O.J. And His Las Vegas Preliminary Hearing

The standard of proof in a preliminary hearing is barely minimal to bring about a criminal trial. This was nothing more than a defendant’s discovery tool to learn what he must overcome to keep his freedom

Judge Joe Bonaventure was very tolerant and fair in allowing defense questions that challenged every witness called by the prosecution. At trial you can expect the prosecution to put on many additional witness but at least the defense has an idea just what to expect at trial.

The wild card is how many of these clowns will be will have created new versions of their stories or get in to new mischief before this case goes to trial.

Simpson’s lawyers and investigators will have a lot to work with in their efforts to discredit and destroy the purveyors of stolen property who claim to be victims. As for Simpson’s reprehensible, turncoat friends who became prosecution snitches to get deals will find they would have been better to hang together than to be hanged separately. I would not be surprised if one or all refuse to testify unless prosecutors sweeten their plea deals.

Simpson does have a real problem because he is likely to face an all white, Las Vegas jury eager to convict him not for this bogus robbery case, but for what happened in Brentwood over a decade ago

Suspect’s descriptions Broadcast by Media Sans Race Identification

In a really lame act of political correct insanity many overly sensitive media organizations refuse to publish the race of suspects wanted for violent crimes. They provide all of the information except the race of the fugitive being sought.

The police need help from the public in order to get dangerous killers and such off of our streets but too many in the media filter the information and obstruct the effort. There is no race on earth that does not have criminals. This silliness can’t possibly be about racism or discrimination?

By including the race entire segments of our population can be either eliminated or included for those people willing to look out for these suspects. If a media organization does not want to publish the race of suspects why bother to give any description at all?

I thought the purpose of the media was to keep the public informed.

D.C Gun Ban Supreme Court Action Tuesday Alert

The U.S. Supreme Court will publish its decision whether or not they will hear the Parker now renamed Heller case on Tuesday morning. If they’ve agreed to hear this case arguments will be presented but don’t look for an opinion until February 2008.

Let freedom ring loud accross America!

To read all the filings on Parker/Heller visit this link.

An Update!
The court passed on their determination to hear the case until November 26.

Crimefile News Salutes Our Keepers Of Freedom

May this Veteran’s Day brig us closer to the day when we have none of our boys and girls in harms way. Thank you for your service.

Bollingbrook IL Police Sergeant Drew Peterson’s Now A Homicide Suspect!

Wow! That says a lot while police still lack Probable Cause to arrest him or anyone for anything. Our all-powerful government can indict a ham sandwich. Once that sandwich is indicted he will have to post bail or sit in the Will County Jail until trial. It will take serious evidence and a jury to establish the corpus delicti, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt before anyone can be punished.

Peterson’s fourth wife Stacy is missing but there is a police presumption that she met with foul play and is now somewhere such as in one of those vast Illinois cornfields rapidly decomposing. The reality is that she is still only missing.

Peterson’s third wife, Kathleen Savio is getting her second autopsy after being found injured and drowned in a bathtub in 2004. It really is more than a little late to now go after Peterson as a viable suspect in this suspicious and already investigated death.

Calling Drew Peterson a suspect is nothing more than an effort by authorities to apply psychological pressure hoping that this will overload Peterson’s current emotional state with the threat of discovery, guilt and punishment. This was the kind of pressure that the celebrated Des Plaines detective, Joseph Kozenczak used to get serial killer John Wayne Gacy to confess nearly three decades earlier. .

Real suspects are always in custody or on the lam. Peterson is neither and he is educated enough to know that fact.

Nobody will be able to paint a picture of Sergeant Drew Peterson of being a model husband but they are far from branding this career cop as a criminal either. He’s been convicted of nothing and on the contrary has an entire career as a cop who we all like to call one of the good guys.

Even if they prove that two of Peterson’s unfortunate wives were murdered they are a long way from having solid evidence that Drew Peterson killed anybody. We will watch as the so called victim’s advocates demand justice for the dead and presumed dead women who were married to this so called suspect.

This investigation has and will continue to be a quest fueled by suspicion and hate rather than real evidence. I predict Peterson will continue to keep is mouth shut and not flee as he slips into his retirement. They will gossip about Peterson during most of the time he remains on this earth. If there is punishment in store for Drew Peterson it will be at the hands of his maker.

The Baby Judge Presiding Over O.J. Simpson’s Preliminary Hearing

Justice of The Peace Joe Bonaventure has only been a lawyer for three years. With the kind of luck you can only get in Las Vegas, Bonaventure is serving his first term on the Clark County Nevada Bench. Bonaventure also has the publicity driven O.J. Simpson case on his judicial plate.

