Tag: crime

UN Human Rights Experts Say Counties Should Legalize Drugs To ‘Eliminate Profits From Illegal Trafficking’

Dozens of United Nations (UN) human rights experts are championing a less-punitive approach to global drug policies, urging member nations to focus less on punishment and criminalization and more on harm reduction and public health while specifically calling for “decriminalisation of drug use and related activities, and the responsible regulation of all drugs to eliminate profits from illegal trafficking, criminality and violence.”

“The ‘war on drugs’ has resulted in a range of serious human rights violations, as documented by a number of UN human rights experts over the years,” says the statement from UN special rapporteurs, experts and working groups. “We collectively urge Member States and all UN entities to put evidence and communities at the centre of drug policies, by shifting from punishment towards support, and invest in the full array of evidence-based health interventions for people who use drugs, ranging from prevention to harm reduction, treatment and aftercare, emphasizing the need for a voluntary basis and in full respect of human rights norms and standards.”

The statement is not a defense of drug use but instead an insistence that nations’ overzealous fight against substances has failed to address health problems while creating harms of its own.

“These widespread abuses have included compulsory drug detention in the name of ‘treatment’, over incarceration and related prison overcrowding, the ongoing use of the death penalty for drug offences, killings, enforced disappearances and the ongoing lack of, and unequal access to treatment, harm reduction and essential medicines,” it says.

“The international community must seek to address and reverse the damage brought about by decades of a global ‘war on drugs,’” it says. “We note that states of exception and the militarization of law enforcement in the context of the ‘war on drugs’ continue to facilitate the commission of multiple and serious human rights violations… [W]e collectively call for an end to the militarisation of drug policy, overincarceration and prison overcrowding, the use of the death penalty for drug offences, and policies that disproportionately impact marginalised groups.”

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Scientist wants to implant prisoners with ‘memories’ of their crimes that show the victim’s perspective

A scientist has unveiled a concept for a prison of the future that he has claimed would fast-track a criminal’s release to minutes, instead of years or decades.

Called Cognify, the design would implant synthetic memories of a person’s crime into their brain, but showing their victim’s perspective. 

The system could feature a VR-like device that displays AI-generated footage of the offence, coupled with a brain implant that induces emotional states like remorse or regret – feelings some individuals may not produce on their own.

The concept, developed by Hashem Al-Ghaili, would ensure the long-term effects of the therapy session by making the memories permanent.

There are more than 1.7 million people currently incarcerated in the US.

While officials have long said prison deters offenders from future crimes, more than 100 studies in 2021 found that it does not prevent people from reoffending.

With this in mind, Al-Ghaili is looking towards the future with a prison he claims will help criminals learn from their past.

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British Couple Killed To Make Witchcraft Potions in South Africa

A suspect who confessed to the killing of a British couple and to selling their body parts for use in witchraft (muti) has been released by South African authorities.

Anthony and Gillian Dinnis, both in their 70s and originally from Kent, England, disappeared without a trace from their farm in KwaZulu-Natal’s Mooi River area on 30 August last year.

After their disappearance, their children began receiving strange text messages demanding money for their release.

The couple’s gardener soon became a suspect. He later admitted to being one of three men who kidnapped the couple, before killing and dismembering them. Their body parts were then sold, or planned to be sold, by the suspects.

Despite the confession, and being refused bail, the suspect was released on 13 June this year. The National Prosecuting Authority has said there is “insufficient evidence” to proceed with the prosecution.

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Georgia Judge Accused of Assaulting Cop at Club Claims She Was ‘Set Up’

A Georgia judge is claiming that her arrest at an Atlanta-area nightclub was a “setup” after she was caught on police body camera striking an officer in an altercation where she says she was only trying to help a woman who was being attacked.

Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson was arrested at the Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge in Buckhead shortly after 3:00 a.m. Thursday when police responded to a fight “between two separate parties,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 

While Peterson was “not involved in the initial altercation,” according to the arresting officer, he said he was “approached and struck with a closed fist by the accused, Christina Peterson.”

