MONDAY FIVE | 08.10.15

NEED TO KNOW NEWS ABOUT THE LAW & CRIMINAL JUSTICE

FERGUSON RIOTING 08.09.15

FERGUSON, MO IN STATE OF EMERGENCY
“St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency Monday after Ferguson protests on the anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer turned violent overnight. “In light of last night’s violence and unrest in the city of Ferguson, and the potential for harm to persons and property, I am exercising my authority as county executive to issue a state of emergency effective immediately,” Stenger said in a statement. “The recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger.” St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar is immediately taking control of policing in Ferguson, under the order.” CONTINUE READ

HELLISH WEEK FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
“A year after an officer-involved shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement, protestors keep pressing their cause with urgency, as they did Sunday in marches, rallies, and other activities around the country. Officer Darren Wilson may not have acted unlawfully when he shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, during a murky physical altercation. But the same Department of Justice that cleared him of criminal wrongdoing has documented years of egregiously abusive policing in the St. Louis suburbs. Nevertheless, Missouri legislators failed last session to pass the vast majority of reform measures meant to fix the state’s glaringly oppressive criminal justice system. Nationwide, the Washington Post finds that police have killed at least 60 unarmed humans this year––and that blacks, who make up just six percent of the population, account for a full 40 percent of those killed despite being unarmed. In recent months, moreover, the public has seen graphic video footage of at least two cops, in separate incidents, committing what separate prosecutors characterize as the murders of black men during traffic stops, then apparently lying about their actions.” CONTINUE READ

35 YEARS IN PRISON WITHOUT A CONVICTION
“For more than 35 years, a Texas man has been in a prison even though an appeals court threw out his conviction on a 1976 murder charge that initially had him on death row. On Monday, 59-year-old Jerry Hartfield will return to court for a retrial, facing a life sentence if convicted of killing a woman who sold tickets at a Bay City bus station. Prosecutors and defense lawyers have haggled over who’s to blame for decades of inaction and whether Hartfield’s right to a speedy trial have been violated. But the trial judge has refused to dismiss Hartfield’s indictment and prosecutors recently took the death penalty off the table, citing a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring execution of mentally impaired people. At a hearing Friday, a psychologist testified Hartfield’s IQ is 67, below the threshold of 70 considered mental impairment.” CONTINUE READ

HIGH SPEED BURGLARY: $11,000 IN 75 SECONDS
“Police have identified three suspects in a burglary last month in San Francisco’s Laurel Heights neighborhood by a group called the “Rainbow Crew” who are suspected of a string of thefts in recent years, police said. The group, who has also been known as the Rainbow Girls, walk into stores, steal items and leave before police arrive, San Francisco police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said. The most recent one occurred on July 28 at a department store in the 2600 block of Geary Boulevard.” CONTINUE RIDE

CRIMINAL PARENTHOOD: TODDLER DIES OF TISSUE SUFFOCATION
“Dallas police arrested a father whose child died after he shoved paper towels down the toddler’s throat Sunday. Antonio Strange, 24, told police the 2-year-old was being an “a**hole” while he was trying to feed the child Sunday morning in their apartment in the 3800 block of Gannon Lane, according to the warrant for his arrest. Strange told police he shoved paper towels down Ayden Strange’s throat in an attempt to remove food from the boy’s mouth.” CONTINUE READ