HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101145 DD DD Gilbert chief's daughter pleads guilty DD DD Jill Redhage, Tribune DD DD The daughter of Gilbert’s police chief pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to drunken driving and aggravated assault. DD DD Gilbert police chief’s daughter faces lawsuit DD Chief's daughter booked for DUI DD DD Brandi Dorn, 25, of Queen Creek admitted to driving drunk on Jan. 31 on Gilbert Road near U.S. 60 where she lost control of her car and hit two people, causing them to go to the hospital with injuries. DD DD Dorn told police she had one beer and two shots of whiskey earlier in the day, a police report states. DD DD Judge Silvia Arellano set Dorn’s sentencing for Dec. 7 in Maricopa County Superior Court in Mesa. County attorney spokesman Mike Anthony Scerbo said she could face up to 7 1/2 years in prison. HH header UB IB WB CW DD No wonder the Democrats have not ended the Iraq war. There are lots of special interest groups who will give them money for earmarks! Why stop a war that can help fill your pockets full of cash. DD DD There are 1,337 earmarks totaling $3 billion that's only $2,243,829 which is chump change for the big spenders in Washington D.C. who steal our money and give it to special interest groups. DD DD http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/washington/04earmarks.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin DD DD Even Cut 50 Percent, Earmarks Clog a Military Bill DD DD By MARILYN W. THOMPSON and RON NIXON DD DD Published: November 4, 2007 DD DD WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 — Even though members of Congress cut back their pork barrel spending this year, House lawmakers still tacked on to the military appropriations bill $1.8 billion to pay 580 private companies for projects the Pentagon did not request. DD DD Twenty-one members were responsible for about $1 billion in earmarks, or financing for pet projects, according to data lawmakers were required to disclose for the first time this year. Each asked for more than $20 million for businesses mostly in their districts, ranging from major military contractors to little known start-ups. DD DD The list is topped by the veteran earmark champions Representative John P. Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who is the chairman of the powerful defense appropriations subcommittee, and Representative C. W. Bill Young, of Florida, the top Republican on the panel, who asked for $166 million and $117 million respectively. It also includes $92 million in requests from Representative Jerry Lewis, Republican of California, a committee member who is under federal investigation for his ties to a lobbying firm whose clients often benefited from his earmarks. DD DD The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, requested $32 million in earmarks, while Steny H. Hoyer, the majority leader, asked for $26 million for projects in the $459.6 billion defense bill, the largest of the appropriations bills that go through Congress. DD DD As promised when they took control of Congress in January, House Democratic leaders cut in half from last year the value of earmarks in the bill, as they did in the other 11 agency spending measures. But some lawmakers complained that the leadership failed to address what it had called a “culture of corruption” in which members seek earmarks to benefit corporate donors. Earmarks have been a recurring issue in recent Congressional scandals, most recently the 2005 conviction of Representative Randy Cunningham, Republican of California, for accepting bribes from defense contractors. DD DD “Pork hasn’t gone away at all,” said Representative Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, a vocal earmark critic who cites the “circular fund-raising” surrounding many earmarks. “It would be wonderful if this was a partisan issue, with Republicans on the right side, but it is really not. Many of these companies use money appropriated through earmarks to turn around and lobby for more money. Some of them are just there to receive earmarks.” DD DD Congressional earmarks, which are not competitively bid, have tripled over the past decade, amounting to $31 billion last year, and the Bush administration has complained that they waste taxpayer dollars and skew priorities from critical military needs, like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global war on terror. DD DD Thomas E. Mann, a Congressional scholar and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, though, sees the costs of earmarks as less of a problem than their potential for abuse. DD DD “The fiscal fallout of earmarks is trivial,” he said. But they can lead to “conflicts of interest, the irrational and unconstructive allocation of resources, or their use by Congressional leaders as carrots and sticks to buy votes for larger measures that clearly lack majority support on the merits.” DD DD The House version of the military bill includes 1,337 earmarks totaling $3 billion, the most Congressional earmarks in any of the spending bills passed this year. A conference committee is now reconciling House and Senate versions. The Senate added about $5 billion in earmarks to the bill, but it is difficult to determine the sponsors because it has no disclosure rules. DD DD About half of the House military earmarks go to universities, military bases and other public institutions; the other half to businesses and nonprofits. For the first time, members submitted written requests for each project and statements attesting that they had no personal financial interests in them. Previously, earmarks often were inserted anonymously. The New York Times analysis of earmarks used data compiled by the Washington-based watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense along with campaign contribution and lobbying records. DD DD Democrats consider earmark reform a success, since they have significantly reduced their cost and brought “disclosure so constituents can see what their members have asked for,” said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi. “That’s one of the things we wanted to change, to bring more openness.” But the House Republican Conference continues to accuse Democrats of using earmarks as a “slush fund.” DD DD Mr. Murtha has drawn much attention this year, first as he bitterly opposed the legislation requiring disclosure of earmarks, then continued his habit of submitting dozens of requests, most benefiting his hometown of Johnstown, Pa. (He asked for 47 earmarks.) Two Republicans said he threatened to block them from getting any earmarks when they questioned one of his requests. “You’re not going to get any, now or forever,” he warned Representative Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who eventually received a written apology from the Pennsylvania congressman. DD DD The Republican Conference chairman, Adam H. Putman of Florida, said Mr. Murtha’s behavior has been “like watching a throwback in time.” DD DD “He’s a classic old-bull appropriator, basically showing a level of arrogance in which he breezily dismisses House rules, dismisses public inquiry and defies the spirit of disclosure,” Mr. Putnam said. DD DD About $111 million of Mr. Murtha’s earmarks are for businesses and nonprofits closely aligned with him. He recruits defense firms and jobs to his economically depressed district and often pushes earmarks for them. DD DD “I don’t make apologies for having earmarks,” Mr. Murtha, who declined to be interviewed for this article, told members in August. “When we see something that we think is not as valuable as something else is, we change it.” DD DD Firms benefiting from Mr. Murtha’s help have given at least $437,000 to his campaign since 2005, with about $110,000 streaming in just before this year’s March 16 request deadline. DD DD Some of Mr. Murtha’s earmarks are relatively small amounts for companies trying to gain a foothold in defense contracting, but few details about their projects are provided. KDH Defense Systems of Johnstown makes Navy body armor and Army elbow pads in a converted bra factory, and Mr. Murtha asked for a $2 million earmark to help the company improve its bulletproof vests. Another earmark would provide $3 million for KDH to develop a “waterways threat detection system.” DD DD The company’s lobbying firm is KSA Consulting, which employed Mr. Murtha’s younger brother, Kit, until 2006. The firm has contributed $4,000 to Mr. Murtha’s campaign since 2005. DD DD Eight companies on Mr. Murtha’s earmark list use a different lobbyist, the PMA Group, whose principals include Paul Magliochetti, a former aide to the defense appropriations subcommittee. The firm took in $840,000 in fees this year from those clients. PMA and its employees have given $58,600 to Mr. Murtha’s campaign since 2005, according to contribution records. DD DD Mr. Murtha included four earmarks worth $10 million for Concurrent Technologies Corporation, a Johnstown-based nonprofit run by major contributors that has won $226 million in earmarks since 2004, according to figures compiled by the taxpayers watchdog group. Concurrent also relies on other lawmakers for support, getting $8 million more in earmarks, including one worth $1.5 million from Mr. Young, whose district in Florida has a Concurrent office. Mr. Young said the company does valuable work for Special Forces. DD DD A Concurrent spokeswoman, Mary T. Bevan, said it is premature to discuss specific earmarks. “Congressionally directed funding is a small part of CTC’s overall revenues,” she said in an e-mail message. DD DD In recent weeks, Concurrent has drawn attention, along with its sister operation, Commonwealth Research Institute, over whether Commonwealth paid a contract official for a no-show job while he awaited confirmation to an Air Force post. The man, Charles D. Riechers died in an apparent suicide after a Congressional committee questioned him about the payments. DD DD Mr. Young requested earmarks for 51 projects totaling $117 million. All but 15 requests benefit defense firms. DD DD The Florida congressman collected about $150,000 in contributions since 2005 from companies for which he earmarked projects in this year’s bill. Unlike Mr. Murtha, he received only one contribution — a $2,000 donation from the political action committee of DRS Technologies — in the days before the earmark deadline. A DRS spokesman said the company’s PAC bought a ticket to a Young fund-raiser. DD DD Mr. Young said that his earmark numbers are high because as ranking subcommittee member, he also seeks earmarks on behalf of other Republicans. DD DD He said he makes requests only after “personal contacts to the various agencies” to make sure the projects are legitimate. “I want to make sure we are not putting money into something the Pentagon does not feel they need,” he said. DD DD Mr. Lewis, whose relationship with a lobbying firm is now under federal scrutiny, got $85,500 from six companies for which he sponsored earmarks. Science Applications International Corporation, which received a $4 million earmark, donated $5,000 two weeks before the earmark deadline. DD DD Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Hoyer each had 10 earmarks in the bill. Five of Ms. Pelosi’s earmarks went to companies in her district, as did six of Mr. Hoyer’s. DD DD Ryan Alexander, director of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said the public deserves disclosure of the cost and purpose of each earmark. It is important, she said, to judge earmarked projects against other priorities, “particularly in a time of two wars and so many demands on our resources.” HH header UB RB LB IB DB WB CW SS II MY DD http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/technology/04jammer.html?hp DD DD Devices Enforce Cellular Silence, Sweet but Illegal DD DD By MATT RICHTEL DD Published: November 4, 2007 DD DD SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 — One afternoon in early September, an architect boarded his commuter train and became a cellphone vigilante. He sat down next to a 20-something woman who he said was “blabbing away” into her phone. DD DD “She was using the word ‘like’ all the time. She sounded like a Valley Girl,” said the architect, Andrew, who declined to give his last name because what he did next was illegal. DD DD Andrew reached into his shirt pocket and pushed a button on a black device the size of a cigarette pack. It sent out a powerful radio signal that cut off the chatterer’s cellphone transmission — and any others in a 30-foot radius. DD DD “She kept talking into her phone for about 30 seconds before she realized there was no one listening on the other end,” he said. His reaction when he first discovered he could wield such power? “Oh, holy moly! Deliverance.” DD DD As cellphone use has skyrocketed, making it hard to avoid hearing half a conversation in many public places, a small but growing band of rebels is turning to a blunt countermeasure: the cellphone jammer, a gadget that renders nearby mobile devices impotent. DD DD The technology is not new, but overseas exporters of jammers say demand is rising and they are sending hundreds of them a month into the United States — prompting scrutiny from federal regulators and new concern last week from the cellphone industry. The buyers include owners of cafes and hair salons, hoteliers, public speakers, theater operators, bus drivers and, increasingly, commuters on public transportation. DD DD The development is creating a battle for control of the airspace within earshot. And the damage is collateral. Insensitive talkers impose their racket on the defenseless, while jammers punish not just the offender, but also more discreet chatterers. DD DD “If anything characterizes the 21st century, it’s our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people,” said James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University. “The cellphone talker thinks his rights go above that of people around him, and the jammer thinks his are the more important rights.” DD DD The jamming technology works by sending out a radio signal so powerful that phones are overwhelmed and cannot communicate with cell towers. The range varies from several feet to several yards, and the devices cost from $50 to several hundred dollars. Larger models can be left on to create a no-call zone. DD DD Using the jammers is illegal in the United States. The radio frequencies used by cellphone carriers are protected, just like those used by television and radio broadcasters. DD DD The Federal Communication Commission says people who use cellphone jammers could be fined up to $11,000 for a first offense. Its enforcement bureau has prosecuted a handful of American companies for distributing the gadgets — and it also pursues their users. DD DD Investigators from the F.C.C. and Verizon Wireless visited an upscale restaurant in Maryland over the last year, the restaurant owner said. The owner, who declined to be named, said he bought a powerful jammer for $1,000 because he was tired of his employees focusing on their phones rather than customers. DD DD “I told them: put away your phones, put away your phones, put away your phones,” he said. They ignored him. DD DD The owner said the F.C.C. investigator hung around for a week, using special equipment designed to detect jammers. But the owner had turned his off. DD DD The Verizon investigator was similarly unsuccessful. “He went to everyone in town and gave them his number and said if they were having trouble, they should call him right away,” the owner said. He said he has since stopped using the jammer. DD DD Of course, it would be harder to detect the use of smaller battery-operated jammers like those used by disgruntled commuters. DD DD An F.C.C. spokesman, Clyde Ensslin, declined to comment on the issue or the case in Maryland. DD DD Cellphone carriers pay tens of billions of dollars to lease frequencies from the government with an understanding that others will not interfere with their signals. And there are other costs on top of that. Verizon Wireless, for example, spends $6.5 billion a year to build and maintain its network. DD DD “It’s counterintuitive that when the demand is clear and strong from wireless consumers for improved cell coverage, that these kinds of devices are finding a market,” said Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon spokesman. The carriers also raise a public safety issue: jammers could be used by criminals to stop people from communicating in an emergency. DD DD In evidence of the intensifying debate over the devices, CTIA, the main cellular phone industry association, asked the F.C.C. on Friday to maintain the illegality of jamming and to continue to pursue violators. It said the move was a response to requests by two companies for permission to use jammers in specific situations, like in jails. DD DD Individuals using jammers express some guilt about their sabotage, but some clearly have a prankster side, along with some mean-spirited cellphone schadenfreude. “Just watching those dumb teens at the mall get their calls dropped is worth it. Can you hear me now? NO! Good,” the purchaser of a jammer wrote last month in a review on a Web site called DealExtreme. DD DD Gary, a therapist in Ohio who also declined to give his last name, citing the illegality of the devices, says jamming is necessary to do his job effectively. He runs group therapy sessions for sufferers of eating disorders. In one session, a woman’s confession was rudely interrupted. DD DD “She was talking about sexual abuse,” Gary said. “Someone’s cellphone went off and they carried on a conversation.” DD DD “There’s no etiquette,” he said. “It’s a pandemic.” DD DD Gary said phone calls interrupted therapy all the time, despite a no-phones policy. Four months ago, he paid $200 for a jammer, which he placed surreptitiously on one side of the room. He tells patients that if they are expecting an emergency call, they should give out the front desk’s number. He has not told them about the jammer. DD DD Gary bought his jammer from a Web site based in London called PhoneJammer.com. Victor McCormack, the site’s operator, says he ships roughly 400 jammers a month into the United States, up from 300 a year ago. Orders for holiday gifts, he said, have exceeded 2,000. DD DD Kumaar Thakkar, who lives in Mumbai, India, and sells jammers online, said he exported 20 a month to the United States, twice as many as a year ago. Clients, he said, include owners of cafes and hair salons, and a New York school bus driver named Dan. DD DD “The kids think they are sneaky by hiding low in the seats and using their phones,” Dan wrote in an e-mail message to Mr. Thakkar thanking him for selling the jammer. “Now the kids can’t figure out why their phones don’t work, but can’t ask because they will get in trouble! It’s fun to watch them try to get a signal.” DD DD Andrew, the San Francisco-area architect, said using his jammer was initially fun, and then became a practical way to get some quiet on the train. Now he uses it more judiciously. DD DD “At this point, just knowing I have the power to cut somebody off is satisfaction enough,” he said. HH header UB RB LB IB DB WB CW SS II MY DD http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/technology/04jammer.html?hp DD DD Devices Enforce Cellular Silence, Sweet but Illegal DD DD By MATT RICHTEL DD Published: November 4, 2007 DD DD SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 — One afternoon in early September, an architect boarded his commuter train and became a cellphone vigilante. He sat down next to a 20-something woman who he said was “blabbing away” into her phone. DD DD “She was using the word ‘like’ all the time. She sounded like a Valley Girl,” said the architect, Andrew, who declined to give his last name because what he did next was illegal. DD DD Andrew reached into his shirt pocket and pushed a button on a black device the size of a cigarette pack. It sent out a powerful radio signal that cut off the chatterer’s cellphone transmission — and any others in a 30-foot radius. DD DD “She kept talking into her phone for about 30 seconds before she realized there was no one listening on the other end,” he said. His reaction when he first discovered he could wield such power? “Oh, holy moly! Deliverance.” DD DD As cellphone use has skyrocketed, making it hard to avoid hearing half a conversation in many public places, a small but growing band of rebels is turning to a blunt countermeasure: the cellphone jammer, a gadget that renders nearby mobile devices impotent. DD DD The technology is not new, but overseas exporters of jammers say demand is rising and they are sending hundreds of them a month into the United States — prompting scrutiny from federal regulators and new concern last week from the cellphone industry. The buyers include owners of cafes and hair salons, hoteliers, public speakers, theater operators, bus drivers and, increasingly, commuters on public transportation. DD DD The development is creating a battle for control of the airspace within earshot. And the damage is collateral. Insensitive talkers impose their racket on the defenseless, while jammers punish not just the offender, but also more discreet chatterers. DD DD “If anything characterizes the 21st century, it’s our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people,” said James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University. “The cellphone talker thinks his rights go above that of people around him, and the jammer thinks his are the more important rights.” DD DD The jamming technology works by sending out a radio signal so powerful that phones are overwhelmed and cannot communicate with cell towers. The range varies from several feet to several yards, and the devices cost from $50 to several hundred dollars. Larger models can be left on to create a no-call zone. DD DD Using the jammers is illegal in the United States. The radio frequencies used by cellphone carriers are protected, just like those used by television and radio broadcasters. DD DD The Federal Communication Commission says people who use cellphone jammers could be fined up to $11,000 for a first offense. Its enforcement bureau has prosecuted a handful of American companies for distributing the gadgets — and it also pursues their users. DD DD Investigators from the F.C.C. and Verizon Wireless visited an upscale restaurant in Maryland over the last year, the restaurant owner said. The owner, who declined to be named, said he bought a powerful jammer for $1,000 because he was tired of his employees focusing on their phones rather than customers. DD DD “I told them: put away your phones, put away your phones, put away your phones,” he said. They ignored him. DD DD The owner said the F.C.C. investigator hung around for a week, using special equipment designed to detect jammers. But the owner had turned his off. DD DD The Verizon investigator was similarly unsuccessful. “He went to everyone in town and gave them his number and said if they were having trouble, they should call him right away,” the owner said. He said he has since stopped using the jammer. DD DD Of course, it would be harder to detect the use of smaller battery-operated jammers like those used by disgruntled commuters. DD DD An F.C.C. spokesman, Clyde Ensslin, declined to comment on the issue or the case in Maryland. DD DD Cellphone carriers pay tens of billions of dollars to lease frequencies from the government with an understanding that others will not interfere with their signals. And there are other costs on top of that. Verizon Wireless, for example, spends $6.5 billion a year to build and maintain its network. DD DD “It’s counterintuitive that when the demand is clear and strong from wireless consumers for improved cell coverage, that these kinds of devices are finding a market,” said Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon spokesman. The carriers also raise a public safety issue: jammers could be used by criminals to stop people from communicating in an emergency. DD DD In evidence of the intensifying debate over the devices, CTIA, the main cellular phone industry association, asked the F.C.C. on Friday to maintain the illegality of jamming and to continue to pursue violators. It said the move was a response to requests by two companies for permission to use jammers in specific situations, like in jails. DD DD Individuals using jammers express some guilt about their sabotage, but some clearly have a prankster side, along with some mean-spirited cellphone schadenfreude. “Just watching those dumb teens at the mall get their calls dropped is worth it. Can you hear me now? NO! Good,” the purchaser of a jammer wrote last month in a review on a Web site called DealExtreme. DD DD Gary, a therapist in Ohio who also declined to give his last name, citing the illegality of the devices, says jamming is necessary to do his job effectively. He runs group therapy sessions for sufferers of eating disorders. In one session, a woman’s confession was rudely interrupted. DD DD “She was talking about sexual abuse,” Gary said. “Someone’s cellphone went off and they carried on a conversation.” DD DD “There’s no etiquette,” he said. “It’s a pandemic.” DD DD Gary said phone calls interrupted therapy all the time, despite a no-phones policy. Four months ago, he paid $200 for a jammer, which he placed surreptitiously on one side of the room. He tells patients that if they are expecting an emergency call, they should give out the front desk’s number. He has not told them about the jammer. DD DD Gary bought his jammer from a Web site based in London called PhoneJammer.com. Victor McCormack, the site’s operator, says he ships roughly 400 jammers a month into the United States, up from 300 a year ago. Orders for holiday gifts, he said, have exceeded 2,000. DD DD Kumaar Thakkar, who lives in Mumbai, India, and sells jammers online, said he exported 20 a month to the United States, twice as many as a year ago. Clients, he said, include owners of cafes and hair salons, and a New York school bus driver named Dan. DD DD “The kids think they are sneaky by hiding low in the seats and using their phones,” Dan wrote in an e-mail message to Mr. Thakkar thanking him for selling the jammer. “Now the kids can’t figure out why their phones don’t work, but can’t ask because they will get in trouble! It’s fun to watch them try to get a signal.” DD DD Andrew, the San Francisco-area architect, said using his jammer was initially fun, and then became a practical way to get some quiet on the train. Now he uses it more judiciously. DD DD “At this point, just knowing I have the power to cut somebody off is satisfaction enough,” he said. DD DD -------------------------------------- DD DD DD The web site in the above article DD DD DD http://phonejammer.com/ DD DD Cell phone jammer. DD DD A phone jammer transmits low power radio signals to cut off communications between cell phones and cell base stations. It does not interfere with any communications other than cellular phones within the defined regulated zone. DD Upon activating a phone jammer, all idle phones will indicate "NO NETWORK." Incoming calls are blocked as if the cellular hand phone were off. DD When the phone jammer is turned off, all cell hand phones will automatically re-establish communications and provide full service. DD DD DD Provides Acoustics Isolation. DD DD A phone jammer provides the ultimate solution in any area where cellular communications frequently cause nuisance either by loud incoming call rings or resulting loud telephone conversations. Examples of places where cell phones can be disruptive include: DD DD . Public Transport (trains, busses, etc.) DD . Theatres (movie theatres, concert halls, playhouses, opera houses, etc.) DD . Lecture rooms DD . Libraries DD . Museums DD . Restaurants DD . Schools and Universities (classrooms, lecture halls, auditoriums, etc.) cell phone jammers can prevent students from SMS cheating. DD . Places of Worship (mosques, shrines, churches, temples, etc.) DD . Country Clubs DD . Sporting Events DD . Recording Studios DD . TV Stations, Radio Stations, etc. DD DD Protects Against Breach Of Security Policy. DD DD Cell phones are innocent looking communication devices that enable continuous transmission of voice/data. In secured places, where policy does not warrant the use of mobile phones, it is almost impossible to detect a person conducting cell phone conversations or to spot other such misuse, especially when mobile phones are very small. Examples of places where cell phone use may not be allowed include: DD DD . Businesses (conferences, board of directors rooms, seminars, meeting rooms) DD . Government Building and Government Complexes DD . Law Enforcement Facilities DD . Police Stations DD . Drug Enforcement Facilities DD . Prison Facilities, Jails, Etc. DD . Courts of Law and Court Houses DD . Embassies DD . Military Installations, Military Complexes, and Military Training Centres DD DD Addresses Safety Issues. DD DD In accordance with fire code regulations, mobile phones must be switched "off" in any area that has a potentially explosive atmosphere, including "petrol service stations" where sparks could cause an explosion or fire. These preventable accidents occur more frequently than most people are aware. DD Areas where mobile phone use is prohibited include: DD DD . Petrol/ Gas Stations DD . Oil Refineries and Storage Facilities DD . Offshore Oil Platforms DD . Petrol/Gas Transportation Vehicles DD . Chemical Refineries and Storage Facilities DD . Chemical Transportation Vehicles DD . Laboratories DD . Fireworks Factories DD . Liquefied Petroleum (LPG) Refineries and Storage Facilities DD . LPG Transportation Vehicles DD . Natural Gas Refineries and Storage facilities DD . Natural Gas Transportation Vehicles DD . Power Plants DD . Industrial Plants (or anywhere the air contains chemicals or particles such as grain, dust, or metal powders) DD . Hospitals DD DD We recommend low power cell phone jammers for use in all the listed areas for obvious safety reasons. DD DD DD Introducing the quad-band mini-phonejammer the most sophisticated digital cell phone jammer of its class, a mobile device to help you keep away from noise or disturbance of cellular phone calls at short distance. Small enough to fit inside a cigarette packet. DD DD MINI PHONE JAMMER DD DD Battery Operated DD World Compatible DD Portable Cell Phone Jammer$ 149 DD DD Colour/Model Black - P2JBZ DD Power 9V PP3 DD Power output (Avg.) 17dBm DD Effective blocking area up to 5 meter radius DD Effective cellular system AMPS, CDMA, GSM, TDMA, PCS, DCS DD Dimensions - 85mm(H) * 60mm(L) * 20mm(W) DD Weight - 50g DD DD HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101230 DD DD November 4, 2007 - 11:25AM DD DD Man with gun shot dead by Mesa police DD DD Mike Branom, Tribune DD DD A man who displayed a handgun to two Mesa policemen was shot dead by one of the officers early this morning. DD DD Authorities have not released the man's name, pending positive identification and notification of next of kin. DD DD According to authorities, at 12:38 a.m. police received a call from a 51-year-old female living near Power and McKellips roads. The woman reported someone was knocking on her front door, and she believed it to be her ex-boyfriend against whom she has placed an order of protection. DD DD At 12:51 a.m., two officers arrived at the residence. There, the officers contacted a man and he displayed a handgun. When he failed to comply with the officers' commands, one of the policemen fired his duty weapon. DD DD The Mesa Fire Department pronounced the man dead at the scene. HH header UB IB CW DD Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio ¡°tries to make it as inconvenient as possible for everyone.¡± DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101218 DD DD November 4, 2007 - 6:19AM DD DD New jail policy posted in error irks visitors DD DD Jill Redhage, Tribune DD DD Regular visitors to the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix were distraught Saturday night when they found signs posted about a new visitation policy. DD DD ¡°Effective Monday, Nov. 5, the 4th Avenue Jail will only be accepting regular visitation on Sundays,¡± read the signs, which were posted on the doors to the jail¡¯s entrance and throughout the lobby. A similar message was recorded and posted on the jail's phone system. DD DD Current visitation hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day but Friday, although the jail locked its doors at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. DD DD A deputy inside the jail confirmed the new policy but referred questions about the change to the Maricopa County Sheriff¡¯s Office spokesman, Capt. Paul Chagolla. DD DD Chagolla was upset to learn of the fliers Saturday night, and he called their posting the result of a ¡°miscommunication.¡± DD DD ¡°The fliers were posted in error,¡± Chagolla said. DD DD He said there had been discussion about changing the visitation policy at the jail, but no final decisions had been made and no authorization had been given to post fliers. DD DD But for a few hours Saturday night, visitors were distressed nonetheless. DD DD ¡°It ain¡¯t even right,¡± said Crystal Medina, 23, of Phoenix. ¡°People have to work.¡± DD DD Medina said she¡¯d bailed someone out of jail earlier in the day, and the signs weren¡¯t posted then. She said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio ¡°tries to make it as inconvenient as possible for everyone.¡± DD DD Yolanda Hubbard, also of Phoenix, wondered about how bad the visitation lines would get and how terrible the parking would be on the streets nearby if guests were only allowed to visit inmates one day a week. DD DD ¡°I just think it¡¯s just crazy,¡± Hubbard said. DD DD Chagolla said he was sure the signs would be taken down by Sunday morning. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101208 DD DD November 4, 2007 - 6:32AM DD DD Language barrier plagues Mesa police DD DD Katie McDevitt, Tribune DD DD “Policía! Policía!” Gunshots blast through a west Mesa neighborhood on a Friday night and witnesses yell in Spanish for police help. DD DD VIDEO: Mesa police chief discusses options for increasing the number of Spanish-speaking officers DD VIDEO: Mesa dispatchers field Spanish-speaking 911 calls DD DD There’s just been a shooting and officers flood the busy scene to find a man lying in a driveway pressing a shirt to his left thigh. Blood spills onto the driveway, forming a trail up to the door of a modest home. DD DD Dozens of people mill about the area in the 600 block of South Sycamore which is just behind a trailer park near Broadway and Dobson roads . Women scream and neighbors pour out of their homes to check out the commotion. DD DD But who committed the crime? DD DD No one can say. DD DD The officers can’t speak Spanish, and the victims and witnesses can’t speak English. DD Police call for a Spanish translator. He arrives in about 11 minutes , but the gunman is long gone. Meanwhile, a helicopter hovers overhead ready to search, but the pilot doesn’t know who to look for — nor do the officers responding to the scene. DD DD It’s not until later that translators gather descriptions. But it is too late to look for the gunman . DD DD Scenes like this shooting are becoming more frequent in Mesa as the city’s Spanish-speaking population booms and the number of Spanish-speaking officers remains at about 17 percent of the force. DD DD The language barrier threatens public safety by allowing criminals to escape before translators arrive on scene and by slowing down the time it takes to bring charges against lawbreakers. DD DD “Being able to provide good services to the citizens is the bottom line,” said Mesa Police Association president Fabian Cota. “The fact that officers can’t communicate with victims ... kind of means they are receiving inferior service.” DD DD And it’s not just the public that’s in danger. DD DD The inability to communicate puts officers’ lives at risk, too. DD DD Mesa police Chief George Gascón said he is exploring ways to increase the number of Spanish-speaking officers in the city, but budget constraints leave him with few options. DD DD “We recognize it’s an urgent public safety need. Quite frankly we don’t have the luxury of saying, 'Learn English,’” Gascón said. DD DD “Sometimes communication is a two-way street. You need to have a mutual understanding and a mutual sensitivity.” DD DD DD Nueve Uno Uno DD DD Last year Mesa spent nearly $118,000 to translate 911 calls that were not in English . DD More than 99 percent of the time, the calls were in Spanish. DD DD In Mesa’s large 120-employee communication center, only five people speak Spanish. Since those people aren’t always available to take the calls, and emergencies require fast action, 911 operators must rely on a private service called Language Line. DD DD “The first thing operators do is identify the language and look around the room and transfer a call to a (translator),” said Cari Zanella, Mesa communications administrator. “The second line of defense is the Language Line.” DD DD The Language Line works by linking a caller and dispatcher with a translator for instant help. DD DD The line takes only about half a second to use for Spanish speakers, and slightly longer for other languages. DD DD From Sept. 1, 2006, to Aug. 31, Mesa’s dispatchers handled 16,500 calls involving 23 different languages. Nearly all of the foreign language calls were in Spanish with just a few in other languages, mostly Vietnamese and Farsi. DD DD Of the 6,809 languages spoken in the world, Language Line gives Mesa dispatchers access to 98.6 percent of them, according to department figures. DD DD “One of the hardest things when I was an operator was when you couldn’t distinguish the language,” Zanella said. DD DD But in such cases, if the calls are 911 emergencies, operators will dispatch officers to the scene. DD DD “A lot of people are hysterical and freaking out, so the most job satisfaction a 911 operator can have is (knowing) help is on the way,” she said. DD DD DD Lost in translation DD DD But even though dispatchers can be assured that police are en route, it can still be scary for officers. DD DD During some Spanish-speaking 911 calls, police are dispatched to a location with little or no information on the incident, while 911 operators work to translate the call. DD DD “It is a dynamic situation and we need to get the information out now,” Cota said. “Time is of the essence ... or these people are going to get away.” DD DD In some cases, the officer arrives to find hysterical people, blood and witnesses trying desperately to communicate — with no success if the officer doesn’t speak Spanish. DD DD Gascón is trying to solve the problem by exploring an Internet language program that could help officers become proficient in basic Spanish for a reasonable cost. He also is trying to diversify the police force at the request of City Manager Chris Brady. DD DD But officers say the extra pay to become Spanish certified isn’t always worth the effort. DD DD Mesa’s Spanish Rover program, which deploys Spanish-speaking officers to incidents and crime scenes, is especially busy. In the past two years, two to four Spanish-certified officers have participated in the program, which pays an additional 5 percent of an officer’s salary. DD DD The program is good for the community because it allows officers to call out a translator at a moment’s notice, but tough on the officers, who must work long, difficult hours for a tiny bit of extra pay. DD DD “It’s difficult for us to get them and keep them because they get burned out,” said Sgt. Tony Abalos, who runs the program. “They are usually gone in two years.” DD DD And some officers who speak Spanish even keep it a secret so they aren’t called upon for extra duties. DD DD Phoenix police spokeswoman Stacie Derge said her department offers a hefty paycheck for bilingual officers: $10 extra per hour for all the time they’re speaking another language on duty. DD DD Gascón said the Los Angeles Police Department has assembled a force that has 40 percent Spanish speakers. DD DD But in the immediate future, Mesa officials said there’s no quick solution to combat their language barrier. DD DD “The whole city is really behind the times in terms of serving the Latino community,” said Carmen Guerrera, a 30-year Mesa resident, who sits on the board for the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens. DD DD “(But) I think the police have done a lot of good work in the past year. We have a new chief who is very sensitive and is doing his best.” DD DD DD Spanish charades DD DD Mesa officer Aaron Raine says about 75 percent of the calls he responds to in west Mesa come from Spanish speakers. DD DD “I speak enough Spanish to greet and introduce myself and I kind of have an idea what’s going on from the call comments,” Raine says while cruising the streets of Mesa. DD DD Family members and neighbors often help officers communicate on simple calls, but if the incident is criminal or a real emergency, Raine says he’ll call for help. DD DD “A lot of them get frustrated when officers don’t speak Spanish,” Raine says. “I’ve been on calls where people are yelling at me because I don’t speak enough Spanish.” DD DD Raine says he’d eventually like to take the time to learn the language, to be able to help people and perform his job better. DD DD But on a quiet October evening, Raine must go through the usual strained sentences and charades to make a basic traffic stop. DD DD “Hello, can I please see your license?” the officer politely asks the driver of a truck. DD “No English” the man replies. DD DD “El luz on placa es no,” the officer says in broken Spanish as he attempts to explain the license plate light is not working. DD DD The man responds with only a blank stare. DD DD Raine gestures for the man to get out of his truck and the two walk around behind the vehicle. The officer points to the darkened license plate light and says “No.” DD DD The man’s eyes widen as he shakes his head. The man is given a warning to replace his license plate light. DD DD Though the traffic stop was OK that night, Raine and other officers know that getting someone out of a car is not always a good idea because it compromises officer safety. DD DD “The little Spanish I can fumble through, the little English they can fumble through and gestures,” Raine says as he gets back into his cruiser. “That’s how it gets done.” HH header UB IB DD Its all about MONEY!!!! Getting as much MONEY as possible for ASU and for Michael Crowe himself!! DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101207 DD DD November 4, 2007 - 4:45AM DD DD Book review by ASU president incites conflict DD DD Ryan Gabrielson, Tribune DD DD Articles in the prestigious science journal Nature are supposed to prompt high-minded debates that expand understanding of our world. DD DD However, a spat that erupted from Arizona State University President Michael Crow¡¯s review of a new book on university research has fallen far short of that lofty mark. DD DD Crow accuses the book¡¯s author, Daniel Greenberg, of taking ¡°cheap shots¡± against Crow and the university in retaliation for a lukewarm review. DD DD Greenberg, a respected science policy journalist, accuses Crow of speed reading ¡°Science for Sale: The perils, rewards, and delusions of campus capitalism.¡± As a result, Greenberg said, Crow misrepresented the book¡¯s main argument. DD DD ¡°He is free in writing a book review to express any opinion,¡± Greenberg told the Tribune this week. ¡°He is not free to distort what¡¯s in the book.¡± DD DD In a response letter, Greenberg theorized that Crow doesn¡¯t have time to both review books and raise ASU¡¯s ¡°relatively low academic standing.¡± DD DD Crow bristled at that statement. DD DD ¡°Rather than attack the points of my review, he just said, 'Well, the guy didn¡¯t understand what I was saying; he must not have read it,¡¯¡± Crow said. ¡°I read the book, Dan. Sorry, buddy.¡± DD DD Greenberg¡¯s book details how universities pay for research. In particular, ¡°Science for Sale¡± examines how the group writing the checks impacts the scope of research throughout higher education. DD DD Crow wrote in his review that Greenberg laments that university research is now driven primarily by funding, rather than the researchers¡¯ curiosity. But Crow disputed the idea that this is a new phenomenon. DD DD ¡°Unfortunately, science past did not really exist in the way he spends so much time describing in the book,¡± Crow writes in his review, which was published in September. DD DD Crow is a leading proponent of the movement to increase ties between academia and private industry. ASU, like dozens of other universities, is trying to help its researchers spin their work into new companies, or to sell the research to companies that can move it into the marketplace. DD DD Greenberg questions whether Crow is impartial enough to judge the book fairly. But, more importantly, the author said Crow confused comments made by one scientist interviewed in the book as Greenberg¡¯s own position. DD DD Greenberg contends that his book also disputes that scientist¡¯s argument against private industry funding for university research. DD DD Crow used somewhat gentle language when criticizing ¡°Science for Sale.¡± DD DD The review describes the book as ¡°intriguing,¡± the supporting evidence as ¡°substantial and meaningful¡± and Greenberg as ¡°the premier journalist of science policy.¡± DD DD The author¡¯s rebuttal was less cordial. DD DD ¡°It irritated him so much,¡± Crow said, ¡°that he took two cheap shots back.¡± DD DD Greenberg said he didn¡¯t intend for his comments to criticize ASU and its president. He is simply stating facts supported by U.S. News & World Report¡¯s university rankings. DD DD The magazine labeled ASU a third-tier school until this year. DD DD ¡°As far as Arizona State University goes, I think it is generally recognized that in the league it¡¯s trying to play in, it has a relatively low academic standing,¡± Greenberg said. ¡°It just shows up in the numbers.¡± HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1104manshot.html DD DD Man shot, killed by Mesa police DD DD Eugene Scott DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:08 PM DD DD Mesa police shot and killed a man early Sunday after he failed to drop his handgun, police said. DD DD The man was knocking on his ex-girlfriend's door when police were contacted. The woman said she had an order of protection against him. DD DD Police contacted the man near North Power and East McKellips roads at 12:51 a.m. DD DD When the man showed his gun and failed to obey police commands, police shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. DD DD No officers were injured and the man has not yet been identified. DD DD Police are still investigating this incident. HH header UB DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/1103protest1104.html DD DD ACLU official arrested at migrant demonstration DD DD Emily Gersema DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD The legal director of the state American Civil Liberties Union office was arrested Saturday on trespassing charges during a demonstration supporting day laborers. DD DD For the second weekend in a row this year, the M.D. Pruitt's store at 34th Street and Thomas Road was the site of a protest with potential for confrontation between local authorities and immigrants' supporters. DD DD Demonstrators said the crowd of 15 to 20 people dissipated around 1 p.m., which is when Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested Daniel Pochoda, 65, of Phoenix, on suspicion of trespassing on store grounds. DD DD Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Pochoda was taken in handcuffs to the county's Fourth Avenue Jail after deputies asked him six times to move his car off Pruitt's parking lot and get off the property.The protest leader, Salvador Reza, couldn't confirm what happened. He said demonstrators didn't see the exchange or even know about the arrest. DD DD Off-duty deputies hired for security at Pruitt's and surrounding businesses had warned demonstrators, counter-protesters and reporters there that morning to stay off the property during the demonstration. Most obeyed, standing on the public sidewalk, but Pochoda refused, said Arpaio, who wasn't at the furniture store during the arrest, but appeared there later to DD DD to respond to media questions. DD DD Pochoda could not be reached for comment. Arpaio's deputies have arrested dozens of undocumented day laborers in recent months using federally-trained deputies. Word of the arrests of workers and corn vendors has spread through the Valley's immigrant population through neighbors, friends and Spanish-language media, causing fear and anxiety. DD DD The arrests by deputies also have raised concerns among some Valley law enforcement officials that some crimes against undocumented immigrants will go unreported because of fear of deportation. DD DD The sheriff's office and the ACLU have had a contentious relationship. The organization, which Pochoda joined last February, has said that the sheriff is misapplying a state law aimed at punishing anyone caught smuggling immigrants into the United States. Sheriff's deputies have arrested hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants on suspicion of smuggling themselves in recent months. DD DD Pruitt's has been the backdrop of a simmering dispute between immigration supporters and local shop owners who complain that persistent presence of day laborers in the area is interfering with business. A handful of counter-protesters briefly held signs Saturday morning, demanding enforcement of immigration laws, but soon left the scene. A woman who refused to give her name said members didn't want draw any more attention to the day laborers. DD DD The neighborhood business owners have hired off-duty sheriff's deputies for security while the demonstrations continue. Protesters vowed to march there every Saturday until Christmas. DD DD Last week, Arpaio and a group of his on-duty deputies showed up at the demonstration. Arpaio said he was concerned that trouble would erupt because he had heard 2,000 protesters would be there. But turnout was small - about two dozen - and only one person was arrested, Arpaio said. The man was cuffed after yelling in opposition of the protest. DD DD However, the county deputies trained in federal immigration law arrested more than 100 illegal immigrants in the neighborhood whose status was discovered after they were pulled over for traffic violations. DD DD Arpaio said anyone accusing him of preying on the demonstrators and surrounding neighborhood should know that he and his team are enforcing immigration laws everywhere. DD DD The off-duty deputies weren't involved in the arrests, Arpaio said, and they are being paid for security by the businesses, not the county. DD DD Reza complained that the sheriff ended up using the protest to stage a "dog and pony show" where he and his deputies intimidated demonstrators. "The only thing he didn't have with him was his tank," Reza said. DD DD Reporter Yvonne Wingett contributed to this article. HH header UB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/1103protest1104.html DD DD ACLU official arrested at migrant demonstration DD DD Emily Gersema DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD The legal director of the state American Civil Liberties Union office was arrested Saturday on trespassing charges during a demonstration supporting day laborers. DD DD For the second weekend in a row this year, the M.D. Pruitt's store at 34th Street and Thomas Road was the site of a protest with potential for confrontation between local authorities and immigrants' supporters. DD DD Demonstrators said the crowd of 15 to 20 people dissipated around 1 p.m., which is when Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies arrested Daniel Pochoda, 65, of Phoenix, on suspicion of trespassing on store grounds. DD DD Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Pochoda was taken in handcuffs to the county's Fourth Avenue Jail after deputies asked him six times to move his car off Pruitt's parking lot and get off the property.The protest leader, Salvador Reza, couldn't confirm what happened. He said demonstrators didn't see the exchange or even know about the arrest. DD DD Off-duty deputies hired for security at Pruitt's and surrounding businesses had warned demonstrators, counter-protesters and reporters there that morning to stay off the property during the demonstration. Most obeyed, standing on the public sidewalk, but Pochoda refused, said Arpaio, who wasn't at the furniture store during the arrest, but appeared there later to DD DD to respond to media questions. DD DD Pochoda could not be reached for comment. Arpaio's deputies have arrested dozens of undocumented day laborers in recent months using federally-trained deputies. Word of the arrests of workers and corn vendors has spread through the Valley's immigrant population through neighbors, friends and Spanish-language media, causing fear and anxiety. DD DD The arrests by deputies also have raised concerns among some Valley law enforcement officials that some crimes against undocumented immigrants will go unreported because of fear of deportation. DD DD The sheriff's office and the ACLU have had a contentious relationship. The organization, which Pochoda joined last February, has said that the sheriff is misapplying a state law aimed at punishing anyone caught smuggling immigrants into the United States. Sheriff's deputies have arrested hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants on suspicion of smuggling themselves in recent months. DD DD Pruitt's has been the backdrop of a simmering dispute between immigration supporters and local shop owners who complain that persistent presence of day laborers in the area is interfering with business. A handful of counter-protesters briefly held signs Saturday morning, demanding enforcement of immigration laws, but soon left the scene. A woman who refused to give her name said members didn't want draw any more attention to the day laborers. DD DD The neighborhood business owners have hired off-duty sheriff's deputies for security while the demonstrations continue. Protesters vowed to march there every Saturday until Christmas. DD DD Last week, Arpaio and a group of his on-duty deputies showed up at the demonstration. Arpaio said he was concerned that trouble would erupt because he had heard 2,000 protesters would be there. But turnout was small - about two dozen - and only one person was arrested, Arpaio said. The man was cuffed after yelling in opposition of the protest. DD DD However, the county deputies trained in federal immigration law arrested more than 100 illegal immigrants in the neighborhood whose status was discovered after they were pulled over for traffic violations. DD DD Arpaio said anyone accusing him of preying on the demonstrators and surrounding neighborhood should know that he and his team are enforcing immigration laws everywhere. DD DD The off-duty deputies weren't involved in the arrests, Arpaio said, and they are being paid for security by the businesses, not the county. DD DD Reza complained that the sheriff ended up using the protest to stage a "dog and pony show" where he and his deputies intimidated demonstrators. "The only thing he didn't have with him was his tank," Reza said. DD DD Reporter Yvonne Wingett contributed to this article. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1104thomas1105.html DD DD Critics question Andrew Thomas' motives DD DD Michael Kiefer DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Since taking office in January 2005, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has kept himself at the center of public attention. DD DD At times he rivals Sheriff Joe Arpaio for sheer volume of press conferences and press releases. DD DD But his use of his former boss and special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik has raised a new level of scrutiny that Thomas has never seen before. DD DD While working for Thomas, Wilenchik went after a judge that Thomas' office believed was not vigorously enforcing state laws regarding undocumented immigrants. Wilenchik also spearheaded an investigation that led to two Phoenix New Times owners being arrested. DD DD Wilenchik was fired, but now Thomas is the subject of an investigation by the State Bar of Arizona and is facing criticism from the legal community and other politicians who question if he is an effective public servant who has media savvy or a man who abuses the power of his office in his quest to seek a higher public office. DD DD A call to service DD DD Thomas, 42, did not come up through the ranks as a prosecutor. A graduate of Harvard Law School (in the same class as Barack Obama), Thomas published three ideological books, starting while he was still a student. He worked as deputy counsel and adviser in Gov. J. Fife Symington III's administration and as special assistant to the director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. He also worked as a civil attorney in the Arizona Attorney General's Office and as a prosecutor in the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. DD DD He first ran for office in 2002, losing a race against Terry Goddard for attorney general. DD DD Two years later he ran for county attorney and won, taking over in January 2005 for Rick Romley, who held the office for 16 years. DD DD He supervises more than 300 attorneys and oversees a budget above $80 million. Under his watch, legal costs have soared. The number of criminal cases filed jumped to more than 40,000 in 2006, up from 30,000 three years earlier, and the amount spent on contract attorneys tripled from $5.3 million to nearly $16 million. DD DD When he was running for county attorney, Thomas said that politics had no place in the office. DD DD "It's a law-enforcement office and, ideally, partisanship should have no place there," he told The Arizona Republic in 2004. Some inside Thomas' office say that he makes many decisions based on politics, though they won't say so on the record. DD DD Inside and out of the office, many speculate that Thomas has his eyes set on governor - or maybe even a higher office. DD DD After all, he is in the vanguard, almost the inventor of a burgeoning national trend: local response to illegal immigration, given the federal government's inability to enforce federal immigration law. DD DD He helped write laws to prosecute human smugglers and deny bail to immigrants accused of committing serious crimes. He will take the lead in enforcing the state's new sanctions against hiring illegal immigrants. DD DD "Arizona started the trend," said Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institute's office at the New York University School of Law. DD DD Chishti said that in 2007, all 50 states have entertained laws regulating illegal immigrants. DD DD Immigration has become a national issue. DD DD Despite his successes in that arena, Thomas disputes the claim that he is seeking a higher office. DD DD "I'm up for re-election next year, but I'm not making any announcements at this time," he said. "As I've said before, I do like the job I have, and I've tried to do the best job I can with the position I was elected to serve in." DD DD Thomas' tenure DD DD Thomas readily acknowledges that he has picked his share of public fights since he took office. DD DD He fought with Arpaio when Thomas dropped charges against a vigilante who made a citizen's arrest of illegal immigrants. He's fought with judges over enforcement of immigration laws, and he's chosen to prosecute cases that in the past never drew news headlines or criminal charges. For example, he prosecuted owners of dirty restaurants and green pools. He lobbied to deny drug treatment to a teenage illegal immigrant in prison. He charged a 14-year-old with terrorism after the teen held a kid at knifepoint and was later found with a backpack full of explosives. DD DD Some solid accomplishments have been overshadowed by these fights. Thomas has lobbied for and crafted laws involving controlling meth, crimes against unborn children, and victims rights. DD DD But the immediate attention is usually on his high-profile fights, which he says fly in the face of speculation that he is running for higher office. DD DD "If I were in this office simply to get my ticket punched to run for something else, I would not have engaged in the high-profile disputes that I have been part of," Thomas said. "It would not have been in my interests to do so." DD DD "The classic route to higher office is don't rock the boat," he said. "And I ran for office on a platform of reform, particularly related to crime control and immigration, and I have run into opposition from other members of the establishment in trying to implement those reforms." DD DD But San Francisco State University Professor Joseph Tuman, an expert in political and legal communications, said the opposite is true. DD DD "We're always drawn to a story if there's an element of conflict to it," he said. DD DD And so politicians stage events, he said. DD DD "If you're clever about it, you're going to force people to come cover." DD DD Thomas argues that his press statements and conferences are a way to keep his constituents informed. DD DD "Part of the reason I try to communicate to the public through press conferences on a regular basis is that I want them to know programs that we're initiating, the progress we're making, and fulfilling my commitments to the people of this county," he said. "And once in a while, if I make a mistake, I'm an old-school guy, and I want to make it clear that the buck stops with me. I have press conferences for all of those reasons." DD DD For each of the following issues, Thomas held press conferences. DD DD He sued Superior Court Judge Barbara Mundell in federal court over a DUI probation program conducted in Spanish, claiming it was reverse racism. The case was thrown out of court. DD DD When public defenders revealed there were not enough qualified attorneys to handle a rising number of death-penalty cases filed by Thomas' office, he accused death-penalty defense attorneys of having leisurely workloads. DD DD He accused Judge Warren Granville of a bad legal ruling and then refused to apologize when the "ruling" turned out to be a typographical error in the record. DD DD He and his strategists understand the center of attention. DD DD He vowed to investigate an NBA referee who pleaded guilty to federal charges of fraud surrounding pro basketball games he officiated; one of them may have included a Phoenix Suns playoff game. DD DD He has especially used his public pulpit to rail against judges and attorneys and law-enforcement officers who didn't share his zeal for prosecuting illegal immigrants. DD DD As he said, after all, he ran on that platform. DD DD The Wilenchik effect DD DD But Thomas' critics wonder if he is overstepping his role as the top prosecutor, pointing to Wilenchik as an example. DD DD Wilenchik, acting on behalf of Thomas, filed an arguably outrageous and impossible motion asking the court's associate presiding criminal judge to effectively resign from the bench. Wilenchik argued the judge was not enforcing laws involving illegal immigrants and was biased against Thomas' office. DD DD The motion was denied, and the judge was later found clear of bias. DD DD Wilenchik's harangues against the judge were immortalized on YouTube, and instead of bringing the public to Thomas' side, the hearing came across as a political stunt, which raised possible ethical questions for Thomas and Wilenchik. DD DD "There's no question that railing against judges is probably going to score a few points, particularly among the most conservative parts of the community. And it's difficult for the judges to fight back," said former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, who like Thomas, is a Republican. DD DD "I don't like the idea of district attorneys, county attorneys, attorney generals, U.S. attorneys publicly attacking judges," he said. "That's more in the political realm than in the legal realm. I did think in that case those motions were unfounded and some of it was just flat-out inaccurate." DD DD Romley, Thomas' predecessor as county attorney and who endorsed Thomas, was equally critical of the judge attacks. DD DD "If that office is being used, as it's perceived today, for political purposes, that's absolutely wrong," Romley told Channel 12. "Because who's next?" DD DD And the week after the attack on the court, Wilenchik embarrassed Thomas even more. DD DD New Times writers published the secret details of an overreaching subpoena filed by Wilenchik on behalf of a grand jury investigation. The subpoena demanded the paper turn over information about visitors to its Internet site. And they told the public of a potentially unethical meeting that Wilenchik tried to arrange with the judge hearing the case. DD DD Wilenchik had the editors arrested on misdemeanor charges, sparking a massive public outcry. DD DD "In the 25 years I've been around here, I don't think I've ever heard any greater level of outrage over this, which has been characterized as abuse of power and invasion of privacy," said pollster Earl de Berge of the Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center. "It's just remarkable how people have responded." DD DD Thomas dropped the case and fired Wilenchik from handling criminal cases. Thomas admitted final responsibility. DD DD "I think it's important that public officials make it clear that the buck stops on their desk," Thomas said. DD DD But one well-known rule of legal ethics is not to try a case in the media; the concept usually pertains to trial attorneys. But could the concept be applied to top prosecutors as well? DD DD Lynda Shely, a former staff attorney at the State Bar of Arizona, said "going to the media to state your office's position is not contemplated by our ethics rule." She stopped short of saying that the attack on judges was a political act. DD DD "When you file something with the court, you have to have a good-faith basis in law and in fact. And if you're doing something for political reasons, that would not be something in a good-faith basis," Shely said. "If they were doing it to make a political statement, that would not be acceptable." DD DD No one talks for the record about Thomas around the courthouse; as lawyers, they all know better. Off the record, judges and defense attorneys view him as an antagonist. And his prosecutors sometimes fume that his public stances put them on the line in front of those same judges and defense attorneys. DD DD Actions called 'reckless' DD DD Retired Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields has called Thomas and Wilenchik's recent actions "reckless." DD DD The state Bar is investigating complaints against Thomas. Anyone is entitled to send a complaint, but the nature of those complaints has not been revealed and the bar will not comment until its investigation is complete. DD DD While Thomas touts his active role in lobbying and legislation, it also draws criticism from some. DD DD "A prosecutor is elected to enforce the laws, not to write new laws. That's what the Legislature is for," said political consultant Chuck Coughlin, also a Republican. "It's an overtly political move, which causes me concern about what a prosecutor's doing with the rest of his office." DD DD Thomas points out that the County Attorney's Office has always lobbied at the Legislature. And he says he's proud that his office has a major law-enforcement presence at the Capitol and is the only one willing to take stands on controversial issues. DD DD "I provide something that's in short supply among public officials, which is leadership and courage," Thomas said, "and those are things that I believe the public wants." HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1104MacDonald04.html DD DD Underwear doesn't offend me but plenty else does DD John DD DD MacDonald DD DD Special for The Republic DD DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Whatever it makes me, I like pictures of pretty women in underwear. I