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From the Los Angeles Times

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Report criticizes deportation program, urges changes

A federal task force says the fingerprint-sharing Secure Communities program hurts community policing. An end to deportation based only on minor traffic offenses is sought.

by Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times

September 16, 2011

A federal task force charged with reviewing the Secure Communities deportation program said that the controversial initiative has had an "adverse impact" on community policing and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has provided inaccurate or incomplete information about the program to states and localities.

"To the extent that Secure Communities may damage community policing, the result can be greater levels of crime," says a task force draft report obtained by The Times. "If residents do not trust their local police, they are less willing to step forward as witnesses to or victims of crime."

Secure Communities, which was launched in 2008, shares fingerprints collected by state and local police with immigration authorities in order to identify and deport tens of thousands of people each year. It was initially touted as a way to target serious convicts for deportation but has come under fire because a large percentage of immigrants caught up in it were never convicted of a crime, or are low-level offenders.

The task force, made up of 20 appointees including immigrant advocates, law enforcement leaders and union members, was meant to soothe growing concerns over the program. Members were given an opportunity to recommend possible changes, including how to handle cases involving minor traffic offenders. But the process itself drew criticism. One hearing in Los Angeles in August drew hundreds of protesters who called on task force members to resign and then walked out.

The report, which was completed this week, outlines a series of recommendations to fix the program, including reaffirming its highest priority as the identification and removal of those "who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety," and an end to deportation based solely on minor traffic offenses.

The report also acknowledges that many members want the Department of Homeland Security to suspend its expansion of the program to all states and counties in the nation until federal officials can consider and implement the recommendations. All California counties are currently participating.

Several members of the task force resigned before the report was submitted. They included representatives of the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents thousands of ICE agents and officials, who said they could not endorse the final report. Retired Sacramento Police Chief Arturo Venegas Jr. also resigned.

Venegas said he had come to question the legitimacy of Secure Communities itself.

"There was a lot of hard work, but unfortunately I don't think it went far enough," Venegas said of the task force review. "Without concrete accountability measures and without concrete directives, the fact of the matter is people will still get into the system that shouldn't be there."

In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler said the report had been submitted to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, whose members will review and finalize the recommendations before submitting them to ICE Director John Morton.

Those who resigned or chose not to include their names on the report have been invited to meet with Morton to discuss their concerns as he reviews the final recommendations, Chandler said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-secure-communities-20110916,0,6558422,print.story

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Casey Anthony must pay $97,000 to reimburse law enforcement

That's what Circuit Judge Belvin Perry ruled Thursday in Orlando, Fla. The amount was far less than the $500,000 requested by law enforcement agencies to cover their costs of the investigation into Caylee's alleged kidnapping and disappearance.

Anthony, 25, was acquitted in July of killing her daughter, a verdict that outraged the nation. That acquittal followed a lengthy investigation and subsequent trial that riveted the nation; both were focused on what precisely happened to the child, who went missing in the summer of 2008.

Over the course of the inquiry into her daughter's disappearance, Anthony told multiple stories about her daughter's fate. Initially, she told authorities that her daughter had been kidnapped by a nanny -- an allegation that launched a vast law enforcement search and investigation.

The search for Caylee continued for months, until her remains were discovered in December 2008 in the woods near the family's home. At trial it was revealed that the kidnapping story was a lie.

Casey Anthony's defense team said Caylee drowned on June 16, 2008, and was later buried to cover up the accident. Law enforcement officials are now trying to recoup costs associated with the search and initial investigation.

In other Anthony-related news this week, her father, George Anthony, suggested on the "Dr. Phil" show that his granddaughter was killed by "chemical babysitting" -- meaning some kind of drug was administered to Caylee to knock her out so that Casey Anthony could go out partying.

It's unclear whetherCasey Anthony will ever be able to pay the bill that came due Thursday. She's been nicknamed the most hated person in America according to an online poll, so her prospects for employment remain uncertain.

But if she does manage to parlay her notoriety into a steady paycheck, she will be required to pay $61,505.12 to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, $10,283.90 to the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, and at least $25,837.96 to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, according to the Miami Herald.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

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Third N.C. family member pleads guilty to supporting terrorists

A third member of a rural North Carolina family accused of plotting violent jihad overseas has pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

Dylan Boyd, 24, a college sophomore who federal prosecutors say used the alias "Mohammed," was indicted in Raleigh, N.C., in 2009 along with his father, brother and four other men. Boyd's plea on Wednesday came four days before the scheduled trial of three co-defendants, the News and Observer of Raleigh reported.

Boyd's father, Daniel Boyd, a drywall contractor described by neighbors as helpful and friendly, was named by federal prosecutors as the ringleader of an Islamic terror cell in rural Johnston County, east of Raleigh.

