Los Angeles’ New $2 Billion Jail Plan: Which Side Are You On?
Los Angeles’ New $2 Billion Jail Plan: Which Side Are You On?
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently voted to approve a new $2 billion plan to rebuild the downtown Men's Central Jail and create a new women's jail.1 The decision has drawn both praise and criticism. The city's new jail plan would tear down the existing overcrowded men's facility and replace it with a new two-tower, 4,860-bed jail. It would specialize in housing inmates with mental health issues but…
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Orange County Passes Law for Court-Ordered Treatment of Mentally Ill
Recently, Orange County became the first county in California to implement court-ordered treatment for the severely mentally ill. The new law is based on Nevada's "Laura's Law," in which Laura Wilcox, a Nevada woman, was shot and killed by a mentally ill man in 2001.1 The Orange County Board of Supervisors' unanimous passing of the law was influenced by the death of Kelly Thomas, a mentally ill homeless Fullerton man…
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The City of Carson Takes a Stand Against Bullying
The city of Carson has decided to take a stand once and for all against bullying. A newly introduced ordinance now criminalizes the bullying of school children, teens and young adults. City officials instituted the ordinance in hopes of sending a strong message to would-be bullies. While bullying largely goes underreported by children and young adults, federal data suggests that 28 percent of students in grades 6-12 are victims of…
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Governor Brown’s Grants 63 Easter Pardons
In a statement on April 18, California Governor Jerry Brown announced that he would be granting pardons to 63 individuals. According to Governor Brown, all 63 pardons were granted to former inmates who had completed their sentences and were released from custody more than a decade ago and have not been involved in any further criminal activity.1 More than 40 of the pardons granted were for convictions on charges of…
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Some Cops are Willing to Break the Law to Put you in Jail
When you are in danger, you expect the police to protect you; when someone is breaking the law, you expect the police to act accordingly, and above all, when the police make an arrest, you expect them to do so with a strong sense of morality and for the betterment of society. These expectations are usually met during most police-civilian interactions, but that is not always the case. When corruption…
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3D Printer Helps Convict California Gang Member of Murder
In a recent California appellate case (case number G047199), a gang member lost an appeal of his 50 years to life sentence for first-degree murder. The gang member's initial conviction was aided in part by 3D printing technology that helped match the gang member's gun with the bullet retrieved from the victim's body. 1 In 2003, 15 year-old gang member Jaime Guadalupe Gonzalez shot and killed rival gang member Juan…
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Can Police Search Your Home if You Object While Not Being Present?
The protection against unreasonable search and seizures is established by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Law enforcement must either have your express consent or a valid warrant authorized by a judge in order to lawfully search your home, person or property. Most people understand that if police officers knock on your door and request access to your home, you do not have to give your consent for…
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Should a Judge be Forced to Choose Between Their Occupation and the Boy Scouts?
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States today with over 2.7 million youth members and more than a million volunteers.1 Despite its extreme popularity, the BSA has still faced its fair share of controversy throughout its 104 years as an organization Most recently, the Boy Scouts of America made national headlines after a California Supreme Court advisory committee proposed to prohibit…
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Can a Pocket Knife Be Considered a Dirk or Dagger? (Penal Code Sections 16470, 23130)
California Penal Code section 16470 defines a "dirk" or "dagger" as a knife or other instrument that is readily capable of being used as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury or death. The definition includes a non-locking pocket knife, but only if the blade of the knife is "exposed and locked into position." If this sounds like a contradiction in terms, it may very well be. Which…
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Can An Anonymous Caller’s Tip to 911 Get You Pulled Over?
The Supreme Court of the United States recently heard a California case regarding the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures in regards to a traffic stop. The resulting decision may have a long-lasting, adverse effect on drivers upon the country's highways. The highest court ruled that, on the basis of a "reliable" anonymous tip, police may reasonably suspect that you are doing something illegal and…
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