Archive for crime
Killing an Abortion Doctor: Maybe Not So Bad, Judge Rules
The judge in the George Tiller homicide case has ruled that, at least for now, the defense may present the jury with the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. If convicted on this lesser charge, Scott Roeder may end up spending only a few years in prison for what everyone agrees was a deliberate act: Roeder [...]
On the Brink of Hate Crimes Law Protecting the LGBT Community
Tomorrow, President Obama is expected to sign the hate crimes bill (smuggled into an essential military spending measure) that will, at last, extend the reach of protection to those attacked and seriously wounded or killed because of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Before I offer an opinion on the measure, it’s worth pausing for [...]
Despair Over Guns
Consistent majorities of Americans favor sensible gun-control laws. Of course, there’s disagreement as to what counts as “sensible,” but it hardly matters. No gun control of any kind seems to be possible as long as the NRA maintains its inexplicable death grip over federal law-makers.
I’ve sort of given up on the issue. A few years [...]
Vigilante Justice, Continued
According to an article on philly.com (which hosts both the Inquirer and the Daily News), vigilante justice is OK with the prosecutors and the police — sometimes. The story details the prosecution of a man who beat another guy who’d allegedly raped his 14-year-old niece. The uncle who did the beating, Antwione Hough, has been [...]
The Hierarchy of Lawlessness
Let’s play a depressing game. Consider these stories, and spot as many cases of lawlessness as you can:
As I wrote about a couple of days ago, a Philadelphia mob attacked and severely beat a rape suspect. The actions were condoned, encouraged, and rewarded by city officials. In this piece, Columbia University Professor Marc Lamont Hill [...]
Andrew Sullivan’s “Familiar Feeling” — and a Qualified Defense of Obama
Well, we’re not even four months into the Obama Administration and already the LGBT community is frustrated at the pace of developments. And, really, who can blame us, after the betrayals of the Clinton Administration and the hostility of his successor who-must-not-be-named? Here’s Andrew Sullivan, in a sobering and angry piece on the Atlantic website [...]
Community Service
The Honorable Daniel Anders is a Philadelphia trial court judge currently assigned to Family Court. Based on my own experience with that court as a foster parent (likely the subject of a future post), I can attest to the difficulty of the family court judge’s job. Cases come in a ceaseless barrage, threatening to flatten [...]