Too Much Noise From the School

School cited for excessive noise after neighbor complains to police. For more on the story click here.

Teenage Police Officer

Teenager poses as a police officer for a shift before he is caught. How alert are these police if a 14 year old can pass off as one? For more about what the teenager did and how he got caught click here.

Do you believe now?

Don't believe in Santa Claus?

A 9-year-old Texas girl does, and good thing apparently. In a letter she wrote to Santa, she asked that a relative stop touching her and her sister inappropriately. The letter and subsequent interviews led to the relative's arrest on molestation charges. Innocent until proven guilty of course, but what a blessing this wish came even before Christmas day. Read the Associated Press article here.

Do you believe now?

The proper way to abandon a baby

Various news sources are reporting that a young couple in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, has been charged with child neglect after abandoning their child at a fire station. After reading the headlines and lead to the story, I was confused because I thought S.C. must have a safe law that allows people to abandon infants at the hospital or fire station. Well, they do, but because the parents did not ensure the child was safe before they left, they have been charged. Apparently they left the child in only a towel in 30 degree weather. When the baby was found, it's body temperature was only 88 degrees.

So, I understand the concern and am thankful the baby was found alive. I wonder, though, about how much and how well the law about abandoning babies is communicated in terms of what is required of the persons leaving the child. (I doubt if people are using this route, that they want to stick around.) I mean they didn't put the baby in a bathroom at a gas station or in the trash somewhere. I am just saying, it seems they made an effort to do the right thing. They didn't do it right, but the effort was there. I just hope their arrests and charges do not deter people from "doing the right thing" in the event that some other young couple decides they don't want or can't take care of a baby appropriately. Just FYI, the father of the child is 21, I believe, and the mother is now 17, but was 16 at the time of the abandonment. I do believe in other outlets like adoption, but like adoption I'd guess this is a tough decision to make for the parents.

Apparently some people are above the law

Okay, so it's really nothing new... some people are above the law and we know it, but check out this recent article about a Jackson County, Missouri establishing its first code of ethics... Here are the the highlights:
From The Examiner - The code of ethics will "govern all county business... The order, signed by Executive Mike Sanders, will establish guidelines for county employees." But here comes the interesting part -

"The code will not cover county legislators or other elected county officials.
However, on Monday legislators decided to have staff draft an ordinance that
gives their stamp of approval to the document."

Hmmm. Does that sound right to you? Let's be glad they support it though ; )

An update to: Charlotte, NC teachers reprimanded for web content...

...from the Charlotte Observer "Teachers and Facebook: Privacy vs. standards." What should we think? Are teachers held to a higher standard? Should they be? Are the sexual poses okay? What about the comments about the students?

If you can vote, you should vote

With the help of the local NAACP chapter and the local Sheriff, 21 inmates in the Catawba County, NC jail registered to vote. The Sheriff is working with the board of elections to have polls brought to the jail - I would guess some in addition to the newly registered will vote also. Read the article here.

Will you vote in the presidential election? What do you think about the Sheriff going out of his way to make it happen for the inmates there?

Technology advancements - a blessing or means to a curse?

To follow up on "Social networkers, beware", here's a tale of teenagers in separate incidences who are in trouble at school, and some with the law, for sending inappropriate images of themselves, by email and cell phone. The charges for one girl could include her having to register as a sexual offender - that's a lifetime stigma. And once you are on the a sex offender list, the reason why you had to initially register becomes lost. You are just a sex offender with the restrictions and discriminations associated with it. But, more in line with my earlier Beware post, you just don't know where these images may end up... once you send those things to other folks, you lose control of the images of yourself. The ABC news article discusses a boy who posted nude or nearly nude pictures of his ex-girlfriend online. I bet that wasn't what she had planned when she sent them to him - but that was before she broke up with him of course.

But I may be wrong, it may not be that these young people don't understand the possible repercussions, it might be that they just don't care. Should they care?

Means to a curse? Check out this article about how false and/or expunged convictions are making their way into background checks and spoiling people's chances at housing and employment. Database sharing and mining is causing information that has once been removed to pop up again, and it's ruining some people's lives.

Couple splits home in divorce, literally

Cambodian couple agrees to a split... To avoid going through the legal system, a divorcing couple decides to split everything in half, including the house, literally. For more on the "split" and why they divorced click here.

