Bill Would Split 9th Circuit: Legislation to divide jurisdiction of the nation's largest federal appellate circuit has been introduced in both houses of Congress this year. Barnini Chakraborty of Fox News reports that the Senate bill, introduced by Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain would leave Oregon, California, Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the 9th Circuit, and put Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Arizona and Alaska in a new 12th Circuit. A House bill introduced by Rep. Andy Briggs and four other Arizona Republicans would leave Washington in the 9th Circuit. The current circuit presides over 20% of the U.S. population and 40% of the nation's land mass. Because of its size, according to Senator Flake, it can take the court 15 months to hand down a decision.
Baltimore Looking For Answers: With over a killing a day in Baltimore so far this year, the city's mayor announced "We've got a crime problem in our city." The city suffered a record 344 murders in 2015 and another spike in violent crime over the first six months of last year, according recent FBI statistics. Luke Broadwater & Allison Knezevich of the Baltimore Sun report that while the Mayor has authorized the hiring of an additional 100 police officers to patrol the city, some believe that restoring pro-active policing will be necessary to reduce the violence. John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer, noted that a Justice Department report on policing in Baltimore released last Summer contained nothing about preventing crime. He believes that officers need to be allowed to "confront criminals again. What's been harmful is the idea the police shouldn't enforce quality-of-life issues."
Repeat Felons Preying on Women: Sacramento police arrested parolee David Hamilton Tuesday, for the burglary and rape of a 48-year-old mother of two. Bill Lindelof of the Sacramento Bee reports that Hamilton entered the victim's home through a window and raped her in her bed at knifepoint. The victim was able to text a relative to call 911. Police arrived just as Hamilton was entering the bedroom of one of the children and arrested him. In another story, LIndeof reports that habitual felon Jerry West was convicted Tuesday for sexual assaults, robberies, kidnapping and carjackings involving four women in August and September of 2015. West, who had two priors for carjacking, was nonetheless armed and back on the streets to commit these new crimes. Under California's groundbreaking alternative sentencing policies 66% of the state's largest cities had increased violent crime last year, according to the FBI's Preliminary Uniform Crime Report for 2016.
Baltimore Looking For Answers: With over a killing a day in Baltimore so far this year, the city's mayor announced "We've got a crime problem in our city." The city suffered a record 344 murders in 2015 and another spike in violent crime over the first six months of last year, according recent FBI statistics. Luke Broadwater & Allison Knezevich of the Baltimore Sun report that while the Mayor has authorized the hiring of an additional 100 police officers to patrol the city, some believe that restoring pro-active policing will be necessary to reduce the violence. John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer, noted that a Justice Department report on policing in Baltimore released last Summer contained nothing about preventing crime. He believes that officers need to be allowed to "confront criminals again. What's been harmful is the idea the police shouldn't enforce quality-of-life issues."
Repeat Felons Preying on Women: Sacramento police arrested parolee David Hamilton Tuesday, for the burglary and rape of a 48-year-old mother of two. Bill Lindelof of the Sacramento Bee reports that Hamilton entered the victim's home through a window and raped her in her bed at knifepoint. The victim was able to text a relative to call 911. Police arrived just as Hamilton was entering the bedroom of one of the children and arrested him. In another story, LIndeof reports that habitual felon Jerry West was convicted Tuesday for sexual assaults, robberies, kidnapping and carjackings involving four women in August and September of 2015. West, who had two priors for carjacking, was nonetheless armed and back on the streets to commit these new crimes. Under California's groundbreaking alternative sentencing policies 66% of the state's largest cities had increased violent crime last year, according to the FBI's Preliminary Uniform Crime Report for 2016.
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