Saddest News Story Of The Day

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

AP: GLASGOW, Mont. (AP) — A West Virginia man who is hitchhiking across the country and writing a memoir called "The Kindness of America" was injured in a random, drive-by shooting in northeastern Montana, according to authorities.

George Zimmerman Is Like The Guy In “To Kill A Mockingbird”

Ken AshfordCrime, RaceLeave a Comment

I can't outdo TBogg on this: A member of the  family of gun-toting racist murderer and/or world’s worst wannabe mall-cop   George “Unarrested” Zimmerman  has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric  Holder accusing him of being too gosh-darned blackity blackblack  to go out and arrest clownish Fox news creation,  The Black Panthers: New Edition featuring Bell, Biv, and DeVoe. We … Read More

Something Else About That Strip Search Case

Ken AshfordConstitution, CrimeLeave a Comment

Greenwald points out a little known detail about the strip search decision: What virtually none of this anti-Florence commentary mentioned, though, was that the Obama DOJ formally urged the Court to reach the conclusion it reached. While the Obama administration and court conservatives have been at odds in a handful of high-profile cases (most notably Citizens United and the health care law), this is yet … Read More

The Crazy Conservatives On The Supreme Court Have No Sense Whatsoever

Ken AshfordCourts/Law, Crime, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Okay.  Imagine this. You are a 35 year old man.  One March day, you are a passenger in your family's SUV.  Your pregnant wife is driving, and your 4-year-old son is in the back seat.  You are driving to a Sunday dinner. Suddenly, you're stopped by a New Jersey state trooper.  Since you are the vehicle's registered owner, the officer runs … Read More

Bloody Zimmerman

Ken AshfordCrime, Race, Racial HomicidesLeave a Comment

The story from Zimmerman was that Trayvon gave him a broken nose, then got on top of him and pounded the back of his head against the pavement. You would think Zimmerman, being taken into the police station that night in the footage below, would be a bit more bloody:   ALSO this….  

Latest On The Trayvon Martin Killing

Ken AshfordCrime, RaceLeave a Comment

George Zimmerman has told police that Trayvon Martin decked him with a punch then jumped on top of the neighborhood watch volunteer and slammed his head into the sidewalk several times, the Orlando Senitnel reports, quoting unidentified police sources. This will be used to lend some sort of vindication to Zimmerman by those on the right. Except for a couple of things. One, it … Read More

The Florida Self-Defense Law Is Seriously Warped

Ken AshfordCrime, RaceLeave a Comment

In considering the Tryvon Martin case (where a black teenager armed with Skittles and iced tea was shot by a much bigger white guy on a "neighborhood watch", who later claimed "self-defense"), this timeline explainer from Mother Jones is indispensable if you want to understand the case and the context for these laws.  It is seriously messed up.  This is one example … Read More

An Anthem For Trayvon

Ken AshfordCrime, RaceLeave a Comment

  The good news coming out today is that the case against Zimmerman is going to a Florida Grand Jury… AND that the United States Civil Rights Division is looking into the matter. I understand the anger that Zimmerman wasn't arrested on the spot, and that his preposterous story of self-defense (that he was attacked by a black kid armed … Read More

What You Need To Know About The Death Of Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)

Ken AshfordCrime, Race1 Comment

On February 26, 2012, a 17-year-old African-American named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida. The shooter was George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old white man. Zimmerman admits killing Martin, but claims he was acting in self-defense. Three weeks after Martin’s death, no arrests have been made and Zimmerman remains free. Here is what everyone should know about the case: … Read More

Rutgers Verdict

Ken AshfordCrime, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

In late September 2010, many – myself included – were disturbed by the story coming out of Rutgers University regarding a gay freshman named Tyler Clementi who committed suicide (jumping off the George Washington bridge) after he learned his roommate, Dharun Ravi, had used a hidden webcam to secretly film Clementi engaging in homosexual behavior. I explored the case a little bit … Read More

Details On The Rutgers University “Gay Bullying” Case

Ken AshfordCrime, Sex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

In late September 2010, many — myself included — were disturbed by the story coming out of Rutgers University regarding a gay freshman named Tyler Clementi who committed suicide (jumping off the George Washington bridge) after he learned his roommate, Dharun Ravi, had used a hidden webcam to secretly film Clementi engaging in homosexual behavior. The New Yorker has a … Read More

A Judge Uses Common Sense

Ken AshfordCorporate Greed, CrimeLeave a Comment

The New York Times is reporting that federal judge Jed Rakoff has thrown out a proposed settlement between Citigroup and the SEC. The SEC had agreed to $285 million in exchange for no admission of wrongdoing in a complaint about Citigroup defrauding investors in a 2007 residential mortgage backed security. Citigroup had told the investors a third party was picking what assets … Read More

Shame

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

There are many sad aspects to the story I wrote about yesterday regarding the exotic animal farm owner in Ohio who killed himself after setting his animals free. The saddest, of course, is that so many animals running out in the wild had to be killed. This, for example, is a Regal Tiger.  Only 1400 of these magnificent creatures exist … Read More