The elder Boyd, 41, who prosecutors said used the name "Saifullah," meaning Sword of God, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to "murder, kidnap, maim and injure people in a foreign country."

Boyd is expected to testify for the prosecution in the upcoming trial for three co-defendants in New Bern, N.C., the newspaper reported.

Zakariya Boyd, Daniel's son, pleaded guilty in June to charges of conspiring to provide material support for terrorists.

The Boyds are U.S. citizens who converted to Islam. Prosecutors said they trained to become mujahedin, or holy warriors, and vowed to die as Muslim martyrs, if necessary.

The July 2009 indictment charged the group with conspiring "to advance violent jihad ... and committing acts of murder, kidnapping or maiming persons."

Prosecutors said the defendants trained in military-style tactics and traveled to the Middle East and Kosovo to lay plans for attacks. FBI agents found nearly two dozen guns and 27,000 rounds of ammunition in Daniel Boyd's home, according to prosecutors.

Federal investigators gathered 800 hours of recordings detailing the alleged plot, prosecutors said.

Dylan Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced in December. A federal judge told him Wednesday that, under his plea arrangement, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

Daniel and Zakariya Boyd will be sentenced after the trial of co-defendants Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, Ziyad Yaghi and Hysen Sherifi. All three have pleaded not guilty.

From Google News

Supreme Court halts killer's execution in Texas

Lawyers for Texas man on death row had asked Gov. Rick Perry for clemency

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday halted the execution of a black man convicted of a double murder in Texas 16 years ago after his lawyers contended his sentence was unfair because of a question asked about race during his trial.

Duane Buck, 48, was spared from lethal injection when the justices, without comment, said they would review an appeal in his case.

Two appeals, both related to a psychologist's testimony that black people were more likely to commit violence, were before the court. One was granted. The other denied.

"Praise the Lord!" Buck told Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark. "God is worthy to be praised. God's mercy triumphs over judgment.

"I feel good."

His lawyers called to tell Buck of the reprieve and the inmate was praying in his cell when Clark approached, Clark said.

The reprieve came nearly two hours into a six-hour window when Buck could have been taken to the death chamber. Texas officials, however, refused to move forward with the punishment while legal issues were pending.

A similar request for a reprieve was made to Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Perry is the Republican frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination and his actions have now come under closer scrutiny. Perry, however, wasn't in the state Thursday and any decision on a reprieve from the governor's office would have fallen to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Buck's case is one of six convictions that the state's then-top attorney reviewed in 2000 and said needed to be reopened because of the racially charged statements made during the sentencing phase of the trial. A psychologist told jurors that black criminals were more likely to pose a future danger to the public if they are released.

Perry is an ardent supporter of capital punishment. During his 11 years in office, 235 convicted killers have been put to death in Texas. His office says he has chosen to halt just four executions, including one for a woman who was later put to death.

If courts continue to reject Buck's appeals, only Perry could delay the lethal injection by invoking his authority to issue a one-time 30-day reprieve for further review. Perry's actions are being closely watched, particularly by death penalty opponents, after he said during a presidential debate that he has never been troubled by any of the executions he's overseen as governor.

In the five other cases Cornyn said needed to be reopened, prosecutors repeated the sentencing hearings and the defendants were again sentenced to death. Prosecutors contend Buck's case was different from those and that the racial reference was a small part of a larger testimony about the prison population.

'Deserved what she got'
Buck was convicted in 1997 of capital murder in connection with the deaths of Debra Gardner and Kenneth Butler, who were shot to death with a shotgun one night as they were hanging out with friends at Gardner's house.

Gardner had been Buck's girlfriend and their relationship ended a week before the shootings. Early in the morning on July 30, 1995, he forced his way into Gardner's house, argued with her, hit her and then grabbed his belongings and left, according to a report by the Texas Attorney General's office.

A few hours later, he returned with a rifle and a shotgun and began blasting at people in the house, the report said. The first person he shot was his sister, Taylor, who said he was on drugs and described his eyes as "bloodshot" and his voice as unrecognizable.

"He was full of many, many spirits and demons," Taylor said. "So I know when I was looking at him, talking to him, with the gun in my chest, I know he wasn't himself."

Then, according to the report, Buck accused Butler of sleeping with his "wife," and then shot him to death in the hallway. Then he chased Gardner out into the street, with her children close behind, and killed her while they watched, the report said.

Gardner's 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son were among those who witnessed the shootings.

When police arrived, Buck was trying to leave the scene but he was arrested after the survivors identified him as the attacker. The report said that he laughed when he was being arrested and, after an officer told him it was not funny, Buck responded: "The bitch deserved what she got."

Buck had a history of drug and weapons charges, and jurors heard testimony from an ex-girlfriend who said he had threatened her, the report said.

Jury unfairly influenced?

