From the L.A. Daily News

Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies at 61

Sally Ride, an Encino native who nurtured her interest in science by playing with a chemistry set and telescope and went on to become the first American woman in space, died Monday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61.

Ride soared into history on June 18, 1983, when she blasted off as a member of the crew aboard the space shuttle Challenger. | See photo gallery

"Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism, and literally changed the face of America's space program," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "The nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers and explorers. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sally's family and the many she inspired. She will be missed, but her star will always shine brightly."

President Barack Obama called Ride "a national hero and a powerful role model."

"She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars and later fought tirelessly to help them get there by advocating for a greater focus on science and math in our schools," Obama said. "Sally's life showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I have no doubt that her legacy will endure for years to come."

Ride kept her illness a secret to all but her closest friends and relatives, her mother Joyce Ride said Monday in a telephone interview.

Joyce Ride, a Claremont resident, said she was "very proud" of everything her daughter had accomplished.

"No parent should have to outlive her child," she said.

While growing up in the San Fernando Valley, Sally Ride's family attended the First Presbyterian Church of Encino. North Hills resident Kay Lawrence, a member of the church and a close friend of the family, said Sally Ride was a sweet girl who became a brilliant woman.

"She was a heck of a tennis player," Lawrence recalled with fondness. "My husband and her father always got beat by this girl, to their chagrin. She was a brilliant woman. The science she gave to so many young people is incredible."

Lawrence said her grandchildren all have books written and autographed by Ride.

"She was a gift to women of all ages, but especially the young ones who were trying to see where they wanted to go with their lives," Lawrence said. "She loved what she did. She loved teaching. She was a real person, not just a heroine."

Born May 26, 1951, Sally Kristen Ride attended Portola Middle School and earned a tennis scholarship to Westlake School for Girls (now called Harvard-Westlake). She later attended Swarthmore College and then transferred to Stanford University, earning a bachelor's degree in English and physics and a master's in physics.

Ride was working on her doctoral degree in physics at Stanford in 1977 when she responded to an advertisement from NASA, which was looking for applicants to its astronaut program. She was among about 8,000 people who applied, and was among 35 who were chosen.

She worked as a member of the ground crew for two missions of the space shuttle Columbia before being chosen as a member of the crew for the historic Challenger flight.

"The fact that I was going to be the first American woman to go into space carried huge expectations along with it," Ride said in a 2008 interview cited on NASA's website. "... On launch day, there was so much excitement and so much happening around us in crew quarters, even on the way to the launch pad. I didn't really think about it that much at the time ... but I came to appreciate what an honor it was to be selected to be the first to get a chance to go into space."

Ride flew twice aboard the shuttle Challenger and was assigned to a third shuttle flight, but the program was placed on hold after Challenger exploded shortly after launch in January 1986. Ride served on the presidential commission that investigated the explosion.

She retired from NASA in 1987. Two years later, she joined the faculty at UC San Diego as a professor of physics and director of the California Space Institute. She founded Sally Ride Science in 2001 to encourage kids to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Ride, who died in La Jolla, is survived by Tam O'Shaughnessy, her partner of 27 years; her mother Joyce; sister Bear; niece Caitlin; and nephew Whitney.

ANALYSIS

While relatives of the victims of last week's movie theater massacre in Aurora, Colo. – and the public at large – are understandably fixated on why the crime was committed, the criminal justice system to a large extent will ignore that question in determining guilt and punishment.

It appears that the alleged shooter, 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, acted alone, so there apparently is no conspiracy or anyone else directly to blame. Nor is there any indication that this was the act of a terrorist organization or individual attempting to advance a political agenda of some sort. The crime allegedly was committed by a single human being who explained himself to police as being a character from the Batman comics – the Joker.

But in deciding whether a person should be punished – and how much – the law will inquire into a very limited set of questions.

The first is guilt. With a multitude of witnesses inside the theater able to testify about the black body armor worn by the gunman and Holmes arrested just outside the theater moments afterward wearing an identical ensemble, defense attorneys appear to have little chance of persuading a jury that their client did not pull the triggers of the weapons – all of which he had legally purchased – used in the crime. And the fact that he apparently booby-trapped his apartment immediately before the slaughter, with the apparent intent of creating a diversion, only adds to the evidence against him.

If Holmes is convicted in connection with the crime, an insanity defense will almost certainly be contemplated. But the legal question raised by an insanity defense is relatively straightforward: Did the defendant understand the difference between right and wrong?

John Hinckley, Jr., escaped criminal punishment when he attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan to impress the actress Jodie Foster, but in the wake of his successful insanity defense, legislatures made it considerably more difficult for defendants to prevail on the grounds of mental incapacity. Under the law that existed at the time, defendants were not legally responsible even if they knew an action was wrong if they could show they were unable to resist the impulse to commit the act. After Hinckley's case, a number of states, including Colorado, amended their laws to permit a successful insanity defense only if the defendant did not know the difference between right and wrong. The upshot of this more stringent requirement is that defendants rarely prevail when they claim insanity.

So, if Holmes' attorneys pursue an insanity defense, the jury will be asked only one question: Did he know it was wrong to try to take the lives of scores of people? If the answer to that question is ‘yes,' then the question becomes: What degree of homicide did he commit. To determine this, the jurors must decide whether he intentionally and deliberately killed his victims – first-degree murder – or whether he merely knowingly or recklessly killed them – second-degree murder. The degree of planning allegedly involved in this case, however, leaves no doubt that Holmes

There will then be a final question about punishment. Colorado has the death penalty, though death sentences are quite rare in the state and there has only been one execution in 30 years. Nevertheless, there is the possibility of a death sentence in this case. Under Colorado law a jury may return a death sentence if the defendant killed more than one human being in a single episode. Almost certainly he did.

In a capital case – and it seems likely this will be a capital case – the defense is permitted to present anything in mitigation. That means that the defense may attempt to explain why the defendant attempted to take the lives of scores of innocent persons, but it is certainly not required to do so. It can focus on any aspect of his life in an effort to save it. And the prosecution only has to demonstrate that the mass killing occurred to obtain a death sentence. Nothing requires either side to present evidence of what motivated this man before incarcerating him or even executing him.

We often think of natural disasters as tragedies that defy explanation. Tragedies caused by humans can most often be explained, though, and the criminal justice process often provides that explanation. Motives are often offered to demonstrate a defendant's intent to kill.

In the case of James Holmes, it seems likely that circumstantial evidence alone will demonstrate his desire to take an extraordinary number of innocent lives, and that his motives will defy any traditional explanation, such as personal animosity or greed. But the law does not require prosecutors to show motive, merely the intent to kill. And that may be all that anyone will be able to show for this senseless act.

As a result, any trial is likely to leave victims, and their families, with nearly as many unanswered questions as they have now.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/24/12910443-in-aurora-massacre-trial-may-not-shed-much-light-on-motive?lite

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PHOENIX – The Arizona sheriff who has made headlines across the country for his tough stance on undocumented immigrants is expected to take the witness stand today amid allegations that his trademark immigration sweeps amounted to racial profiling against Latinos.

Lawyers who say that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office disproportionately singled out Latinos in the patrols accused him of launching some sweeps based on emails and letters that don't allege crimes, but complain only that "dark-skinned people" are congregating in a given area or speaking Spanish.

A group of Latinos who say they have been discriminated against filed the civil lawsuit against the sheriff, who makes jail inmates sleep in tents and wrote an autobiography titled "America's Toughest Sheriff."

SUMMARY

Undocumented immigrants accounted for 57 percent of the 1,500 people arrested in the 20 sweeps conducted by Arpaio's office since January 2008, according to figures provided by the sheriff's department, which hasn't conducted any such patrols since October.

Arpaio has long denied racial profiling allegations. He declined to comment Monday through a spokesman.

During the sweeps that are at the center of the case, sheriff's deputies flood an area of a city — in some cases, heavily Latino areas — over several days to seek out traffic violators and arrest other offenders.

Undocumented immigrants accounted for 57 percent of the 1,500 people arrested in the 20 sweeps conducted by Arpaio's office since January 2008, according to figures provided by the sheriff's department, which hasn't conducted any such patrols since October.

The plaintiffs aren't seeking money in the suit. They are seeking a declaration that Arpaio's office racially profiles Latinos and an order requiring policy changes.

If Arpaio loses the case, he won't face jail time or fines.

The trial began last week and is expected to close next week. It will be decided by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow.

The judge hasn't ruled on the ultimate question of racial profiling, but said in a December ruling that a fact finder could interpret some of Arpaio's public statements as endorsements of racial profiling.

The lawsuit marks the first case in which the sheriff's office has been accused of systematic racial profiling and will serve as a precursor for a similar yet broader civil rights lawsuit filed against Arpaio in May by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The plaintiffs say deputies conducting Arpaio's sweeps pulled over Hispanics without probable cause, making the stops only to inquire about the immigration status of the people in the vehicles.

The sheriff maintains that people are stopped only if authorities have probable cause to believe they have committed crimes and that deputies later find many of the people stopped are undocumented immigrants.

Plaintiff's lawyers say Arpaio endorsed calls for racial profiling with the sweeps by passing along the ambiguous and racially charged complaint letters to aides who planned his immigration enforcement efforts and carried out at least three patrols after receiving the letters.

They also point out that Arpaio wrote thank-you notes to some who sent complaints.

Arpaio's attorneys denied that the letters and emails prompted the sheriff to launch the patrols with a discriminatory motive. His lawyers called the complaints racially insensitive and said aides to the sheriff — not Arpaio himself — decided where to conduct the patrols. They also said there was nothing wrong with the thank-you notes.

"He sends thank-you letters because he is an elected official," Tim Casey, the lawyer leading Arpaio's defense, said during opening arguments.

In an August 2008 letter, a woman wrote about a Sun City restaurant: "From the staff at the register to the staff back in the kitchen area, all I heard was Spanish — except when they haltingly spoke to a customer." The letter ended with a suggestion that the sheriff investigate.

Arpaio made a handwritten note in the margins saying, "letter thank you for info will look into it" and that the complaint should be sent to aide Brian Sands, who selects locations for sweeps, with a notation saying "for our operation." The sheriff's office launched a sweep two weeks later in Sun City.

Earlier in 2008, the sheriff received a letter from a man who complained that police in nearby Mesa hadn't approached day laborers to find out whether they were in the country legally. Plaintiff's lawyers say Arpaio made a notation in the margins about a thank-you note and marked it to draw Sands' attention.

Plaintiff's lawyers said Arpaio got another 2008 letter urging a sweep in Mesa and noting that the leader of the city's police union was Hispanic.

The lawyers said the sheriff wrote "I will be going into Mesa" and sent a copy of the complaint to Sands. Shortly thereafter, the sheriff's office launched a sweep in Mesa and noted in a news release that the sheriff was sending deputies to Mesa "in keeping with his promise to the public," the lawyers said.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/07/24/arizona-sheriff-joe-arpaio-to-take-stand-in-profiling-trial/

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New Jersey

Cinnaminson Police to Hold First Ever National Night Out Event

The event, celebrated across the country, is aimed at community policing and crime prevention in neighborhoods.

by Christina Paciolla

In an effort to boost residents' involvement in community policing, the Cinnaminson Police Department is holding its first National Night Out on Aug. 7.

Held on that date across the country, National Night Out is a crime and drug prevention event that promotes neighborhood spirit.

Public Safety Director Michael P. King brought up the idea to the department whose officers are helping plan the event.

“We want to make sure everybody is aware of what's going on in their neighborhood,” said Officer Michael Czarzasty.

Czarzasty has been at the forefront of Cinnaminson's community policing efforts the past few years, serving as head of the DARE program and the junior police academy.

This year's theme for National Night Out in Cinnaminson is safety. Township police officers and local businesses will be on hand to give out safety advice.

“We want to talk to [the residents],” Czarzasty said. “It's to make people more away of what's going on in their community. And hopefully get to know people in the area.”

Representatives from CLC Locksmiths will be there to show residents their new products such as safes and door locks. Finishline Auto Salon will have vehicle security and safety items. The police will have information on WeTip, a program implemented that allows callers to remain anonymous and give police tips.

Czarzasty said there will be a community policing table set up to show residents what programs are already in place in the township.

Other vendors include Whistler's Inn, Jug Handle Inn and Mart Pretzel who will be providing food. A shaved ice will truck will be there also. Other businesses involved will be Target, Haines Farm and Garden, Networks Plus and more.

The event is also family-oriented and face painting and an inflatable obstacle course and slide will be set up for kids. Raffles, giveaways and music are also scheduled. Chuck, Cinnaminson Police K-9, and his handler, Officer Tim Obuchowski, will give a demonstration.

The Cinnaminson Fire Department will also be there and child safety seat inspections will be conducted.

Last year, more than 15,000 communities nationwide participated in National Night Out, the 29th annual event.

Director King said he wants this to turn into a yearly event.

“Cinnaminson Police plan to be a part of this national event for many years to come,” King said in a recent release.

The event will be held behind the police station in the parking lot that connects the station, the municipal building in the library. After this year, King and Czarzasty said they want to be out in the neighborhoods.

“There are some neighbors who secure themselves,” Czarzasty said. “Some people have no idea what is going on in Cinnaminson. The more knowledge you can give a person to prevent crime, the better.”

National Night Out will be held from 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 7.

http://cinnaminson.patch.com/articles/cinnaminson-police-to-hold-first-ever-national-night-out-event

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