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So we have one thread for discussing terrorists of various stripes and another on the ethics of law enforcement. So why not cover crimes that are less specific? Like what an (failed) bank robbery that recently occurred or that recent manhunt in New York?

It probably goes without saying, but anything advocating crimes will get thumped, and "how to" posts suggesting how criminals could be smarter run the same risk.

Edited by Mrph1 on Oct 29th 2024 at 12:54:10 PM

Gaon Smoking Snake from Grim Up North Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#301: Jun 21st 2021 at 8:17:37 PM

This is of no actual interest to anyone but people in Brazil, as far as crimes go (and I wanted an english source) but I thought it was interesting enough for this thread:

The source is outdated as there's been little international coverage of it. But the gist of it: Lázaro Barbosa, a 30-year old man escaped criminal, has gone on a crime rampage that has laste 13 days and counting leading to a 200-man-strong police hunt in which Lázaro has made fools out of the police, burned several houses, killed four people and took several others hostage.

The police's handling of the case has been bafflingly inept and unhelpful, targeting afro-brazilian places of worship under the assumption they were housing him (PT-BR) and torturing the killer's wife for information (PT-BR). As we're approaching half-a-month of no results (and four dead with more suspected) this likely to be one of the most significant cases in Brazilian criminal history.

"All you Fascists bound to lose."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#302: Jun 23rd 2021 at 11:49:09 AM

Supreme Court Restricts Police Powers To Enter A Home Without A Warrant – The court has long held that police may do this when pursuing a fleeing felon. The question in this case was whether they can do the same thing when pursuing someone suspected of a minor offense.

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/23/999913516/supreme-court-restricts-police-powers-to-enter-a-home-without-a-warrant

     The Story 
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that police cannot always enter a home without a warrant when pursuing someone for a minor crime.

The court sent the case back to the lower court to decide if the police violated the rights of a California man by pursuing him into his garage for allegedly playing loud music while driving down a deserted two-lane highway late at night."

Writing for the unanimous court, Justice Elena Kagan said police had no right to enter the man's home without a warrant for such a trivial offense.

"On many occasions, the officer will have good reason to enter – to prevent imminent harms of violence, destruction of evidence, or escape from the home," she wrote. "But when the officer has time to get a warrant, he must do so – even though the misdemeanant fled."

The court's ruling came in the case of Arthur Lange, who was playing loud music in his car late one night, at one point honking his horn several times. A California highway patrol officer, believing Lange was violating a noise ordinance, followed him, and when the motorist slowed to enter his driveway, the officer put on his flashing lights.

Lange, who later said he didn't notice the police car, drove into his garage. The officer, in "hot pursuit," got out of his car and put his foot under the closing garage door sensor to force the door open again. He had no warrant to enter the home, but once inside, he said, he smelled liquor on Lange's breath and arrested him, not only for the noise violation, but also for driving under the influence.

Lange appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, contending that the officer had no right to enter his home without a warrant and that the DUI evidence had been illegally obtained.

The Supreme Court has long held that police may conduct a warrantless search when pursuing a fleeing felon. The question in Lange's case was whether police are free to do the same thing when pursuing someone suspected of a minor offense like playing loud music.

"[P]ursuit of a misdemeanant does not trigger a categorical rule allowing a warrantless home entry," she wrote.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#303: Jun 30th 2021 at 12:51:45 PM

So this guy named Bill Cosby (the name sounds familiar, but I don't recall anything even after reading about him) had his conviction of several sex offenses overturned by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and released from prison today.

From Wikipedia:

On June 30, 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby's convictions. The decision stated that Cosby had been reliant on an unwritten promise that district attorney Kevin Steele had made to not convict him prior to testifying in the Constand case. The court also ruled that the conviction was based on "tainted" testimony, and barred a retrial of the case. Cosby was promptly released that day. District Attorney Kevin Steele said Cosby was released "on a procedural issue that is irrelevant to the facts of the crime" and that he hoped that Cosby's release would not discourage crime victims from reporting sexual assualts because "no one is above the law — including those who are rich, famous and powerful."

I'm left seething by the whole thing, but the one part that galls me is the barring of a retrial. WTF justifies that???

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#304: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:10:56 PM

As much as Bill Cosby, world famous actor and black activist, should be in jail for his multitude of rapes—I think this is all on the prosecutor who cut him a deal ahead of time.

