Forensics Talk

Sentencing Guidelines, Discrimination, and Variance Explained

Crime & Consequences

     "From my stack of post-SCOTUS-term catch-up reading comes this executive summary of a study titled "Assessing Consistency and Fairness in Sentencing: A Comparative Study in Three States." It was released May 22 by the National Center for State Courts. I was not able to find the full study on the web site.

Movements to curb discretion in sentencing came into vogue in the 1970s and 1980s due to a suspicion that too much discretion was contributing to discrimination on the basis of impermissible factors, especially race. That concern was a large factor in the Supreme Court's decision tossing out unbridled discretion in capital sentencing in Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972), as Justice Thomas explained in his great concurrence in Graham v. Collins, 506 U.S. 461 (1993).* " Read More

A Parent's Guide To Internet Safety

This article, published by the FBI, is posted in both the Post & Pages sections of this weblog.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Pamphlet

Dear Parent:

     Our children are our Nation's most valuable asset. They represent the bright future of our country and hold our hopes for a better Nation.

     Our children are also the most vulnerable members of society. Protecting our children against the fear of crime and from becoming victims of crime must be a national priority.

     Unfortunately the same advances in computer and telecommunication technology that allow our children to reach out to new sources of knowledge and cultural experiences are also leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm by computer-sex offenders.

I hope that this pamphlet helps you to begin to understand the complexities of on-line child exploitation. For further information, please contact your local FBI office or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

Louis J. Freeh, Former Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Read Full Pamphlet

Advanced Criminal Investigative Analysis Course

     The following post is from my good colleague Lt. Raymond Foster who writes the Blog, Criminal Justice Online, and is a contributing member of our Forensic Consulting Groups list-serv. Forensic Consulting Groups is a private list-serv forum in which professionals can communicate and share information about all aspects of the medical, legal, forensics, criminal justice, and investigative fields. If you are are a professional and are interested in joining, send me an email or go to Forensics Consulting Groups and request to join.

     Criminal Justice Online

     Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Advanced Criminal Investigative Analysis Course

The Scottsdale Police Department in Arizona will host an Advanced Criminal Investigative Analysis Course from August 18th thru 22nd. The course will be presented by Phoebe L. Kelsoe, Ph.D. of the Alpha Group Center for Crime and Intelligence Analysis Training, and may also fulfill your state's peace officer commission (POST, TCLOSE, etc.) requirements for continuing education or training hours.

Designed primarily for investigators and crime analysts who are responsible for investigating or assisting in the investigation of homicide, in-class projects also deal with the crime of rape. Other relevant issues are examined as well. For example, you will learn how to identify the personality and behavioral characteristics of the victim and the offender in child abductions, how to identify the physical, behavioral, and personality characteristics of offenders who attack and kill elderly women, and how to analyze information contained in police reports to actually develop a profile that describes the type of offender who most likely committed the crime.

Each participant will receive a copy of the "Advanced Criminal Investigative Analysis Study Guide and Workbook." This manual provides numerous pages of class notes and supplemental reading material that will be used extensively throughout the course, and a copy of "Case Management for Missing Children Homicide Investigation." This booklet provides a wealth of information about offenders who commit child homicides, their victims, crime scene patterns, violent acts, and their motivations for committing such violent crimes. Tuition for the course is $525 and includes the week of instruction, the text, and all related course materials.

To obtain a course brochure or to register for the course, please contact Det. Jennifer Paxson at the Scottsdale Police Department, 10225 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale, AZ 85258; by phone at (480) 312-6318, by fax at (480) 312-9018, or by e-mail at jpaxson@scottsdaleaz.gov. Additional information about the content of the course can also be found on the Alpha Group website at www.alphagroupcenter.com.

Posted by Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA at 4:42 PM

Texas man gets 4,060 years in prison for sex abuse

  Washington Post.com

   The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 2, 2008; 10:36 PM

WEATHERFORD, Texas -- A man was sentenced to more than 4,000 years in prison Wednesday for sexually assaulting three teenage girls over two years.

A day after finding James Kevin Pope guilty, jurors sentenced him to 40 life prison terms _ one for each sex assault conviction _ and 20 years for each of the three sexual performance of a child convictions.

At the request of prosecutors, state District Judge Graham Quisenberry ordered Pope to serve the sentences consecutively, adding up to 4,060 years. He will be eligible for parole in the year 3209, according to the Parker County District Attorney's Office.

"We believe it was a just result," prosecutor Robert DuBoise said, adding that he was "overwhelmed" with the judge's decision to stack the sentences... Read More

Economy Taking Toll on Public Defenders' Offices

Legal Blog Watch

      It's not just Biglaw attorneys facing lay-offs in these recessionary economic times.  ABC News reports that severe budget shortfalls are forcing public defender offices across the country to fire or furlough attorneys.  Anticipating increased workload due to reductions in staff, some public defenders' offices have said that they will begin to reject cases.  But this solution raises a constitutional dilemma as the Sixth Amendment entitles criminal defendants to assistance of counsel. 

So what's the response to the anticipated shortfall?  Perhaps a budget increase so that PD offices won't have to cut staff?  Or what about appointing all lawyers in private practice to take on cases to help with the shortfall?  Of course not.   Instead, there's talk that judges will punish local defenders for turning down cases by holding them in contempt.  At least in Florida, state law provides that judges may not allow a public defender to withdraw from a case based only on inadequate funding or excess workload.

In the meantime, here's my proposal:  Read More

Molester Gets 14 years Jail and 18 Strokes Of the Cane

Simply Jean

     It may be cold comfort for some, but some molesters do get justice served on them - albeit a few. In such cases, it is usually very difficult for the victim to claim against the violator, as it’s usually a person’s words against another. Many a times, the violator gets away scot-free because there is simply insufficient evidence. At the same time, it may be a shameful thing that not many victims will want to make public - doing which may risk them being labelled, particularly from people who thinks that it takes 2 hands to clap. These group of people will probably feel that girls who are raped probably deserve it.

A recent post from a local blogger drew flames from many netizens, who copied and pasted the post in forums such as the SammyBoy and CNA forums. While some have expressed sympathy for the victim, many have called her names and insinuated that she deserved what she got. After all, she “only got touched” and not raped. One blogger has also noted that these are signs of deterioriation in the moral of the society - where people think that it’s the victim’s fault for leading the violator on...Read More