Chicago, IL —In the Windy city where corruption in the courts has been a way of life, cameras have been precluded for at least 70 years. I’m not sure the camera prohibition is related to judicial corruption but the prohibition does have advantages that are conducive to fairness. There are pictures of Al Capone inside a courtroom a 2600 S. California Avenue. There was movie and still pictures taken during the sensational Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murder trial also in that era. It was sometime later when cameras were eventually outlawed. Transparency dictates open government and court proceedings be public except in rare cases and to protect juveniles. The public cannot be excluded from courtrooms unless they are witnesses that have not yet testified in the case before the court. That important prohibition is to prevent witnesses from influencing each other during trials or hearings. The real harm with bringing cameras into courtrooms is when justice is reduced to cheap ...

Just a little pile of drug money found laying around… Phoenix, AZ —Some Mexican drug cartel allegedly just put a $1 million bounty on Sheriff Joe’s head.  Somehow I don’t think they could be trusted to pay up if someone actually whacked that lawman with the TV camera fetish. This sounds more like a political campaign manager’s scheme than reality. The failure of the Drug War has been nothing short of spectacular considering the endless billions of dollars wasted on it. The only benefit of the Drug War is that billions more in illicit profits enrich criminals both inside and outside of government. Drug laws do nothing to curb use, addiction, or deaths.  People prone to addiction are in no way deterred by the laws and that the prohibition makes the drugs even more attractive. Those addicted pay handsomely for products that cost no more than tea or coffee to produce. Drug law enforcement only drives up the price and profits. Those concerned about deaths from overdoses need ...

Chicago, IL— There is a war going on in the Windy City and cops have been random targets. They are armed with their service pistols that are too often, underpowered 9MM semi-automatics. Adding insult to this is the department’s inadequate in-service training with the weapons. A mere 30 rounds per year for in-service training will do little more than guarantee more police funerals. The officers should be able carry serviceable .12 gauge shotguns or a range of carbines both rifle and pistol caliber. Uniformity is not nearly as important as having sufficient weaponry to gain parity with the ghetto rats. The department will not purchase the weapons but many cops have them already or have access to them. If the officers have them they should be allowed to bring them. Every California police department regardless of size or location has had both a shotgun and carbine since the Bank of America shootout in North Hollywood more than a decade ago. Officers should simply document their tr...

There are lots of people in our world that are overly concerned about law-abiding people carrying guns for self-defense. Their concerns are real but they’re driven by simple ignorance. Most people who never carry guns know little more about them other than what they learn watching television shows or movies. The gifted people working in special effects have given mere handguns incredible and even magical powers. This is aggravated by ignorant or deceitful journalists who inaccurately describe weapons involved in news stories. Remember, sensationalism and exaggeration is what sells books, movies, and newspapers. People shot don’t instantly lose the ability to continue their assault and more than 60 percent of those shot with any weapon survive. A handgun is little more than a tool that may give you or a family member a way to escape from an unthinkable event alive. I equate carrying a handgun to wearing a seat belt while driving. It only provides limited protection. If you unde...

Chicago, IL —I remember a strange case in 1976 where witnesses claim they saw a lone Chicago cop get out of his marked squad and engage an armed suspect in a gun fight. The offender died but the still unknown officer fled the scene. It was a justifiable shooting and the officer leaving and avoiding any and all investigation was no crime. The department pulled out all the stops to find the officer who violated department policy by his flight. Perhaps the officer was off of his beat and maybe outside of his district. Some districts have little choice for meals and officers sometimes risk a suspension for a decent meal in a neighboring district. Maybe the officer was making a booty call during his lunch period? Where the cop came from is anyone’s guess. One significant benefit of the officer’s flight was avoiding the old, Office of Professional Standards and a lots of paper related misery. The real benefit was the officer made no statement whatsoever which is his right as an America...

Chicago, IL --In order to collect food stamps, welfare, and those wildly popular cash cards the government won’t demand proof of legal residency or even positive identification of the recipients. Fingerprinting and a little database management could prevent redundant payments, ineligible precipitants, and alike.  Our politicians can be counted upon to obstruct any effort to contain the fraud. The direct deposit of funds into bank accounts allows those on the dole to live anywhere in the world as they collect from as many as 50 states.  Grab a few identities along the way and the sky is the limit!  Around 1970 I learned a trick by a high rolling Chicago lady.  She had furs, jewels and bought a new car every year.  She complained about the cost of her facelift saying everyone was entitled to such elective medical procedures free of charge.    The woman had at least a dozen names on a mailbox at an apartment where she did not even live. Like clockwor...