Buck's guilt is not being questioned, but his lawyers say the jury was unfairly influenced and that he should receive a new sentencing hearing.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, all of whom are Perry appointees, had denied Buck's clemency request Wednesday, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently rejected his appeal.

Buck's lawyers contend the case was "tainted by considerations of race" after psychologist Walter Quijano testified in response to a question from lead prosecutor Joan Huffman that black criminals are more likely to be violent again in the future. Whether or not someone could be a continuing threat to society is one of three questions Texas jurors must consider when deciding on a death sentence.

Cornyn said in a news release in 2000 that a half-dozen capital case sentences, including Buck's, needed review because of Quijano's testimony at their trials.

A spokesman for Cornyn declined to comment

Palmetto Offers a Variety of New Policing Incentives – “Double for Your Trouble” Crime Stopper Reward Now Set at $20,000.

PALMETTO – The Palmetto Police Department, with funding from the Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency has teamed up with Manatee County Crime Stoppers to double its current monetary incentive for information on any crime committed, or criminal residing within the CRA district. This action is but a piece of a larger CRA policing plan that has been in the works for almost a year.

Earlier this week the Gold Star Club of Manatee County offered $10,000 to Crime Stoppers to assist in the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murders of Gwenette Matthews and Trayon Goff.

“The recent shooting was committed within the CRA district; therefore anyone with information leading to the trial of the offenders will be eligible for incentives through the Crime Stoppers program”, said Mayor Shirley Groover-Bryant.

As part of the new Palmetto CRA Redevelopment Plan, the Palmetto Police will effectively double the reward to $20,000. The idea for the doubling of Crime Stopper Rewards as an element of the new plan came from Devin Bloome, a local high school intern working part-time for the CRA this past summer.

“We were talking about crime prevention in the office and I just mentioned the idea and staff took it and ran with it”, Bloome noted.

Any tips directed to Crime Stoppers are completely protected and anonymous. Through a confidential code number system, names are kept private. Tips that lead to the felony or misdemeanor arrest of suspects and/or the recovery of stolen property and drugs are eligible for cash rewards, which are paid to the tipsters on an anonymous basis.

Palmetto is also utilizing Community Policing and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, or CPTED, as a deterrent to slum and blight. Community policing makes police more visible and familiar to the community, while CPTED incorporates principles to dissuade offenders from committing crimes by manipulating the built environment in which those crimes may occur. Improving physical and environmental aspects of a neighborhood help police better patrol their beats and act as a deterrent for criminal behavior.

“Putting up surveillance cameras, improving lighting in shady areas, trimming foliage and building barriers that help distinguish private property lines all help deter criminal behavior,” said Palmetto Police Chief Rick Wells. “Criminals don't want to be seen and it's helpful for us when homes and businesses implement these practices.”

Community policing reinforces these efforts and promotes police-citizen partnerships to prevent crime and disorder. In addition to the standard Palmetto Police Department patrols in the community, the CRA, in alignment with its Florida Statute 163 mandate is contributing approximately $750,000 for additional “community mobilization, neighborhood block watches, citizen patrols, citizen contact patrols, foot patrols, field interrogation and intensified motorized patrol” to take public safety “above and beyond” the normal city service.

The community policing innovation emphasized in the plan incorporates part-time “reserve” officers and “volunteers” to bolster the CRA community presence. The “Reserve” officers that will assist full-time officers in the area, are Florida State licensed law enforcement professional who are not currently using their licenses, but wish to maintain them though service. While “volunteers” are citizens who undergo special training from the Police Department. They will be stationed in CRA parks to offer a friendly public safety presence. Wells notes, “in this economy, we have to get more for less and that's what we intent to do, we are adding presence in new and innovative ways.”

CPTED is being encouraged through the funding of CRA's Residential Rehab Program, Storefront Grant Program, and new million dollar Commercial and Industrial Redevelopment incentives. This directly aids residents and businesses by implementing CPTED strategies through incentivized building improvements that increase public safety and reduce fear of crime. “It just makes good business sense to encourage public safety in our CRA which includes the core of our commerce and industrial district”, noted Alan Zirkelbach, City Commissioner. The CRA will also CPTED partner with the police on new public improvements such as the upcoming 5 th Street Streetscape and Sutton and MLK Parks.

“The Palmetto City Commission/CRA Board, CRA Advisory Board and Police Department should be commended for its forethought and leadership in putting this plan in motion,” Mayor Bryant mentioned, “Palmetto is our hometown and it is our responsibly keep it safe for our families. “

Anyone with information on criminal behavior should Call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-TIPS(8477) or submit a tip online. For more information contact the Palmetto CRA at 723-4988.

http://www.thebradentontimes.com/news/2011/09/16/law_enforcement/palmetto_offers_a_variety_of_
new_policing_incentives_double_for_your_trouble_crime_stopper_reward_now_set_at_20_000

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