Jessica's Law Challenge Reaches CA Supreme Court: San Jose Mercury News writer Howard Mintz reports that the California Supreme Court will hear oral argument Tuesday for a case challenging residency restrictions on sex offenders under Jessica's Law. In four consolidated cases: In re J. (E.) on Habeas Corpus (S156933); In re P. (S.) on Habeas Corpus (S157631); In re S. (J.) on Habeas Corpus (S157633); and In re T. (K.) on Habeas Corpus (S157634), the court will consider whether the restrictions on where convicted sex offenders may live are so broad and intrusive that they violate constitutional rights of registered sex offenders. The Jessica's Law initiative (Propostiion 83) was adopted by state voters in 2006. It restricts registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school, park or child care center.
Stop & Frisk Overused in NY? In a New York Daily News article, City Journal contributing editor Heather MacDonald questions mayoral candidate William Thompson's assertion that a careful analysis of the NYPD stop and frisk policy is necessary to assure that officers are not violating New Yorkers' civil rights. MacDonald notes that an analysis has already been done. She cites a 2006 Rand study that documented over half a million encounters between police and civilians. The study found that, based on perpetrator descriptions reported by the mostly minority victims and witnesses, the New York police had "greatly understopped" blacks compared to their crime rates. She also notes that New York's aggressive policing strategy has brought down the crime rate by 77% over the past sixteen years, helping to revitalize the once crime infested city.
DNA Links Peeping Tom to 11 Rapes: AP writer Heather Clark reports that a DNA sample taken from a man by Colorado police has linked the man to the rapes of 11 women in New Mexico and Texas over a 15 year period. Robert Howard Bruce was arrested on October 6th for rigging a propane tank to pump the gas into the home of a Pueblo County police officer the day he was scheduled to testify against Bruce in a peeping Tom case. Bruce is wanted in Albuquerque for 44 violent felonies including rape, kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated burglary. While Albuquerque police had DNA samples from the victims, they did not have a sample from Bruce. Allowing DNA testing of arrestees seems like a good idea.
Stop & Frisk Overused in NY? In a New York Daily News article, City Journal contributing editor Heather MacDonald questions mayoral candidate William Thompson's assertion that a careful analysis of the NYPD stop and frisk policy is necessary to assure that officers are not violating New Yorkers' civil rights. MacDonald notes that an analysis has already been done. She cites a 2006 Rand study that documented over half a million encounters between police and civilians. The study found that, based on perpetrator descriptions reported by the mostly minority victims and witnesses, the New York police had "greatly understopped" blacks compared to their crime rates. She also notes that New York's aggressive policing strategy has brought down the crime rate by 77% over the past sixteen years, helping to revitalize the once crime infested city.
DNA Links Peeping Tom to 11 Rapes: AP writer Heather Clark reports that a DNA sample taken from a man by Colorado police has linked the man to the rapes of 11 women in New Mexico and Texas over a 15 year period. Robert Howard Bruce was arrested on October 6th for rigging a propane tank to pump the gas into the home of a Pueblo County police officer the day he was scheduled to testify against Bruce in a peeping Tom case. Bruce is wanted in Albuquerque for 44 violent felonies including rape, kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated burglary. While Albuquerque police had DNA samples from the victims, they did not have a sample from Bruce. Allowing DNA testing of arrestees seems like a good idea.
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