A house for real cheap

Read this article about a woman who bought a house for $1.75 on eBay... the house was in foreclosure and looks run down but still... The article says she has to pay yard cleanup costs too, so I am guessing the sale includes the land too (as it should, but you know how folks do funny stuff sometimes). The bank sure took an L.

What is it that makes repeat offenders continue to offend?

The young man in this article isn't the first recently who is accused of committing a crime while wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet in the Charlotte area. That just doesn't make good sense to me. He is apparently a repeat offender, but what causes people to act out in this way. There has got to be something down deep that would cause someone to show that little use of common sense. I mean, they use GPS to monitor your location. It seems like a slam dunk in terms of securing a conviction. Read this WCNC article. What do you think?

"Sagging pants" law unconstitutional

Judge Paul Moyle says "sagging pants" law is unconstitutional. To read more about the decision and the arrest that started it click here.

And read our recent Baggy Pants Crackdown post.

Intruder killed with his own weapon

Wife, mother of two starts struggle with 'potential' burglar that leads to her husband shooting the two bad guys, killing one. To read more about how Texas mother protected her family click here.

Only in America

I wonder if the two groups can come to an agreement...
Click here to read about the KKK store and the black church.

Aaron said crime doesn't pay...

Recently in Charlotte, a homeowner walked in on an alleged intruder and ended up shooting and killing him... this hasn't been confirmed by police as a clean shoot, but if all is as the homeowner says... Man, crime doesn't pay. Check out the Charlotte Observer article here.

And, check out Crime can put you in a tight spot, another incident in support of crime not paying off.

Say it ain't so

Shortly after being released by the Detroit Lions, former NFL player Tatum Bell allegedly stole the luggage of a player they signed to replace him. Read about it here.

I pretty much have no words... except, I hope this isn't true. And I know what my dad would say... Forget the numbers part and read It's the "numbers" OR ... the "THUGS" part is what I'm talking about. I'm not saying he is a THUG, I'm just saying that dad would say it.

It's the "numbers" OR ...

From AOL Sports - Two Jaguars Greats Arrested

It's the "numbers". Get it? Jimmy 8 2. Fred 2 8. Got it? It's something funny about those numbers!

OR, they're both THUGS. Pick your choice, it's one or the other. Clearly not role models for little (or big) kids.

BB

DUI checkpoint tonight on U.S. 321

Yep, that's the headline for a Rock Hill (S.C) Herald article which outlines the times and location of an upcoming DUI checkpoint. Seems to defeat the purpose to me, but I'm sure some folks will still get caught drinking and driving. I will do my best to followup and let you know how many get cited and/or arrested.

Mentally ill or faking it?

We've heard in the past about people who are normal and mentally coherent who try to claim mental incapacity as a reason they cannot stand trial for a crime they admit to committing, or as a defense to the crime. There's a process in place in which these defendants are evaluated by psychologists who determine their mental capacity and their fitness to stand trial. Now, I have folks in the mental health profession in my family; and even perhaps some who are mentally ill in my family, so I in no way hope to discount the ability of mental health professionals or the reality of mental illness.

Recently in North Carolina, a judge ruled that a man who came to court for his trial in a suit and tie and with his own feces smeared all over himself, would stand trial. The defendant, Artives Freeman, apparently again, despite being in restraints, smeared feces on himself for his competency hearing. As a lay person, let me say, this sounds pretty crazy to me. Well, after evaluation by a trained professional, Freeman was determined to be faking mental illness, and he will stand trial. There are more details to this case, as outlined in an Aug. 25 Charlotte Observer article, like the fact that Freeman wants to represent himself and the judge determined he wasn't competent for that. The judge also left the door open for the defense to revisit the diminished mental capacity issue - as they have established Freeman's intellect is "significantly below average", but according to the psychologist, he is not mentally retarded.

I know what this situation looks like to me, but the reality is that I haven't met this man and should leave the determination of his sanity/mental fitness to the pros. But, my goodness, it must be a tough job. Is he mentally ill or faking it?

Crime can put you in a tight spot

Tyree Monique robs store and is crushed to death in trash compactor trying to hide from police. Eaton County sheriff's department says that Monique and a friend were suspected in shoplifting from a TJ Maxx Michigan. Crime doesn't pay. Not sure if I'd call this a dumb criminal or just a lady with bad luck.