Tag: crime

Florida’s revival of death penalty fuels rise in US executions in 2023

The US saw a rise in executions in 2023 as a result of Florida’s revival of the death penalty, amid Ron DeSantis’s “tough on crime” campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

DeSantis scheduled six executions this year – the first time the state has judicially killed people since 2019 and the largest number in almost a decade. Florida also handed down five new death sentences this year, more than any other state.

Florida’s sudden return to the death business accounts for the increase in execution numbers nationwide, which rose to 24 in 2023 from 18 in 2022 – a startling reversal of the death penalty’s historical decline across the US.

The flurry of executions greenlit by DeSantis is highlighted in the annual review of capital punishment released on Friday by the authoritative Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). The report points to a sharp dichotomy that while the ultimate punishment is generally on the wane in the US – this year was the ninth in a row when fewer than 30 prisoners were put to death – there is rising concern about the visceral unfairness of the practice.

In Florida’s case, the number of executions carried out this year raises a disturbing ethical prospect: can the cost of DeSantis’s bid for the White House be counted not only in the millions of dollars spent on the campaign trail, but also in human lives?

This is not the first time that the death penalty has been injected into presidential posturing. Bill Clinton, keen to quash claims that he was soft on crime, memorably quit the campaign trail in 1992 to return to Arkansas, where he was then governor, for the execution of a mentally impaired prisoner, Rickey Ray Rector.

DeSantis has similarly made law and order a central pillar of his challenge to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. In addition to increasing penalties for drug traffickers, DeSantis has passed two new death penalty laws this year designed to make it easier to send people to death row.

The first allows the death sentence to be meted out in cases of the non-fatal sexual assault of a child – a direct contravention of a 2008 US supreme court ruling that prohibits such penalties.

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Wrongfully convicted Philadelphia man released from prison after 27 years, prosecutors say

A Philadelphia man who has been incarcerated for nearly three decades was released from prison Thursday after prosecutors now say he was wrongfully convicted.

Eddie Ramirez, 47, has spent the last 27 years behind bars after he was convicted of killing Joyce Dennis, a laundromat employee who was found brutally beaten to death at work after a robbery in 1995.

The district attorney’s office says Ramirez was convicted of a crime despite no physical evidence tying him to the case. After reviewing the case, prosecutors argued for all charges against Ramirez to be vacated, which a judge granted Thursday morning in front of a packed courtroom that broke out in cheers following the announcement.

“Oh my God, I feel my heart’s going to come out and I feel I got my baby coming back home,” said Maria Ramirez, Eddie’s mom.

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Los Angeles social justice group founder shot, killed by homeless woman who broke into his home

A homeless woman allegedly broke into the Los Angeles home of a 33-year-old social worker on Monday and shot him to death. The suspect, Jameelah Elena Michl, 36, was arrested on the scene. Michael Latt was taken to a hospital and later died of his injuries. Michl had reportedly been living in her car, and it’s unclear if Michl and Latt were acquainted. 

Latt was a social justice advocate and founder of the group Lead with Love. The marketing consulting group had a mission to elevate black and minority entertainers in Hollywood. Latt was associated with rapper Common, along with Ilhan Omar, Stacey Adams and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

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A Los Angeles Jail Let a Woman Die of Withdrawal, Then a Coroner Allowed Her Body To Decompose

Amanda Bews was arrested last September after shoplifting from a Los Angeles-area liquor store. Within two days, she would be found unresponsive in a jail cell, dead from apparent alcohol and drug withdrawal. 

According to a lawsuit filed this month, that wasn’t the only way jail employees mishandled Bews’ case. Not only did jail employees fail to treat Bews, despite numerous medical records stating she would need withdrawal medications, but once she had died, the jail mishandled her remains, leading to major decomposition that Bews’ mother said made her daughter look “mummified” 

After her arrest on September 7, Bews was first taken to a local hospital before booking, due to her admission of extremely heavy alcohol use and recent heroin use. According to the lawsuit, Bews told staff about her substance history and her drinking “just prior” to her arrest. Her arrest records state that she was a “prolonged heavy drinking.”

When medical staff released her, they gave law enforcement medical documents that “would have included Amanda’s history of alcohol dependence and heavy recent use,” according to the lawsuit.

“In her ED Summary Report, the ‘disposition’ is listed as ‘TO ACUTE CARE FACILITY,’ indicating that Amanda should have received acute care (meaning consistent monitoring and inpatient treatment) at the jail she would be booked into,” the complaint reads.

However, Bews didn’t get this necessary treatment. Instead, she was placed into a shared cell during the afternoon of September 8th. Just after midnight on the 9th, the complaint says that staff cleared Bews “for detox and required no medications,” and they “stopped treating Amanda for detoxification and withdrawal.”

At 4:30 a.m., Bews was found unresponsive. Staff gave her a dose of Narcan, but she was pronounced dead at 5:29 a.m. According to an autopsy, the levels of drugs and alcohol in Bews’ system were indicative of withdrawal and there was vomit in her airways.