These deals should be inviolate even if scum like Epstein have abused them.

We need more prisoner rights.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#305: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:19:21 PM

It seems to be that the past DA made a deal with Cosby where Cosby got immunity for his crimes.

Such deals do happen and it makes sense that the government shouldn’t be able to go back on them.

My hope however is that the DA who made the deal is now charged with conspiracy to cover up all of Cosby’s crimes and ends up serving Cosby’s sentence for him.

That won’t happen, but D As giving their rich/connected friends immunity in ‘exchange’ for something minimal is a problem and they need to be held accountable for that.

[down]Not sure how I managed to get it right twice but also wrong twice… I’ve now fixed it.

Edited by Silasw on Jun 30th 2021 at 9:40:42 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#306: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:32:16 PM

[up]Cosby, no R.

The question stuck in my mind is how did this not come up during the trial? You'd think a defense attorney would be grateful to have an ironclad means to save their client.

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#307: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:40:25 PM

The judge let it in and the defense reserved it for appeal.

The Civil Suit, years ago, resulted in Cosby promised immunity whereupon he waived his 5th amendment rights to confess to things. The DA later used this against him in trial. The prosecutors were, to put it mildly, maximal fuck ups and a monster walks free because of it.

Edited by Lightysnake on Jun 30th 2021 at 1:41:21 AM

Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#308: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:42:49 PM

At least his name and career is destroyed.....pretty small comfort though.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#309: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:45:28 PM

Any chance of a federal prosecution? This one was state-level wasn’t it?

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#310: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:47:34 PM

There would neve to be federal charges he isn't immune to for that to happen.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#311: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:51:00 PM

The DA who gave him the immunity was a state one weren’t they? They won’t have had the authority to grant immunity to federal charges, will they?

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#312: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:52:01 PM

Federal charges for what? Sex laws are state laws, special things like PROTECT Act aside.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#313: Jun 30th 2021 at 1:52:35 PM

No, but I don't know is Cosby broke any federal laws to be charged with.

You can't just say "we're charging you again, but federally this time."

Plus I'm pretty sure Double Jeopardy applies after all this.

Edited by sgamer82 on Jun 30th 2021 at 1:55:33 AM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#314: Jun 30th 2021 at 2:23:21 PM

If any of the drugs he used are controlled substances and he moved them across state lines that might fall under federal jurisdiction?

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#315: Jun 30th 2021 at 3:08:09 PM

[up]It doesnt matter, he is rich, those kinds of crimes are ignored for the rich. Rock stars get the same treatment.

He gets to rape 60 people, 2 underage, then prosecutors can offer immunity to give him a way out of everything. And all those that came forward had their lives ruined for literally nothing.

Now he can write a book about how he raped 60 people and no one can do anything about it.

Edited by Memers on Jun 30th 2021 at 3:33:30 AM

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#316: Jun 30th 2021 at 9:17:20 PM

Shitshows like this are just asking for vigilantism to resurge. Fucking disgusting.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
RJ-19-CLOVIS-93 from New Zealand (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#317: Jul 1st 2021 at 1:03:52 AM

It's times like these I wish the Phantom Thieves were real. Bill Cosby may have his legacy destroyed and his name reviled, but for a Serial Rapist who hid his demons for decades that's far more than he deserves. Because Screw the Rules, I Have Connections! is a horrifically relevant trope

I find it curious that we as a society have agreed Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil and pedophiles are worse, but murderers have a longer sentence

Edited by RJ-19-CLOVIS-93 on Jul 1st 2021 at 6:04:42 PM

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#318: Jul 1st 2021 at 1:41:48 AM

The problem with making rape or child abuse a crime as bad or worse as murder is that by doing so you incentivize rapists to kill their victims after the deed. Example being what a prominent feminist in India said in Swiss radio a few years ago, she noted that after India began to apply capital sentences to rapists the instances of post-rape murder increased three-fold.

Also, she made the point- which my mother agreed with - that making sex crimes as bad as murder dehumanizes the victims. Unlike a corpse, a rape victim can recover.