“Ms. Peterson then forcibly pushed the officer in the chest and kept swiping his hands away as he attempted to assist the female being escorted out,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a press release.  

“Ms. Peterson pushed the officer in the chest again and that is when she was subsequently placed into custody.”

The 38-year-old judge has since been charged with battery and felony obstruction, with body cam footage released by Atlanta Police Department (APD) showing her striking the cop and screaming “let her fucking go” as he attempts to break up the dispute.

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MSNBC Host Takes Issue With The Term ‘Illegal’ To Describe Rapists And Killers

During a discussion about the sheer volume of illegal aliens who have raped and killed Americans since arriving in the country, an MSNBC host appeared more offended by the use of the term “illegal” than by the crimes themselves.

The discussion was taking place between former RNC chairman Michael Steele, who somehow has sidestepped into being an MSNBC co-host, and Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts.

The pair were talking about Donald Trump’s vow to instigate mass deportations, with the justification that many who have come to the country illegally are committing crimes.

The other co-host, Symone Sanders-Townsend, attempted to downplay that reality by quoting some study or other from three years ago.

After Sanders-Townsend insisted she was “just giving the numbers,” Roberts countered “Well, what do you tell the parents of those people, those young girls that are being killed? This is absurd. The preponderance of these folks, Michael, are male…”

Steele interjected and asked, “What is the difference between an illegal immigrant who, unfortunately, engages in that activity…” with Sanders-Townsend then interrupting and stating “we don’t like that, I want to be clear, we don’t use the term ‘illegal’ for undocumented indviduals.”

Steele then pathetically corrected himself, “yes, undocumented individuals,” while Roberts asserted “they’re illegal aliens.”

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Rep. Neil Friske released from jail amid investigation into sexual assault, gun charges

State Rep. Neil Friske, R-Charlevoix, who was arrested early Thursday morning following a disturbance in Lansing that involved a firearm and a possible sexual assault, was released from the Lansing police lockup late Friday morning as Ingham County prosecutors continue to investigate possible charges against him.

Friske, 62, declined comment as he left the Lansing police station with his attorney, Edwar Zeineh of Lansing. Friske then drove away as a passenger in a red pickup truck.

“This is a case that is getting our full attention to show actual innocence,” Zeineh told the Free Press.

Records the Free Press obtained Friday through the online Michigan State Police criminal background service, the Internet Criminal History Access Tool, show Lansing police requested felony charges of sexual assault, assault, and a weapons-related offense against Friske. The lawmaker has not been charged or arraigned and it is not clear those are the charges he will ultimately face.

In a Friday news release, Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane’s Office said it has requested Lansing police to continue its investigation, and prosecutors are coordinating with law enforcement on the matter.

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Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal laughs at news coverage of migrant who raped NYC 13-year-old girl

Something funny, Congresswoman?

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) had herself a good chuckle during an MSNBC interview this week in which she mocked news coverage of the case of an Ecuadorian migrant accused of having bound, gagged and raped a 13-year-old girl in a Queens park.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus chairwoman scoffed at a Fox News chyron during a Tuesday appearance on “The Reidout” that touched on the appalling June 13 attack by Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, 25, who admitted to cops he recorded his sick deeds.

“There’s a lot of fear-mongering,” Jayapal told host Joy Reid after hailing President Biden’s executive order to extend permanent residency status to migrant spouses of US citizens who have lived in the country for at least 10 years.

Reid then turned Jayapal’s attention to a sample of Tuesday’s media coverage.

“Here’s the three cable networks’ reporting of this,” the host said. “Our [MSNBC’s] banner said, ‘Soon: Biden announces legal protections for undocumented spouses of citizens.’ CNN’s banner said, ‘Biden announces new protections for some undocumented spouses.’”

“Here was Fox’s banner, ‘Migrant arrested for raping 13-year-old New York City girl,’” she added, inaccurately claiming that the cable news ratings leader did not cover the executive order on its Tuesday broadcasts.