I have been in hundreds of courtrooms and before hundreds of judges as a cop, private investigator and TV news producer. The high profile cases always seem to cause the judges to play to the publicity. Judges like Lance Ito, Larry Paul Fiddler are at their worst when in the limelight.

Here we have this lad in a black robe who shows no agenda, does not talk to simply hear his voice or look to crack jokes from the bench. He seems, attentive, fair and has a demeanor far beyond his years. Perhaps this young fellow has learned form the successes and mistakes of his father who is a long time District Court Judge.

The citizens of Clark County are lucky to have this young jurist. O.J. Simpson is lucky to have this fellow who is really a buffer protecting him from the government. Our Bill of Rights is only as good as the judges who are there to enforce them.

Terror Threats On Americas Shopping Malls

Malls are really soft targets begging for terrorist attacks. Many malls are designated GUN FREE ZONES where only violent criminals, deranged gunmen or terrorists can be found with weapons.

Our shopping malls are policed by poorly paid, trained and unarmed security guards. An unarmed security guard is nothing more than another hostage or victim. Citizens with real firearm training, and where allowed, concealed weapon permits are threatened with arrest should they shop while carrying a firearm for protection.

The only real protection malls have is use of the 911 systems and in Los Angeles getting a call through 911 is a time consuming challenge. Once a caller gets through the problematic 911 systems the wait for police response begins. That is compounded by serious tactical issues of police making entry to the mall that’s under attack.

Brain dead mall managers are never ready for the unthinkable and rely on simple luck as they hide from the dangerous terrorist invitations their Gun Free Zones present.

This holiday season I’d suggest that well trained Americans ignore the un-Constitutional local and state gun laws and simply carry a suitable defense firearm as an insurance policy. It’s better to have a fighting chance of survival than no chance whatsoever.

The Secret Service And The Clinton Administration Secrets

In the Fall of 1993 I went to the Secret Service’s James J Rowley Training Center in Maryland and spent an entire week. This facility was beyond beautiful in its 550 acres that contain the best firing ranges and driving courses on earth. It was an unforgettable week spent with veteran agents there for in service training.

This was also during the first year of the new Clinton Administration. During breaks from various training exercises I was in the midst of many agents assigned to Clinton protective duties. Everyday I had breakfast and lunch with rotating groups of agents at picnic tables. The most frequent topic of conversation was the Clintons, their behavior and proclivities.

The agents all said they liked George Bush, Sr. but loved Ronald Regan. When it came for the Clintons the agent's dislike was an understatement. Some of the often repeated remarks by the agents.

1. The Clintons were always looking for ways to bring their girlfriends in and out of the Whitehouse without required security checks.
2. Many of their friends had rap sheets.
3. Hillary would sleep in the same room as her girlfriend guests where there was only a single bed.
4. Hillary was always excited when “Babs” (Barbara Streisand) was around and always slept with her.
5. Bill had an abundance of girlfriends who slept with him in the Whitehouse.
6. The Clintons were rude and condescending toward agents who were meticulous about doing their jobs and following Secret Service rules.
7. Hillary made a real effort to get several agents fired from the agency. Thankfully they were only reassigned to other duties.
8. The Clintons treated Secret Service agents like they were enemies of the state.
9. There were constant domestic squabbles between the Clintons complete with thrown objects.

These revelations were repeated to me by scores of different agents independent of each other. As these agents told their stories other agents would listen and not suggest that the information was wrong or exaggerated. During this week only one agent complained that that his fellow agents should not be talking about the Clintons. That agent quickly found himself alone at his picnic table during the meals.

I can’t imagine that these agent’s statements were anything less that candid and factual.

O.J. Simpson’s Preliminary Hearing In A Las Vegas Criminal Court

Tomorrow Simpson and his lawyer will be in court as the prosecution lays out much of their case for Armed Robbery Kidnapping and the rest of the charges related to that little get together at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino.

The prosecution’s burden is an easy one. They will put on just enough evidence to get this mess bound over for trial. There may be some limited cross-examination of suspects turned snitches and the victims. Hearsay evidence is admissible in this legal arena.

It’s a given that there will be a finding that there is Probable Cause to allow this case to go forward to a full-blown criminal trial that won’t happen anytime soon.

I just don’t expect this thug against thug mess to amount to much. The dark side of this case is that Simpson may get convicted not because of any other reason that people think he got away with a double murder over a decade in the past.

The truth here is that if the Juice was not involved this trashy case would have been dumped out with the garbage rather than clog an over-burdened court system.

Does Phil Spector Have A Lawyer?

