SF Mayor Considering Implementing Stop-and-Frisk Policy: The Associated Press reports San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee told the San Francisco Chronicle's Editorial Board on Wednesday that he is considering implementing a stop-and-frisk policy so police officers can get guns off the streets. The policy has been used in other major cities including New York and Philadelphia. Critics say the policy leads to racial profiling. "This is under consideration as a way to make sure that we keep
homicides and some of these other violent crime(s) down," Lee said. "I
think we have to get to the guns. I know we have to find a different way
to get to these weapons, and I'm very willing to consider what other
cities are doing."
British Court Blocks Serial Sex Offender's Extradition to U.S.: The Associated Press reports two judges from Britain's High Court on Thursday blocked a U.S. government bid to extradite sex offender Shawn Sullivan to Minnesota because U.S. authorities would not guarantee that Sullivan would not be placed in the state's civil commitment program. The judges said the program, which allows for the indefinite detention for sex offender treatment of those deemed sexually dangerous or sexually psychopathic, would be a "flagrant denial" of his human rights. Sullivan is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and sexually molesting two 11-year-old girls in the 1990s in Minnesota. A dual U.S.-Irish citizen, he escaped to Ireland as prosecutors were preparing to file charges, and while there was convicted of sexual assaulting two 12-year-old girls. Authorities found him in London two years ago.
Arkansas Judge Keeps Death Penalty Consideration for Cop Killer: Keith Inman of The Jonesboro Sun reports Circuit Judge Brent Davis in Arkansas said the state's Supreme Court June 22 ruling "doesn't prevent the state from proceeding with a death penalty case." "It does not prevent the court from imposing the punishment," he said. Davis said the ruling only negates the procedure for carrying out the punishment. The means Jerry D. Lard could still face a death sentence when his trial begins July 16 for the shooting death of a police officer. He is also charged with attempted capital murder for wounding another officer. At the time of the shooting, Lard was wanted on a rape warrant.
CA Bill Would Require Double Registration for Realigned Offenders: Erika Aguilar of Southern California Public Radio reports the California Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday considered a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) that would require offenders released from state prison on post-release community supervision to report and register with their city's local police department in addition to the county probation department. Gatto, joined by Glendale Police Chief Ron De Pompa, said local police are getting incorrect and incomplete information from the state's corrections agency and Los Angeles County probation. Pompa said personal information the Glendale Police Department is getting on released felons has a 70 percent error rate. The most recent version of the bill is here.
Plans Approved to Build Psychiatric Ward for Norwegian Mass Killer: The Associated Press reports Norway's Health Directorate on Wednesday approved plans to build a psychiatric ward inside Oslo's Ila Prison, specially designed for confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik. If found criminally insane, he will likely remain inside the prison where he has been held since he killed 77 people in a bomb and shooting massacre last July. His mental state was the key issue at his trial, since his guilt is not in question. The court is scheduled to rule on the matter August 24.
London Unveils "Facewatch" App: The Associated Press reports Scotland Yard says it has loaded nearly 5,000 pictures of wanted suspects onto its "Facewatch" smartphone application. London residents can enter their postal code and they are shown pictures of wanted people taken in their neighborhood. Users can identify suspects by flipping through the pictures or sending in the name of the suspect if known.
British Court Blocks Serial Sex Offender's Extradition to U.S.: The Associated Press reports two judges from Britain's High Court on Thursday blocked a U.S. government bid to extradite sex offender Shawn Sullivan to Minnesota because U.S. authorities would not guarantee that Sullivan would not be placed in the state's civil commitment program. The judges said the program, which allows for the indefinite detention for sex offender treatment of those deemed sexually dangerous or sexually psychopathic, would be a "flagrant denial" of his human rights. Sullivan is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and sexually molesting two 11-year-old girls in the 1990s in Minnesota. A dual U.S.-Irish citizen, he escaped to Ireland as prosecutors were preparing to file charges, and while there was convicted of sexual assaulting two 12-year-old girls. Authorities found him in London two years ago.
Arkansas Judge Keeps Death Penalty Consideration for Cop Killer: Keith Inman of The Jonesboro Sun reports Circuit Judge Brent Davis in Arkansas said the state's Supreme Court June 22 ruling "doesn't prevent the state from proceeding with a death penalty case." "It does not prevent the court from imposing the punishment," he said. Davis said the ruling only negates the procedure for carrying out the punishment. The means Jerry D. Lard could still face a death sentence when his trial begins July 16 for the shooting death of a police officer. He is also charged with attempted capital murder for wounding another officer. At the time of the shooting, Lard was wanted on a rape warrant.
CA Bill Would Require Double Registration for Realigned Offenders: Erika Aguilar of Southern California Public Radio reports the California Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday considered a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) that would require offenders released from state prison on post-release community supervision to report and register with their city's local police department in addition to the county probation department. Gatto, joined by Glendale Police Chief Ron De Pompa, said local police are getting incorrect and incomplete information from the state's corrections agency and Los Angeles County probation. Pompa said personal information the Glendale Police Department is getting on released felons has a 70 percent error rate. The most recent version of the bill is here.
Plans Approved to Build Psychiatric Ward for Norwegian Mass Killer: The Associated Press reports Norway's Health Directorate on Wednesday approved plans to build a psychiatric ward inside Oslo's Ila Prison, specially designed for confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik. If found criminally insane, he will likely remain inside the prison where he has been held since he killed 77 people in a bomb and shooting massacre last July. His mental state was the key issue at his trial, since his guilt is not in question. The court is scheduled to rule on the matter August 24.
London Unveils "Facewatch" App: The Associated Press reports Scotland Yard says it has loaded nearly 5,000 pictures of wanted suspects onto its "Facewatch" smartphone application. London residents can enter their postal code and they are shown pictures of wanted people taken in their neighborhood. Users can identify suspects by flipping through the pictures or sending in the name of the suspect if known.
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