Importance Of Crime In California Politics: In California, a politician's stance on crime could determine their future political career. Wall Street Journal writer Bill Whalen reports that the commonly perceived liberal California tends to lean to the right on crime, and in the 2010 election crime could be a determinative issue. In the past California voters have showed there firm stand on crime. The 2008 Proposition 5, an initiative that would shorten sentences for drug felons, failed with a 60% vote and 70% of Californians voted for the 2006 Jessica's Law, a law that gave stricter sentences and GPS tracking of registered sex offenders. Crime was a determinative issue in the 1994 election for California Governor where tough on crime governor Pete Wilson beat challenger Katleen Brown. The issue arose when Melvin Carter, convicted of a dozen rapes in 1982 and sentenced to 25 years, was released early for good behavior because of "good-time credits" law. The "good-time credits" law had been signed in by Ms. Brown's brother, Jerry Brown. Her father, Pat Brown, appointed the judge who refused to correct a sentencing error that would have doubled Carter's Punishment. The Jaycee Dugard case and the Southern California fires, believed to be arson, have once again made crime an important political issue. Now is the time for candidates to be tough on crime.
DNA Popularity Leads To Lab Backlog: Law enforcement agencies have had so much success with DNA evidence that the demand has increased, but crime labs are unable to keep up with the current demand. Daily Comet writer Raymond Legendre reports on how the crime lab backlog has halted justice in Louisiana. Backlogging is also a national problem. A Department of Justice study estimates that 400,000 rape kits went untested in 2001. Delay, when dealing with a rape case, is a big issue because studies have found sexual offenders have a high rate of recurring behavior. Louisiana has a backlog, although the lab is good at completing the cases that are high priority. Those cases that are not high priority don't receive the same attention and enable those unidentified suspect to elude capture, becoming repeat offenders. Curtis Hinton is a good example of the problem. DNA evidence lead to Hinton being charged earlier this month, with a rape that occurred in 2006. The evidence collected from the victim was submitted two and a half years ago. Police are currently try to determine if Hinton commited other rapes during the time the DNA evidence sat untested in the lab. Increased funding could help elevate the backlogging problem. Increased funding could help elevate the backloging problem. But Louisiana State Police Sgt. Markus Smith says, "There will always be a backlog, it's just a matter of how great the backlog is."
November Execution sought for D.C. Sniper: Virginia Prosecutors are trying to set November 9 as John Allen Muhammad's (known as the D.C. Sniper) execution date. CNN writer Mike M. Ahlers reports that in a letter Virginia Prosecutors are asking the court to set a date for Muhammad's execution. In 2002, Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo shot 13 people, killing 10. The two are also suspected of other shootings and murders in Tacoma, Washington, Montgomery, Alabama, and the Washington D.C. area. Muhammad was convicted of killing Dean Harold Meyers and a Maryland murder. The court must hold a hearing within 10 days of receiving the letter, and must set the execution date no later than 60 days after the hearing.
DNA Popularity Leads To Lab Backlog: Law enforcement agencies have had so much success with DNA evidence that the demand has increased, but crime labs are unable to keep up with the current demand. Daily Comet writer Raymond Legendre reports on how the crime lab backlog has halted justice in Louisiana. Backlogging is also a national problem. A Department of Justice study estimates that 400,000 rape kits went untested in 2001. Delay, when dealing with a rape case, is a big issue because studies have found sexual offenders have a high rate of recurring behavior. Louisiana has a backlog, although the lab is good at completing the cases that are high priority. Those cases that are not high priority don't receive the same attention and enable those unidentified suspect to elude capture, becoming repeat offenders. Curtis Hinton is a good example of the problem. DNA evidence lead to Hinton being charged earlier this month, with a rape that occurred in 2006. The evidence collected from the victim was submitted two and a half years ago. Police are currently try to determine if Hinton commited other rapes during the time the DNA evidence sat untested in the lab. Increased funding could help elevate the backlogging problem. Increased funding could help elevate the backloging problem. But Louisiana State Police Sgt. Markus Smith says, "There will always be a backlog, it's just a matter of how great the backlog is."
November Execution sought for D.C. Sniper: Virginia Prosecutors are trying to set November 9 as John Allen Muhammad's (known as the D.C. Sniper) execution date. CNN writer Mike M. Ahlers reports that in a letter Virginia Prosecutors are asking the court to set a date for Muhammad's execution. In 2002, Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo shot 13 people, killing 10. The two are also suspected of other shootings and murders in Tacoma, Washington, Montgomery, Alabama, and the Washington D.C. area. Muhammad was convicted of killing Dean Harold Meyers and a Maryland murder. The court must hold a hearing within 10 days of receiving the letter, and must set the execution date no later than 60 days after the hearing.
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