The answer is maybe. This morning veteran San Francisco criminal lawyer, Doron Weinberg was in court with the legendary record producer before Judge Larry Paul Fidler. Spector and Weinberg are in serious negotiations for representation in the upcoming replay of that murder trial. The appearance of Weinberg who traveled down from the Bay Area to the downtown L.A. court was a testament to that reality.

Prosecutors Alan Jackson and Pat Dixon were also in court. Notably absent was Donna Clarkson who seems never to miss a second inside Fidler’s court for every proceeding. Clarkson’s civil lawyer was there on her behalf.

It’s no secret that Jackson and Dixon are bracing themselves for loads of new impeachment material and under-explored legal issues coming from the defense to destroy their already razor thin case. They can’t be looking forward to part-two and neither is Judge Fidler. I think they all know that this case will never end in a conviction.

The defense has no choice but to start fresh with a new investigation, legal research and reweigh whether or not to have Phil Spector testify on his own behalf. I don’t count out Spector testifying even though it would give the prosecution a lot more time at bat.

The areas that the former defense team left insufficiently protected can be bolstered by what the old team did not have, hindsight.

The word, “trust” came up in connection with talk of Spector's representation. There can be no doubt that Phil Spector has given many people complete trust only to be disappointed to learn the hard way too many people are just not trustworthy. Spector’s has way too much at stake and there is no room for another violation of trust. The people on Spector’s defense team will have this man’s life in their hands. That’s an awesome responsibility.

On December 7th, 2007 a lawyer, and I’m betting that Doron Weinberg will step up to the plate and file his Notice of Appearance. Weinberg is a close confidant of noted appellant lawyer, Dennis Riordan, already retained by Spector to deal with some of the more challenging court motions.

Phil Spector and his young wife looked refreshed, alert and looking forward to a new day in court to get the injustice of this prosecution behind them.

Doron Weinberg’s CV and biography:

Practice Areas: Criminal Law; Trial and Appellate Practice; Attorney Discipline; Legal Ethics; Professional Licensing.
Admitted: 1970, California; 1973, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court
Law School: University of Chicago, J.D., 1968
College: Cornell University, A.B., 1965
Member: The State Bar of California; American Bar Association (Member, White Collar Crime/ Criminal Litigation Subcommittee); California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (Chair, Seminar Committee; Member, Board of Governors); American Arbitration Association (Member, Dispute Resolution Panel); Association of Discipline Defense Counsel; National Lawyers Guild (President, 1974-1976); National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Biography: Articles Editor, University of Chicago Law Review, 1967-1968. Instructor, Criminal Trial Skills at New College of California School of Law, 1977-1983. Instructor, Stanford University Law School, 1968-1969. Faculty: Hastings College of Trial and Appellate Advocacy, 1977-1978; National Institute of Trial Advocacy, Cardozo Advocacy Clinic, 1985-2000.
Born: Israel, September 13, 1944

Here We Go Again A Missing Pretty White Woman

Bollingbrook, IL. —Stacy Peterson married a local police sergeant old enough to be her father and is now missing. This is marriage number four for Drew Peterson whose third young wife was found drowned in her bathtub. Neighbor's jaws are furiously flapping about that death in light of current developments.

Even though there exists no evidence of a murder society will ignore the real fact that this woman is no more than just another missing person.

When you have a case like this where foul play is possible you have to remember the number one rule about murder is that you only hurt the one you love. As the husband of the missing woman, Drew Peterson is automatically put under the microscope. The odds are great he is somehow involved in this disappearance. Of course now we hear of any and all real or perceived troubles this marriage may have had.

If Sergeant Peterson is involved and if this case is a homicide I fully expect the case to remain unsolved forever. The presumed person of interest here knows all the tricks and games to avoid detection. He fully expected to see search warrants served and exactly what police would be looking for. The cars, guns, computers would be taken for detailed examination. The floors and drains would be examined for trace blood and tissue. Land line, cell phone records and bank records would be sent out for analysis.

Of course everyone will argue that any running, ducking or other behavior cops and reporters don’t like are sure signs of guilt. CNN’s Nancy Grace will endlessly harp about this case just like she did with the still missing Aruba Spring Break Girl, Natalie Holloway.

Drew Peterson’s life is about to change for the worse this time even if this case remains unsolved. It’s time for him to retire and move far away from Bollingbrook or he will wish he had.

Cold Case Murder Solved after 43 Years

Santa Ana, CA—47 year-old hotel manager, Christine Wariner was sexually assaulted and then beaten to death in her apartment located on hotel property.

Members of the Santa Ana Police Cold Case Squad were able to implicate 67 year-old Charles Edward Faith, Jr. through modern forensic examination methods not available in 1964. Police arrested Faith at his home on an arrest warrant. Faith would have been just 24 years old at the time of Wariner’s murder.