March2017
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Why Mandatory “Thin Blue Line” Stickers Won’t Win Hearts and Minds
Mar 3, 2017(Comments: 11)March 3, 2017 (Fault Lines) — I grew up in Chicago’s southwest suburbs. I still vividly recall Orland Park’s water tower – painted like a white golf ball perched upon a green tee. In huge block... -
Judge Silberman to Notorious RBG: Shut Up!
Mar 3, 2017(Comments: 2)March 3, 2017 (Fault Lines) — Justice Ginsburg reminds me of my grandmother. My grandmother would have been almost the same age as Justice Ginsburg. She was a first-generation American, born and raised in Manhattan. So,... -
Coming to a PD Near You: Violent “Gypsy Cops”
Mar 2, 2017(Comments: 2)March 2, 2017 (Fault Lines) — Is there something that’s more dangerous, that looks worse for America’s law enforcement, than when it plays the dangerous shell game of “gypsy cops,” in which officers who’ve committed serious... -
Playing the Hand You’re Dealt in Prison Reform
Mar 2, 2017(Comments: 2)”Fella gets used to a place, it’s hard to go,” said Casy. “Fella gets use’ to a way of thinkin’ it’s hard to leave.” -John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath March 2, 2017 (Fault Lines) —... -
Chipotle’s Mark Crumpacker: It’s Not About the Money
Mar 2, 2017(Comments: 4)March 2, 2017 (Fault Lines) — Ol’ Blue Eyes once crooned that he “wanted to wake up in the city that never sleeps.” Chipotle executive Mark Crumpacker apparently never wanted to go to sleep in the... -
What’s in a 20-Year Sentence for Jose Torres?
Mar 2, 2017(Comments: 20)March 2, 2017 (Fault Lines) – Two seemingly contradictory things are true of Kayla Norton and Jose Torres. First, they engaged in an appalling array of abusive conduct across two counties. Second, the sentences they received... -
Nonviolent Drug Offenders, a False Bill of Goods
Mar 2, 2017(Comments: 4)March 2, 2017 (Fault Lines) — Criminal justice reform and mass incarceration are hot topics every time a new legislative body pops up in America. One of the biggest areas of concern is whether our jails... -
The Lawyer Who Was Worse Than Nothing
Mar 1, 2017(Comments: 6)Judge Lisa Richette was a sensitive soul. Reportedly, a pretty defense-friendly one too. Local lawyers would waive their right to a jury trial in front of her, hoping for a more favorable outcome. And this did... -
Thoughts on Compassionate Release and the Week That Was
Mar 1, 2017(Comments: 3)March 1, 2017 (Fault Lines) — I don’t particularly mind sending somebody to prison knowing that he or she may die within the walls. The following image captures my lizard brain as I pronounce such a... -
Corrupt Sgt. Ronald Watts: Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Mar 1, 2017(Comments: 4)March 1, 2017 (Fault Lines) — Prosecutors may be investigating if a corrupt Chicago cop tainted other convictions, as the headline for the article explains, but they’d have to be the stupidest bunch of prosecutors on...