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‘His followers who worship Monkey and Elephant’: Democrat charged with felony for allegedly creating fake Facebook account to harass himself with racist, xenophobic messages

A candidate for county office in the far-flung Houston suburbs allegedly impersonated racists online — attacking himself with racist and xenophobic posts — in order to bring attention to his campaign.

Taral Patel, 30, has been the Democrat running for Fort Bend County Commission Precinct 3 since last year. As of this week, he stands accused of one count each of online impersonation, a third-degree felony, and misrepresentation of identity, a Class A misdemeanor.

On Sept. 18, 2023, Patel authored a lengthy Facebook post that contained an image collage of several different Facebook posts. Among those posts were instances of anti-Asian, anti-Pakistani, anti-Indian, anti-Hindu, anti-Chinese, anti-George Soros, anti-taxation, anti-Democrat, anti-curry, and anti-communist rhetoric. The collage featured multiple users often extolling the virtues of Christianity, America, and the GOP — as well as the Republican incumbent in the race — though a few such identities were redacted.

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GOP Congressman Says ‘Millions Of Marijuana Users’ Own Guns And Shouldn’t Face Prosecution Like Hunter Biden Did

Two Republican congressmen are challenging the basis of the conviction of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter for purchasing a gun while being a consumer of illegal drugs, with one pointing out that there are “millions of marijuana users” who own guns but should not be prosecuted.

After a federal jury found Hunter Biden guilty of three felony charges related to his purchase of a firearm while being a user of crack cocaine on Tuesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said he “might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it.”

“There are millions of marijuana users who own guns in this country, and none of them should be in jail for purchasing or possessing a firearm against current laws,” the congressman said.

This past December, attorneys for Hunter Biden called on a federal court to dismiss the case against their client based on a similar principle, arguing that prosecutors are applying an unconstitutional statute that would criminalize millions of marijuana consumers acting in compliance with state law if broadly enforced.

The federal statute banning people who use cannabis from buying or possessing firearms has been challenged in multiple federal courts over recent years, with one case pending a review in the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Rights Groups Join Fight Against Racially Biased Facial Recognition Tech

There is a small but growing lobby made up of people who have been wrongly arrested as a result of facial recognition technology. Among them is Robert Williams, an American who was handcuffed in front of his family in 2020 after police facial recognition misidentified him as a suspect in a federal larceny case.

Williams is now calling for police forces in Ireland to scrap their plans to deploy the biometric tech. In comments made at an event in Dublin hosted by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) and issued in a release, Williams points to the risk that comes with using tools that are prone to misidentify people of color.

“Federal studies have shown that facial recognition systems misidentify Asian and Black people up to 100 times more often than white people,” Williams says. “In America, we’re trying to undo the harms that FRT has already done. Here in Ireland, you have an opportunity not to introduce it in the first place. I hope your government will listen to experiences like mine and think twice before bringing FRT into policing.”

Williams refers to a 2019 report from NIST, which has since been updated, showing that some algorithms were 10 to 100 times more likely to misidentify a Black or East Asian than a white face. Not all of the algorithms evaluated are in commercial production, however, and others were found to have imperceptible differences in performance between demographics, prompting NIST Biometric Standards and Testing Lead Patrick Grother to urge those implementing facial recognition to be specific in evaluating bias.

Williams’ statement on the U.S. could also be debated, given the uptake of facial recognition technology by law enforcement agencies across the country. And while it is true that Irish police could still decide to pass on facial recognition, it is unlikely. The government is in the process of drafting legislation that would give Gardaí access to FRT. And police in the neighboring UK have embraced facial recognition with aplomb.

Nor is it merely an island thing. Police in Sweden are currently pushing against the limits of the still-fresh AI Act with plans to deploy 1:N facial recognition in public spaces. And Canadian police recently contracted Idemia to provide facial recognition services.

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