“On information and belief, deputies also did not check on Amanda during this time, as her condition would have obviously deteriorated. Or, if deputies had, they failed to summon medical care during this time despite her deterioration.”

After Bews’ death, the lawsuit states that both the county medical examiner and Chapel of the Light, a private funeral home hired by the county, mishandled Bews’ remains, leading to considerable decomposition of her body.

The coroners “failed to use the standard of care a reasonably careful person working at a medical examiner’s office would use to handle human remains prior to transfer to their loved ones’ family members. A reasonably careful employee of a medical examiner’s office would at minimum properly refrigerate the remains,” according to the complaint.

“Upon completion of the autopsy and transfer of the remains to Chapel of the Light, Amanda’s remains had deteriorated significantly,” the suit reads. “The County transferred custody of the remains to Chapel of the Light, but Chapel of the Light allowed Amanda’s remains to further deteriorate.”

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Trump-boosted conspiracist guilty of assaulting FBI agent investigating him for sex crimes

A Maine falconer who floated a bizarre conspiracy theory boosted by Donald Trump has been convicted of assaulting a federal officer.

Alan Howell Parrot was found guilty by a jury Wednesday of kicking an FBI agent in the stomach when investigators attempted to execute a search warrant June 22 at his Hancock home to determine whether he was in possession of child sexual abuse materials, reported the Bangor Daily News.

“While the agents were trying to enter the residence, Parrot attempted to close the door and became combative, kicking one agent in the abdomen and pushing her backwards, resulting in injuries to her arm and elbow,” federal prosecutors said in a statement.

The 68-year-old Parrot faces up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, although the status of the child pornography investigation was not made clear by federal prosecutors.

Trump boosted a conspiracy theory propagated by Parrot weeks before the 2020 election that alleged Osama bin Laden had survived the raid on his compound nearly a decade earlier by using a body double, and then claimed that then-vice president Joe Biden had ordered the murder of Navy SEALs to cover up that purported failure.

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Uvalde mass shooter’s ‘ex-girlfriend’, 19, is arrested for making sick threats against community – including planning to shoot up schools, bomb hospitals and kill public officials

The self-proclaimed ‘ex-girlfriend’ of Uvalde mass shooter Salvador Ramos has been arrested for making threats against the community – including planning to shoot up schools and bomb hospitals.

Victoria Gabriela Rodríguez-Morales, 19, is charged with 13 counts of making interstate threats between May and October 2023.

The sick taunts were aimed at schools, hospitals and law enforcement in the Texas town of Uvalde – the site of a devastating mass shooting by Ramos. 

Ramos, 18, shot and killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 and injured 17 before he was killed by police.

Many of Rodríguez-Morales’ alleged threats reference the shooting, including calling the victims ‘little losers’ who ‘deserved those bullets’ per an FBI indictment.

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Texas Synagogue Arsonist Who Confessed to Crime in His Journal Sentenced For Hate Crime Charges

A Texas man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $470,000 in restitution for a hate crime and arson in which he set fire to the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 31, 2021.

Franklin Sechriest, 19, of San Marcos, pleaded guilty to a hate crime and arson charges on April 7. Sechriest admitted that he targeted the synagogue because of his hatred of Jews, and journals recovered from the defendant were replete with virulent antisemitic statements and views. Sechriest also possessed several decals and stickers expressing antisemitic messages.

“This defendant is being held accountable for this depraved, antisemitic attack on Congregation Beth Israel, a community with a rich history and heritage that dates back to 1876,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This hate-filled act of violence against a house of worship was an attempt to sow fear in the Jewish community and was intended to intimidate its congregants. Attacks targeting Jewish people and arsons aimed at desecrating synagogues have no place in our society today, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute antisemitic violence.”

“No one should have to fear that their daily lives will be inflicted by hate-fueled violence, or that their place of worship and community could become a target of hate,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We stand firmly committed to those impacted by this arson, and my office will continue to combat criminal acts of hate while seeking justice for the victims.”

“Hate crimes have the power to devastate and terrorize entire communities. To target a place of worship, a space meant to be a sanctuary in every sense of the word, is one of the most heinous acts that can be committed,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “We remain dedicated to investigating hate crimes and will continue to work relentlessly to hold responsible those who would commit violent acts based on hate.”

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Arizona tribal cop is accused of ‘sickening’ cover-up after fatal hit-and-run on Thanksgiving: Mowed down woman, 30, and then returned to the scene to ‘investigate’ – even going to her parents home with other officers to tell them she was dead

An Arizona cop has been accused of ‘sickening’ cover-up after a woman was killed in a fatal hit-and-run – and he allegedly returned to the scene to ‘investigate.’

Mom-of-two Iris Billy, 30, was hit and killed on State Route 73 in Arizona by a driver at 3.30am on the morning of Thanksgiving. The person driving the car fled the scene – and police launched their hunt for the driver. 

Police in charge of the investigation quickly realized that the main suspect in the hit-and-run was in fact another officer.  

