Ohio's Fragmented Probation System:   A report to be released today finds the Ohio probation system "fragmented into overlapping and disjointed agencies without any uniform standards," as reported by the Associated Press. Unlike many other states, Ohio's probation system is created and operated by individual counties.  As a result, there is currently no centralized database from which to gather statewide information.  The study also finds that the state's prison system cycles too many short-term offenders, due in part to Ohio's lower minimum sentence for low level felonies as compared to other states. 

LA Man Sentenced to Death for Second Time:  The AP reports that James Heard was sentenced to death for a second time in LA County Superior Court last Friday.  Heard sexually assaulted his girlfriend's 11-year-old daughter, then poured a bottle of rubbing alcohol down her throat and strangled her after she bit off a part of his tongue during the attack.  Heard was originally sentenced in 2003, but the California Supreme Court overturned the sentence after finding that the trial judge had improperly excused a juror.