Re: Immunity, I wonder what was so important that Cosby got immunity.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Zarastro Since: Sep, 2010
#319: Jul 1st 2021 at 1:45:57 AM

At least he spent a few years in prison. While not nearly enough, it is still better than nothing.

djoki996 Since: Dec, 2018
#320: Jul 1st 2021 at 7:00:13 AM

[up][up] What people usually mean by "rape is worse than murder" is "rapists are worse than murderers". Murderers can have dozens of understandable (but not justified) reasons for murder, chief among them money. Rapists don't. Just cruelty. They're alien to us, not even human anymore. It's the same reason serial killers are seen as worse than, say, mob hitmen or fictional assassins.

Victims' role in this view is basically nonexistent.

Edited by djoki996 on Jul 1st 2021 at 7:01:48 AM

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#321: Jul 1st 2021 at 9:55:22 AM

Septimus: What happened was that there was a civil suit against Cosby and the DA decided there wasn't enough to bring a criminal charge, and so...

Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#322: Jul 2nd 2021 at 2:21:03 PM

Speaking of Rape, a Settlement of over 800 Million was reached between the Boy Scouts and over 80.000 victims of sexual abuse, dating back to the 60s

https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/02/boy-scouts-reach-850m-settlement-with-84000-victims-over-sex-abuse-claims-14862060/

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#323: Jul 5th 2021 at 12:04:10 AM

Pro golfer Gene Siller killed and 2 others found dead at Georgia golf course

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/04/us/gene-siller-pro-golfer-shot-killed-georgia-golf-course/index.html

    An Excerpt 
Police are looking for the person who shot and killed pro golfer Gene Siller at a country club north of Atlanta on Saturday.

Cobb County police responded to a report of a person shot around 2:20 p.m. and found Siller on the green of the 10th hole of the Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, according to a news release from the police department.

Siller, who was a club employee, was found unresponsive with an "apparent gunshot wound to the head" and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The suspect had driven to the green in a white Ram 3500 pickup truck and shot 41-year-old Siller when he went to see what was going on, a member of the club told CNN affiliate WXIA. The suspect then fled, WXIA reported.

Police discovered the truck still on the green and found the bodies of two men in the bed of the truck, the release said. Both victims also suffered apparent gunshot wounds, according to police.

One of the men was identified as Paul Pierson, the registered owner of the Ram 3500, but the other victim has yet to be identified, according to police.

Police are still searching for the suspect, who has not been identified.

8 people shot near a Texas car wash after an argument

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/04/us/fort-worth-people-shot-car-wash-texas/index.html

    The Story 
Eight people were injured in a shooting near a car wash in Fort Worth, Texas, early Sunday morning after a group of men got into an argument.

One of the men left the scene during the argument, returned with a gun and began firing "toward groups of people," Fort Worth Police said in a news release. Multiple people returned gunfire, the release said. An officer heard gunfire around 1:30 a.m., Fort Worth Police said in a news release. When officers arrived at the scene to investigate, they found eight people with gunshot wounds, according to police.

Most of the victims are believed to have been innocent bystanders who weren't involved in the initial argument, according to Fort Worth Police. All were taken to local hospitals and are in stable condition, police added.

A young girl also suffered minor injuries when she was hit by a vehicle while trying to leave the area, according to the release. No suspects have been arrested, according to Fort Worth Police. Gun violence detectives are continuing the investigation.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#324: Jul 6th 2021 at 3:30:29 AM

Trigger warning for folks with child abuse-related triggers:

Germany: 4 men jailed in notorious child sex abuse case where a now-28-year old man and some others sexually abused his step-son and pimped him and others out. I am kind of reminded of Can You Spare a Quarter? which has a similar premise.

German language article but it seems like France has a new sexual assault law. Persay it now stipulates that sexual acts involving people under the age of 15 are only legal if the age gap is less than 5 years.

Final thing: I just found out that in Switzerland it's not entrapment to pretend to be a child and induce an adult to meet you for a sexual encounter. No entrapment for you, there.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#325: Jul 6th 2021 at 12:56:14 PM

Huh. Famous Dutch crime journalist, Peter R. de Vries, was shot today in Amsterdam after leaving the studio where he was a regular guest at an evening show. He was brought to the hospital with heavy injuries.

It's one of those things that was bound to happen. The man reported a lot on organized crime. It's still shocking to actually see it happen, though. My mother practically worshipped the guy.

Edited by Kayeka on Jul 6th 2021 at 12:56:53 PM


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