A Justice Department audit found numerous problems in terrorist-related investigations. An AP story by Lara Jakes Jordan explains that federal prosecutors used unrelated violations such as "marriage fraud" in the terrorism cases. The Department's Inspector General Glenn A. Fine said most of the statistics examined were diminished or inflated.

An elementary school vice principal in Bakersfield could face the death penalty for the murder of his three children, wife and mother-in-law. 44-year-old Vincent Brothers was charged with five counts of first degree murder for Joanie Harper, their children Marques (4), Lyndsey (2), and Marshall (6 weeks), and Harper's mother Ernestine (70). The five were shot and stabbed to death on July 8, 2003. The AP story by Garance Burke also reports a possible change of venue by Defense Attorney Michael Gardina and allegations of involvement from Brothers' brother for a credible alibi.

Cop killer, 39-year-old Steven Bixby (S.C.) was convicted on Sunday for the shooting deaths of Sgt. Danny Wilson and Georgia State Constable Donnie Ouzts in 2003. Meg Kinnard's story reports that Bixby and his parents were upset over 20 ft of their land being used to expand the highway. Bixby and his father claimed they would kill any officer who came on their property. Bixby wrote letters to his girlfriend detailing the killings and explaining how he could have killed more and signing off as "chaotic patriot Steve." Sentencing begins today and he could face the death penalty.

"Deliverance by DNA" is the third installment of Canadian journalist Mary Vallis' articles investigating America's Death Penalty in National Post. How Appealing Blog also discussed the stories here. The final article talks about DNA evidence that is proving some death row inmates' innocence. Specifically, Kirk Noble Bloodsworth, the first inmate proven innocent by DNA for the 1984 brutal rape and murder of a young girl named Dawn in Maryland. The article tells his story and provides some statistics on death row such as, "123 people in 25 states have been released from death row," (Death Penalty Information Center). As with so many articles on this subject, the article mentions the number released in the same sentence with the word "exonerated" to create the false impression that everyone on the list was actually innocent. This claim continues to surface despite being thoroughly discredited.

Tougher laws on sex offenders is becoming a trend in many states. Illinois has hopped on the band wagon for online restrictions towards sex offenders as well as "mandatory treatment and evaluation and residency restrictions" as reported here by Paige Winfield of the Naperville Sun.