Officials’ foolish over-reaching: We’re not anti-cop. Far from it. We’re actually very much pro-law and order. Some of our best friends are police officers, and we admire the difficult work done by the men and women who keep our communities safe. But the decision by Milwaukee police officers Wednesday to arrest a Journal Sentinel photographer…
Crime
City, Crime, Police
Meet the New Press Release, Same as the Old Press Release
by JOHN ADAMS •
Just about a year ago, Whitewater’s former police chief authorized a raid on a drinking party; this year, almost to the day, the city’s new police chief did the same. Scores were cited a year ago; scores were cited this year. Needless to say, last year’s raid did nothing to stop the underage drinking in…
Crime, Politics
Guilty plea in marijuana case forces Whitewater city councilman to step down – Walworth County Today
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a solid, straightforward story about the conviction by plea and subsequent resignation of Whitewater Common Council member Javonni Butler over at the Gazette, portions of which are excerpted below. Of this, three things may be said with confidence: that for some, this is a moment of particular schadenfreude; that so hidebound is Whitewater that…
Crime, Law, Liberty
Gallup Reports Record Number in Favor of Legalizing Marijuana Use
by JOHN ADAMS •
Respected polling-firm Gallup reports that for the first time, half of all Americans support legalizing marijuana use. Fifty-percent of all Americans favor legalization; that’s a huge jump from forty years ago. The ongoing trend is also clear: younger Americans are more likely to support, and senior citizens more likely to oppose, legalization. In another twenty…
City, Crime, Laws/Regulations, Liberty
Whitewater’s Concealed Carry Debate
by JOHN ADAMS •
Concealed carry legislation went to the governor, and he signed it, about a month ago. (For an overview of that legislation, see Mary Spicuzza’s Concealed carry bill heads to Walker for signature. A provision of the bill allows communities to place restrictions on the presence of otherwise lawfully-concealed weapons, beyond the restrictions (police stations, court…
Crime, Laws/Regulations
Mark Grannis on the War on Drugs
by JOHN ADAMS •
Crime, Government Spending, Law, Liberty
On 40th Anniversary Of War On Drugs, Cops Decry Obama’s Drug Policy
by JOHN ADAMS •
The least one can say is that these last decades have failed to assure Americans’ health or safety. There’s irony, too, as even the regulation-favoring Richard Nixon would not have imagined nor supported the course the war on drugs has taken. We’ve wasted money, enriching only agencies and vendors quick to slop at a trough…
Crime, Liberty, Tyranny
When Nat Hentoff Met Che Guevara
by JOHN ADAMS •
In this clip, civil libertarian Hentoff describes a meeting he once had with Che Guevara. Hentoff notes that even in a simple interview, Guevara, a tyrant and mass murderer masquerading as a liberator, was dissembling, initially choosing to hide behind an interpreter. YouTube – When Nat Hentoff Met Che Guevara.
City, Crime
Common Council: Synthetic Marijuana
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update: There’s a solid follow-up from Walworth County Today about the reach of the ban — it won’t apply to our campus, as that jurisdiction is under the authority of the state and university system. See, City of Whitewater can’t ban synthetic pot on campus. At last night’s council meeting, a clear majority of the…
City, Crime, Police
Common Council: Crime Prevention
by JOHN ADAMS •
Property crimes, although not as reprehensible as crimes of violence, are yet significant wrongs. Theft injures its victims, and undermines civil society. One has no reason to be sympathetic to thieves. Individuals and society benefit from strong private property rights. Whitewater, perhaps more than other towns nearby, has a problem with property crimes, including car…
Crime
Over-Criminalization
by JOHN ADAMS •
Anthony Cotton has an article online about Wisconsin’s criminal law, entitled, “Wisconsin needs to address over-criminalization.” Cotton writes that A fundamental principle of the American justice system is individuals should not be subject to criminal prosecution and penalties unless they intentionally engage in inherently wrongful conduct or conduct that they know to be unlawful. With…
Crime, Law, Walworth County
Update: Walworth County District Attorney Koss’s Foolish, Ignorant Price Tag on Justice
by JOHN ADAMS •
I wrote in January about Walworth County District Attorney Koss’s Foolish, Ignorant Price Tag on Justice, where D.A. Koss expected a crime victim to pay for the cost of an expert witness against the woman alleged to have defrauded her. Needless to say, this expectation called the prosecution of the criminal defendant, Beth Reeves, into…
Crime, Official Misconduct
The Talented Dr. Steven Hayne
by JOHN ADAMS •
Dr. Steven Hayne is a forensic pathologist in Mississippi. He’s a fraud and liar, too. Here’s a description of his method (citations omitted): Until 2008, Hayne performed about 80 to 90 percent of criminal autopsies in Mississippi, and has testified to performing more than 1,500 autopsies per year. Performing more than 325 autopsies per year…
Crime, University
GazetteXtra: Threat closes UWW’s Williams Center
by JOHN ADAMS •
WHITEWATER – UW-Whitewater has closed the campus’ main athletics building after a written threat was found in a men’s restroom. A spokesman said there has been no explosion or injury. Here’s the text of a notice on the university’s website: “Williams Center will be closed for the remainder of today, Tuesday, April 19 and all…