think the world needs more pretty women in underwear. Earth would be a happier place. DD DD Not everyone agrees, of course. Some think that kind of display objectifies women. Some prefer pictures of pretty men in underwear. DD DD And a small but quite vocal group of Gilbert shoppers expressed "shock and dismay" last week at the new SanTan Village mall over large photo displays of pretty women in underwear in the windows of a Victoria's Secret store. I haven't seen the display yet but plan to in the near future. DD DD I respect a person's right to be offended by pretty women in underwear, but I'm not bothered. My moral immaturity so far has prevented such revulsion; sadly, I still think they're pretty. DD DD There are, however, lots offensive things at shopping malls. If we could eliminate the following outrages, we'd have more time to discuss pretty women in underwear. DD DD Perfumania offends me. As a lifelong, mouth-breathing allergy sufferer, I morph into a bloated, red ball of histamine if I walk anywhere near that store. If bad perfume is smell pollution, that establishment is a belching factory of foulness. DD DD Christmas decorations in October put me over the edge. If an exposed bra causes such uproar, tinsel before Halloween should make people go jihad. "Christmas in July" has lost its irony. DD DD Kiosk people offend me. I'm simply trying to walk through a shopping mall, and these hypercaffeinated barkers want to paint my nails, spray me with cologne, sell me a time share in Costa Rica, upgrade my cellphone and pawn off jewelry just cheap enough to let my loved one know how little I truly care. DD DD Virtually the entire food court needs to go. Pizza-On-A-Stick is a cry for help. DD DD Child leashes are beyond offensive. Can a mother be so utterly incapable of basic parental supervision that she must treat Junior like a pound puppy? When I see these control freaks walking their human pets, I wonder if they also make them eat from bowls on the floor. DD DD A young store worker with his pants down to his knees, boxers in full bloom? That offends me. In addition to the physics query - what's holding them up? - it seems a reasonable request to not suffer such a disturbing rear view. DD DD Teeny dogs in purses. Mall valet parking. $85 T-shirts. Ridiculously loud music. All are far more annoying than pretty women in underwear. DD DD Of course, in addition to air conditioning, there are some good reasons we go to the mall. DD DD Free massage chairs, for example. Sharper Image has never made a dime from me, but it has machine-rubbed my calves many times. DD DD Women love the male models at Abercrombie. (Oh, please. Don't even try to deny that. You pant like dogs.) DD DD Men crave stores like Brighton or Coach. You might think these are boutiques for women, but you're wrong. At gift-giving time, nothing says "easy" like a store where clerks pick the gifts for the loving man who has no clue. We pay out the nose and happily. DD DD The smell of fresh chocolate-chip cookies always captures me. DD DD The Gap, as most people know, has mastered the art of making middle-aged men feel scruffy-cool while charging them $45 for cheap denim. Since there are precious few ways for us to actually be hip - it's hard to feel stylish when you're now growing ear hair - we pretend to believe when the cute teenage clerk says, "Those look great on you!" DD DD ("She's right. These do look hot on me. I'm the bomb. I'm all that. Wait, did I take my Claritin today?") DD DD Then, we have Victoria's Secret, site of the latest Big Controversy. With stores in every mall from here to Tibet, the chain obviously figured this out: Women want to look like the models, while men want to look at them. Analyze this phenomenon any way you like, but is that really such a bad thing? DD DD Go to any upscale shopping mall in the United States, and you could find thousands of reasons to be offended. Every vice and behavioral oddity, everything wrong with our society, is on full display, available to be mocked and derided by those looking for something to satisfy a need to growl. That's their right. DD DD And it's my right to wonder what all the suffering is about. Most of us were just looking at the pictures. DD DD John MacDonald is a public affairs consultant. He lives in Tempe. Reach him at john@huskpartners.com. HH header UB RB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1104MacDonald04.html DD DD Underwear doesn't offend me but plenty else does DD John DD DD MacDonald DD DD Special for The Republic DD DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Whatever it makes me, I like pictures of pretty women in underwear. I think the world needs more pretty women in underwear. Earth would be a happier place. DD DD Not everyone agrees, of course. Some think that kind of display objectifies women. Some prefer pictures of pretty men in underwear. DD DD And a small but quite vocal group of Gilbert shoppers expressed "shock and dismay" last week at the new SanTan Village mall over large photo displays of pretty women in underwear in the windows of a Victoria's Secret store. I haven't seen the display yet but plan to in the near future. DD DD I respect a person's right to be offended by pretty women in underwear, but I'm not bothered. My moral immaturity so far has prevented such revulsion; sadly, I still think they're pretty. DD DD There are, however, lots offensive things at shopping malls. If we could eliminate the following outrages, we'd have more time to discuss pretty women in underwear. DD DD Perfumania offends me. As a lifelong, mouth-breathing allergy sufferer, I morph into a bloated, red ball of histamine if I walk anywhere near that store. If bad perfume is smell pollution, that establishment is a belching factory of foulness. DD DD Christmas decorations in October put me over the edge. If an exposed bra causes such uproar, tinsel before Halloween should make people go jihad. "Christmas in July" has lost its irony. DD DD Kiosk people offend me. I'm simply trying to walk through a shopping mall, and these hypercaffeinated barkers want to paint my nails, spray me with cologne, sell me a time share in Costa Rica, upgrade my cellphone and pawn off jewelry just cheap enough to let my loved one know how little I truly care. DD DD Virtually the entire food court needs to go. Pizza-On-A-Stick is a cry for help. DD DD Child leashes are beyond offensive. Can a mother be so utterly incapable of basic parental supervision that she must treat Junior like a pound puppy? When I see these control freaks walking their human pets, I wonder if they also make them eat from bowls on the floor. DD DD A young store worker with his pants down to his knees, boxers in full bloom? That offends me. In addition to the physics query - what's holding them up? - it seems a reasonable request to not suffer such a disturbing rear view. DD DD Teeny dogs in purses. Mall valet parking. $85 T-shirts. Ridiculously loud music. All are far more annoying than pretty women in underwear. DD DD Of course, in addition to air conditioning, there are some good reasons we go to the mall. DD DD Free massage chairs, for example. Sharper Image has never made a dime from me, but it has machine-rubbed my calves many times. DD DD Women love the male models at Abercrombie. (Oh, please. Don't even try to deny that. You pant like dogs.) DD DD Men crave stores like Brighton or Coach. You might think these are boutiques for women, but you're wrong. At gift-giving time, nothing says "easy" like a store where clerks pick the gifts for the loving man who has no clue. We pay out the nose and happily. DD DD The smell of fresh chocolate-chip cookies always captures me. DD DD The Gap, as most people know, has mastered the art of making middle-aged men feel scruffy-cool while charging them $45 for cheap denim. Since there are precious few ways for us to actually be hip - it's hard to feel stylish when you're now growing ear hair - we pretend to believe when the cute teenage clerk says, "Those look great on you!" DD DD ("She's right. These do look hot on me. I'm the bomb. I'm all that. Wait, did I take my Claritin today?") DD DD Then, we have Victoria's Secret, site of the latest Big Controversy. With stores in every mall from here to Tibet, the chain obviously figured this out: Women want to look like the models, while men want to look at them. Analyze this phenomenon any way you like, but is that really such a bad thing? DD DD Go to any upscale shopping mall in the United States, and you could find thousands of reasons to be offended. Every vice and behavioral oddity, everything wrong with our society, is on full display, available to be mocked and derided by those looking for something to satisfy a need to growl. That's their right. DD DD And it's my right to wonder what all the suffering is about. Most of us were just looking at the pictures. DD DD John MacDonald is a public affairs consultant. He lives in Tempe. Reach him at john@huskpartners.com. HH header UB IB WB CW DD Exporting the American police state to Europe! DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1104air-security1104.html DD DD EU soon may request U.S. passengers' data DD DD Ellen Nakashima DD Washington Post DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD WASHINGTON - American travelers' personal data for the first time would be exported to all European Union states by airlines flying to Europe under a proposal to be announced this week. DD DD The data, including names, telephone numbers, credit card information and travel itinerary, would be sent to EU member states so they could assess passenger risk for counterterrorism purposes, according to a draft copy obtained by the Washington Post. The European Commission proposal would allow the data to be kept for 13 years - longer if used in criminal investigations and intelligence operations. It would cover all passengers flying into and out of Europe, not just Americans. DD DD Airlines already share data with U.S. authorities on passengers entering the United States. A handful of countries, including Canada and Australia, have similar laws. The European proposal was apparently modeled after an agreement signed in July between the United States and Europe dealing with passenger data from European flights entering and leaving the United States. DD DD Under the proposal by Franco Frattini, European commissioner for freedom, security and justice, airlines or computerized reservation systems would send at least 19 pieces of data on each passenger to data-analysis units set up by each state. The data fields also would include e-mail addresses, names of accompanying passengers and open ones for such special requests as meals or medical service. DD DD Under the proposal, no personal data that could reveal race, ethnicity, political opinions, religion, union membership or health or sex-life information could be transmitted. Any such data that was shared would have to be deleted immediately by the data-analyzing units, the proposal says. DD DD The proposal must be approved by all 27 EU states to become a Europe-wide law, though individual states could introduce their own programs. It would affect about 30 million people who fly from North America to Europe each year. DD DD The move is part of an effort to combat terrorism by sharing information globally. DD DD "It almost becomes an arms race with one country adopting a data-gathering system without reflecting on whether or not the system is required," said Allison Knight, staff counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center. DD DD Frattini has made it clear that he believes a policy requiring passenger data from airlines would be beneficial to combating terrorism in light of terror attacks in Madrid and London. DD DD The U.S. is "definitely open to the idea," Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "It would be fair of the Europeans to ask the same information of us that we're asking of them. We are open to finding ways to make our respective homelands secure." DD DD The U.S.-EU pact was opposed by civil libertarians and liberal politicians, many of whom have said they do not favor an EU equivalent. But some have suggested retaliating with a mirror policy. DD DD The European countries' units would analyze the data to identify people and their associates who may be involved in terrorism or organized crime. It would also create and update "risk indicators" for assessing them and provide intelligence on travel patterns and other trends relating to terrorist offenses and organized crime, according to the proposal. The data could be used in criminal investigations and prosecutions. HH header UB IB CW MY DD Messy yard cops shaking down homeowners who rent parking spots to fair goers DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1104fairparking1104.html DD DD Neighbors spar over state fair parking at homes DD DD Sadie Jo Smokey DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 4, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Three weeks out of the year a steady stream of trucks, SUVs and family sedans cruise up and down the streets of the Villa Verde historic district in central Phoenix. DD DD Since the Arizona State Fair started Oct. 12, residents with orange traffic flags, flashlights and handmade signs have waved down drivers, selling spots on their fading Bermuda lawns for $3 to $20 each. DD DD "I need cheap parking," said Estee Hughes of Phoenix as she drove her silver Saturn onto Ed Franklin's lawn. "It's ridiculous. We drove around. Everyone's charging $15, $20." DD DD Hughes gave Franklin $7 and with her three daughters in tow, walked a few blocks to the entrance of the Arizona Exposition and State Fair park. DD DD The fairgrounds at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road has 3,300 spaces and charges $12 per vehicle. That isn't enough on-site parking for the tens of thousands of fairgoers. So, since the late 1920s, residents on four streets tucked between 19th and 20th avenues have made lemonade out of lemons - crowds, car fumes, pedicabs and late-night noise - by selling parking on their lawns. DD DD But residents of the 110 homes in the neighborhood are at odds over parking during the three-week fair and have complained to the city. Some newer residents want to close the neighborhood to outside parking, like neighboring historic districts do. Their protest, however, has gone nowhere because residents have city-issued permits to allow parking. DD DD Longtime residents like Franklin have allowed cars to park in front of their homes for more than 20 years. They say they depend on the $30 to $100 a day to supplement their fixed incomes. DD DD "Last year was a terrible year," Franklin said. "Not as many shows in the coliseum. I'll usually fill up when there's a good show." DD DD Franklin said repeat customers park at his home because they know he watches the cars. He's had a Mercedes Benz convertible on his lawn and many other cars loaded with strollers and children. DD DD On several occasions when the city and a few residents attempted to ban parking in the neighborhood, Franklin and others fought back. The compromise: no street parking, and only properties that had a Temporary Use Permit for Civic Events the previous year can renew a permit for the duration of the fair. If the $5 permit lapses, the property cannot get a future permit. DD DD The parking restriction just bumped up the value of parking spots for a couple dozen houses, said Lanaya Nilsson of the neighborhood association. DD DD Twenty-eight properties have a permit this year, city records show. But residents say that once the city's Neighborhood Services Department stops patrolling at night, those without permits create makeshift parking lots. DD DD Nilsson said she and others have voiced their concerns to city staffers. But for now, they're a vocal minority. DD DD "Half the houses do it," said Nilsson, a resident for two years. "I'm a taxpayer, I love our house, but we pay for this? To live in a parking lot three weeks out of the year?" DD DD The city's Neighborhood Services Department enforces and investigates complaints about temporary parking, said Elizabeth DeMichael, a Phoenix zoning administrator. Inspectors patrol neighborhoods around the fair. When there is a violation, the city sends homeowners a note, DeMichael said. "If the activity continues, a citation is issued," she added. DD DD Then the case goes to municipal court where a judge determines responsibility and the fine, said DeMichael. The minimum fine is $100. One home received a citation this state fair season. DD DD Jeannie Berg, an Arizona Exposition and State Fair park spokeswoman, said the state agency does what it can to maintain a good relationship with the historic districts. DD DD "We contract with Phoenix police to increase presences in the neighborhoods and they assist with blocking streets and taking other measures to decrease the impact on the neighborhoods," Berg said. "We assist in trash pickup in the closest neighborhoods." HH header UB DD http://www.jeancarper.com/news/newsflash/1987 DD DD Are You Getting the Right Fish Oil to Stop Alzheimer's? « Back DD It's no longer a mystery how much fish oil you need to dramatically reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. DD DD In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at Tufts University measured the blood levels of omega-3 fish oil in nearly 900 elderly men and women, who were then tracked for nearly 9 years. The remarkable conclusion directly and clearly identified one specific component of omega-3 fish oil as protecting against dementia and Alzheimer's. DD DD Americans with the highest blood concentrations of an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) were only half as apt to develop dementia and only 40% as likely to develop Alzheimer's as those with lower blood levels of DHA. The other major fatty acid in fish oil called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) showed no effect on dementia or Alzheimer's. DD DD How Much? Researchers figured how much DHA subjects consumed to reach the highest blood levels so protective in the study. Remarkably, it was only 180 mg DHA a day. That's less than the 280 mg in the daily dose in our recommended Omega-T Fish Oil, and the amount in about 3 servings of fish a week, although it depends on type of fish; salmon is especially high in DHA. DD DD That it takes so little DHA for such a huge impact on the aging brain is good news, because this dose is easily attainable in a couple of fish oil capsules. Some experts had thought that an anti-Alzheimer's dose needed to be much higher. However, researchers say it is unclear if a higher DHA dose might lower the risk even more. The "optimal" anti-Alzheimer's DHA dose has not yet been determined. DD DD It's no surprise DHA may help ward off Alzheimer's. DHA in our brain cells decreases with age. In animal tests. a DHA deficiency leads to poor memory and stunted brain cell synapses. And a high DHA intake decreases formation of a toxin called beta amyloid regarded as a cause of Alzheimer's. A high fish diet also lowers Alzheimer's risk. DD DD (Source: Schaefer, EJ, Arch Neurol, vol 63, Nov 2006:1545-50) DD DD DD Release Date: November 19, 2006 HH header UB DD http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-10-25-mercury-fish_x.htm DD DD Eating fish: There's a catch DD DD By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY DD DD The results are in, and there's no question about it: Fish is really, really good for you. Not only is it packed with healthful vitamins and minerals, it is also a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, which a veritable flood of recent studies shows lowers the chance of heart attack, makes babies smarter, wards off dementia and stroke in the elderly, and even seems to guard against dry-eye syndrome. DD DD Ross Spotts helps sort frozen albacore tuna in Astoria, Ore. Studies show fish, while being good for you, contains mercury. DD By Loria Assa, The Daily Astorian via AP DD DD But there's a fly in the ointment. Actually, two flies. DD DD Some fish are mercury-filled time bombs, according to a parade of reports from government agencies and environmental groups. DD DD And people are emptying the oceans of some fish. Overfishing and habitat destruction has left some species as low as 1% of their original populations, according to federal data. DD DD So what now? Do we eat fish at least twice as week, as many nutritionists say we should? DD DD Or is it time to pack away the tartar sauce? DD DD Not on your life, say five Harvard University studies published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Their advice: Pick up that fish fork and start eating. DD DD Overblown fears could cause consumers to lower their consumption and lose the "substantial nutritional benefits" fish offers, the researchers found. DD DD Tests on fish oil supplements, which also provide omega-3 fatty acids, have uniformly found extremely low levels of methyl mercury. But nutritionists still urge people to eat fish rather than take pills because they consider it an excellent source of protein that is low in saturated fats. DD DD Even so, seafood sales appear to be slipping. The Food and Drug Administration's advisory on mercury and fish consumption in March 2004 got lots of media attention. According to ACNielsen, volume sales of tuna sold in cans and envelopes fell 9% in the 12 months after the advisory, which singled out tuna. Information Resources Inc. shows that sales of refrigerated seafood in the USA fell 2.1% in 2004. DD DD Worries that overfishing is depleting fish populations may be having an effect on consumption, too. A survey of 400 visitors to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California who picked up a Seafood Watch wallet-size guide to non-endangered fish species found that 80% said they still buy less of certain types of seafood, even four months after their visit. DD DD But there's a real risk that warnings about a few fish species directed only at a small portion of the population will get simplified in the public mind to the mantra "Don't eat fish," says David Acheson, chief medical officer of the Food and Drug Administration DD DD From fish to foul DD DD So how did fish, once so abundant, healthful and even virtuous — remember that eating fish on Friday was a Christian penitential observance — become the source of fear and guilt? DD DD For mercury, the path goes back to recommendations first made in 2001 and updated in 2004; the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency said that some fish have so much mercury that eating them could be dangerous to the developing brain of a fetus. DD DD Mercury is known to affect the migration of brain cells in fetuses and might prevent signal transmission pathways from developing properly. The researchers also fear damage to the autonomic nervous system, which tells blood vessels when to contract or relax and the heart how fast to beat. DD DD The FDA says pregnant women, women who might become pregnant and young children shouldn't eat fish with high levels of mercury — shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish — at all and shouldn't have more than two meals a week of any kind of fish. DD DD And in a blow to the tuna industry, the FDA added that for those women and children, only one meal a week should be albacore, or white, tuna because its mercury levels are high enough that two servings are too much. Light tuna, which is darker than albacore and can be a mix of tuna types, is lower in mercury and is not subject to the recommendation. DD DD There have been studies showing that consumption of large amounts of high-mercury fish can cause headaches and stomach pains. But the pitfalls of moderate consumption, if any, are much less clear. DD DD The current government advice is to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of fish, but there are no specific FDA recommendations on limits for older children and other adults. The American Heart Association says non-risk adults and kids can safely eat 14 ounces a week of fish with mercury levels that average 0.5 ppm. DD DD Source of the problem DD DD Some mercury in the environment — exactly how much is a matter of great debate — occurs naturally. But most scientists, as well as the EPA, say most environmental mercury comes from either digging it up for industrial uses, using it in mining or burning mercury-containing coal. DD DD High in Mercury DD Fish with the highest mercury concentration (mean parts per million): DD Tilefish 1.45 DD Shark 0.99 DD Swordfish 0.97 DD King mackerel 0.73 DD Grouper 0.55 DD Orange roughy 0.54 DD Marlin 0.49 DD Spanish mackerel (Gulf of Mexico) 0.45 DD Tuna (Fresh or frozen) DD 0.38 DD Tuna (Canned or albacore) 0.35 DD Source: Food and Drug Administration DD DD Since the 15th century, mercury in the environment has increased 200% to 500%, says Elsie Sunderland, an EPA scientist. DD DD Today, one of the largest sources is burning coal. The EPA estimated in 1998 that U.S. coal-fired power plants emit about 50 tons of mercury a year into the atmosphere. DD DD Once up in smoke, mercury can take any number of forms; in almost all of them, it wafts around the globe, slowly settling in a process called atmospheric transport and deposition. DD DD A small portion that falls on water is eaten by bacteria and undergoes a chemical reaction that turns it into a very toxic form of the element called methyl mercury. DD DD Inorganic mercury, the liquid kind found in old-style thermometers, is excreted rapidly by the body. But methyl mercury binds very tightly to muscle tissue and is much more toxic for that reason, Sunderland says. DD DD That means with each step up the food chain, the amount of methyl mercury grows. The tiny plankton are eaten by smaller fish that are eaten by medium-size fish that are eaten by larger fish, and the amount of mercury is thus biologically amplified. DD DD You'd have to drink 2,641 gallons of water to get the amount of mercury in a 3.5-ounce piece of shark or swordfish, Sunderland says. DD DD The differences can be extreme. Government tests show that pollock, the fish used to make most fish sticks, has 0.06 parts per million of mercury. But in Mexican tilefish, which eat lots of other fish, it's 1.45 parts per million. DD DD "Larger, older, predatory fish have the highest level," Acheson says. "Fish like salmon, which don't consume other fish, don't have the problem." DD DD It's important to remember that even for those in the high-risk category, there are many species, such as cod, haddock or trout, that are healthful and very low in mercury, Acheson says. DD DD But the government warnings are confusing and frightening enough that lots of people are walking past the fish counter, to the detriment of their health, the Harvard researchers say. DD DD The next steps DD DD So the question is: How can we eat the fish that's so good for us without damaging the environment? says George Leonard, science manager for the Seafood Watch program at Monterey Bay Aquarium. DD DD Parts of the answer, such as mercury-emission controls and better management of fish stocks, are in the laps of governments. DD DD But for the fish-loving citizen, there's good news, Leonard says. The fish that carry the highest health risks also are among the most endangered, he says. "Mercury bioaccumulates in fish at the top of the food chain. And those are typically fish we've overfished, like shark, swordfish and marlin." DD DD So eating fish a little further down the food chain, which have lower mercury levels, is not only good for the planet, it's good for your health. Some of the best are catfish, Pacific cod, Pacific halibut, pollock, salmon, tilapia and trout, according to Seafood Watch. DD DD The key seems to be making the messages simpler so that consumers aren't scared off, says Bill Hogarth of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "The American public needs to be educated a little more to make sure that the American consumer is aware of the issues." HH header UB IB DD Of course if you legalized drugs, and removed the government from the doctors office all of these problems would go away instantly! DD DD http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20409515/ DD DD Online rogue pharmacies still booming DD DD Despite crackdown, hundreds of Web sites ship illegal prescriptions DD DD CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Drug shipments from illegal online pharmacies were once so frequent in Appalachia that delivery companies had to add trucks to their routes. DD DD Police have cracked down on such deliveries, but are still confronted by a booming global network of so-called rogue pharmacies operating online. DD DD For people addicted to prescription medications like the painkiller hydrocodone — sold mostly as Vicodin — the days of “doctor shopping” are over, as long as they have Internet access. With the help of unscrupulous doctors and pharmacists, hundreds of Web sites dispense prescription narcotics to customers in exchange for nothing more than a credit card number. DD DD Even as law enforcement agencies and state governments respond, rogue pharmacies continue to grow, filling hundreds of prescriptions a day, according to a recent study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. DD DD The Drug Enforcement Administration, which reported the additional parcel delivery trucks in southeastern Kentucky, says about 95 percent of products sold by online pharmacies are controlled substances. By comparison, controlled substances amount to roughly 11 percent of the dosages dispensed by legitimate pharmacies. DD DD The DEA found that 34 rogue pharmacies dispensed more than 98.5 million dosage units of hydrocodone products last year — enough to give 410,000 patients a one-month supply. DD DD Pharmacist Don Perdue has seen customers who run out of prescription refills turn to illegal online pharmacies. DD DD “This is a major problem,” said Perdue, chairman of the West Virginia House of Delegates’ Health and Human Resources Committee, who wants to see federal law changed to make it easier to shut down illicit pharmacies. DD DD Retired doctors DD Congress is considering legislation that would clarify federal law on Internet pharmacies and increase penalties for selling pharmaceuticals to minors. DD DD Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in May, Joseph Rannazzisi, deputy assistant director of the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, described how rogue pharmacies commonly work. DD DD The Web sites approach doctors, often those who are in debt or retired and are seeking extra income. The doctors write prescriptions after they review online questionnaires filled out by customers. They are usually paid between $10 and $25 for each prescription. DD DD The sites approach small pharmacies and persuade them to fill the prescription and ship the pharmaceuticals to the customers. The Web sites target pharmacies struggling to make ends meet, and usually pay an additional fee on top of the cost of the medication. DD DD Prescription drugs can legally be ordered online, but rogue pharmacies ignore the rules that legitimate pharmacies follow, like requiring a doctor-patient relationship and getting a certification from state boards. The difference between legitimate and rogue pharmacies can be confusing. DD DD To make the distinction clearer, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has created a voluntary verification process for online pharmacies to establish that they comply with the law and only ship prescriptions to patients who have been examined by doctors. DD DD So far, 13 sites have received verification, including those by Walgreen Co. and CVS Caremark Corp. DD DD 'A very dangerous business' DD In May, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse identified 581 Web sites that offer controlled prescription drugs, compared with 492 in 2004. DD DD Both the center and the DEA say it’s impossible to know exactly how many such sites there are, with estimates ranging from a few hundred to more than 1,400. DD DD “These Web sites come and go very quickly,” said Susan Foster, vice president of policy research and analysis at the center. “They could be up one day and operating under a different URL the next day.” DD DD Most of the sites identified by the center were so-called portal sites, which don’t directly sell drugs. They lead browsers to anchor sites, where the drugs are sold. DD DD The study identified 187 anchor sites. Of those, 157 did not require a prescription. DD DD Experts warn that the sites are dangerous not only because they can be used to feed addictions, but because customers often don’t know what they’re getting. Ninety-one of the anchor sites identified by the center were located outside the United States, where there are often different safety standards for medicine. DD DD “You have no idea what you’re getting from these places,” DEA spokeswoman Rogene Waite said. “It’s just a very dangerous business.” DD DD Linda Surks of South Brunswick, N.J., knows better than most how dangerous rogue pharmacies can be. DD DD A record 36 million Americans have abused prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime, a government study found. To find out more about some of the most commonly abused prescription painkillers, select a medication above. DD DD She lost her 19-year-old son, Jason, three years ago when he overdosed on prescription medication he ordered from a Web pharmacy based in Mexico. His family had no idea he had been taking the drugs, since he didn’t have prescriptions. DD DD “One of the first questions they asked us in the emergency room was whether he was on any medications, and we said he wasn’t,” Surks said. DD DD Some states have passed laws aimed at blocking the importation of pharmaceuticals from rogue Web sites. DD DD All pharmacies shipping drugs to West Virginia and Kentucky have to be registered with those states’ Board of Pharmacy. Some rogue pharmacies carry disclaimers saying they won’t ship to those states. DD DD Last year, West Virginia State Police intercepted hundreds of packages shipped to the cities of Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, Logan and Lewisburg, Cpl. M.T. Smith said. DD DD But as more rogue pharmacies shift from a cash-on-delivery model to relying on credit cards, such seizures have become rare. DD DD Since the passage of a 2005 law banning the importation of drugs from unlicensed online pharmacies, the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation has seized more than $1.5 million worth of controlled pharmaceuticals. DD DD Other states passing laws to address online pharmacies include Idaho, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Texas, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. HH header UB IB WB CW DD So this is how the Amerikan Empire is spreading democracy and freedom around the world! Call me ashamed to be an American!!!! DD DD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding DD DD Waterboarding is a form of controlled drowning used to extract information. Numerous experts have described this technique as torture. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Waterboarding consists of immobilizing an individual on his or her back, with the head inclined downward, and pouring water over the face to force the inhalation of water[8] and induce the sensation of drowning. Waterboarding has been used to obtain information, coerce confessions, punish, and intimidate. In contrast to merely submerging the head, waterboarding elicits the gag reflex,[9] and can make the subject believe death is imminent while leaving no physical damage. DD DD The practice garnered renewed attention and notoriety in September 2006, when further reports claim that the Bush administration had authorized the use of waterboarding on extrajudicial prisoners of the United States who are war criminals under the Geneva Convention, and whom are often referred to as "detainees" in the U.S. war on terror.[10] ABC News reported that current and former CIA officers stated that "there is a presidential finding, signed in 2002, by President Bush, Condoleezza Rice and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft approving the 'enhanced' interrogation techniques, including water boarding."[11] According to Republican United States Senator John McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, waterboarding is "torture", "no different than holding a pistol to his head and firing a blank" and can damage the subject's psyche "in ways that may never heal."[12] DD DD Waterboarding has become an issue in the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey to be the next U.S. Attorney General. In his Senate confirmation hearing, Mukasey refused to say if he considered waterboarding a form of torture, claiming he did not know the details of how waterboarding was conducted. Several Senators have indicated they will not vote for him without an affirmative answer.[13] DD DD Technique DD DD The waterboarding technique was characterized in 2005 by former CIA director Porter J. Goss as a "professional interrogation technique."[14] According to press accounts, a cloth or plastic wrap is placed over or in the person's mouth, and water is poured on to the person's head. As far as the details of this technique, press accounts differ - one article describes "dripping water into a wet cloth over a suspect's face"[15], another states that "cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him."[16] DD DD Two televised segments, one from Fox News and one from Current TV, demonstrate a waterboarding technique that may be the subject of these press descriptions.[17][18] In the videos, each correspondent is held against a board by the interrogators. In the Current TV segment, a rag is then forced into the correspondent's mouth, and several pitchers of water are poured onto the rag. The interrogators periodically remove the rag, and the correspondent is seen to gasp for breath. DD DD The Fox News segment mentions five "phases" of which the first three are shown. In the first phase, water is simply poured onto the correspondent's face. The second phase is similar to the Current TV episode. In phase three, plastic wrap is placed over the correspondent's face, and a hole is poked into it over his mouth. Water is poured into his mouth through the hole, causing him to gag. He mentions that it really does cause him to gag; that it could lead to asphyxiation; and that he could stand it for only a few seconds. DD DD CIA officers who subject themselves to the technique last an average of 14 seconds before caving in.[19] DD DD Poorly executed waterboarding can cause extreme pain and damage to the lungs, brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation, and sometimes broken bones because of the restraints applied to the struggling victim. The psychological effects can last long after waterboarding ends. Prolonged waterboarding can also cause death.[20] DD DD Dr. Allen Keller, the director of the Bellevue/N.Y.U. Program for Survivors of Torture, has treated "a number of people" who had been subjected to forms of near-asphyxiation, including waterboarding. An interview for The New Yorker states, "[He] argued that it was indeed torture, 'Some victims were still traumatized years later', he said. One patient couldn't take showers, and panicked when it rained. 'The fear of being killed is a terrifying experience,' he said."[21] DD DD Proponents argue that the technique effectively produces information while only being used as a last resort to obtain critical information. They also argue that there is almost no risk of long-term bodily harm.[22] Opponents argue that this information may not be reliable because a person under such duress may admit to anything. The UN Convention Against Torture, which the United States ratified in 1994,[23] says in Article 2, "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture." Former CIA officer Bob Baer states that waterboarding is "bad interrogation. I mean you can get anyone to confess to anything if the torture's bad enough."[24] DD DD DD Historical uses DD DD Spanish Inquisition DD DD From the article about the Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834, with its most active period from 1480-1530), a form of torture similar to waterboarding called toca , along with garrucha (or strappado) and the most frequently used potro (or the rack), was used (though infrequently) during the trial portion of the Spanish Inquisition process. Quoting from the article: The toca, also called tortura del agua, consisted of introducing a cloth into the mouth of the victim, and forcing them to ingest water spilled from a jar so that they had the impression of drowning.[25] DD DD DD Colonial Times DD DD Agents of the Dutch East India Company used a precursor to waterboarding during the Amboyna massacre in 1623. At that time, it consisted of wrapping cloth around a victim's head, after which the torturers "poured the water softly upon his head until the cloth was full, up to the mouth and nostrils, and somewhat higher, so that he could not draw breath but he must suck in all the water."[26] In one case, the torturer applied water three or four times successively until the victim's "body was swollen twice or thrice as big as before, his cheeks like great bladders, and his eyes staring and strutting out beyond his forehead."[27] DD DD DD World War II DD DD During World War II, Japanese troops, especially the Kempeitai, as well the Gestapo, the German secret police, used waterboarding as a method of torture. The German technique was called the German equivalent of "u-boat". During the Double Tenth Incident, waterboarding consisted of binding or holding down the victim on his back, placing a cloth over his mouth and nose, and pouring water onto the cloth. In this version, interrogation continued during the torture, with the interrogators beating the victim if he did not reply and the victim swallowing water if he opened his mouth to answer or breathe. When the victim could ingest no more water, the interrogators would beat or jump on his distended stomach.[28][29] DD DD DD Vietnam War DD DD In 1968, during the Vietnam War, the Washington Post published a controversial photograph of American soldiers waterboarding a North Vietnamese POW near Da Nang.[30] Another waterboarding photograph of the same scene is also exhibited in the War Remnants Museum at Ho Chi Minh City.[31] DD DD DD Khmer Rouge DD DD The Khmer Rouge at Tuol Sleng used waterboarding as a method of torture between 1975 and 1979. DD DD Contemporary use DD DD United States - War on Terror DD DD Many reports say that the United States used waterboarding to interrogate prisoners captured in its "War on Terrorism". In November 2005, ABC News reported that former CIA agents claimed that the CIA engaged in a modern form of waterboarding, along with five other "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques", against suspected members of al Qaeda. DD DD On July 20, 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush signed an executive order banning torture during interrogation of terror suspects. [32] While the guidelines for interrogation[33] do not specifically ban waterboarding, the executive order refers to torture as defined by 18 USC 2340, which includes "the threat of imminent death," as well as the U.S. Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, however this applies solely to United States citizens, as the U.S. Constitution does not protect the rights of non-citizens. Reaction to the order was mixed, with the CIA satisfied that it "clearly defined" the agency's authorities, but Human Rights Watch saying that answer about what specific techniques had been banned lay in the classified companion document and that "the people in charge of interpreting [that] document don't have a particularly good track record of reasonable legal analysis."[34] DD DD On September 14, 2007, ABC News reported that sometime in 2006 CIA Director Michael Hayden asked for and received permission from "the White House" to ban the use of waterboarding in CIA interrogations. The source of information is current and former CIA officials. ABC reported that waterboarding had been authorized by a 2002 Presidential finding.[35] DD DD DD Khalid Sheikh Mohammed DD DD Several accounts reported that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded while being interrogated by the CIA. According to the Bush Administration, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed divulged information of tremendous value during his detention. He is said to have helped point the way to the capture of Hambali, the Indonesian terrorist responsible for the 2002 bombings of night clubs in Bali. According to the Bush Administration, he also provided information on an Al Qaeda leader in England.[36] DD DD During a radio interview on October 24, 2006, with Scott Hennen of radio station WDAY, Vice President Dick Cheney seemed to agree with the use of waterboarding.[37] The following are the questions and answers at issue, excerpted from the White House transcript of the interview:[38] DD DD Hennen: "...And I've had people call and say, please, let the Vice President know that if it takes dunking a terrorist in water, we're all for it, if it saves American lives. Again, this debate seems a little silly given the threat we face, would you agree?" DD Cheney: "I do agree. And I think the terrorist threat, for example, with respect to our ability to interrogate high value detainees like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, that's been a very important tool that we've had to be able to secure the nation. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed provided us with enormously valuable information about how many there are, about how they plan, what their training processes are and so forth, we've learned a lot. We need to be able to continue that." DD ... DD Hennen: "Would you agree a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save lives?" DD Cheney: "Well, it's a no-brainer for me, but for a while there I was criticized as being the vice president for torture. We don't torture. That's not what we're involved in." DD The White House later denied that Cheney had confirmed the use of waterboarding, saying that U.S. officials do not talk publicly about interrogation techniques because they are classified. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said that Cheney was not referring to waterboarding, but only to a "dunk in the water", prompting one reporter to ask, "So dunk in the water means, what, we have a pool now at Guantanamo and they go swimming?" Tony Snow replied, "You doing stand-up?"[39] DD DD On September 13, 2007 ABC News reported that a former intelligence officer stated that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had been waterboarded in the presence of a female CIA supervisor.[40] DD DD Captured along with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was a letter from bin Laden[41] which led officials to think that he knew where the Al Qaeda founder was hiding.[42] DD DD According to sources familiar with a private interview of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he claimed to have been waterboarded five times.[36] "A CIA official told ABC News that he had been water-boarded, and had won the admiration of his interrogators because it took him two to two-and-half minutes to start confessing - well beyond the average of 14 seconds observed in others."[43] This is disputed by two former CIA officers who are reportedly friends with one of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed interrogators called this bravado, and who claimed that he was waterboarded only once. According to one of the officers, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed needed only to be shown the drowning equipment again before he "broke." "Waterboarding works," the former officer said. "Drowning is a baseline fear. So is falling. People dream about it. It¡¯s human nature. Suffocation is a very scary thing. When you¡¯re waterboarded, you¡¯re inverted, so it exacerbates the fear. It¡¯s not painful, but it scares the shit out of you." (The former officer was waterboarded himself in a training course.) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he claimed, "didn¡¯t resist. He sang right away. He cracked real quick." He said, "A lot of them want to talk. Their egos are unimaginable. (He) was just a little doughboy. He couldn't stand toe to toe and fight it out."[36] After being subjected to waterboarding, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed claimed involvement in thirty-one terrorist plots.[44] DD DD DD Legality DD DD International law DD DD All countries that are signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture have agreed they are subjected to the explicit prohibition on torture under any condition, and as such there exists no legal exception under this treaty. (The treaty states, No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.) Additionally, signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also agreed to its Article 5, which states, No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. DD DD DD United States DD DD In 1947, the United States prosecuted a Japanese military officer, Yukio Asano, for carrying out a form of waterboarding on a U.S. civilian during World War II. Yukio Asano received a sentence of 15 years of hard labor.[45] The charges of Violation of the Laws and Customs of War against Asano also included "beating using hands, fists, club; kicking; burning using cigarettes; strapping on a stretcher head downward."[46] DD In its 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. Department of State formally recognized "submersion of the head in water" as torture in its examination of Tunisia's poor human rights record, [47] and critics of waterboarding draw parallels between the two techniques, citing the similar usage of water on the subject. DD DD On September 6, 2006, the United States Department of Defense released a revised Army Field Manual entitled Human Intelligence Collector Operations that prohibits the use of waterboarding by U.S. military personnel. The department adopted the manual amid widespread criticism of U.S. handling of prisoners in the War on Terrorism, and prohibits other practices in addition to waterboarding. The revised manual applies only to U.S. military personnel, and as such does not apply to the practices of the CIA.[48] However, under international law, violators of the laws of war are criminally liable under the command responsibility, and could still be prosecuted for war crimes.[49] DD DD Effectiveness as an interrogation technique DD Harsh interrogation techniques lead to false confessions according to some experts. 'The person believes they are being killed, and as such, it really amounts to a mock execution, which is illegal under international law,' claims John Sifton of Human Rights Watch'." It is "bad interrogation. I mean you can get anyone to confess to anything if the torture's bad enough," said former CIA officer Bob Baer[50]. The Independent reports "legal experts said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed appeared to be exaggerating his role for his own self-aggrandizement and may also have deliberately floated false claims to send US investigators on wild goose chases."[51] DD DD DD DD DD http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1322866 DD DD CIA's Harsh Interrogation Techniques Described DD Sources Say Agency's Tactics Lead to Questionable Confessions, Sometimes to Death By BRIAN ROSS and DD DD RICHARD ESPOSITO DD DD Nov. 18, 2005 DD DD Share Harsh interrogation techniques authorized by top officials of the CIA have led to questionable confessions and the death of a detainee since the techniques were first authorized in mid-March 2002, ABC News has been told by former and current intelligence officers and supervisors. DD DD They say they are revealing specific details of the techniques, and their impact on confessions, because the public needs to know the direction their agency has chosen. All gave their accounts on the condition that their names and identities not be revealed. Portions of their accounts are corrobrated by public statements of former CIA officers and by reports recently published that cite a classified CIA Inspector General's report. DD DD "They would not let you rest, day or night. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down. Don't sleep. Don't lie on the floor," one prisoner said through a translator. The detainees were also forced to listen to rap artist Eminem's "Slim Shady" album. The music was so foreign to them it made them frantic, sources said. DD DD Contacted after the completion of the ABC News investigation, CIA officials would neither confirm nor deny the accounts. They simply declined to comment. DD DD The CIA sources described a list of six "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" instituted in mid-March 2002 and used, they said, on a dozen top al Qaeda targets incarcerated in isolation at secret locations on military bases in regions from Asia to Eastern Europe. According to the sources, only a handful of CIA interrogators are trained and authorized to use the techniques: DD DD 1. The Attention Grab: The interrogator forcefully grabs the shirt front of the prisoner and shakes him. DD DD 2. Attention Slap: An open-handed slap aimed at causing pain and triggering fear. DD DD 3. The Belly Slap: A hard open-handed slap to the stomach. The aim is to cause pain, but not internal injury. Doctors consulted advised against using a punch, which could cause lasting internal damage. DD DD 4. Long Time Standing: This technique is described as among the most effective. Prisoners are forced to stand, handcuffed and with their feet shackled to an eye bolt in the floor for more than 40 hours. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation are effective in yielding confessions. DD DD 5. The Cold Cell: The prisoner is left to stand naked in a cell kept near 50 degrees. Throughout the time in the cell the prisoner is doused with cold water. DD DD 6. Water Boarding: The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt. DD DD According to the sources, CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaeda's toughest prisoner, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last between two and two-and-a-half minutes before begging to confess. DD DD "The person believes they are being killed, and as such, it really amounts to a mock execution, which is illegal under international law," said John Sifton of Human Rights Watch. DD DD The techniques are controversial among experienced intelligence agency and military interrogators. Many feel that a confession obtained this way is an unreliable tool. Two experienced officers have told ABC that there is little to be gained by these techniques that could not be more effectively gained by a methodical, careful, psychologically based interrogation. According to a classified report prepared by the CIA Inspector General John Helgerwon and issued in 2004, the techniques "appeared to constitute cruel, and degrading treatment under the (Geneva) convention," the New York Times reported on Nov. 9, 2005. DD DD It is "bad interrogation. I mean you can get anyone to confess to anything if the torture's bad enough," said former CIA officer Bob Baer. DD DD Larry Johnson, a former CIA officer and a deputy director of the State Department's office of counterterrorism, recently wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "What real CIA field officers know firsthand is that it is better to build a relationship of trust ¡¦ than to extract quick confessions through tactics such as those used by the Nazis and the Soviets." DD DD One argument in favor of their use: time. In the early days of al Qaeda captures, it was hoped that speeding confessions would result in the development of important operational knowledge in a timely fashion. DD DD However, ABC News was told that at least three CIA officers declined to be trained in the techniques before a cadre of 14 were selected to use them on a dozen top al Qaeda suspects in order to obtain critical information. In at least one instance, ABC News was told that the techniques led to questionable information aimed at pleasing the interrogators and that this information had a significant impact on U.S. actions in Iraq. DD DD According to CIA sources, Ibn al Shaykh al Libbi, after two weeks of enhanced interrogation, made statements that were designed to tell the interrogators what they wanted to hear. Sources say Al Libbi had been subjected to each of the progressively harsher techniques in turn and finally broke after being water boarded and then left to stand naked in his cold cell overnight where he was doused with cold water at regular intervals. DD DD His statements became part of the basis for the Bush administration claims that Iraq trained al Qaeda members to use biochemical weapons. Sources tell ABC that it was later established that al Libbi had no knowledge of such training or weapons and fabricated the statements because he was terrified of further harsh treatment. DD DD "This is the problem with using the waterboard. They get so desperate that they begin telling you what they think you want to hear," one source said. DD DD However, sources said, al Libbi does not appear to have sought to intentionally misinform investigators, as at least one account has stated. The distinction in this murky world is nonetheless an important one. Al Libbi sought to please his investigators, not lead them down a false path, two sources with firsthand knowledge of the statements said. DD DD When properly used, the techniques appear to be closely monitored and are signed off on in writing on a case-by-case, technique-by-technique basis, according to highly placed current and former intelligence officers involved in the program. In this way, they say, enhanced interrogations have been authorized for about a dozen high value al Qaeda targets -- Khalid Sheik Mohammed among them. According to the sources, all of these have confessed, none of them has died, and all of them remain incarcerated. DD DD While some media accounts have described the locations where these detainees are located as a string of secret CIA prisons -- a gulag, as it were -- in fact, sources say, there are a very limited number of these locations in use at any time, and most often they consist of a secure building on an existing or former military base. In addition, they say, the prisoners usually are not scattered but travel together to these locations, so that information can be extracted from one and compared with others. Currently, it is believed that one or more former Soviet bloc air bases and military installations are the Eastern European location of the top suspects. Khalid Sheik Mohammed is among the suspects detained there, sources said. DD DD The sources told ABC that the techniques, while progressively aggressive, are not deemed torture, and the debate among intelligence officers as to whether they are effective should not be underestimated. There are many who feel these techniques, properly supervised, are both valid and necessary, the sources said. While harsh, they say, they are not torture and are reserved only for the most important and most difficult prisoners. DD DD According to the sources, when an interrogator wishes to use a particular technique on a prisoner, the policy at the CIA is that each step of the interrogation process must be signed off at the highest level -- by the deputy director for operations for the CIA. A cable must be sent and a reply received each time a progressively harsher technique is used. The described oversight appears tough but critics say it could be tougher. In reality, sources said, there are few known instances when an approval has not been granted. Still, even the toughest critics of the techniques say they are relatively well monitored and limited in use. DD DD Two sources also told ABC that the techniques -- authorized for use by only a handful of trained CIA officers -- have been misapplied in at least one instance. DD DD The sources said that in that case a young, untrained junior officer caused the death of one detainee at a mud fort dubbed the "salt pit" that is used as a prison. They say the death occurred when the prisoner was left to stand naked throughout the harsh Afghanistan night after being doused with cold water. He died, they say, of hypothermia. DD DD According to the sources, a second CIA detainee died in Iraq and a third detainee died following harsh interrogation by Department of Defense personnel and contractors in Iraq. CIA sources said that in the DOD case, the interrogation was harsh, but did not involve the CIA. DD DD The Kabul fort has also been the subject of confusion. Several intelligence sources involved in both the enhanced interrogation program and the program to ship detainees back to their own country for interrogation -- a process described as rendition, say that the number of detainees in each program has been added together to suggest as many as 100 detainees are moved around the world from one secret CIA facility to another. In the rendition program, foreign nationals captured in the conflict zones are shipped back to their own countries on occasion for interrogation and prosecution. DD DD There have been several dozen instances of rendition. There have been a little over a dozen authorized enhanced interrogations. As a result, the enhanced interrogation program has been described as one encompassing 100 or more prisoners. Multiple CIA sources told ABC that it is not. The renditions have also been described as illegal. They are not, our sources said, although they acknowledge the procedures are in an ethical gray area and are at times used for the convenience of extracting information under harsher conditions that the U.S. would allow. DD DD ABC was told that several dozen renditions of this kind have occurred. Jordan is one country recently cited as an "emerging" center for renditions, according to published reports. The ABC sources said that rendition of this sort are legal and should not be confused with illegal "snatches" of targets off the streets of a home country by officers of yet another country. The United States is currently charged with such an illegal rendition in Italy. Israel and at least one European nation have also been accused of such renditions. HH header UB IB WB CW DD http://people.howstuffworks.com/water-boarding.htm DD DD What is water boarding? DD by Julia Layton DD DD Inside This Article DD DD 1. Introduction to What is water boarding? 2. How effective is water boarding? 3. Lots More Information 4. See all Government articles DD DD In October 2007, Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey drew criticism for his refusal to characterize water boarding, a controversial interrogation technique considered by many to be illegal, as torture. Mukasey, a retired federal judge nominated by President Bush, dodged the question in his confirmation hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee, stating that "if [water boarding] amounts to torture, it is not constitutional," but never explicitly condemning it [source: NPR]. His response prompted several senators on the committee to declare that they would oppose Mukasey's nomination as Attorney General unless he denounces water boarding as a form of torture. DD DD DD Mukasey's nomination wasn't the first time the Bush administration faced controversy over what it considered appropriate interrogation techniques of terror suspects. In an October 2006 radio interview, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked if a "dunk in the water" was an acceptable form of prisoner interrogation. When he answered in the affirmative, many people took that to be an endorsement of water boarding. Human rights groups immediately seized on the statement as indicating support for torture, and Cheney's spokespeople released statements saying that Cheney was not endorsing water boarding when he made that remark. DD DD Water boarding has been around for centuries. It was a common interrogation technique during the Italian Inquisition of the 1500s and was used perhaps most famously in Cambodian prisons during the reign of the Khmer Rouge regime during the 1970s (see David Corn: This Is What Waterboarding Looks Like for pictures of a Khmer Rouge water board now in a Cambodian museum). As late as November 2005, water boarding was on the CIA's list of approved "enhanced interrogation techniques" intended for use against high-value terror suspects. In a nutshell, water boarding makes a person feel like he is drowning. DD DD Water boarding as it is currently described involves strapping a person to an inclined board, with his feet raised and his head lowered. The interrogators bind the person's arms and legs so he can't move at all, and they cover his face. In some descriptions, the person is gagged, and some sort of cloth covers his nose and mouth; in others, his face is wrapped in cellophane. The interrogator then repeatedly pours water onto the person's face. Depending on the exact setup, the water may or may not actually get into the person's mouth and nose; but the physical experience of being underneath a wave of water seems to be secondary to the psychological experience. The person's mind believes he is drowning, and his gag reflex kicks in as if he were choking on all that water falling on his face. DD DD So what do intelligence professionals think of this technique? Read on to find out. DD DD How effective is water boarding? DD CIA members who've undergone water boarding as part of their training have lasted an average of 14 seconds before begging to be released. The Navy SEALs once used the technique in their counter-interrogation training, but they stopped because the trainees could not survive it without breaking, which was bad for morale. When the CIA used the water-boarding technique on al-Qaeda operative and supposed "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheik Mohammed, he reportedly lasted more than two minutes before confessing to everything of which he was accused. Anonymous CIA sources report that Mohammed's interrogators were impressed. DD DD Most CIA officials say water boarding is not torture, although many see it as a poor interrogation method because it scares the prisoner so much you can't trust anything he tells you. Senator John McCain, who was tortured as a POW during the Vietnam War, says water boarding is definitely a form of torture. Human rights groups agree unanimously that "simulated drowning," causing the prisoner to believe he is about to die, is undoubtedly a form of psychological torture. The international community recognizes "mock executions" as a form of torture, and many place water boarding in that category. In 1947, a Japanese soldier who used water boarding against a U.S. citizen during World War II was sentenced to 15 years in U.S. prison for committing a war crime. DD DD Whether or not water boarding is a current U.S. interrogation technique is unknown. In September 2006, the Bush administration faced widespread criticism regarding its refusal to sign a Congressional bill outlawing the use of torture techniques against all U.S. prisoners. That same month, the U.S. Department of Defense made it illegal for any member of the U.S. military to use the water-boarding technique. The CIA and its interrogators are unaffected by that new policy, as the CIA is not a branch of the U.S. military. DD DD For more information on water boarding and related topics, try the links on the next page. DD DD HH header UB IB WB CW DD http://people.howstuffworks.com/police-interrogation.htm DD DD There are "Law & Order" addicts everywhere who think they could get a perp to confess. A little glaring, some getting in the guy's face, a revelation that his fingerprints are all over the murder weapon and voilà! He's recounting his crime. In real life, police interrogation requires more than confidence and creativity (although those qualities do help) -- interrogators are highly trained in the psychological tactics of social influence. DD DD Getting someone to confess to a crime is not