Criminal Defense News of Week
by: Sduclos • August 13, 2012 • no comments
Drones - Coming Soon
"Law enforcement is expected to be a growth area for drone sales and police and sheriffs envision many scenarios where an unmanned eye in the sky might be useful, whether to find a hiker lost in the mountains or to track a thief running through an urban neighborhood. ***
Obviously, there are questions to be answered before drones are used en masse by local law enforcement. But one thing seems certain, they will be used. In April, the Electronic Frontier Foundation obtained and released a list of entites authorized by the FAA to fly domestic drones. The list includes universities and research organizations, but also police departments in places like Arlington, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and Mesa County, Colorado." (So far, no Oregonians on the list)."
Minnesota Public Radio - "Police See Drones as Cheap Eye in the Sky" by Jennifer Vogel
...and, in case you wanted to see how a drone works - click here.
USDOJ to Fund Studies on Presidential Pardons
"The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a request for proposals for its first-ever in-depth study of presidential pardons, providing fresh details on what it envisions the review will entail.
The agency said it would undertake the study in response to articles published by ProPublica and The Washington Post in December that found white applicants were nearly four times as likely to be pardoned as minorities. African American applicants fared the worst: Just 7 of 189 people pardoned by President George W. Bush were African American. So far, President Obama has pardoned 22 people, including 2 minorities."
ProPublica -"Details Emerge on Government Study of Presidential Pardons" by Dafna Linzer
Famous Last Words
"Texas executed a man with an IQ of 61 last week for murdering a 21-year-old police drug informant in 1992. *** There, Wilson uttered his last words on Earth:
"Y'all do understand that I came here a sinner and leaving a saint," he said. "Take me home, Jesus, take me home, Lord, take me home, Lord. I ain't left yet, must be a miracle. I am a miracle. I see you, Rich. Don't cry, son, don't cry, baby. I love y'all. I'm ready.
***
An analysis finds 'love' is the most common word in Texas' execution chamber, followed by 'family,' 'thank,' 'sorry' and 'God.'" See the 30-year archive of last statements here.
LA Times- "Last words of Texas death row inmates: a kind of gallows poetry" by Matt Pierce
