by Christopher Zoukis
More than 1,000 Americans were killed in 2017 by a particularly violent class of fellow citizens. Some of those killed by these highly trained gunmen were children, and many of them were unarmed. Are these shooters terrorists? Heavily armed gang members? No. They’re the police.
According to ...
by Christopher Zoukis
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted a California state prisoner’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus and vacated the prisoner’s convictions for first degree murder. The Court, in a 2-1 panel decision, found that the trial attorney failed to provide effective ...
by Christopher Zoukis
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the murder conviction of a 14-year-old boy who confessed to the crime after invoking his right to counsel. The Court concluded that the boy’s Miranda rights were violated.
The September 29, 2017 opinion reexamined the conviction of Jessie Rodriguez for ...
by Christopher Zoukis
How often do police officers shoot Americans? How many people do they kill? What color were victims of police shootings? Were they armed?
It would seem reasonable that an informed citizenry that employs an enormous paramilitary police force nationwide would know the answers to these questions—or, at ...
by Christopher Zoukis
Police officers in America hold powerful positions. These heavily armed men and women make daily decisions that greatly affect the citizens with whom they interact. Unfortunately, some cops misuse the power granted to them by abusing the individuals they are tasked to protect and serve.
When such ...
by Christopher Zoukis
Everybody stop dancing now.
On September 27, 2017, Taoufik Moalla was driving to the store when the 1990 C&C Music Factory hit "Everybody Dance Now" came on the radio. Inspired, Moalla began loudly singing along with the catchy tune. Fortunately for the citizens of St. Laurent, Canada, ...
by Chris Zoukis
Cook County, Illinois Chief Criminal Judge LeRoy K. Martin tossed the convictions of 15 criminal defendants on November 16, 2017 because the cases were linked to disgraced former Chicago Police Sergeant Ronald Watts.
All of the men whose cases were overturned claimed that they had been ...
by Christopher Zoukis
Marco Proano, 42, a former Chicago police officer, was sentenced to five years in federal prison on December 4, 2017 for unloading his weapon on a car full of teenagers in 2015.
Proano, an 11-year veteran of the force, was indicted in September 2016 for using unreasonable ...
by Christopher Zoukis
A lawsuit brought by a woman who was caught up and arrested in a case of mistaken identity has settled for $390,000. The case, brought in the Essex County, New Jersey Superior Court settled during mediation on March 7, 2007.
Three weeks after giving birth by C-section, ...
by Christopher Zoukis
A federal civil rights action alleging excessive force during arrest has resulted in a $25,000 jury verdict. The April 5, 2007 verdict provided $5,000 in compensatory damages and $20,000 in punitive damages against several officers.
Craig Boesing, 33, was arrested by Missouri police officer Joe Spiess. Boesing ...