a simple task, and the fact that detectives sometimes end up with confessions from the innocent testifies to their expertise in psychological manipulation. No two interrogations are alike, but most exploit certain weaknesses in human nature. These weaknesses typically rely on the stress that results when people experience contrasting extremes, like dominance and submission, control and dependence, and the maximization and minimization of consequences. Even the most hardened criminal can end up confessing if the interrogator can find the right combination of circumstances and techniques based on the suspect's personality and experiences. In the United States, scholars estimate that somewhere between 42 percent and 55 percent of suspects confess to a crime during interrogation. DD DD Police interrogations weren't always so complex. Until the early 1900s in the United States, physical abuse was an acceptable (if not legal) method of getting a confession. Confessions obtained by "third degree" techniques -- deprivation of food and water, bright lights, physical discomfort and long isolation, beating with rubber hoses and other instruments that don't leave marks -- were usually admissible in court as long as the suspect signed a waiver stating the confession was voluntary. Between the 1930s and 1960s, though, a crackdown on police tactics gradually changed the practice of interrogation. DD DD While the Supreme Court had ruled as early as 1897 against involuntary confessions, it was in 1937 that things really started to change. In the case Brown v. Mississippi, the Supreme Court threw out a "voluntary" confession that was obtained after police officers repeatedly strung a suspect up in a tree and whipped him. The Court's decision was clear: Confessions obtained by force cannot be used as evidence at trial. By the 1950s, confessions were considered involuntary not only if police beat the suspect, but also if they held a suspect for an unnecessarily extended period of time, deprived him of sleep, food, water or bathroom facilities, promised some benefit if the suspect confessed or threatened some harm if he didn't. DD DD When the case Miranda v. Arizona reached the Supreme Court in 1966, coercive police interrogation took another blow. Ernesto Miranda had confessed to rape and kidnapping after two hours of interrogation, and the appeal to the Supreme Court alleged that Miranda was not aware of his rights to remain silent (the Fifth Amendment) and to counsel (the Sixth Amendment). The Court ruled in favor of Miranda, and the decision instituted what we've come to know as the "Miranda Rights." To safeguard against a suspect falling into an involuntary confession because he thinks he has no choice but to speak, the police must expressly, clearly and completely advise any suspect of his rights to silence and counsel before beginning an interrogation or any other attempt to get a statement from a suspect. The Miranda decision attempts to eliminate suspect ignorance as a contributing factor to involuntary confessions. DD DD In looking for a replacement for illegal forms of coercion, police turned to fairly basic psychological techniques like the time-honored "good cop bad cop" routine, in which one detective browbeats the suspect and the other pretends to be looking out for him. People tend to trust and talk to someone they perceive as their protector. Another basic technique is maximization, in which the police try to scare the suspect into talking by telling him all of the horrible things he'll face if he's convicted of the crime in a court of law. Fear tends to make people talk. For a while, police tried such things as polygraphs to determine if the suspect was being deceptive, but polygraphs and polygraph training are expensive, and the results are almost never admissible in court. But some polygraph analysts, including a man named John Reid, began noticing that subjects exhibited certain outward, consistent physical signs that coincided with the polygraph's determination of untruthfulness. Reid went on to develop a non-machine-based system of interrogation based on specific types of questions and answers that uncover weaknesses the interrogator can use against a suspect to obtain a confession. Reid's "Nine Steps" of psychological manipulation is one of the most popular interrogation systems in the United States today. In the next section, we'll find out about DD DD Confessions and the Constitution DD DD The primary Constitutional Amendments referred to in Supreme Court decisions regarding the admissibility of confessions are the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees a person's right to not incriminate himself, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees the right to due process, including a speedy trial. When the police hold and interrogate a suspect for three days without charging him with a crime, they've violated that suspect's right to due process. When the police string someone up in a tree and whip him until he confesses, they've violated that person's right not to incriminate himself (among other rights). DD DD Common Interrogation Techniques DD DD Bad Move DD DD In the United States, as many as 80 percent of suspects waive their rights to silence and counsel, allowing police to conduct a full-scale interrogation. DD DD Modern interrogation is a study in human nature. Most of us are more likely to talk to people who appear to be like us. Once we start talking, it's hard for us to stop. Once we start telling the truth, it's harder to start lying. When a police officer tells us our fingerprints were found on the inside doorknob of a home that was robbed two days ago, we get nervous, even if we wore gloves the whole time we were inside. DD With a few exceptions, the police are allowed to lie to a suspect to get him to confess. The belief is that an innocent person would never confess to a crime she didn't commit, even if she were confronted with false physical evidence of her involvement. Unfortunately, that's not always the case (more on false confessions in the next section), but it's a big part of the reason why the police are allowed to employ deceptive tactics in interrogation. DD DD The psychological manipulation begins before the interrogator even opens his mouth. The physical layout of an interrogation room is designed to maximize a suspect's discomfort and sense of powerlessness from the moment he steps inside. The classic interrogation manual "Criminal Interrogation and Confessions" recommends a small, soundproof room with only three chairs (two for detectives, one for the suspect) and a desk, with nothing on the walls. This creates a sense of exposure, unfamiliarity and isolation, heightening the suspect's "get me out of here" sensation throughout the interrogation. DD DD The manual also suggests that the suspect should be seated in an uncomfortable chair, out of reach of any controls like light switches or thermostats, furthering his discomfort and setting up a feeling of dependence. A one-way mirror is an ideal addition to the room, because it increases the suspect's anxiety and allows other detectives to watch the process and help the interrogator figure out which techniques are working and which aren't. DD DD Before the nine steps of the Reid interrogation begin, there's an initial interview to determine guilt or innocence. During this time, the interrogator attempts to develop a rapport with the suspect, using casual conversation to create a non-threatening atmosphere. People tend to like and trust people who are like them, so the detective may claim to share some of the suspect's interests or beliefs. If the suspect starts talking to the interrogator about harmless things, it becomes harder to stop talking (or start lying) later when the discussion turns to the crime. DD DD During this initial conversation, the detective observes the suspect's reactions -- both verbal and non-verbal -- to establish a baseline reaction before the real stress begins. The detective will use this baseline later as a comparison point. DD DD One method of creating a baseline involves asking questions that cause the suspect to access different parts of his brain. The detective asks non-threatening questions that require memory (simple recall) and questions that require thinking (creativity). When the suspect is remembering something, his eyes will often move to the right. This is just an outward manifestation of his brain activating the memory center. When he's thinking about something, his eyes might move upward or to the left, reflecting activation of the cognitive center. The detective makes a mental note of the suspect's eye activity. DD DD The next step is to turn the questioning to the task at hand. The detective will ask basic questions about the crime and compare the suspect's reactions to the baseline to determine if the suspect is being truthful or deceptive. If the interrogator asks the suspect where he was the night of the crime and he answers truthfully, he'll be remembering, so his eyes may move to the right; if he's making up an alibi, he's thinking, so his eyes might move to the left. If the interrogator determines that the suspect's reactions indicate deception, and all other evidence points to guilt, the interrogation of a guilty suspect begins. DD DD The Reid technique is the basis of the widely used "Criminal Interrogation and Confessions" manual we already mentioned. It lays out nine steps or issues guiding interrogation. Many of these steps overlap, and there is no such thing as a "typical" interrogation; but the Reid technique provides a blueprint of how a successful interrogation might unfold. DD DD Confrontation DD DD The detective presents the facts of the case and informs the suspect of the evidence against him. This evidence might be real, or it might be made up. The detective typically states in a confident manner that the suspect is involved in the crime. The suspect's stress level starts increasing, and the interrogator may move around the room and invade the suspect's personal space to increase the discomfort. DD DD If the suspect starts fidgeting, licking his lips and or grooming himself (running his hand through his hair, for instance), the detective takes these as indicators of deception and knows he's on the right track. DD DD Theme development DD DD The interrogator creates a story about why the suspect committed the crime. Theme development is about looking through the eyes of the suspect to figure out why he did it, why he'd like to think he did it and what type of excuse might make him admit he did it. Does the suspect use any particular mode of reasoning more often than others? For example, does he seem willing to blame the victim? The detective lays out a theme, a story, that the suspect can latch on to in order to either excuse or justify his part in the crime, and the detective then observes the suspect to see if he likes the theme. Is he paying closer attention than before? Nodding his head? If so, the detective will continue to develop that theme; if not, he'll pick a new theme and start over. Theme development is in the background throughout the interrogation. When developing themes, the interrogator speaks in a soft, soothing voice to appear non-threatening and to lull the suspect into a false sense of security. DD DD Stopping denials DD DD Letting the suspect deny his guilt will increase his confidence, so the detective tries to interrupt all denials, sometimes telling the suspect it'll be his turn to talk in a moment, but right now, he needs to listen. From the start of the interrogation, the detective watches for denials and stops the suspect before he can voice them. In addition to keeping the suspect's confidence low, stopping denials also helps quiet the suspect so he doesn't have a chance to ask for a lawyer. If there are no denials during theme development, the detective takes this as a positive indicator of guilt. If initial attempts at denial slow down or stop during theme development, the interrogator knows he has found a good theme and that the suspect is getting closer to confessing. DD DD Overcoming objections DD DD Once the interrogator has fully developed a theme that the suspect can relate to, the suspect may offer logic-based objections as opposed to simple denials, like "I could never rape somebody -- my sister was raped and I saw how much pain it caused. I would never do that to someone." The detective handles these differently than he does denials, because these objections can give him information to turn around and use against the suspect. The interrogator might say something like, "See, that's good, you're telling me you would never plan this, that it was out of your control. You care about women like your sister -- it was just a one-time mistake, not a recurring thing." If the detective does his job right, an objection ends up looking more like an admission of guilt. DD DD Getting the suspect's attention DD DD At this point, the suspect should be frustrated and unsure of himself. He may be looking for someone to help him escape the situation. The interrogator tries to capitalize on that insecurity by pretending to be the suspect's ally. He'll try to appear even more sincere in his continued theme development, and he may get physically closer to the suspect to make it harder for the suspect to detach from the situation. The interrogator may offer physical gestures of camaraderie and concern, such as touching the suspect's shoulder or patting his back. DD DD The suspect loses resolve DD DD If the suspect's body language indicates surrender -- his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees, his shoulders hunched -- the interrogator seizes the opportunity to start leading the suspect into confession. He'll start transitioning from theme development to motive alternatives (see the next step) that force the suspect to choose a reason why he committed the crime. At this stage, the interrogator makes every effort to establish eye contact with the suspect to increase the suspect's stress level and desire to escape. If, at this point, the suspect cries, the detective takes this as a positive indicator of guilt. DD DD Alternatives DD DD The interrogator offers two contrasting motives for some aspect of the crime, sometimes beginning with a minor aspect so it's less threatening to the suspect. One alternative is socially acceptable ("It was a crime of passion"), and the other is morally repugnant ("You killed her for the money"). The detective builds up the contrast between the two alternatives until the suspect gives an indicator of choosing one, like a nod of the head or increased signs of surrender. Then, the detective speeds things up. DD DD Bringing the suspect into the conversation DD Once the suspect chooses an alternative, the confession has begun. The interrogator encourages the suspect to talk about the crime and arranges for at least two people to witness the confession. One may be the second detective in room, and another may be brought in for the purpose of forcing the suspect to confess to a new detective -- having to confess to a new person increases the suspect's stress level and his desire to just sign a statement and get out of there. Bringing a new person into the room also forces the suspect to reassert his socially acceptable reason for the crime, reinforcing the idea that the confession is a done deal. DD DD The confession DD DD The final stage of an interrogation is all about getting the confession admitted at trial. The interrogator will have the suspect write out his confession or state it on videotape. The suspect is usually willing to do anything at this point to escape the interrogation. The suspect confirms that his confession is voluntary, not coerced, and signs the statement in front of witnesses. DD It should be noted here that if, at any point during the interrogation, the suspect does somehow manage to ask for a lawyer or invoke his right to silence, the interrogation has to stop immediately. That's why it's so important to interrupt the suspect's attempts to speak in the initial stages -- if he invokes his rights, the interrogation is over. DD DD The steps we've laid out here represent some of the psychological techniques that detectives use to get confessions from suspects. But a real interrogation doesn't always follow the textbook. Next, let's take a look at an actual police interrogation that ended with an admissible confession. DD DD When You've Got Company DD DD The Just Cause Law Collective warns that if you're arrested with friends, you've got to keep a cool head. Decide beforehand that no one's going to say a word until everyone has a lawyer, and remind yourself that police will try to play on the natural paranoia that arises when people are separated. The Collective offers a further warning regarding a group arrest: When you have your strategy discussion, don't do it in the back seat of a police car. If the officers stuffed you all into one car and walked away, they're recording you. DD DD A Real Interrogation DD DD On September 1, 2003, Detective Victor Lauria of the Novi Police Department in Detroit, Michigan, used his training in the Reid technique to interrogate Nikole Michelle Frederick. Frederick's two-year-old step daughter, Ann Marie, was brought to the emergency room near death, with obvious signs of extensive child abuse. Frederick was her primary caretaker and was watching Ann Marie in the time before the trip to the hospital. The interrogation took place over two days, with Frederick being charged with the crime immediately following the first sit-down. DD Lauria began with a simple interview, just talking in a non-threatening way to establish Frederick's baseline reactions: DD DD Lauria: How would you rate yourself as a mother? DD Frederick: Um, I think I'm, I'm pretty good. I mean I, I am a little bad with being stern and stricter you know, letting them get away with things. DD Lauria: How would you describe Ann Marie? DD Frederick: She was a very hard baby. She would, uh, cry all the time. Always wanted to be held ... I mean Annie just, I mean she always looks like she's beaten. She's always climbing or you know. I always can see a little bit of bruising and scrapes or whatever on her back. Her shins are always bruised. DD Since Frederick appeared to be making excuses for Ann Marie's injuries and setting up a justification -- "She was a very hard baby" -- and since she was taking care of Ann Marie when the injuries occurred, Lauria predicted guilt and began interrogating her. He proceeded to subtle confrontation, letting Frederick know how she would be caught: DD Lauria: There's a whole line of study in police work that can determine how injuries occur and how old the injuries are. DD Frederick: ... I don't even think we'll find out exactly what happened because the only one that really knows is her and it's gonna be awfully hard trying to get her to say if anything happened, you know. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I was just wondering how long this is going to take. DD Lauria: Well, like I said, one of the things we're able to do with those [bruises] is we can date bruises based upon you know whether they're new bruises just coming in, or whether they're bruises that are already starting to heal because, you know, doctors and forensic scientists and pathologists study those type of things... DD Frederick: Okay. DD Lauria: Can you think of any reason why they would determine that those bruises were caused in the last 24 hours and that somebody would suspect that you did this? DD Frederick: Um, other than that I was there, no. DD ... DD DD Lauria: Do you suspect anybody of doing this? DD Frederick: No, I don't. And that's what I'm saying, and I, I'm having a hard time believing that it was inflicted on her because, like I said, we would have heard something too, you know... DD Lauria: Out of all the people in the house that were there or came in last night, list all the people that you would vouch for that you would say absolutely would not do something to hurt Ann Marie. DD Frederick: ... I know John wouldn't do it. I honestly don't think Brian would do it. DD Lauria: Who'd vouch for you? DD Frederick: Um, probably John. But see like I don't, I don't necessarily, uh, believe what the doctor's saying and how they were inflicted, whatever. DD DD Detective Lauria began developing a theme about an out-of-control situation -- Frederick had not premeditated the abuse, she just hadn't been thinking clearly. But Frederick didn't like that theme. She asked the detective why he wasn't believing her story. Lauria then switched to an out-of-control "split second" in which Frederick had hurt Ann Marie. He explained that Ann Marie's injuries were definitely not from a fall. Someone else had inflicted them, possibly in a "split second" of irrationality. Frederick was listening now, apparently clinging to the "split second" qualification. Lauria further developed the theme by bringing up Ann Marie's difficult nature and how hard she was to care for -- blaming the victim, which Frederick had already shown a tendency toward. Frederick began nodding her head, and Lauria set up an alternative. He told Frederick that "without an explanation of what happened people would assume the worst." The implied contrast had already been set up: a cold-blooded, vicious attack on a toddler versus a momentary loss of self-control when dealing with a difficult child. The approach worked. According to Lauria's account: DD DD Over two days of questioning Frederick never asked how Ann Marie was doing. Near the end of the interview I pointed this out to her. She tried to convince me that she had asked several times about Ann Marie's injuries. She then asked me for an update in her condition. I told her that Ann Marie was brain dead and that she was probably not going to survive. Frederick stated "Oh my God. I'm gonna go for murder." I then spent another 45 minutes with various themes in an attempt to get further information. After several attempts at denying any further knowledge or involvement in causing the injuries to Ann Marie she admitted to shaking her. After admitting to shaking her, Frederick broke down and cried. She then said "I killed that little girl. I killed that little girl." DD Ann Marie died of her injuries, and Nikole Michelle Frederick stood trial for First Degree Felony Murder. She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. DD DD Getting a guilty suspect to confess is the best way to ensure she'll be found guilty at trial and serve time for the crime she committed. The problem is that while a confession looks really good in court, it's not an infallible indicator of guilt. That's a big part of the controversy surrounding police interrogation tactics. DD DD Five Techniques of Surviving a Police Interrogation (Without Confessing) DD DD Taken from freeBEAGLES' recommendations for DD animal rights' activists (and others) on how to make it through a police interrogation without incriminating themselves or their peers: DD DD Remain silent. DD DD Remain silent. DD DD Imagine the words "I invoke my right to remain silent" painted on the wall, and stare at them throughout the interrogation. DD Momentarily break your silence to ask for counsel. DD DD Cultivate hatred for your interrogator so you don't fall into his traps and start talking. DD DD DD Controversy DD DD Earl Washington, Jr., a mentally retarded man, was almost put to death for a crime he confessed to but didn't commit. He was released from prison in 2000, nine days before his scheduled execution. DD DD Interrogation has always been a controversial subject. Any time a law-enforcement officer goes into a room with a civilian and shuts the door, people are going to question what happens inside. And any time that officer leaves the room with a confession, the questions are going to escalate. Was the confession coerced? Did the police violate the suspect's rights? DD DD The real question is probably a much larger one: Can police interrogation ever be a fair process? How can a system designed to manipulate a suspect into confessing be non-coercive? The debate about the fairness and morality of police interrogation techniques is an ongoing one, with several issues at the forefront. DD DD First, interrogation is guilt-presumptive process. The goal is to get the suspect to confess. Once the interrogation begins, a detective can unconsciously ignore any evidence of innocence in pursuit of a confession. This is a common psychological phenomenon -- people often "filter out" any evidence that does not fit with their already-formed viewpoint. Interrogation is designed to make a suspect extremely nervous, and signs of stress like grooming and fidgeting, which are taken as positive indicators of guilt, might just as easily indicate the stress of an innocent person being accused of a crime he didn't commit. There's also the issue of latent coercion. While police may not explicitly offer leniency for a confession or threaten punishment if someone won't confess, they may imply promises or threats in their language and tone. For instance, when detective Lauria told Nikole Frederick that "without an explanation of what happened people would assume the worst," Frederick may have understood that to mean that if she confessed to the crime but explained why she did it, the consequences would be less severe than if she kept her mouth shut. DD DD In a more general way, a lot of the human rights concerns surrounding police interrogation have to do with the fact that psychological interrogation techniques bear an uncanny resemblance to "brainwashing" techniques. The interrogator is attempting to influence the suspect without the suspect's consent, which is considered an unethical use of psychological tactics. A lot of the techniques used to cause discomfort, confusion and insecurity in the brainwashing process are similar to those used in interrogation: DD DD Invading a suspect's personal space DD DD Not allowing the suspect to speak DD DD Using contrasting alternatives DD DD Positioning confession as a means of escape DD The more stress a suspect experiences, the less likely he is to think critically and independently, making him far more susceptible to suggestion. This is even more true when the suspect is a minor or is mentally ill, because he may be poorly equipped to recognize or fight off manipulative tactics. A process designed to cause someone so much stress that he'll confess just to escape the situation is a process that leaves itself open to false confessions. Researchers estimate between 65 and 300 false confessions per year in the United States. Here are just a few false confessions that investigators have uncovered: DD DD Peter Reilly, 1973 DD DD Peter Reilly was 18 years old when his mother was found murdered in their home. After eight hours of interrogation by Connecticut police, he confessed to brutally murdering her. A jury convicted him of first-degree manslaughter based on his confession, and he served three years in prison before a judge set him free in the face of new evidence indicating someone else committed the crime. DD DD Earl Washington, Jr., 1982 DD DD Earl Washington, Jr., a man described by psychologists as "mildly retarded" with an IQ of 69, confessed to raping and murdering a 19-year-old woman after undergoing interrogation. He was convicted on the confession alone and spent 18 years in prison, half of that time on death row. Nine days before his scheduled execution, the governor of Virginia pardoned him because DNA evidence had revealed that the actual perpetrator was another man. (Watch this video clip of an interview with Earl Washington, Jr., after his release.) DD DD The "Central Park Five," 1989 DD DD After more than 20 hours of interrogation, five teenagers -- Raymond Santana, 14, Kharey Wise, 16, Antron McCray, 16, Kevin Richardson, 14, and Yusef Salaam, 15 -- confessed to raping and beating a woman jogging in Central Park in New York City. They spent between six and 12 years in prison (four out of the five were tried as minors) before another man confessed to the crime in 2001. DNA evidence confirmed that this other man was in fact the Central Park rapist. DD DD Michael Crowe, 1998 DD DD Michael Crowe was 14 years old when police interrogated him without a parent or other adult in the room. He eventually confessed to stabbing his 12-year-old sister to death after the interrogator told Michael of false physical evidence against him. He was charged with the crime, but at pre-trial hearings, a judge deemed his confession to be involuntary. DNA evidence later led police to the man who actually murdered the girl. DD DD Michael Crowe's entire interrogation was videotaped, and that tape assisted the judge in determining that the confession was involuntary. Just videotaping the confession itself can do little to ensure the legality of the process that led up to it, and critics of police interrogation techniques point to mandatory taping of all interrogations from start to finish as a step in the right direction. Another possible solution to the problem of false confessions is to train police to recognize subtle signs of mental illness that make a false confession more likely. Many within the law-enforcement community cite prohibitive costs as a reason not to mandate solutions like these and maintain that the problem of false confessions is not as big as critics suggest. Still, most of us see one false confession that leads to conviction as one too many. DD DD For more information on police interrogation and related topics, check out the links on the next page. DD DD DD Case Study: Success With the Reid Technique.” DD http://www.policeone.com/writers/columnists/JohnReid/articles/97420/ DD "Central Park Justice." Online NewsHour, Dec. 24, 2002. DD http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec02/centralpark_12-24.html DD “Confessions: Police Interrogation, Due Process, and Self-Incrimination.” FindLaw. DD http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment05/09.html DD “General Interrogation Techniques.” Just Cause Law Collective. DD http://www.lawcollective.org/article.php?id=54 DD Irsay, Steve. “Fear Factor: How far can police go to get a confession?” CourtTV.com. DD http://www.courttv.com/archive/movie/crowe/fear.html DD "Jury: Investigator must pay ex-death row inmate." CNN.com, May 5, 2006. DD http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/05/05/inmate.award.ap/index.html DD Kassin, Saul M. and Gisli H. Gudjonsson. "True Crimes, False Confessions." Scientific American Mind. DD http://www.psychologicalscience.org/pdf/pspi/pspi5_2_11-14.pdf DD Kurz, Dylan. “Dominance and Submission: How the Police Use Psychological Manipulation to Interrogate Citizens.” DD http://www.grayarea.com/police8.htm DD “Police Interrogation.” freeBEAGLES. DD http://www.freebeagles.org/articles/interrog.html DD Redlich, Allison D. , Ph.D. "Law & Psychiatry: Mental Illness, Police Interrogations, and the Potential for False Confession." Psychiatric Services. DD http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/55/1/19#SEC2 DD “The Reid 9 Steps of Interrogation, In Brief.” Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation. DD http://www.law.wayne.edu/Faculty/Fac_web/moran/The%20REID%209%20STEPS%20OF%20INTERROGATION.htm DD “The Reid Technique of interviewing and interrogation: Case studies.” Reid.com. DD http://www.reid.com/success_reid/r_cstudies.html HH header UB IB CW DD A publicity stunt by Andrew Thomas? - Some believe the news conference was called to deflect criticism from two public-relations nightmares: an ill-received attack on judges purportedly over illegal-immigration issues and public outrage over the recent arrests of two New Times executives ordered by his office. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/1105ziptie1105.html DD DD 5 indicted in 'Zip Tie' crimes DD Suspects face a total of 96 charges in robbery spree DD Eugene Scott DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 5, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD A Maricopa County grand jury has indicted five defendants - four of them undocumented immigrants - in the "Zip Tie" bandit crime spree, County Attorney Andrew Thomas said on Sunday. Thomas said that 96 charges were filed in a 36-count indictment. DD DD He discussed the Zip Tie case and the connection between undocumented immigrants and the Valley's crime rates at a rare weekend news conference. Some believe the news conference was called to deflect criticism from two public-relations nightmares: an ill-received attack on judges purportedly over illegal-immigration issues and public outrage over the recent arrests of two New Times executives ordered by his office. DD DD In the Zip Tie case, six men are accused of robbing four Mesa grocery and discount stores over a nearly five-month period. DD DD The victims, including a young child, were held at gunpoint and handcuffed with zip ties. The defendants were arrested last month. DD DD Kalib Andrade-Mondragon, 21; Juan Jose Mendez, 32; Humberto Ochoa-Alvarado, 30; Juan Felipe Torres-Torres, 25; and Javier Robledo-Rodriguez, 26, face several charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and misconduct involving weapons. DD DD Thomas said the men, some of whom are repeat offenders, are being held without bond in a county jail and would serve time in a county facility. A plea bargain is not an option for serious violent crimes, he said. DD DD Some of the suspects were previously deported before returning to the Valley, Thomas said. DD DD "We continue to see the link between our crime rate in the Valley and illegal immigrants," Thomas said. "We continue to have a serious violent-crime problem in Arizona, which is directly related to our border situation." DD DD But statistics do not back up that assertion. DD DD National studies and a recent Republic analysis show that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at rates virtually proportionate to their numbers in the general population. DD DD "It's an argument that is being used purely for political reasons," said Mesa police Chief George Gascón, a Thomas critic. "No matter how you look at this stuff . . . the numbers don't bear that out." Officers from Gascón's department, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, captured the suspects last month. DD DD In July, the Arizona Department of Corrections indicated that the total Mexican national population - legal and undocumented - within the prison system was 12 percent, or about 4,500 inmates. There are an estimated 500,000 undocumented immigrants in Arizona. DD DD Valley police departments have a "duty" to aggressively address the area's illegal-immigrant concerns, Thomas said. Too many departments have policies that treat smugglers more harshly than illegal immigrants, he said. "I do not believe all police agencies are doing what they can," he added. DD DD Phoenix attorney and activist Danny Ortega said Thomas' news conference and statements were orchestrated to grab headlines and airtime to counter his office's mismanagement in the wake of the New Times story, which made national news. DD DD "It at best is an exaggeration and a complete extortion of the fact," Ortega said. "They want their name in print, and the way they do it is by exaggeration and in some cases by making outlandish statements for the purpose of gaining press." DD DD Republic reporters Yvonne Wingett and Michael Kiefer contributed to this report. