re-conceptualized. The myths that were propagated by the Reagan revolution were thinly disguised racial and ethnic cleansing measures focused on encouraging the public to believe certain basic things about crime that are not true. Among those beliefs is the idea that criminal behavior is based in some kind of deep and immutable personal characteristic -- some even suggesting genetics. The resulting system was built around using all resources available to keep people in the criminal justice system for life rather than finding new ways to understand the problem and reintegrate those who brush with the law back into productive social roles. This has all been presented to the public as a means to permanently and irreversibly segregate the population into those who have and have not ever been charged with a crime. The underlying message is that those who have never been snagged by the criminal justice system should have the right to live their lives without ever encountering or interacting with anyone who has been charged with a crime. That idea is absolutely not practical, and it is time that it is rethought.

Here's a good article over at TalkLeft. it shows good ideas, and paths that could be taken to truly enforce fair and just laws. The focus is on ethnic minorities, however the premise is a good one. If only the thoughts on this blog were something that were taken word for word and looked at by the President-elect's team...

I do like the final line, by the commentor, stating that :

The underlying message is that those who have never been snagged by the criminal justice system should have the right to live their lives without ever encountering or interacting with anyone who has been charged with a crime. That idea is absolutely not practical, and it is time that it is rethought.

I believe they hit it right on the head there. I have a bias obviously, but I challenge anyone to disprove what they said.

Spitzer won't be charged in prostitution scandal

2008-11-06T22:11:00.003-06:00

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer will not be charged in connection with the prostitution scandal that prompted his resignation, the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York said Thursday.
Eliot Spitzer resigned his post as New York governor in March.

Eliot Spitzer resigned his post as New York governor in March.

"After a thorough investigation, this office has uncovered no evidence of misuse of public or campaign funds," U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said in a statement.

The attorney's office also said it found no illicit activity related to Spitzer's withdrawal of funds for, and his payments to, the Emperors Club VIP, which authorities have said was a prostitution ring.

"In light of the policy of the Department of Justice with respect to prostitution offenses and the longstanding practice of this office, as well as Mr. Spitzer's acceptance of responsibility for his conduct, we have concluded that the public interest would not be further advanced by filing criminal charges in this matter," Garcia said.

Spitzer resigned in March after it was revealed that he was among the Emperors Club's patrons -- "Client 9," according to court papers detailing the service's workings. Court documents detailed arrangements for a nearly two-and-a-half hour rendezvous between Client 9 and a high-class prostitute -- identified as "Kristen" -- at the Mayflower hotel in Washington in February.

Spitzer was linked to the Emperors Club when when IRS and FBI officials noticed suspicious transfers of larger sums of money between several of the governor's personal accounts, sources told CNN.

Those sources say red flags were raised when the money ended up in the bank accounts of shell companies linked to the Emperors Club.

In June, the leader of the Emperors Club, Mark Brener, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in federal court. Prosecutors said Brener's service charged between $1,000 and $5,500 an hour for trysts in New York; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; London, England; and Paris, France.

Police seized more than $1 million in cash from Brener's apartment at the time of his arrest.

Here we go again folks. The old Political two step. Again we see yet another filthy politician getting away with sex offenses. If this were joe nobody, he'd be on the registry by now. Yet another example of how the politicians take care of their own.

Pathetic. Fucking Christ, will we never see true equality under these drakonian laws? If you are a politician then you have nothing to fear from them.. A couple of calls to a buddy on Capitol Hill and everything just disappears!?!

This shit needs to stop. Either let us all go free, or start prosecuting these shitbags the same as anyone else.

It's Finally Decided...

2008-11-05T08:10:00.001-06:00

OH HELL YEAH!

Finally, American's of all classes, races, creeds can look at this country of ours and say we truly do live in a land that is equal, one that supports all of its citizens. Thank God, this day has finally come.

The path ahead is wide open for President-elect Obama, everyone needs to pay attention. I think this is gonna be one hell of a ride!