Josh Anderson, 49, an officer of the White Mountain Apache Police Deptartment, was arrested and is facing a slew of criminal charges. Anderson’s patrol vehicle was found with damage that was ‘consistent with a collision with a pedestrian.’

He was on duty when the crash happened – and he even responded to the scene later on, and then went to Billy’s family home with other officers to inform her family with the news that Billy had died. 

Anderson, a tribal officer who had spent two decades in the force, was charged with assault, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault causing serious physical injury, and criminal negligence.  

He was also charged with reckless driving, interference with an officer, death caused by a vehicle and leaving the scene of a fatality collision. 

The case has been turned over to the FBI – and the sheriff’s office said Anderson resigned following his arrest. 

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said: ‘This is an extremely sad time for the family of the victim, the men and women at the White Mountain Apache Police Department, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. 

‘This event is an isolated incident and is not a reflection of the fine police officers that serve and protect the citizens of the White Mountain Apache Reservation every day.

‘The White Mountain Apache Police Department acted in a swift, transparent, and aggressive manner to find the facts and document the incident. 

‘Their professionalism and vigilance throughout the investigation resulted in the ability to gather evidence and facts surrounding the death of Iris Billy.’

Billy’s sister, Phylene Burnette, said: ‘It is very disturbing, sickening and heartless. 

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Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s Car Stolen Just Before Joe Biden’s Arrival for Campaign Event

Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s car was stolen on Tuesday, just before Joe Biden arrived in the blue city.

Denver has been plagued with crime and rising auto thefts in recent years.

Biden landed in Denver Tuesday afternoon for a campaign event and was greeted by Johnston at Air Force One.

A spokesperson for Johnston’s office confirmed that his car was stolen but declined to offer additional details about what had happened — or where.

“The spokesperson declined to share more details about where it happened or what the vehicle looks like ‘to protect the safety of Mayor Johnston and his family.’ So it’s unclear whether the theft happened in Denver or elsewhere,” Fox31 reports.

According to the report, “Colorado’s auto theft rate climbed by the fastest rate in the nation from 2011 to 2020, jumping 144% during those years.”

“In Denver, the picture is no better, where rising auto theft makes up a large chunk of overall crime. That includes thefts at Denver International Airport, where police saw more theft than ever this year.”

Johnston himself had campaigned on addressing the issue of car theft.

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Jabar Walker Exonerated After 25 Years of Wrongful Conviction in Manhattan Double Homicide

Jabar Walker was exonerated today in Manhattan after more than a quarter century of wrongful conviction and incarceration for a double homicide he did not commit. The exoneration came after a joint reinvestigation by the Innocence Project and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit revealed new evidence of Mr. Walker’s innocence.

Mr. Walker was convicted in the 1995 murders of Ismael De La Cruz and William Santana Guzman on 148th Street in Manhattan, following an investigation by officers from New York Police Department’s 30th Precinct. The precinct was known at the time as the “Dirty 30” due to widespread corruption amongst its officers.  

Misconduct in the precinct was so rampant that an investigation by the Mollen Commission, formed by New York City to investigate allegations of NYPD corruption, resulted in the arrest of 33 officers  — a staggering one-sixth of the precinct — in the 1990s. The Mollen Commission found that officers in the “Dirty 30” routinely engaged in perjury, record falsification, thefts during searches and seizures, and distribution of narcotics.

The Innocence Project and Post-Conviction Justice Unit’s joint re-investigation revealed police from the precinct pressured a witness, John Mobley, to incriminate Mr. Walker by falsely saying that Mr. Walker had admitted to the crime. Police questioned Mr. Mobley, showing him photos of other crime scenes and implied that they would charge him with those homicides if he did not cooperate. On the day of Mr. Walker’s sentencing in 1998, Mr. Mobley went to Mr. Walker’s attorney’s office seeking to recant that testimony — and has recanted his testimony under oath a number of times since. 

Further new evidence of Mr. Walker’s innocence includes the fact that the prosecution’s sole eyewitness to identify Mr. Walker as the assailant, Vanessa Vigo, misidentified another innocent man in a different neighborhood shooting and received monetary benefits in connection with her testimony against Mr. Walker. Ms. Vigo’s account of the shooting was riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, and key facts in her account changed from the time of her first conversation with police to the trial. Another eyewitness to the shooting who was familiar with Mr. Walker is adamant that he is not the person he saw committing the crime. 

“We thank DA Bragg’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit for a truly collaborative and transparent joint-reinvestigation, which stands as a model for how post-conviction innocence claims can and should be investigated in a non-adversarial process. The joint re-investigation, guided by a commitment to transparency and the ascertainment of truth, revealed a myriad of ways where the system failed Mr. Walker, and uncovered pervasive misconduct that led to his wrongful conviction and new evidence of what he has stated all along — he is innocent. He has now spent more than half of his life in prison for a crime he did not do,” said Vanessa Potkin, Innocence Project’s director of special litigation.

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