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101235 DD DD November 5, 2007 - 4:54AM DD DD 5 indicted in Mesa robbery spree using zip ties DD DD Mike Branom, Tribune DD DD Five jailed men were indicted Sunday in connection with their alleged roles in the zip tie crime wave that terrorized Mesa earlier this year. DD DD The 96 counts, announced by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, contain multiple charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, misconduct involving weapons and aggravated assault. DD DD Between May 25 and Oct. 13, four Mesa grocery markets and discount stores fell prey to robbers. The assailants beat a store owner, fired shots and bound victims — including a child — with zip ties, authorities said. In one incident, the bandits tied the hands of 14 people. DD DD “It was a violent crime spree that was very disturbing,” Thomas said. DD DD The men also are suspects in two similar incidents in Phoenix and one in Buckeye, but Thomas’ office has yet to file charges connected with those crimes. DD DD Authorities believe the men stole about $365,000 during the seven robberies. DD DD Because the robberies were exceptionally violent and well-planned, Mesa police Chief George Gascón assembled a team of eight detectives and a sergeant to solve the crimes. DD DD The team’s investigation culminated Oct. 28 with the arrests. DD DD “I commend the Mesa Police Department for cracking this cell of alleged criminals and bringing them to justice,” Thomas said. DD DD Indicted were: Kalib Andrade-Mondragon, 21, of Gilbert; Juan José Mendez, 32, of Mesa; Humberto Ochoa-Alvarado, 30, of Gilbert; Juan Felipe Torres-Torres, 25, of Gilbert; and Javier Robledo-Rodriguez, 26, of Mesa. DD DD Four of the five men, all but Mendez, are being held without bail under Proposition 100 because they are suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. DD DD Some defendants claim they had been previously deported, Thomas said. DD DD “We need to recognize the reality that there is a clear link between our illegal immigration problem and our crime problem,” Thomas said. DD DD A sixth man, Ivan Rodriguez-Robledo, was indicted with the others on a charge of intent to forge a fingerprint card. But he is not believed to be one of the robbers, a spokesman for Thomas said. HH header UB IB CW DD Putting people in jail for 2 years when they sneak across the border? Thats a huge waste of tax dollars. Well a jobs program for prison guards DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1105crackdown1105.html DD DD Border crossers now risk jail DD Sean Holstege DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 5, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Arizona could become the first state to prosecute every adult caught at the border crossing illegally from Mexico. DD DD Authorities in the Yuma sector, in the western part of the state, have been prosecuting people caught at the border since December. The Del Rio sector of Texas introduced the policy a year earlier. Both areas phased in the crackdown over six months and saw dramatic drops in the number of border arrests. DD DD Now, federal agencies are discussing expanding the policy, known as Operation Streamline, in January to include the Tucson area, the busiest human-smuggling route in the country. Last week, the Laredo sector in Texas introduced the policy. DD DD To make it happen, the Department of Homeland Security would lend acting Arizona U.S. Attorney Dan Knauss four lawyers to work exclusively on Streamline cases. DD DD "These are serious discussions. You need to get cooperation of a number of parties," Knauss said. "We still need judges, defense counsel and prison space." DD DD Prosecutions are normally reserved for foreigners with criminal records or people who had been repeatedly caught sneaking into the country. Knauss said his office prosecutes about 2,000 such cases a year in Arizona. DD DD DD The threat of jail time DD Operation Streamline marks a significant departure from the Border Patrol's historical methods, which let sector chiefs develop their own guidelines for when to refer cases to the immigration courts and when to return illegal immigrants to Mexico quickly, voluntarily and without legal process. DD DD Before Operation Streamline, a border crosser in Yuma without a criminal record would have had to be caught three times before being jailed. In Del Rio, it was customarily five times. DD DD Since the policy was introduced in Del Rio in December 2005, the Border Patrol has referred 23,000 cases for prosecution. In about 22,000 of them, the illegal immigrants were convicted and deported. DD DD First-time offenders are guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail. In Del Rio, the average jail time for first-offenders is 34 days. DD DD Minors, critically ill people and asylum-seekers are exempt, as are those caught after spending 14 days in the country. DD DD Border Patrol agents say the prospect of jail is a deterrent. DD DD About a year ago, the Del Rio sector lent Border Patrol agents to the overwhelmed Tucson area. DD DD While there, those agents arrested illegal immigrants who had traveled 600 miles from Piedras Negras, which is across from the Del Rio sector, to cross instead in Nogales. DD DD The immigrants said they made the longer trip to avoid going to jail if caught, said Hilario Leal, supervisory Border Patrol agent in Del Rio. DD DD "The word of mouth gets out. They trek pretty far to get here, and all their efforts go for nothing," he said. DD DD A few weeks in detention may not sound like much when illegal immigrants, who typically pay "coyotes" $1,500 to $2,000 to guide them across the border, risk their lives to trek through the Sonoran Desert. But a second offense under Operation Streamline can mean up to two years in prison. DD DD DD A drop in numbers DD Arrests in the Del Rio sector dropped dramatically in the first nine months of fiscal year 2007 compared with the same period the year before. From October 2006 to July 2007, agents made 20,000 arrests, 35,000 fewer than the year before. DD DD Leal said the agency attributes the drop exclusively to the new policy because it is much sharper than the 30 percent decline in arrests borderwide and Del Rio didn't see the boost in personnel, equipment and fence-building that other areas did. DD DD In Yuma, agents arrested 116,000 in the same nine-month period two years ago and 36,000 the past year. DD DD But during the rollout of Operation Streamline, Yuma also added significant amounts of border fence, border agents and National Guard troops. DD DD "Streamline is just one of the tactical measures. It's been working in tandem with the others," Yuma Border Patrol Agent Michael Bernacke said. DD DD The sector has referred 2,000 people for prosecution. Knauss said the courts can handle only 30 cases a day in the Yuma area. DD DD After assessing needs and resources, each sector chief decides whether Operation Streamline would work, said Border Patrol spokeswoman Andrea Zortman.The decision hinges on personnel needed and whether the area has enough detention space. DD DD Border Patrol chiefs consult with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, the courts, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Detention and Removal Service. DD DD What works in Del Rio and Yuma may not work in Tucson. DD DD Tucson saw 334,000 arrests between October and July, about 45 percent of all of those along the Mexico border. Full enforcement would mean locking up 30,000 illegal crossers for at least 15 days. DD DD Historically, law-enforcement agencies have been reluctant to take away jail space from criminals deemed more deserving. DD HH header UB IB CW DD Is Sheriff Joe lying about this guy refusing to remove his car? The guy is a lawyer and head of the Arizona ACLU, I am sure he knows the law. When I watch the cops I certainly don't do anything illegal and I am sure Daniel Pochoda is the same way. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/1105activist1105.html DD DD Arrest at protest due to ACLU ties, lawyer contends DD Yvonne Wingett DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 5, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD The legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona on Sunday said his arrest by Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies at a weekend protest was unwarranted and occurred only after he identified himself as a high-ranking officer with the organization. DD DD Daniel Pochoda showed up at a Saturday demonstration in front of Pruitt's furniture store in east Phoenix to observe interaction between protesters and law enforcement officers, he said. He was there at the request of organizer and activist Salvador Reza, who said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio uses the deputies to intimidate demonstrators. DD DD Pochoda, 65, was taken in handcuffs to the county's Fourth Avenue Jail after off-duty deputies hired by store owners asked him six times to move his car off the parking lot, Arpaio said, and he refused. DD DD About 1 p.m., Pochoda was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of trespassing. A friend posted $150 bail around 4:30 p.m.; he was released about 12:15 a.m. Sunday. DD DD Pochoda said this was his first arrest. DD DD Pochoda declined to give details about the lead-up to the arrest because he hadn't yet seen the sheriff's reports. He plans on using a criminal attorney to fight the charge. DD DD "Nothing unlawful occurred on my part, but that was not the story that was told," said Pochoda, of Phoenix. DD DD "It was not deliberate. It was not provoked or wanted. The arrests and handcuffs came after I identified myself with the ACLU and gave the two sheriff's deputies my card as the legal director." DD DD The arrest comes as Arpaio faces criticism for his office's arrest of two New Times executives for publishing details of a grand-jury subpoena that demanded Internet records of anyone who had visited the newspaper's Web site since 2004. The arrests were perceived by many to be politically motivated, and fueled a backlash that helped force Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas to drop the case. DD DD "What's politics have to do with it?," Arpaio said. "I hear he was trying to debate, and then wouldn't stop. It was a person who (was) asked to move six times. He did not get off the premises." DD DD Saturday's protests were part of a series of rallies staged by activists and day laborers to oppose the arrests of undocumented workers by sheriff's deputies. Several dozen day laborers have been arrested by federally trained sheriff's deputies over recent months, which has amplified migrants' fears of deportation. DD DD The ACLU, which has had a contentious relationship with the Sheriff's Office over the years, has said that the sheriff is misapplying a state law aimed at punishing those who smuggle immigrants into the U.S. The Sheriff's Office is arresting immigrants under the law, saying they conspired to smuggle themselves into the country. DD DD Pochoda has practiced and taught civil rights and constitutional law for 35 years. On the local and national legal scene, he is a highly regarded attorney DD DD Pochoda is a Harvard Law School graduate. He has worked as an attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and has taught law at The City University of New York School of Law and Santa Clara University School of Law. DD DD He was also an adjunct professor in 2001 at Arizona State University's School of Justice and Social Inquiry. DD DD Pochoda is a member of the legal team that is challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's employer-sanctions law, which will be argued in federal court Nov. 14. HH header UB IB CW DD Its probably just an excuse for the cops to shake down Mexicans and other minorites. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1105safestreets1103.html DD DD Police get tough on gangs DD Judi Villa DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 5, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD The window tint was way too dark. DD DD But it wasn't until police pulled over the Chevy Impala that they found what they were really looking for: gangsters. Four of them, heavily tattooed and hiding a golf-ball-size rock of crack cocaine packaged for individual sale. One of the men in the car had a felony warrant for aggravated assault and was taken to jail. Another was on probation and shouldn't have been hanging around gang members and dope. Police seized the car. DD DD "It's zero tolerance with these gang members," Phoenix police Sgt. Todd Goehring said. "If they commit a traffic violation, they're going to get a ticket. If they have guns or dope, they're going to jail. Anything just to let them know we're watching them. They need to know when we're on the streets that they need to look behind them at all times." DD DD Across the Valley and nationwide, police are redoubling efforts to crack down on gangs after a resurgence of activity has brought new waves of fear and violence to communities. DD DD This year, all three Valley police officers shot to death in the line of duty were gunned down by gang members. In Phoenix, the number of gang-related homicides more than doubled from six in 2003 to 16 in 2006. There have been 11 gang-related murders this year. DD DD Gang members also are responsible for armed robberies, home invasions, thefts and drug dealing in neighborhoods across the Valley, officials say. DD DD "We're just trying to keep our heads above water now," Phoenix police Sgt. Derek Stephenson said. DD DD Targeting gang activity DD DD In Arizona, officials estimate there are 20,000 known gang members belonging to 2,500 street gangs. Nationwide, the number of gang members has more than tripled, from 250,000 in 1991 to 800,000 now. DD DD From New Jersey to Arizona and California, legislatures are passing tougher laws to target gang activity and police are fighting back. DD DD In Los Angeles, for example, police have embarked on a new strategy that involves asking former gang members to help prevent violence. Police in California also have pursued injunctions to keep gang members from congregating in groups, an approach officials in Arizona say they are looking into. DD DD New York prosecutors recently used terrorism laws to convict a gangster of fatally shooting a 10-year-old girl, saying the gang had terrorized the west Bronx for years. DD DD In the Valley, police tactics include saturation patrols, like the one that led to the traffic stop in Phoenix, and mass arrests, coupled with a surge in intelligence gathering, and the creation of massive, real-time gang databases that are being shared among agencies like never before. DD DD Officials say there is an unprecedented level of cooperation among federal, state and local agencies to track down gang members and build cases against them that will result in the harshest possible prison sentences. DD DD "The most effective thing we can do is cooperate with each other, work together and conduct long-term investigations that are going to have the result of putting these people in prison for a long time," said Lt. Andy Vasquez, who oversees gang enforcement for the state Department of Public Safety. DD DD It's a paradigm shift in enforcement but "a smarter approach," said Chuck Schoville, a retired Tempe police gang sergeant and president of the newly formed Arizona Gang Investigators Association, which already has 300 members. "All the cities realize they can't do it alone." DD DD DPS has brought back the Gang and Immigrant Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission and now has squads working with local police throughout the state to do gang enforcement and conduct intelligence-driven investigations. Chandler police have partnered with the non-profit Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods to do street outreach a couple of times a month and direct at-risk youth toward more positive activities. And law-enforcement agencies in the East Valley have teamed up to create the Fusion Center in Mesa, in which gang detectives not only share information but work together to solve crimes, regardless of where they occurred. DD DD "We recognize that the bad guys do not understand about city boundaries," Mesa Police Chief George Gascon said. "We all have limited resources, and if we share the resources and we share the knowledge, we can become more surgical about how we go about fighting crime." DD DD The efforts come a decade after gang activity reached its peak in the Valley. Back then, vast numbers of gang members were thrown in prison with tougher sentences for operating criminal syndicates, and the violence ebbed. DD DD But after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, many law-enforcement agencies cut back or eliminated their gang units, reassigning detectives to homeland security. In the past couple of years, as some gang members finished their sentences and returned to the streets and others migrated from California, enforcement has been sporadic, and the problems have resurfaced with a vengeance. DD DD Supression efforts DD DD The graffiti scrawled on a central Phoenix fence is testament. It surfaced after Phoenix police Officer Nick Erfle was killed in September by an illegal immigrant and documented gang member. DD DD "Cop killa," the graffiti said, also boasting the gang's name. The group had been relatively quiet for more than a year until Erfle was killed, and police realized their intelligence wasn't up to date. DD DD "They're making a statement, so we're going to pay them some attention. Sometimes an act like this can fire them up," Stephenson said on a recent night as he patrolled the gang's territory. "We want to make sure they don't emerge into anything." DD DD In July, after Phoenix police noticed an increasing amount of gang-related shootings, officials resurrected Operation Safe Streets, which began in the early 1990s to quell gang violence. For the first time, the operation has expanded beyond the summer months, with about 100 officers hitting the streets almost nightly to target gangs. DD DD In the first three months, the efforts focused largely in the city's South Mountain and Maryvale precincts, and overall crime in both areas fell. Violent crime also dropped in all but one of the eight individual areas targeted within the precincts, with dips ranging from 9.5 percent to nearly 45 percent. DD DD More than 300 gang members have been arrested, and police have identified nearly 500 other suspected gang members. DD DD Drugs, vehicles, cash and more than 140 weapons have been seized. DD DD The idea is to contact as many gang members as possible to develop information on their activities and associates. Suspected gang members are photographed when they are stopped and asked to show their tattoos. Some will flash gang signs for officers or show gang monikers written on their shoes. Anyone with a gun is checked to see if they can legally carry it. DD DD At the same time, gang detectives are gathering intelligence that could enhance prison sentences when a gang member is caught committing a crime, and they are targeting gang leaders for racketeering and operating criminal syndicates. DD DD Just this year, the Arizona Legislature passed a law increasing the presumptive prison sentence by five years for committing certain crimes to promote or assist a criminal street gang and made it a crime to participate in or assist a gang. The legislation also allowed the "use of a common name or identifying sign/symbol" to be used to prove gang membership, just the type of information police gather every time they contact a suspected gang member. DD DD "There's a lot of emphasis on gangs for good reason," Stephenson said. "You can eliminate robberies, homicides, burglaries that those guys are committing. DD DD "If we weren't here, it would get really ugly." DD DD Running the street DD DD "This is the Phoenix Police Department," an officer booms into a public-address system outside a central Phoenix home. "The house is totally surrounded, and we are not leaving. . . . Jose, we're going to stay here until either you come out or we come in and get you." DD DD Officers were on a traffic stop when a man came up to them to tell them about a drug house in the neighborhood. Officers were familiar with the home. "Mijo" is there now selling drugs, the man said. DD DD Mijo's real name is Jose, and he is wanted for a gang assault. Officers quickly surrounded the house, and the man shut himself inside. A helicopter flew overhead. Police brought in the K-9 unit. An officer held a rifle to the front door. The man wouldn't come out. Officers wouldn't leave. DD DD Hours later, Phoenix police, alongside deputy U.S. Marshals who also wanted the man, forced their way into the home. The man was found hiding inside a sofa. He remains in jail. DD DD "We're out here and we won't tolerate this type of behavior," Phoenix police Lt. Charlie Consolian said. DD DD "The gang doesn't run the street. We run the street." HH header UB IB WB DD On May 1, 2003 George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, and gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq War. DD DD Nov. 5, 2007 U.S. WILL see record death toll in Iraq in 2007 DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1105Iraq1105.html DD DD U.S. may see record death toll in Iraq DD Troop surge increased number of casualties DD Lauren Frayer DD Associated Press DD Nov. 5, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD BAGHDAD - With just under two months left in the year, 2007 is on course to be the deadliest year ever for American forces in Iraq, despite a recent sharp drop in U.S. deaths. DD DD At least 847 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year, the second-highest since the war began in March 2003, according to Associated Press figures. DD DD In 2004, the bloodiest year of the war for the U.S. so far, 850 American troops died. Most were killed in large, conventional battles. DD DD But the American military in Iraq has increased its exposure this year, reaching 165,000 troops, the highest levels yet. Moreover, the military's decision to send soldiers out of large bases and into Iraqi communities means more troops have seen more contact with enemy forces than ever before, said Maj. Winfield Danielson, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. DD DD "It's due to the troop surge, which allowed us to go into areas that were previously safe havens for insurgents," Danielson said. "Having more soldiers, and having them out in the communities, certainly contributes to our casualties." HH header UB IB CW DD Of course if a police officer had committed the same crime he would not have been fired. He probably would have gotten a slap on the wrist if that much. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101259 DD DD November 5, 2007 - 1:20AM DD WestWorld aide fired over free RV site DD Brian Powell, Tribune DD DD A WestWorld employee has been fired by Scottsdale for letting her sister park her RV free at the facility and then deleting records to cover it up. DD DD Cyndi Shy, who says she was following standard practice, was dismissed from her position of senior customer support representative following a city investigation. DD DD The decision was made four months after the Scottsdale Police Department arrested Shy at work and recommended misdemeanor theft charges. Scottsdale city prosecutor Caron Close said the city will not prosecute. DD DD Shy’s sister stayed in her RV at WestWorld of Scottsdale from Nov. 10-28 last year without paying, a value of $402.84, according to the police report. DD DD Shy first told police her sister stayed three days, but later said 18 days was correct, according to the report. Shy then deleted the reservation from the system, the report states. DD DD According to the city’s dismissal letter, Shy argued in pre-termination hearings that she had the discretion to authorize “no charge” sales for known individuals and that deleting records was a common practice. DD DD The city interviewed current and former employees who said authorization would be required, and in this case it was never approved. DD DD In a written statement to the Tribune, Shy wrote that allowing complementary spaces at WestWorld “was a norm” and not discouraged until after ethics training in May — six months after the incident. Shy wrote that she did not believe she was doing anything wrong. DD DD “The real crime here is the city of Scottsdale’s handling of this complaint,” Shy wrote. “What should have resulted in a change in policy and at the most a disciplinary action, resulted in an arrest, an investigation costing over $10,000 in my administrative leave wages alone, and the loss of a valuable seasoned employee that had always received top-notch performance reviews.” DD DD Shy is appealing the decision. A hearing before the Scottsdale Personnel Board is set for Dec. 12. DD DD Scottsdale spokesman Pat Dodds said the city had no further comment. DD DD Shy had been on paid administrative leave since June 7. She had worked for the city since September 1999, earning $42,161 a year booking and managing the RV rentals at WestWorld, a city-operated special events and equestrian center at 16601 N. Pima Road. HH header UB IB WB DD Remember he maybe be a dictator, but he is a good guy, because he is OUR dictator! Saddam, used to be in the same position, till he fell out of favor with the Amerikan Empire! DD DD http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071105/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_pakistan_analysis DD DD Bush's faith in Musharraf tested By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer DD Mon Nov 5, 7:40 AM ET DD DD WASHINGTON - President Bush says he gains influence with world leaders by building personal relations with them. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf got a dose of that diplomacy at the White House last fall, when Bush hailed him as a friend and a voice of moderation. DD DD "The president is a strong defender of freedom and the people of Pakistan," Bush said that day, side by side with Musharraf. DD DD Over the weekend, that advocate of freedom emerged with a different world image: a military dictator willing to crush the rights of his own people. Now Bush will need to rely on the other half of his personal diplomacy formula — dealing bluntly with those he has put faith in — and hope it works. DD DD By unleashing a police state on his country, Musharraf put in motion a trifecta of trouble for the Bush administration. A nuclear-armed Pakistan lurched further into instability, civil rights and parliamentary elections were shoved aside, and the credibility of a Bush-backed leader took an enormous hit. DD DD Musharraf declared a state of emergency on Saturday on grounds that Islamic militancy had become a grave threat to Pakistan. But his move also clearly targeted the Supreme Court in his country, which was weighing the legitimacy of his recent election and checking his power. DD DD So, in a flash, came accounts from Islamabad that appalled and embarrassed U.S. leaders. DD DD Police and soldiers rounded up Musharraf's rivals and dragged off protesters. Government buildings became barbed-wire compounds. Phones were cut off, the independent media were censored, and Musharraf, an army general serving a dual role as elected president, had authoritarian control. DD DD The crisis revealed the limits of Bush's leverage. DD DD His top diplomat, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, had implored Musharraf not to suspend the constitution and invoke emergency rule. Such outreach had worked before. It did not this time. DD DD On Sunday, the second day of the crisis, Bush's team showed public signs of reassessing its options. DD DD Rice, in Ramallah, West Bank for Middle East talks Monday, said Musharraf should cut his affiliation with the army and restore civilian rule. At a news conference, she urged him to follow through on past promises to "take off his uniform." DD DD "I want to be very clear. We believe that the best path for Pakistan is to quickly return to a constitutional path and then to hold elections," she said. DD DD The Pentagon postponed a meeting scheduled for this week in Islamabad between senior U.S. and Pakistani defense officials. DD DD And, Rice's admonitions for a return to democracy grew. She said the U.S. government was reviewing billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan. But even there, there are limitations. DD DD Most U.S. aid to Pakistan goes toward military support; the U.S. counts on Pakistan to help capture al-Qaida operations and provide intelligence. "We're obviously not going to do anything that will undermine the war on terror," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for Bush. DD DD Making matters worse: The parliamentary elections in Pakistan, considered by the U.S. to be a genuine step toward democracy in Pakistan, have long been scheduled for January. They now may be delayed up to a year. DD DD "Let's not be delusional about the U.S. government's influence. This is a huge, complex country, and most everything is going to happen outside of our play," said Rick Barton, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But we can be a leader here." DD DD By putting military rule ahead of the rights of his people, Musharraf has presented Bush with a test of sincerity of his freedom agenda, Barton said. DD DD "Let's just accept that Musharraf's probably going to go down," he said. "Let's just do the right thing, and be seen by the Pakistanis as holding true to our own values and principles. Musharraf has clearly moved from being a force of moderation to being somebody who's more of a self-serving leader." DD DD Another hopeful scenario in the U.S. view is that Pakistan's emergency states ends fast — a setback, but not a devastating one. Democracy is still the path that Pakistanis want, Johndroe said. "This is a slight detour," he said. "But I think they will get back on it. And we will strongly encourage them to do so." DD DD Joseph Cirincione, a nuclear security expert and senior fellow for the liberal Center for American Progress, said there are few good American policy options in Pakistan. He said Pakistan is the world's most dangerous country — an unstable place of strong Islamic fundamentalist influences and a nuclear arsenal. DD DD "If the government falls, if the Army splits, who gets the weapons?" Cirincione said. "Who gets the material for the weapons? Who gets the scientists who know how to build the weapons? Pakistan could go overnight from a major non-NATO ally to our worst nuclear nightmare." DD DD Musharraf came into power in a coup in 1999. He became an ally of Bush's after the Sept. 11 attacks, and helped coalition forces battle al-Qaida. DD DD Bush must now try to find a balance — maintain a strategic relationship with Pakistan on security without seeming to abandon the importance of human rights. DD DD "Musharraf is losing whatever is left of his legitimacy. And without legitimacy, you can't do anything against terrorism," said Frederic Grare, who served as a counselor for the French embassy in Pakistan. DD DD Grare said Bush still has leverage through U.S. aid to Pakistan, which has totaled more than $10 billion since 2001. DD DD "Let's see how far they are willing to go," Grare said. DD DD Bush is expected to make his first public comments about the crisis on Monday. DD DD Meanwhile, Rice insisted Sunday that "The United States did not put all its chips on Musharraf." DD DD Some on Capitol Hill aren't buying that. DD DD "This administration has a Musharraf policy, not a Pakistani policy, " said Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a presidential candidate. "Its hands are pretty well tied right now. And it's put itself in a very difficult position, and, in turn, us in a difficult position." HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/1105gl-nwvshoot1103.html DD DD Dad wants skeet-shooting daughter cleared DD DD Erin Zlomek DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 5, 2007 08:37 AM DD DD The father of an accomplished Willow Canyon High School skeet shooter has filed a formal complaint with the Dysart Unified School District regarding his daughter's suspension for mistakenly leaving shotgun shells in her car. DD DD The complaint could be heard and decided at the district board level. DD DD Kim Peters, a competitive shooter who attended a Junior Olympic camp for her sport, was suspended for four days after a school security guard found two boxes of shotgun shells in the back seat of her vehicle. There was no gun. DD DD Kim's father, Tony Peters, said he proved that his daughter regularly uses the shells for sport and never intended to hurt anyone. He said that he does not want the school's charge, possession