Death Row Suicide. AP reports that James David Tulk hanged himself in his cell in San Quentin's death row Thursday night. The Cal. DCR status report indicates that he was received on death row 14 years ago and no action has been taken on his appeal.

Cert. Grants. Lyle Denniston of SCOTUSblog reports that the Court granted certiorari in three cases today, all civil. Among them is the notorious "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case.

The Ninth Circuit has rejected a San Francisco area murderer's claim that his death sentence is invalid because not enough psychiatric evidence was presented at the sentencing hearing. Barring further consideration of the claim by the Supreme Court, the post-conviction review of David Raley's case has run its course. Raley kidnaped, raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl in 1985 according to a San Francisco Chronicle story by Bob Egelko. The Ninth Circuit opinion is here.

Crime in New Orleans is even worse than before Katrina according to an article by Anne Rochell Konigsmark in USA Today. While less than half of the city's original population has returned, the story reports that 80% of the criminals have come home.

More Crime A study of street criminals in England by the Economic and Social Research Council has found that "Some offenders found robbery to be a pleasurable activity in itself," according to a report by the BBC. The rate of robbery, a crime usually planned and carried out for financial gain, has historically been a good indicator of the effectiveness of a government's ability to catch the perpetrators and the severity of the punishment they receive. If a significant percentage of British muggers are robbing people for fun, it suggests that the likelihood of being arrested and the severity of the penalty are inadequate. Part of the problem are those who see criminals as victims, like the woman in this piece who tells us "It is for 'kicks,' but you have to understand what the 'kick' is. The 'kick' is people who are victims for prolonged periods of time developing a cycle of revenge so that they then get a high from victimizing someone else." Oh dear.

Stuff wife in oven instead of turkey? Martin Luther Jackson has been arrested after attempting to stuff his estranged wife into a kitchen oven in front of their five children, who range in age from one to 13-years-old. AP story here.