Tragic Police Shooting Ends in Conviction of Officer

A California Transit Police Officer shot and killed a suspect by mistake, on January 1, 2009.  Apparently he meant to deploy his Taser, and mistakenly fired his firearm into the suspects back.  He has been convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and is awaiting sentencing.  The story is HERE on at CNN.com

There is actual cell phone video of the shooting here at YouTube. 

Comments? Thoughts?

Our Neighbor to the South Bans Texting While Driving

If Delaware can do it, why doesn't Pennsylvania?  Del. Gov. Jack Markell signed a bill today that will prohibit drivers from texting or using hand held cell phones while driving.  (article here at DelcoTimes) Sounds like a great idea to me.  I see people reading and typing on their phone while driving all of the time, and I'm powerless to do anything about it.  At least in Delaware the police can enforce the potentially life-saving law.  While Delaware lawmakers are trying to make the highways safer, Pennsylvania lawmakers are dragging their feet.  (read here at DailyLocal)

A Reason Not to Legalize

The news story linked here from Philly.com might make you re-think your pro-legalization stance.

Technical Difficulties

For some reason, comments are slow to be published.  I don't know what the issue is, but I'm working on it.  Trust me, I'm not trying to censor apposing view points.

Accused Drug Dealer Acquitted, Entrapment Says the Judge

Last week, Judge Bortner found Kevin Clark not guilty of possessing drugs with the intent to sell them, saying that he was entrapped by the police and a police informant.  Defense attorney Fran Miller argued successfully that the informant enticed and encouraged Kevin Clark to commit an act that he otherwise would not have committed.  Entrapment is a rare defense, one I've not seen used successfully in more than 10 years in Law Enforcement. 

The Story is HERE at The DAILY LOCAL NEWS website.  The "Entrapment"section of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code is reprinted below for reference

18 PA CS 313 - Entrapment - A public law enforcement official, or a person action in cooperation with such an official, perpetrates an entrapment if for the purposes of obtaining evidence of the commission of an offense, he induces or encourages another person to engage in conduct constituting such offense by either:


1) by making knowingly false representations designed to induce the belief that such conduct is not prohibited, or;
2) employing methods of persuasion or inducement which create a substantial risk that such an offense will be committed by persons other than those who are ready to commit it.

One less drug dealer off the street, I guess. 

Happy Independance Day

Happy Fourth of July, Americans!

Part II: Cons of Legalization

Ok, how about some negative implications of legalizing drugs. When some proponents of legalization speak about it, they compare alcohol to illicit drugs, including marijuana. Often, they explain how alcohol is worse for the body than marijuana, which may very well be true. The problem I have with that argument is that two wrongs don't make a right. The government regulates the sale of alcohol, and alcohol hurts people. Should the government get into the business of regulating and profiting from even more drugs that hurt people? I say "no".

Alcohol is legal now and DUI is a growing problem. Drunk drivers kill too many people on the roads every year. Imagine if there were as many "high" drivers as there were drunk drivers. I'd have to start taking the train!

While drug related street violence would likely decline, would drug use increase drastically if it were legal and easy to get drugs? If a young person could buy heroin at the Wawa like they buy cigarettes now, would drug abuse skyrocket? I think that it might. If it did skyrocket, there'd be unthinkable fallout from the increased amounts of drug addicts roaming the streets.

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