of a "dangerous instrument," to mar his daughter's permanent record as she applies to colleges. DD DD The elder Peters appealed the disciplinary action and asked that the charge be removed from his daughter's permanent record. DD DD As grounds for his argument, he cites a 2007 federal education statute that excludes shotguns and shotgun shells from being categorized as a "destructive device," as they are primarily used for sport. DD DD Despite that statute, districts are free to take disciplinary actions when and where they see fit, according to the Arizona Department of Education. DD DD Peters' appeal was rejected by Willow Canyon principal Anthony Capuano and dean of students Rick Haney last week. DD DD Now, a complaint has been filed against the two school officials. DD DD The complaint states in part, "I found the administration's logic, to lack logic." DD DD Noting that Kim has served her suspension, her father again requested in his new complaint that the charge be removed from her permanent record, as it unfairly implies that she brought a gun or bomb onto school grounds. DD DD The complaint would likely be decided on by Dysart Superintendent Gail Pletnick, according to district policy. DD DD If deemed necessary, the district board would be called on to make a decision within 10 days of Pletnick's review. DD DD Kim called her own actions "careless." DD DD She said her 12-hours-a-week practice schedule got so hectic that she forgot to remove the ammunition from her vehicle, and she failed to notice it as she was running late for school Tuesday morning. HH header UB RB LB IB DB WB CW SS II MY DD The only reason this happened is because the City of Tempe stole the land from the orginal owners and gave it to rich developers. It's called corporate welfare! DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101267 DD DD November 5, 2007 - 1:04AM DD DD Apache Blvd. grows from seedy to chic DD DD Garin Groff, Tribune DD DD Apache Boulevard had long been overlooked by anybody who had money — unless they had a few bucks for drugs or a hooker. Now, the rundown buildings and weed-filled lots along Apache are some of Tempe’s hottest real estate. DD DD Developers have bought some of the bleakest places for new condos, apartments and shops. The area is seeing its biggest boom in decades as builders construct housing and shops that are far nicer than many could have imagined just a few years ago. DD DD Nearly 20 developments are planned or under way on a 2.5-mile stretch of Apache, ranging from eight-story condo buildings to single-family homes. DD DD The area’s rebirth is largely the result of the same thing that made it boom decades ago and then fall into decline: its status as a major transportation corridor. DD DD The boulevard was the original route of U.S. 60 before the Superstition Freeway was started in the 1970s. The new highway diverted drivers from the motels, service stations and restaurants that had thrived for decades. DD DD “Without all that traffic to feed into them, they just weren’t that viable anymore,” said Larry Schmalz, Tempe’s principal planner. DD DD The failed businesses brought blight, and the area became a crime hot spot. DD DD The city spent the last decade closing the worst businesses and buying land that could be developed later. DD DD Several construction projects now are a result of that planning, including 45 houses being built where some of the area’s must rundown houses used to stand. DD DD Tempe began planning a project called Newberry Terrace in 2000 by working with a developer on plans for new housing. The city bought more than five acres of cheaply built, poorly maintained homes and tiny apartment buildings with up to four units each. One of the roads, Newberry Terrace, wasn’t even paved. DD DD Nearly all of the properties were rentals that became a magnet for crime, Schmalz said. DD DD “They were just investors,” he said. “It was all about the money.” DD DD Tempe assembled about 17 parcels and struck a deal with Barton Homes for a mix of single-family homes and attached town homes. DD DD It’s likely the first single-family project to be built in the area in a half-century, said Jim Walton, co-owner of Barton Homes. Walton said the area’s reputation wasn’t an issue because the project has enough critical mass to encourage others to invest, rather than to be overtaken by what’s around it. DD DD “I wouldn’t want to build two homes here, but if you build 45, you kind of create your own weather,” Walton said. DD DD His development is also unusual for its price, about $275,00 to $350,000 for two or three bedrooms. By comparison, the downtown condo towers sell studios or one-bedrooms for $300,000 or more. DD DD The city chose Barton Homes over another developer that planned to build something that likely would have become rentals, Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman said. DD DD The city wanted owner-occupied housing in a part of the city that already has so many rentals, he said. DD DD Hallman expects new-home sales will stay strong in Tempe despite the nationwide downturn. Demand is high because of the city’s large job base, the proximity to transit and the shorter commute times compared with developments on the edge of the Valley. DD DD “Tempe generally is completely different than the rest of the Valley and nation,” Hallman said. DD DD Some other notable Apache projects include: DD DD • The Holiday Inn being converted into a Starwood Four Points Hotel. DD DD • Apartments for low-income seniors who are deaf. DD DD • A new police substation that opened this year. DD DD • A park set to open next year. DD DD • A 450-unit apartment complex at Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive that includes a park-and-ride garage. The land was first reserved as a transit station parking lot, but Tempe found a developer to build a parking garage surrounded by apartments and shops. DD DD Only a few of the developments will open by December 2008, when the Metro light-rail line is scheduled to start service. DD DD Apache’s full redevelopment will take many years, Schmalz said, just as downtown Tempe’s redevelopment started in the 1970s and is still under way. DD DD Still, the public will see a big step forward within a year, as new landscaping, sidewalks and a few just-opened businesses replace the chaotic effort to build the Metro. DD DD “Once light rail is open and operating, you’ll see the cleaner streets,” Schmalz said. “You’ll see the vision instead of the construction.” HH header UB RB LB IB DB WB CW SS II MY DD How can the Amerikan Empire support a dictator like this and claim to be spreading freedom and democracy around the world? Well he is OUR dictator, just like Saddam was our dictator when we like him. DD DD http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/world/asia/06diplo.html DD DD U.S. Is Likely to Continue Aid to Pakistan DD Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Single Page Reprints Share DD Del.icio.usDiggFacebookNewsvinePermalink DD DD By DAVID E. SANGER and DAVID ROHDE DD DD Published: November 5, 2007 DD DD WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 — The Bush administration signaled Sunday that it would probably keep billions of dollars flowing to Pakistan’s military, despite the detention of human rights advocates and leaders of the political opposition by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the country’s president. DD DD In carefully calibrated public statements and blunter private acknowledgments about the limits of American leverage over General Musharraf, the man President Bush has called one of his most critical allies, the officials argued that it would be counterproductive to let Pakistan’s political turmoil interfere with their best hope of ousting Al Qaeda’s central leadership and the Taliban from the country’s mountainous tribal areas. DD DD Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that while the United States would “have to review the situation with aid,” she said three times that President Bush’s first concern was “to protect America and protect American citizens by continuing to fight against terrorists.” DD DD “That means we have to be very cognizant of the counterterrorism operations that we are involved in,” she said. “We have to be very cognizant of the fact that some of the assistance that has been going to Pakistan is directly related to the counterterrorism mission.” DD DD In Islamabad, aides to General Musharraf — who had dismissed pleas on Friday from Ms. Rice and Adm. William J. Fallon, the senior military commander in the Middle East, to avoid the state-of-emergency declaration — said they had anticipated that there would be few real consequences. DD DD They called the American reaction “muted,” saying General Musharraf had not received phone calls of protest from Mr. Bush or other senior American officials. In unusually candid terms, they said American officials supported stability over democracy. DD DD “They would rather have a stable Pakistan — albeit with some restrictive norms — than have more democracy prone to fall in the hands of extremists,” said Tariq Azim Khan, the minister of state for information. “Given the choice, I know what our friends would choose.” DD DD It was a sign of their confidence that Pakistani officials announced that parliamentary elections set for January might be delayed for as long as a year. Just before she learned of that announcement, Ms. Rice said, “We have a very clear view that the elections need to take place on time, which would mean the beginning of the year.” DD DD Visiting Beijing today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the United States was reviewing its programs for military assistance to Pakistan, although he noted that the Bush administration also would take into serious consideration the need to continue counter-terrorism efforts in the region. DD DD “Pakistan is a country of great strategic importance to the United States and a key partner in the war on terror,” Mr. Gates said during a news conference at the Chinese Ministry of Defense. “However, the actions of the past 72 hours have been disturbing. We urge President Musharraf to return his country to law-based, constitutional and democratic rule as soon as possible.” DD DD Mr. Gates said the United States had begun “reviewing all of our assistance programs” to Pakistan. But, he noted, “We are mindful not to do anything that would undermine ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.” DD DD In a further sign of American concern over the situation in Pakistan, the United States postponed annual security consultations between the two nations that were to have been held for two days this week in Islamabad. The chief of the American delegation, Eric Edelman, the under secretary of defense for policy, already was on his way to the meeting when the Bush administration decided it would not allow its representatives to attend the bilateral session. DD DD “We have taken the initiative to postpone it,” said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, who accompanied Mr. Gates to Beijing. Mr. Morrell said the American decision illustrated “a degree of disappointment” with Mr. Musharraf’s declaration of a state of emergency on Saturday. The bilateral security talks could be rescheduled, Mr. Morrell said, “as soon as conditions are more conducive.” DD DD In Washington, officials acknowledged that they were trying to balance the American insistence that Pakistan remain on the path to democracy and General Musharraf’s unwillingness to risk chaos that would allow Al Qaeda and the Taliban to operate more freely. DD DD “The equities in Pakistan are huge,” said a senior official deeply involved in trying to persuade General Musharraf to fulfill his promise to hold elections and run the country as a civilian leader. “We’ve got U.S. and NATO troops dying in Afghanistan, and a war on terrorism” that cannot be halted while General Musharraf tries to shore up his powers, he said. DD DD It was unclear to what extent General Musharraf perceived an urgent threat to the country in deciding to declare an emergency that suspended civil liberties. DD DD But several administration officials said they were struck by the heavy-handed nature of the crackdown announced Saturday. Until a few days ago, they said, General Musharraf had been offering private assurances that any emergency declaration would be short-lived. “They have made this crisis more acute by the way they’ve done this,” the official concluded. DD DD President Bush has made spreading democracy a major foreign policy theme and his administration has quietly pushed General Musharraf for months to be more open to sharing power, going so far as to help broker talks between him and Benazir Bhutto, the leader of Pakistan’s largest opposition party. DD DD But Mr. Bush has said nothing in public about General Musharraf’s latest action. His silence contrasts sharply to his reaction to the crackdown on dissidents in Myanmar last month. In that case, Mr. Bush announced specific steps against Myanmar rulers. But Pakistan, officials argued, is a different case: it is a nuclear-armed nation that Mr. Bush had designated a “major non-NATO ally,” even though its enthusiasm for counterterrorism has been episodic. DD DD In Islamabad, Western officials said Mr. Bush’s limited choices could worsen if protests erupted, and they complained that in the past few months General Musharraf had focused more on weakening his rivals than fighting Islamic extremists. DD DD For more than a year before Saturday’s declaration, American officials have seethed over Pakistan’s poor performance against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. General Musharraf’s effort to strike a deal with Islamic militant groups in the tribal areas failed. When he ordered troops back into the tribal areas in recent months, many were killed or kidnapped. DD DD In interviews before and after the emergency declaration, Western diplomats and former Pakistani military officials said General Musharraf had done a poor job countering growing militancy, particularly this year. The military-led government has moved too slowly, prepared poorly for operations and often appeased militant groups. DD DD “Initially, this was not complicated,” said Mahmood Shah, a retired brigadier who was the senior Pakistani government official in charge of security in the tribal areas until last year. “Now, this is a very complicated situation.” DD DD Through it all, the United States has continued pumping money to the country. While the total dollar amount of American aid to Pakistan is unclear, a study published in August by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated it to be “at least $10 billion in Pakistan since 9/11, excluding covert funds.” Sixty percent of that has gone to “Coalition Support Funds,” essentially direct payments to the Pakistani military, and 15 percent to purchase major weapons systems. Another 15 percent has been for general budget support for the Pakistani government; only 10 percent for development or humanitarian assistance. DD DD General Musharraf’s supporters argued Sunday that his government — now unencumbered by legal constraints and political concerns by the emergency decree — will be in a better position to eradicate extremists and that if the United States wants that security, it must back him. DD DD “If your agenda is to save attacks in the U.S. and eliminate Al Qaeda, only the Pakistani Army can do that,” said the close aide to General Musharraf. “For that, you will have to forget about elections in Pakistan for maybe two to three years.” DD DD Pakistani opposition groups argue that General Musharraf has failed and that his emergency declaration will increase instability and militancy in the country. They say nationwide elections would produce a moderate government with popular support to crack down on militancy. DD DD There is little question that General Musharraf has failed to develop broad domestic support for battling terrorists. His political party is divided, has not carried out promised reforms and would likely lose an election. DD DD A poll in September by Terror Free Tomorrow, a Washington-based nonprofit group, showed that Osama bin Laden was more popular in Pakistan than General Musharraf, with 46 percent of respondents giving him a “favorable” rating against 38 percent for the president. Ms. Bhutto got a “favorable” rating from 63 percent. The nationwide poll surveyed 1,044 adults and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. HH header UB IB DD This is pretty cool! You can drink beer on the beaches of San Diego and in San Diego parks. How nice. In Phoenix, Tucson and most of Arizona drinking beer in public is pretty much illegal. DD DD http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beach5nov05,0,1395779.story?coll=la-home-center DD DD Some want suds with their sand DD DD By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer DD November 5, 2007 DD DD SAN DIEGO -- After two weeks of civic togetherness forged by fire, the San Diego City Council today returns to regular business with an issue that has bitterly divided residents for years: Should drinking be allowed on city beaches? DD DD Virtually alone among Southern California cities, San Diego allows the consumption of beer and spirits on most of its beaches. DD DD But a booze-fueled Labor Day brawl at Pacific Beach has led to a call for San Diego to ban beach drinking altogether. DD DD That proposal is being met with staunch opposition from residents who say drinking on the sand is a San Diego birthright. DD DD "Happiness is a Saturday afternoon with a nice cold beer and friends on the beach, a San Diego tradition for years," a Pacific Beach resident wrote in an open letter to Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who proposed the ban. The letter appeared on the website of an organization called freepb.org ( www.freepb.org), set up to oppose a change in the law. The group's motto: "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." DD DD Faulconer brought up the ban in the aftermath of the brawl, in which drunken young men in swimsuits began fighting for reasons that defied sober explanation. Fifteen men and one woman were arrested. Several hundred people gathered, and dozens of police officers in riot gear waded into the rowdy crowd as insults and bottles were thrown at them. DD DD The City Council session undoubtedly will be heated. The beach booze issue can lay dormant for years, but it never goes away; both sides keep their troops primed with websites. DD DD In 1991, the council backed down from an ordinance that would have banned drinking on beaches. DD DD In 2001, the council enacted an 18-month ban at Pacific and Mission beaches, only to have it narrowly overturned by a ballot measure sponsored by opponents. DD DD A Beach Alcohol Task Force appointed by the council failed to reach consensus this year on a Pacific Beach ban. Faulconer, who represents many of the beach areas, was willing to let the issue stay unresolved. He changed his mind after the Labor Day melee. DD DD "When you have to call out 70 police officers in riot gear, evacuate the beach and have lifeguards close their towers, we need to change that equation," Faulconer said. DD DD Faulconer wants a total ban on alcohol on Mission, Pacific and Ocean beaches, as well as on the beaches of La Jolla, some of which already have a ban in place. Together, the beaches draw more than 24 million visitors a year. DD DD Mayor Jerry Sanders prefers a ban only on certain holidays. His proposal would also include nearby parks to keep drinkers from simply moving inland. DD DD Some residents say the current ban on beer kegs on the Fourth of July is all the regulation necessary. DD DD An advisory group of La Jolla residents has asked that a partial beach ban be extended to all beaches, parks and bluffs in their community. DD DD The debate's parameters are well-known. On the one hand: Why subject families and law-abiding citizens to the dangers inherent in mass drinking in a public place? On the other hand: Why punish everyone for the bad behavior of a few drunken bozos? DD DD "A ban unnecessarily sacrifices the freedom of literally millions of responsible beach-goers," said Rob Rynearson, a Pacific Beach resident who owns a solar-energy firm and is a director of freepb.org. DD DD "When it comes to rowdy behavior, we strongly support strong enforcement of current laws," he said, adding that he doesn't think San Diego should ban alcohol on beaches just because other communities have done so. DD DD "It's something you learn in second grade," he said. "Just because everybody else is doing it, doesn't mean you should. San Diegans can think for themselves." DD DD Scott Chipman, who also lives in Pacific Beach, feels differently. The owner of a window and cabinet company and a member of Safe Beaches ( www.safebeaches.org), he thinks a ban is long overdue. DD DD Chipman said his group is concerned with the high number of drunk driving citations in the beach areas and the loud parties at which drinking seems to be the main attraction. DD DD "We want people to come to the beach to enjoy the sun and sand and good associates," he said. "But we don't want them to come to binge-drink. If you can't enjoy the beach without alcohol, then you have things wrong with you." HH header UB IB CW DD http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2007/11/aclu_legal_director_dan_pochod.php DD DD ACLU legal director Dan Pochoda popped by Sheriff's deputies; Pochoda says there was, "No reason for arrest." DD Sun Nov 04, 2007 at 07:10:01 PM DD DD ACLU attorney Dan Pochoda with his golden retriever Blu. DD DD Park in the wrong place in Maricopa County and you get jailed for misdemeanor trespassing. Well, at least if Sheriff's deputies are on site, and you happen to be a persistent critic of Sheriff Joe Arpaio. DD DD ACLU legal director Dan Pochoda found this out the hard way. He was on his way home Saturday and decided to stop by the day-laborer protest on the sidewalk before Pruitt's Home Furnishings. He was there to observe, he said, and introduce himself to Salvador Reza, the protest's leader. DD DD Less than 30 minutes later, Pochoda, who has battled the Sheriff's office in court on many occasions, was in MCSO custody, handcuffed and headed to the Fourth Avenue Jail, where he had to cool his heels for over 10 hours on the sort of misdemeanor charge that rarely draws more than a summons. DD DD "There have been times in my life where I have been in trouble and it was provoked," Pochoda, 65, told me. "This was not one of them." DD DD Pochoda stated that the arrest came as a surprise, and that there was no indication that he was not allowed to park his '99 BMW on the Pruitt lot. DD DD "There were other cars parked there," he recalled, still tired from the ordeal. "There was no sign or notice or indication it was not for parking. And there was no parking on the street." DD DD Pochoda stated that, "The arrest and the handcuffing was after I identified myself and gave the two sheriff’s deputies my card." DD DD Pochoda insisted he did nothing wrong, and did not deserve the treatment he received. DD DD "There were no unlawful activities at all on my part," said Pochoda. "There was no reason for charges and no reason for an arrest. No reason to be kept in jail for 10 hours. Past the point where a friend put up the bail [at 4:30 p.m.], which was all of 150 bucks. No reason to impound my car, and on and on." DD DD Initially deputies told Pochoda they would not have to impound his car. But apparently that changed while he was in custody. He has yet to get his car back, and does not know when he will. DD DD The ACLU has locked horns with Arpaio in the past over the treatment of prisoners in MCSO jails, MCSO arrests of illegal immigrants, and, most recently, the inhumane conditions TB patent Robert Daniels was kept in while in MCSO custody, a cause celebre that brought near-universal condemnation down upon Arpaio and the MCSO. DD DD The MCSO has claimed in other reports that they warned Pochoda to move his car. Pochoda would not address that charge, stating that he has yet to obtain a criminal lawyer, and that he felt a necessity to be limited in his statements until he had done so. He wondered if Pruitt's had actually made a complaint against him. DD DD "The situation at Pruitt’s is getting quite severe," he told me. "There have been a number of other people arrested. The property is owned by Pruitt’s. Somebody may want to ask them whether they ordered someone arrested known to be an attorney who was on their property for just a few minutes." DD DD Pochoda also called into question the need to arrest him for this violation. DD DD "I don’t take any charge lightly, but it’s a misdemeanor 3," said Pochoda. "It’s not a felony charge, it’s not a charge of violence. It’s not a charge of endangerment in any way. No reason to be arrested and handcuffed and summoned to jail for 10 hours." DD DD While at the Fourth Avenue Jail, Pochoda said he had a "bad experience," but "was not treated worse than others in there." He was held in a 20-by-20 foot cell with scores of others at first, then moved to a solitary cell with a concrete bench. DD DD Asked if the experience helped put his work as an advocate for civil liberties into perspective, he observed, DD DD "It just brings home what is already been said about absolute power and how people are treated who have no resources. I knew it would pass for me. But for a lot of the others, it was not going to pass." DD DD Following the arrests of New Times founders Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin and the citing of New Times reporter Ray Stern on a bogus charge, this latest bungle shows up Arpaio and the MCSO as vindictive and incautious. Pochoda, like Lacey and Larkin before him, vows to fight on. DD DD "I can state on the record it will not stop any of our challenges or other activities," said Pochoda of the ACLU. "We are concerned about the Sheriff's overreaching and his unconstitutional behavior towards immigrants and many other things. This will not be stopped or harmed by this if that was his intent." DD DD Other reports have quoted Arpaio as saying that the MCSO deputies who arrested Pochoda were not the off-duty officers hired by Pruitt's as security. If so, why were they there? Why did Arpaio rush down to Pruitt's after Pochoda's arrest to talk to reporters, and why did he show up with a contingent of on-duty MCSO officers last week, in support of the off-duty officers? The relationship between Pruitt's and the MCSO needs to be investigated further. Last time I checked, Pruitt's is in Phoenix city limits. So why is the MCSO giving this store special protection, when inside Phoenix city limits, the PHX PD should be the law enforcement agency with paramount authority? More on this donnybrook as it develops... DD HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/columns/articles/1106montini1106.html DD DD Enduring saga of Joe Arpaio vs. 'Joe Arizona' DD Nov. 6, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD With so many people moving in and out of Arizona each year, it's difficult to maintain a sense of local history, even recent history, which may be why some of you are under the impression that Sheriff Joe Arpaio only lately has found reasons to arrest political adversaries. DD DD The most recent incident occurred Saturday, when Dan Pochoda, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, was hauled off to the Fourth Avenue Jail on a trespassing charge that could have been settled with a traffic-ticket-style citation. DD DD Pochoda had gone to 34th Street and Thomas to observe a protest that supporters of day laborers have been holding each Saturday outside Pruitt's furniture store. DD DD "This (arrest) was not provoked and not called for in any manner," Pochoda told me. "It was a gratuitous use of force." DD DD Sort of like a few weeks ago, when sheriff's deputies went to the homes of Phoenix New Times executives and hauled them off to jail, only to have that case tossed out by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. DD DD Both New Times and the ACLU have had run-ins with the sheriff. The ACLU recently took him to court over what it called the inhumane treatment of a TB patient. DD DD These are only the latest examples, however. DD DD Before it was Joe Arpaio vs. Phoenix New Times, or Joe Arpaio vs. the American Civil Liberties Union, there was Joe Arpaio vs. "Joe Arizona." Remember that? DD DD Five years ago on Halloween, sheriff's deputies arrested a local actor named Nick Tarr and charged him with impersonating a police officer. DD DD Back then, Tarr had been hired by horse- and dog-track owners to help promote a proposition to allow slot machines at tracks. Sheriff Arpaio opposed the idea. And he didn't much care for the cartoonish character called "Joe Arizona" that Tarr and his employers came up with to push their proposition. DD DD On the day he was arrested, Tarr had gone to downtown Phoenix to pass out election pamphlets. During lunch hour, he was spotted by Arpaio's chief deputy, David Hendershott. He ordered a couple of deputies to investigate Tarr, and they arrested him. DD DD At the time, Tarr was wearing a khaki shirt with Arizona Department of Public Safety patches on it. The shirt was unbuttoned and untucked. Underneath it was an "I (heart) Arizona" T-shirt. He had on a hat that one news article described as looking like it belonged to the Canadian Mounties. On his feet were hiking boots. And he was sporting a pair of bright pink boxer shorts like those the sheriff uses for jail inmates. Would you confuse that for a real officer? DD DD The arrest citation eventually was dropped, but Tarr said that the incident has hurt his ability to get work. He sued the sheriff. DD DD After all these years, the case was supposed to go to trial today, but it is expected to be delayed. DD DD "You don't want to think that your taxes are going to this kind of stuff," said Tarr's attorney, Joel Robbins. DD DD "But they are. And it's a shame." DD DD It's difficult for Robbins to quantify how much the supposed damage to Tarr's career is worth, but he believes that it's important to pursue. DD DD "Arpaio uses the sheriff's department to do things that aren't his job," Robbins said. DD DD It's not unusual for a police agency to be sued. But cases like that can take years and cost taxpayers a bundle, so we'd like it if they involved officers trying to help the public rather than powerful public officials. DD DD Or, as Pochoda, speaking of his arrest, told me Monday, "It's such an outrageous use of public money, public resources and law-enforcement personnel. And, it's not surprising." DD DD Reach Montini at 602-444-8978 or ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. Read his blog at montiniblog.azcentral.com. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101296 DD DD November 5, 2007 - 6:20PM DD DD ACLU arrest marks latest run-in with MCSO DD DD Dennis Welch, Tribune DD DD The arrest of the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona by Maricopa County sheriff¡¯s deputies last weekend was the latest run-in between two high-profile organizations that have had a bitter relationship in recent years. DD DD Daniel Pochoda was arrested on Saturday afternoon after he arrived at a protest rally at a furniture store in east Phoenix, where he was asked to observe the interaction between the protestors and sheriff¡¯s deputies. DD DD The demonstrators were opposed to a decision by Pruitt¡¯s Furniture to hire sheriff¡¯s deputies to keep day-laborers from gathering on the property. DD DD Pochoda, 65, would not speak about specific details leading to the arrest but said it was unwarranted and only happened after he identified himself as a high-ranking member of the civil rights group. DD DD ¡°There have been times in my life where my mouth has gotten me in to a lot of trouble. But this was not one of those times,¡± Pochoda said Monday. DD DD He was arrested about 12:15 p.m. and posted bail later that day. He said it was his first arrest and said he plans to hire a criminal attorney. DD DD Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Monday that his arrest had nothing to do with the fact that Pochoda works for the ACLU. DD DD ¡°I had no idea that he worked for them until he was brought to jail. It would have made no difference because I wouldn¡¯t have treated him any differently,¡± he said. DD DD Arpaio¡¯s past dealings with the national civil rights groups date back to the early 1990s after he was first elected. The ACLU first sued Arpaio¡¯s office after when he banned all pornographic materials from the jails. The ACLU lost the suit. DD DD In 2002, Eleanor Eisenberg, then the executive director of the ACLU, was arrested by sheriff¡¯s deputies during a protest rally during a visit by President Bush. DD DD Recently, Arpaio¡¯s office has battled in court with the ACLU, including a case claiming the sheriff¡¯s office violated a woman¡¯s rights when they refused to transport her to get an abortion. The ACLU won the case. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/columns/articles/1106montini1106.html DD DD Enduring saga of Joe Arpaio vs. 