FindLaw Blotter - The FindLaw Crime and Criminals Blog

Governor Schwarzenegger: Send California Inmates to Mexico

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California is still figuring out how to address its prison problems. One part of the plan has been the early release of some inmates. Another way perhaps to ease its overcrowded prison system might be to send thousands of undocumented California inmates to specially built jails in Mexico.

Early release of prisoners looks like it could reduce the prison population by about 6,500 inmates over the next year.

Shipping some inmates to Mexico is the latest idea being floated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cost-cutting measure, the Associated Press recently reported. Governor Schwarzenegger said exporting 20,000 inmates that are illegal immigrants to jails south of the border could help the state's finances by billions of dollars.

Michigan Governor Grants Commutations at Record Rate

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Many Michigan prisoners may be glad to have their sentences commuted, but some victims' families feel just the opposite.

They are unhappy that Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is granting commutations at a record rate. She has freed 124 prisoners in the last two years -- including killers -- and is on pace to commute more sentences.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Gov. Jennifer Granholm insists that most of the freed prisoners pose no threat to the safety. But this has left some victims' families disappointed that the people who killed their loved ones will not die in prison.

In addition, many worry that the governor cannot be sure that the state's freed killers will not kill again.

Rod Blagojevich Reindicted: No Honest Services Fraud Charge

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Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was reindicted on corruption charges by a federal grand jury.

According to Reuters, prosecutors reindicted Blagojevich because the constitutionality of the law underpinning some of Blagojevich's original charges -- honest services fraud -- has been challenged and is currently the subject of U.S. Supreme Court review in another case.

Apparently, prosecutors do not want to wait around to see if the honest services fraud statute holds up.

Police Investigate Online Gang Activity

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Although social networks like Facebook and Twitter are designed to connect people with friends it's also become a tool for tech-savvy gangsters. They have taken much of their gang activity online.

According to the Associated Press, many gang members now use Facebook and Twitter to send messages, boast about crimes and to share intelligence about rival gangs.

As a result, law enforcement is hitting the virtual world of online social networking and gaming Web sites to find the bad guys. Police now go on line to track conversations and incriminating information from gang members' Facebook accounts.

Georgia Gun Laws Could Get Overhauled

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Georgia lawmakers could overhaul current Georgia gun laws and allow weapons just about anywhere -- even handguns on college campuses.

The proposed broad legislation would lift a ban on firearms in most public buildings, churches and even the state Capitol. It would allow gun owners with permits to carry in college campuses. The places where Georgia gun laws would ban firearms would mainly be limited to jails, courthouses and prisons.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, school officials and student leaders bristle at the proposal, House Bill 615. They worry that allowing guns onto college campuses could pose risks and lead to violence on their campuses.

DOJ Defends Decision to Charge Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is shouldering much of the responsibility for the decision to charge the Christmas Day terror suspect in the civilian system.

According to the Associated Press, US Attorney General Eric Holder's letter was the latest in response to the public criticism that the arrest and FBI interrogation of the Detroit suspect was a mistake that cost a chance to learn important information. Holder said the decision by the Department of Justice is consistent with earlier practices from the previous administration.

New Sex Offender Law May Help with Housing Options

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Miami-Dade County is leading the push for softer residency restriction laws for convicted sex offenders in order that they may find a place to live.

A new sex offender law may help with housing options.

Time Magazine reports that a new sex offender law will help clean up the eyesore of tents and shacks under a Miami bridge that has become living quarters for convicted sex offenders forced into homelessness.

In addition, the new county ordinance will supersede some of the stricter residency laws passed by local municipalities, which ban registered sex offenders from living near schools, parks, bus-stops and day care centers. Officials say, the law, which takes effect in the upcoming days is aimed at creating one standard to protect children while giving sex offenders housing options.

Delaware to Resume Lethal Injections

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Delaware's death penalty is back on and the state will resume lethal injections.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the state's death penalty as constitutional, allowing Delaware to resume carrying out executions that have been on hold since 2006.

According to the News Journal, the courts warned that although the state's death penalty does not cause unnecessary or unconstitutional suffering as claimed by 18 death-row inmates in the class-action lawsuit, executions must be carried out with a degree of seriousness and respect.

Teen Driver Gets Jail Time for Fatal DWI & Facebook Photo

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Teen driver Ashley M. Sullivan was already in a heap of trouble after she was convicted of killing her boyfriend while drunk driving.

The seventeen-year-old plead guilty to negligent homicide and DWI and was going to be charged as a minor.

But during the months after the crash a judge found a Facebook photo the teenager posted on her Facebook web page captioned, "Drunk in Florida" and Sullivan's legal troubles only got worse, the Buffalo News reports.

New Rules Set for NY Partial Match DNA Evidence

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A new rule allowing partial DNA matches now provides NY law enforcement with some extra help tracking down criminals.

According to the New York Times, a controversial new state rule now allows investigators to take DNA from a crime scene that does not exactly match someone in the state's DNA database and pursue suspects whose DNA that closely resembles that of someone on file.

This sophisticated means to track down criminals is called a partial DNA match. Searches can now be narrowed to query relatives of people whose DNA is already in the state database.