Chicago, IL —In the case against Chicago police officer William Cozzi , the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals today has nullified longstanding agreements that protect officers from statements made in administrative proceedings. Every American other than police officers has an absolute right to remain silent when under investigation. Police agencies have the difficult job of sorting out events to determine if their officers are acting within the law and established department policies. The police agencies have determined a way to obtain their officer’s cooperation during internal investigations through immunization agreements that preclude those statements from being used in court against the officers. Because of the Cozzi opinion any officers who cooperates with the department during an internal investigation are fools that can expect to see whatever they say used against them anyway. Any officer that has to for example, use any force whatsoever is crazy to make a written repor...

Chicago, IL —In Chicago the ghetto rats know the cops are too ineffective to even begin to controlling them. Cops are bound by stringent rules and discipline. Cops are not allowed to arm themselves with more effective weapons and will never have parity with the thugs.  This is aggravated by the mismanagement and theft of taxpayer funds in a terrible economy. The law-abiding people in the community are not allowed to help beyond snitching and they have no reasonable means for self-defense when the thugs retaliate. To take control of Chicago’s streets police need a cooperative effort between armed, law-abiding citizens and police. In the words of my friend, Professor John Lott , "More guns, equals less crime." The only cure: 1.     A right to carry law for reasonable self-defense.  2.     Free firearms training including the laws and liability of the justifiable use of deadly force. 3.     City leaders must invite the law-abidi...

Chicago, IL —In the otherwise boring but high profile trial of former Governor Rod Blagojevich great pains were made by prosecutors and Judge James Zage l to protect every member of the Obama Mafia from exposure or attention. I can’t help but believe there are sinister motives behind Zagel’s rulings. I saw an incredibly cleaver move by the feisty Sam Adam, Jr. who proved to be a legal clone of his legendary father. Frustrated by the constant over-protection of the Obama Crime Organization and convicted criminals associated with those Whitehouse occupants, Adam found a great solution. Adam wanted to jury to know that he was not permitted to bring in or examine the Whitehouse Mafia members. Adam wants everyone to know they’re being protected for nefarious reasons. Judge Zagel put his massive foot right on Adam’s throat threatening him in the process. That got major press attention. Adam is no fool he ran with that football for a major touchdown by suggesting he’d go to jail i...

As a private investigator and blogger I have learned a sad truth. The vast majority of people on jury duty are bored, and for excitement they violate absolutely every court order on avoiding published or broadcast materials regarding the cases they are deciding. The very first thing a surprising number of people do on jury duty is a Google search on the names of the key players. Who will try and stop these folks in the privacy of their own homes? The First Amendment allows anyone to publish anything they wish before cases are to be tried or court orders are issued. A pre-litigation documentary film setting out the facts away from the constraints of the courtroom is an incredible public relations tool to help any litigant or criminal defendant.   The litigants themselves would be foolish in most cases to say anything on camera about their cases since anything they say can be used against them. The same goes for their witnesses. Getting the other side parties and adverse witnesse...

Washington, DC —I will begin by blaming George H.W. Bush and then George W. Bush . Barack Obama is no better here at all. John F. Kenned y in an honorable effort wanted to protect countries in Southeast Asia from the Communist menace sent our kids to war.  We took over for the French and began to sacrifice some 60,000 of our country’s kids protecting South Viet Nam. For everyone killed there were five more with horrible injuries both physical and mental. Soon the Communists and Socialists within our own government began obstructing and aiding our enemies. The Socialist majority in our Congress made sure our military did not have the tools or orders to stop the invasion from the North including China. The war was prolonged until our exhausted soldiers were withdrawn. Millions of non-Communists were murdered in the holocaust that we allowed to take place after. It was a victory for world Socialism. Now these politicians have sent our kids off for the impossible task of ...

Houston, TX — Edward R. Murrow and other TV news pioneers dictated the format of TV news.  Beyond high definition color broadcasts and glitzy graphics for our new flat panel TVs little has changed in the 55 years since. The teleprompter along with pleasant personality with and a decent smile has made the anchor.  The anchors for the most part were serious journalists but that all ends the moment they sit in the anchor’s throne.  News gathering is no longer their responsibility. We pay the pretty news readers much more than reporters and they are the ones that get the celebrity treatment. But are anchors really needed? Tribune broadcasting is about to find out after their Houston station, KIAH-TV (CW) jettisoned their newsreaders and are about to begin broadcasting without them. TV news has lost huge amounts of revenue and cutting the fat out of the budget can’t be avoided. Anchors are expensive.  Anchors do bring order to the stories as the serves as guide...