Non-Lethal Taser Is Lethal...Again

One of my daily Google Alerts alerted me to yet ANOTHER death potentially as a result of police officer's use of a taser. I think at some point, we need to figure out what other non-violent methods of restraint can be used for out of control individuals.


I'm past outrage at this point...it just feels like we will have to continue to sit by and watch people continue to die for no good reason other than politicians are afraid to look as cop-haters and pro-crime because they want to take one of their "tools" away.


Below you'll find a clip from the story out of newspaper in Northern California, which you can click on for the full story. Don't bother reading the comments from the mostly uninformed asshole readers unless you like to get irritated:

A man is dead after an altercation with several Woodland police officers Wednesday morning during which at least one Taser was used and officers' other weapons "may have been used," a police spokesman said.

Police received a call from Woodland's Safe Harbor crisis treatment center around 9 a.m. reporting that one of their male clients had walked out of the facility after being "verbally aggressive" and "acting out," Woodland Police Lt. Charlie Wilts said. The center's program director asked police to check on the man, and several officers intercepted him a short distance away from the Kentucky Avenue facility, at the intersection of West Kentucky and North West Street, Wilts said. At that point, the man became "combative" with officers and attempts to calm him down verbally were unsuccessful, Wilts said.

At least one officer used a Taser, but it failed to subdue the man, Wilts said.

Yup. Killing him DEFINITELY subdued him though. Thankfully the sidewalks are safe again from "Verbally Aggressive" individuals!

Ummm...Another Reason We Should Have Formal County Public Defender Offices?

I read this story out of Warren County, NY and I thought to myself...Self, this shit must go on alllll the time!

Christopher T. Adams has been indicted on 35 counts of making false statements and theft for allegedly ripping off the county of over $40,000 by submitting false invoices for work that he allegedly did not perform. Adams is also charged with attempted to recruit another individual to help him with his scheme, a private investigator who instead reported Adams. According to prosecutors, the investigator used a concealed videotape and recorded Adams trying to solicit him. Adams allegedly told the investigator he could claim to have done work for Adams on cases, then bill the county and split the proceeds with Adams.According to the indictment, at issue are invoices submitted to the county by Adams from 2005 through 2006. Fourteen of the 17 theft charges are felonies for allegedly stealing more than $500. Although there were similar
allegations in Warren County, NY regarding special prosecutor Gary C. Hobbs, the county chose to ignore the situation and refused to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hobbs’ billings.

Yup, If you had a county public defender office with an attorney who was salaried...this could never have happened. Still available for your reading pleasure is the California Commission On The Fair Administration Of Justice report on the benefits and drawbacks of contracted Public Defender offices.

One Of The Reasons I Love California...

Is that on occassion....NOT ALWAYS....but on occassion, our California Supreme Court actually gets things right.

I was at work yesterday when I heard the news:

SAN FRANCISCO - California's Supreme Court declared gay couples in the nation's biggest state can marry — a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony.

Same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. But the window could close soon after — religious and social conservatives are pressing to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

I'm hoping the right-wing religious nutbags are not successful in their attempt to convince voters that gay marriage is something that they should worry is destroying America. Honestly, I'm still not sure why most people get married anyway but if its what you want...Why not!

I just can't imagine that the gay & lesbian community in California is going to f*ck up this "sanctity of marriage" thing any worse than those who are straight have already managed to do on their own.

It can only get better, no?

Defense Investigator In Need

I don't know how many of you who read this (that also happen to be defense investigators) are members of the National Defense Investigator Association (NDIA) but in case you're not and you never visit their website, I wanted to make you aware of an NDIA member in need:

Mr. Clarence Short, an NDIA member from Gastonia, North Carolina has been hospitalized for the last several months and he is facing SEVERAL huge obstacles, most of which are financial. NDIA is running a raffle to try and help him out a bit. You can click on the NDIA link or here for a PDF file with more information and Instructions on how to obtain your raffle tickets.

I realize that there plenty of places that you can donate your hard earned money (I’m hoping there will be places to donate money for those poor folks in Burma) but this is a little closer to home. C’MON! The tickets are ONLY $5.00 and the few raffle prizes they have so far are pretty cool!

I’m not sure when the deadline is for entries or even when the drawing will be held but I’m sure you can contact NDIA President Matt Whalen (his email is in the Raffle Link which I don’t want to post on this blog because he’ll be swimming in Spam!) for detailed information or maybe you might have an item they could add to the raffle!

Do it now!

This Carrot For President

If you don't understand why this carrot should be President. Read on and play the Bush-McCain Challenge! I promise its fast!

I just took The Bush-McCain Challenge -- an online quiz to see if you can tell the difference between George W. Bush and John McCain. Check it out, and see if you can do any better than I did!

http://Bush-McCainChallenge.com/?rc=challenge-friends&r_id=12589-1890433-R1wcRm

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Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee