I was glad to see that George W. Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. I never had much sympathy for Ramos or Compean, disgraced law enforcement officers who were convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler and then lying about it. Bush was also convinced that the men were guilty. That's why he didn't pardon them. In a stunning display of situational ethics, Ramos and Compean became instant superheroes to anti-immigration activists. [continues 184 words]
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are joining together to combat escalated gang activity in Oakland County. The FBI says the Michigan State Police, state Department of Corrections and Oakland County Sheriff's Office -- as well as police departments from Pontiac, Waterford Township, Auburn Hills and Bloomfield Township -- are working together on targeting violent crime enterprises. The federal agencies involved in the Oakland County Violent Gang Task Force include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the FBI. [continues 279 words]
Lawmaker To Summon Spouse Of Prosecutor The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs plans to summon the wife of beleaguered State Prosecutor John Resado to a hearing investigating the alleged bribery in the "Alabang Boys" drug case. Earlier on Friday, Resado testified in the House that the large deposit he made on the day his office dismissed the "Alabang Boys" case was mere coincidence. He even turned the tables on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), accusing its lawyer of offering him a bribe--a charge that was disputed. [continues 533 words]
Cannabis users will not face fines when the drug is reclassified next week, it was disclosed today. Marijuana will be moved from Class C to Class B on Monday, but delays in Parliament mean police will not be able to issue the fines. Under the new regime, police will issue a warning to anyone caught with cannabis for a first offence. A second offence should result in an #80 fine and penalty notice, with a third "strike" leading to arrest. But earlier this week the order to make cannabis use an offence punishable with the penalty notice and fine was withdrawn from Parliament. It is not due to be debated until Wednesday at the earliest. [continues 235 words]
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - In this carnage-racked border city of 1.3 million, more than 80 murders have been clocked in the past three weeks, and kidnappings, extortions, robberies and rapes further bedevil an already rattled population. So far, the new year looks to be bringing as much if not more havoc than the last. The demons are loose. "Walking in the streets of Juarez is an extreme sport," said political scientist Tony Payan, an expert on border violence, repeating a grim quip making the rounds. [continues 791 words]
Like its bigger neighbors, Philadelphia and Baltimore, Wilmington is dealing with runaway violent crime -- enduring a record 26 homicides in 2008. But in Baltimore and Philadelphia, homicide rates have fallen. The difference appears to be that Delaware's big-city neighbors have started programs that train -- even prod -- convicted felons to find work and adjust to life on the streets after they get out of prison. No such state-sponsored programs exist in Delaware, where inmates are released with little more than the clothes on their backs. [continues 2303 words]
The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) held a discussion group Wednesday in the Holmes Student Center about the difference between psychedelic and psychoactive medicine and their uses. Tom Roberts, a retired professor of education of psychology, led a small group of people on a question-and-answer-based discussion on the medical uses, different types and the foundation of psychedelic drugs. This is a four-week program for the winter term. "A psychedelic drug magnifies or amplifies whatever is going on in the subconscience or conscience mind," Roberts said. "It can also stimulate mystical experiences." [continues 272 words]