'Joe Arizona' DD DD Nov. 6, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD With so many people moving in and out of Arizona each year, it's difficult to maintain a sense of local history, even recent history, which may be why some of you are under the impression that Sheriff Joe Arpaio only lately has found reasons to arrest political adversaries. DD DD The most recent incident occurred Saturday, when Dan Pochoda, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, was hauled off to the Fourth Avenue Jail on a trespassing charge that could have been settled with a traffic-ticket-style citation. DD DD Pochoda had gone to 34th Street and Thomas to observe a protest that supporters of day laborers have been holding each Saturday outside Pruitt's furniture store. DD DD "This (arrest) was not provoked and not called for in any manner," Pochoda told me. "It was a gratuitous use of force." DD DD Sort of like a few weeks ago, when sheriff's deputies went to the homes of Phoenix New Times executives and hauled them off to jail, only to have that case tossed out by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. DD DD Both New Times and the ACLU have had run-ins with the sheriff. The ACLU recently took him to court over what it called the inhumane treatment of a TB patient. DD DD These are only the latest examples, however. DD DD Before it was Joe Arpaio vs. Phoenix New Times, or Joe Arpaio vs. the American Civil Liberties Union, there was Joe Arpaio vs. "Joe Arizona." Remember that? DD DD Five years ago on Halloween, sheriff's deputies arrested a local actor named Nick Tarr and charged him with impersonating a police officer. DD DD Back then, Tarr had been hired by horse- and dog-track owners to help promote a proposition to allow slot machines at tracks. Sheriff Arpaio opposed the idea. And he didn't much care for the cartoonish character called "Joe Arizona" that Tarr and his employers came up with to push their proposition. DD DD On the day he was arrested, Tarr had gone to downtown Phoenix to pass out election pamphlets. During lunch hour, he was spotted by Arpaio's chief deputy, David Hendershott. He ordered a couple of deputies to investigate Tarr, and they arrested him. DD DD At the time, Tarr was wearing a khaki shirt with Arizona Department of Public Safety patches on it. The shirt was unbuttoned and untucked. Underneath it was an "I (heart) Arizona" T-shirt. He had on a hat that one news article described as looking like it belonged to the Canadian Mounties. On his feet were hiking boots. And he was sporting a pair of bright pink boxer shorts like those the sheriff uses for jail inmates. Would you confuse that for a real officer? DD DD The arrest citation eventually was dropped, but Tarr said that the incident has hurt his ability to get work. He sued the sheriff. DD DD After all these years, the case was supposed to go to trial today, but it is expected to be delayed. DD DD "You don't want to think that your taxes are going to this kind of stuff," said Tarr's attorney, Joel Robbins. DD DD "But they are. And it's a shame." DD DD It's difficult for Robbins to quantify how much the supposed damage to Tarr's career is worth, but he believes that it's important to pursue. DD DD "Arpaio uses the sheriff's department to do things that aren't his job," Robbins said. DD DD It's not unusual for a police agency to be sued. But cases like that can take years and cost taxpayers a bundle, so we'd like it if they involved officers trying to help the public rather than powerful public officials. DD DD Or, as Pochoda, speaking of his arrest, told me Monday, "It's such an outrageous use of public money, public resources and law-enforcement personnel. And, it's not surprising." DD DD Reach Montini at 602-444-8978 or ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com. Read his blog at montiniblog.azcentral.com DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/pochodaaclu110507-CR.html DD DD ACLU lawyer says Arpaio went too far DD DD Brahm Resnik DD 12 News DD Nov. 5, 2007 05:38 PM DD DD Sheriff Joe Arpaio is facing off with another one of his opponents, and this time it's personal. DD DD Daniel Pochoda, the ACLU's top lawyer in Arizona, says the Maricopa County sheriff went too far when Pochoda was arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge at an immigrant rights demonstration Saturday. DD DD "I have rarely seen, if ever, a law enforcement official with so much uncontrolled, unsupervised power," said Pochoda, who has worked on civil rights cases for more than 30 years. DD DD The ACLU has challenged Arpaio several times, most recently over his treatment of tuberculosis patient Robert Daniels. DD DD Pochoda was arrested after he parked his car in the lot at Pruitt's Furniture, at 35th Street and Thomas, to observe the demonstration and speak to one of the leaders. He says he was approached by deputies, identified himself with his business card, and was handcuffed. DD DD "I was not looking for nor seeking any confrontation and certainly not an arrest," Pochoda said. DD DD The sheriff says his off-duty deputies were enforcing the wishes of Pruitt's owners: arrest all trespassers. DD DD "He was asked to leave, I believe, six times, he refused to leave, he was placed under arrest," Arpaio said. Pruitt's owners did not return calls seeking comment. DD DD Arpaio says he showed up at the parking lot about 15 minutes after the arrest, after he was alerted that the ACLU's top lawyer had been taken in. DD DD "I think that would be interesting for the sheriff to know since they're suing me all the time," he said. DD DD But in the same conversation, the sheriff also denied knowing he had jailed an opponent. DD DD "I don't know if we ever knew who this guy was," he said. "I didn't even realize till I read in the paper that he's suing me." DD DD Pochoda was taken to the 4th Avenue Jail about 1 p.m. Saturday. He posted $150 cash bail about 4 p.m. but was not released until about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. DD DD "It's hard for me to believe that it took eight hours to process," Pochoda said. DD DD "He had paperwork, he had waiting lines, I could go on and on," Arpaio said. DD DD Deputies also impounded Pochoda's car. As of midday Monday, he had no idea where it was. The arrest will not affect his work on cases involving the sheriff. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1105activist1105.html DD DD Arrest at protest due to ACLU ties, lawyer contends DD Yvonne Wingett DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 5, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD The legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona on Sunday said his arrest by Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies at a weekend protest was unwarranted and occurred only after he identified himself as a high-ranking officer with the organization. DD DD Daniel Pochoda showed up at a Saturday demonstration in front of Pruitt's furniture store in east Phoenix to observe interaction between protesters and law enforcement officers, he said. He was there at the request of organizer and activist Salvador Reza, who said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio uses the deputies to intimidate demonstrators. DD DD Pochoda, 65, was taken in handcuffs to the county's Fourth Avenue Jail after off-duty deputies hired by store owners asked him six times to move his car off the parking lot, Arpaio said, and he refused. DD DD About 1 p.m., Pochoda was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of trespassing. A friend posted $150 bail around 4:30 p.m.; he was released about 12:15 a.m. Sunday. DD DD Pochoda said this was his first arrest. DD DD Pochoda declined to give details about the lead-up to the arrest because he hadn't yet seen the sheriff's reports. He plans on using a criminal attorney to fight the charge. DD DD "Nothing unlawful occurred on my part, but that was not the story that was told," said Pochoda, of Phoenix. DD DD "It was not deliberate. It was not provoked or wanted. The arrests and handcuffs came after I identified myself with the ACLU and gave the two sheriff's deputies my card as the legal director." DD DD The arrest comes as Arpaio faces criticism for his office's arrest of two New Times executives for publishing details of a grand-jury subpoena that demanded Internet records of anyone who had visited the newspaper's Web site since 2004. The arrests were perceived by many to be politically motivated, and fueled a backlash that helped force Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas to drop the case. DD DD "What's politics have to do with it?," Arpaio said. "I hear he was trying to debate, and then wouldn't stop. It was a person who (was) asked to move six times. He did not get off the premises." DD DD Saturday's protests were part of a series of rallies staged by activists and day laborers to oppose the arrests of undocumented workers by sheriff's deputies. Several dozen day laborers have been arrested by federally trained sheriff's deputies over recent months, which has amplified migrants' fears of deportation. DD DD The ACLU, which has had a contentious relationship with the Sheriff's Office over the years, has said that the sheriff is misapplying a state law aimed at punishing those who smuggle immigrants into the U.S. The Sheriff's Office is arresting immigrants under the law, saying they conspired to smuggle themselves into the country. DD DD Pochoda has practiced and taught civil rights and constitutional law for 35 years. On the local and national legal scene, he is a highly regarded attorney DD DD Pochoda is a Harvard Law School graduate. He has worked as an attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and has taught law at The City University of New York School of Law and Santa Clara University School of Law. DD DD He was also an adjunct professor in 2001 at Arizona State University's School of Justice and Social Inquiry. DD DD Pochoda is a member of the legal team that is challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's employer-sanctions law, which will be argued in federal court Nov. 14. DD DD ---------------------------------------------- DD DD Sheriff Joe would rather spend millions for cheap publicity stunts then to do his job. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1106sheriff1106.html DD DD Sheriff is more than $1 mil over OT budget DD DD And it's early in fiscal year; on pace for $14 mil overrun DD DD Michael Kiefer and Yvonne Wingett DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 6, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has already exceeded part of its budget by more than $1 million - just four months into the fiscal year. DD DD Officials have already spent more on overtime in the first months of the fiscal year than they were to spend for its entirety. The impact of that spending played out in court Monday when there were not enough overtime funds to adequately staff the court. DD DD As a result, sheriff's deputies failed to transport 46 jail inmates to their court appearances and some courts lacked deputies to take defendants into custody. DD DD A Superior Court judge called two Sheriff's Office chiefs into court to ask why. DD DD Their answer: It was simply a mistake. DD DD But the "mistake" came on the heels of a memo sent Friday by sheriff's personnel saying that, because of budgetary constraints, the office would no longer "service" certain courts or transport prisoners to certain hearings, even though they are required to do so by state law. DD DD "If the sheriff and the budget people have differences of opinion, we are not allowed to enter into that," presiding Criminal Judge Anna Baca said. DD DD During the day, sheriff's personnel told judges the staffing shortage could continue. DD DD "I'm telling you right now that I don't want any (courtrooms) impacted," she said. DD DD She threatened the Sheriff's Office Chiefs Gerard Sheridan and Brian Sands with contempt of court if her order is not obeyed. DD DD "The court has a constitutional duty to protect the public and to deliver justice to victims, families, children and those accused of committing a crime," presiding Judge Barbara Rodriguez Mundell said in a prepared statement. DD DD "The failure to transport inmates to courtrooms affects the timely resolution of criminal cases and deprives victims of their rights. It also causes significant delays to jurors who are waiting to serve on criminal trials. It impacts the rights of families to have their custody and child-support issues resolved. DD DD Her statement continued, "Suspending inmate transportation services to the courts is a misguided policy that directly impedes the courts' ability to provide timely, fair and impartial justice to the community. DD DD DD A 'miscommunication' DD DD Friday's memo to Superior Court Administrator Marcus Reinkensmeyer stated strongly that the Sheriff's Office would no longer serve Justice of the Peace Courts, would not transport defendants to non-criminal courts, and would take defendants to immigration status hearings only if they had been arrested by deputies in the first place. DD DD State laws require county sheriffs to transport prisoners and to provide security wherever judges determine there is a risk of danger. DD DD Sheriff Joe Arpaio deferred comment to Sheriff's Office Chief Loretta Barkell. Barkell wrote Friday's memo, which she said was a "miscommunication." What appeared to be unilateral decisions of things the office would no longer do, she said, were merely suggestions that were implemented by mistake. DD DD As a result, 46 defendants involved in 61 cases did not arrive in court. DD DD Eleven judicial officerswere affected, which had a ripple effect throughout the court. In some courtrooms, juries waited up to an hour before they could start trial. DD DD "When we indicated to staff that we were not going to be using overtime, they did not bring in overtime staff to make that coverage," Barkell said. DD DD Overtime costs pile up DD DD Overtime expenses have been a major problem for the Sheriff's Office, which has a total budget of $288 million. DD DD The Sheriff's Office is mostly funded by two sources. The general fund, which primarily pays for law-enforcement patrol, and a jail tax, which pays for detention centers. DD DD Maricopa County operates on a tight budget, and much of it is funded through state shared revenues. DD DD Overspending in any department can cause big problems, especially now that the county's share of state sales-tax revenues are lower than budget officials' forecast, according to figures released last week. DD DD Top county administrators got their first inkling that the Sheriff's Office was busting its overtime budget a few weeks ago, when first-quarter fiscal reports came out. But no one knew how bad it was until they analyzed those reports. DD DD "They're spending more on overtime for the first three or four months of the (fiscal) year than what they have for the allocation for the entire year," Maricopa County Manager David Smith said. "They're spending at a rate that's not sustainable." DD DD So far this fiscal year, the Sheriff's Office has exceeded its total general fund budget by about $1.3 million, according to an internal memo obtained by The Republic through a public-records request. DD DD Most of that overrun is because of overtime spending. About $2.8 million has been spent so far this year, more than four times the budgeted $512,000. DD DD The overspending is mostly happening in enforcement. Officials budgeted about $492,000. They spent more than $2.6 million. DD DD Three areas made up the bulk of the overspending. Officials planned on paying about $102,400 for investigations; about $548,700 was spent. About $148,300 was budgeted for patrol; about $959,800 was spent. And about $131,500 was budgeted for enforcement support and specialized response activities; about $713,300 has been spent. DD DD If overtime spending continues at this pace, the Sheriff's Office will spend about $8.4 million on overtime this fiscal year from the general fund, an overrun of about $6.9 million, the report projected. DD DD About one-third of this overtime pay has been absorbed in other areas where the Sheriff's Office has underspent, such as general supplies, and repairs and maintenance. DD DD Meanwhile, the detention fund's overtime budget is about $3.2 million. Officials have spent about $3.6 million, the report said, mostly on inmate transport and adult-detention management activities. DD DD About $549,600 was spent on transportation for inmates, but about $138,500 was budgeted. About $2 million was spent on adult detention management while $483,300 was budgeted. If the overtime-spending pattern continues, about $10.8 million will be spent, the report projected, an overrun of about $7.6 million. DD DD Even as the Sheriff's Office has filled vacancies, its overtime spending has continued to increase. DD DD "If you're filling your vacancies, your overtime should decrease," Barkell said. "This has not happened. We're examining why. We're going to take care of it." DD DD County budget officials plan to work with the Sheriff's Office to come up with a way to correct the overtime overruns. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101296 DD DD November 5, 2007 - 6:20PM DD DD ACLU arrest marks latest run-in with MCSO DD DD Dennis Welch, Tribune DD DD The arrest of the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona by Maricopa County sheriff¡¯s deputies last weekend was the latest run-in between two high-profile organizations that have had a bitter relationship in recent years. DD DD Daniel Pochoda was arrested on Saturday afternoon after he arrived at a protest rally at a furniture store in east Phoenix, where he was asked to observe the interaction between the protestors and sheriff¡¯s deputies. DD DD The demonstrators were opposed to a decision by Pruitt¡¯s Furniture to hire sheriff¡¯s deputies to keep day-laborers from gathering on the property. DD DD Pochoda, 65, would not speak about specific details leading to the arrest but said it was unwarranted and only happened after he identified himself as a high-ranking member of the civil rights group. DD DD ¡°There have been times in my life where my mouth has gotten me in to a lot of trouble. But this was not one of those times,¡± Pochoda said Monday. DD DD He was arrested about 12:15 p.m. and posted bail later that day. He said it was his first arrest and said he plans to hire a criminal attorney. DD DD Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Monday that his arrest had nothing to do with the fact that Pochoda works for the ACLU. DD DD ¡°I had no idea that he worked for them until he was brought to jail. It would have made no difference because I wouldn¡¯t have treated him any differently,¡± he said. DD DD Arpaio¡¯s past dealings with the national civil rights groups date back to the early 1990s after he was first elected. The ACLU first sued Arpaio¡¯s office after when he banned all pornographic materials from the jails. The ACLU lost the suit. DD DD In 2002, Eleanor Eisenberg, then the executive director of the ACLU, was arrested by sheriff¡¯s deputies during a protest rally during a visit by President Bush. DD DD Recently, Arpaio¡¯s office has battled in court with the ACLU, including a case claiming the sheriff¡¯s office violated a woman¡¯s rights when they refused to transport her to get an abortion. The ACLU won the case. HH header UB DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101314 DD DD Family dog kills Phoenix toddler DD DD KNXV ABC15 News DD DD A 4-year-old girl died Monday night after being mauled by her family¡¯s dog in north Phoenix, said Maricopa County Sheriff¡¯s officials. DD DD The girl, Tori Whitehurst , was flown to a Valley hospital but could not be revived. DD DD The attack happened just before 4 p.m. at the family¡¯s home at 512 W. Yearling Rd., near Interstate 17 and Happy Valley Road. DD DD Dani During , a friend who was speaking on behalf of the family, said the girl and her 6-year-old sister had been playing in the backyard with four dogs at the time. A live-in nanny was watching the girls but went in the house briefly to retrieve something. DD DD When the American Bulldog started nipping at Tori, her sister ran to get the nanny, During said. DD DD The nanny came out to find the dog had grabbed Tori by the throat, sheriff¡¯s officials said. The nanny tried hitting the dog with various objects, including a pool skimmer, but when it didn¡¯t let the girl go, the nanny called 911. DD DD The dog may have grabbed the girl because it was jealous of the other dogs or because of the berets she wore in her hair, During said. DD DD Deputies arrived to find the dog laying next to Tori, sheriff¡¯s officials said. When the dog started advancing toward deputies, they Tased it, then shot it five times, killing it. DD DD The attack was at least the sixth in the Valley this year. DD DD In April, two pitbulls attacked a 12-year-old boy in Tempe. DD DD The boy survived after neighbors fought off the dogs using broomsticks, among other objects. HH header UB IB CW DD Sounds like sucide by cop to me. Anybody knows if a cops sees you with a gun they will kill you, if you don't drop it. The 2nd Amendment has been null and viod for many years. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101342 DD DD November 6, 2007 - 12:38AM DD DD Man shot by police died at ex¡¯s home DD DD Gary Grado, Tribune DD DD A 44-year-old man who was shot by police Sunday died at the home of a woman whom he had pleaded guilty to harassing three months ago. DD DD Barry Recker¡¯s ex-girlfriend, Deborah Rohn, and an ex-wife have leveled accusations he badgered them with verbal abuse, death threats and stalked them, according to court records. DD DD Rohn called police to her home in the 6600 block of East Holiday Drive about 12:38 a.m. to report that someone was knocking on her front door, and she believed it was Recker, who was ordered by the court to stay away. DD DD When officers arrived about 13 minutes later, Recker displayed a handgun. He refused to drop the gun, so one officer shot him, according to Detective Diana Tapia, Mesa police spokeswoman. DD DD Recker¡¯s sister, Suzanne Recker, said Monday that the family was told by detectives that Recker shot himself as well. DD DD ¡°I cannot confirm that,¡± Tapia said. ¡°We¡¯re still looking at that.¡± DD DD Rohn had taken out an order of protection from Mesa Municipal Court in April, alleging Recker constantly called her at work and on her cell phone and would show up at stores where she shopped. DD DD ¡°Barry Recker climbed a fence and entered my home uninvited,¡± Rohn wrote. DD DD Recker¡¯s ex-wife complained of similar behavior in an order of protection in January 2004, also alleging that he threatened her life. DD DD Tapia said police were called April 15 to Rohn¡¯s home and Recker admitted to calling her to acknowledge he was served with the order of protection. DD DD Recker pleaded guilty Aug. 31 to violating a court order. DD DD Suzanne Recker said it was her perception that her brother and Rohn had an on-again, off-again relationship that was often emotionally volatile but not physically violent. DD DD ¡°He¡¯s not a monster. He¡¯s not an abuser,¡± Suzanne Recker said. DD DD Rohn did not immediately return a call seeking comment. DD DD Recker is survived by two sons, 24 and 14 years old. DD DD Suzanne Recker said her brother had a temper, but he also had a soft side. DD DD He hadn¡¯t worked in several years since a botched gall bladder operation that left him in pain daily. She said he was despondent about his breakup with Rohn but he seemed to be in good spirits on Oct. 30, the last time she spoke with him. HH header UB IB WB CW DD On May 1, 2003 George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, and gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq War. DD DD Flash forward 4 years and 6 months to November 6, 2008 and 2007 is deadliest year for US in Iraq DD DD http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=AZMES&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT DD DD Nov 6, 9:50 AM EST DD DD 2007 is deadliest year for US in Iraq DD DD By LAUREN FRAYER DD Associated Press Writer DD DD BAGHDAD (AP) -- The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of five more soldiers, making 2007 the deadliest year for U.S. troops despite a recent downturn, according to an Associated Press count. DD DD At least 852 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year - the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures. DD DD The grim milestone passed despite a sharp drop in U.S. and Iraqi deaths here in recent months, after a 30,000-strong U.S. force buildup. There were 39 deaths in October, compared to 65 in September and 84 in August. DD DD Five U.S. soldiers were killed Monday in two separate roadside bomb attacks, said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, director of the Multi-National Force-Iraq's communications division. DD DD "We lost five soldiers yesterday in two unfortunate incidents, both involving IEDs," Smith told reporters in Baghdad's heavily-guarded Green Zone. Later, the military said four of the soldiers died after an explosion near their vehicle in Kirkuk province, and one was killed in Anbar. DD DD With nearly two months left in the year, the U.S. toll has already surpassed that of 2004, when 850 troops died - mostly in larger, more conventional battles like the campaign to cleanse Fallujah of Sunni militants in November, and U.S. clashes with Shiite militiamen in the sect's holy city of Najaf in August. DD DD But the American military in Iraq reached its highest troop levels in Iraq this year - 165,000. Moreover, the military's decision to send soldiers out of large bases and into Iraqi communities means more troops have seen more "contact with enemy forces" than ever before, said Maj. Winfield Danielson, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. DD DD "It's due to the troop surge, which allowed us to go into areas that were previously safe havens for insurgents," Danielson told the AP on Sunday. "Having more soldiers, and having them out in the communities, certainly contributes to our casualties." DD DD Meanwhile, the U.S. said it planned to release nine Iranian prisoners in the coming days, including two captured when U.S. troops stormed an Iranian government office in Irbil last January. The office was shut after the raid, but it reopened as an Iranian consulate on Tuesday, Iraqi and Iranian officials said. DD DD A military spokesman said Iran appears to have kept its promise to stop the flow into Iraq of bomb-making materials and other weaponry that Washington says has inflamed insurgent violence and caused many American troop casualties. DD DD Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that Iran had made such assurances to the Iraqi government. DD DD "It's our best judgment that these particular EFPs ... in recent large cache finds do not appear to have arrived here in Iraq after those pledges were made," Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, director of the Multi-National Force-Iraq's communications division, told reporters Tuesday. DD DD Kurdish rebels released another Iranian soldier captured two months ago in northern Iraq. AP Television News showed the soldier being handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Qandeel mountains near the town of Ilan Shahir. DD DD Among the weapons Washington has accused Iran of supplying to Iraqi insurgents are EFPs, or explosively formed projectiles. They fire a slug of molten metal capable of penetrating even the most heavily armored military vehicles, and thus are more deadly than other roadside bombs. DD DD The No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, said last week that there had been a sharp decline in the number of EFPs found in Iraq in the last three months. At the time, he and Gates both said it was too early to tell whether the trend would hold, and whether it could be attributed to action by Iranian authorities. Iran publicly denies that it has sent weapons to Shiite militias in Iraq. DD DD Also Tuesday, the U.S. military said Iraqi troops had discovered 22 bodies in a mass grave northwest of Baghdad over the weekend. The bodies were found during a joint operation Saturday. It was the second mass grave found in the area in less than a month. DD DD After the discovery, U.S. and Iraqi forces launched an operation Sunday, including ground raids and air assaults targeting al-Qaida in the area, the U.S. statement said. DD DD About 30 suspects were detained, it said. Two car bomb facilities and a number of weapons caches also were found, it added. HH header UB IB DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101266 DD DD November 5, 2007 - 8:34AM DD DD Covance suit runs up outside legal fees DD DD Dennis Welch, Tribune DD DD Chandler has paid a private attorney more than $43,000 to defend itself against a lawsuit that could halt construction of a multimillion-dollar facility for the drug-testing company Covance. DD DD Legal bills have been quickly racking up since the suit was filed in June because of a flurry of legal wrangling between Campana, Vieh & Loeb, the firm representing Chandler, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a Washington, D.C.-based group suing the city. DD DD “There’s been a lot of legal filings and a lot of legal research being done on this case,” said Chandler City Attorney Mike House. DD DD Yet, the firm has taken no depositions or appeared in court and no one was willing to speculate how much the case could end up costing taxpayers. The suit alleges elected city officials broke state open meetings laws as well as city ordinances last year when they allowed Covance to build its 300,000-square-foot facility near the Chandler Airpark. DD DD If the physicians group succeeds, it could force the city to start the zoning process over again and, in effect, halt ongoing construction. DD DD Since Covance decided to build its $44 million plant in Chandler, the project has been mired in controversy as residents and animal rights activists have launched a sustained protest against it. The company plans to conduct chemical and medical drug testing on animals at the site. DD DD To help defend itself against allegations in the suit, the city hired the Scottsdale-based law firm at $175 per hour — a cut-rate deal, according to House, who claims many less experienced attorneys charge more than double that. DD DD House said he has worked with attorney Daniel Loeb on other zoning cases in Chandler and other cities such as Tucson and Phoenix in the past. Without his expertise and legal work, House said the suit would consume most of his staff’s time. DD DD Loeb has filed a pair of legal motions asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to toss out the case because the 13 plaintiffs lack the legal standing to sue the city. It is part of an overall strategy to end the case as quickly as possible and keep the legal costs from skyrocketing, House said. DD DD Daniel Kinburn, the attorney handling the case for the physicians group, said it has spent as much as the city on the case but would not offer specific details. He said much of the firm’s money has been spent on experts to review certain aspects of the case, such as blueprints of the facility. DD DD “They (the city) spend their money on lawyers and we’re spending ours on experts right now,” he said. DD DD Chandler City Council members contacted by the Tribune have denied the allegations made in the suit, describing it as another “frivolous” case at the taxpayers’ expense. DD DD However, Kinburn takes issue with describing the 22-page legal filing as DD frivolous. DD DD He said the physicians group regularly sues big companies and no judge has ever found any of its cases to be frivolous. DD DD “Unfortunately, these lawsuit are a fact of life for big cities,” said Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101340 DD DD November 6, 2007 - 12:31AM DD DD Defendants miss court due to sheriff’s office error DD DD Dennis Welch, Tribune DD DD A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ordered the Sheriff’s Office to appear in court on Monday to explain why its deputies were not taking inmates to their court hearings. DD DD As many as 46 defendants involving 61 criminal cases missed their scheduled court appearances Monday because of what sheriff’s officials called a “major miscommunication.” DD DD During a brief court appearance, an attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office assured Judge Anna Baca that the sheriff’s in-custody defendants would be escorted to their hearings in the future. But lawyer Clarisse McCormick did not explain why they missed court. DD DD Representatives of the sheriff’s office later said that a team of deputies in charge of moving inmates was not on duty because they were mistakenly told they would not be working. DD DD Loretta Barkell, chief of business operation for the sheriff’s office, said planned changes to the way inmates are moved to court were scrapped at the last minute. DD DD “As a result, the overtime crew that should have been there was not, and the courts did not get full service,” Barkell said. DD DD Had inmates continued to miss court appearances, it could have jeopardized criminal cases by violating the defendants’ right to a speedy trial, said J.W. Brown, a Superior Court spokeswoman. DD DD The sheriff’s office had sent out a memo on Friday stating it was not taking defendants to justice courts, civil cases, or to hearings that determine a defendant’s immigration status — known as Simpson hearings. Brown said local justice courts were also slightly affected. HH header UB IB DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101335 DD DD November 6, 2007 - 12:00AM DD DD Lawsuit filed by church forces Gilbert to begin revising sign code DD DD Chris Markham, Tribune DD DD Gilbert officials have their fingers crossed that looser restrictions in the town¡¯s temporary-sign code will end a pending federal lawsuit filed against the town last spring. DD DD The Alliance Defense Fund, based in Scottsdale, filed a lawsuit against Gilbert in federal court on behalf of Good News Presbyterian Church in March claiming that the town was discriminating against a church wanting to post signs for prospective parishioners. DD DD At the time, town officials denied the claims. But in May, both sides agreed to put the lawsuit on hold while the town began working to amend the code pertaining to churches and temporary signs. The town also agreed not to enforce the existing code. DD DD ¡°This hopefully would take care of the lawsuit,¡± town spokesman Greg Svelund said. DD DD The planning commission¡¯s Wednesday meeting will be the first step in changing the sign code. The commission can decide to follow the town staff¡¯s recommendation to initiate the code change, which would ultimately have to be approved by the Town Council. DD DD ¡°That whole process, we¡¯re looking at about three months or so,¡± Svelund said. DD DD A representative of the Alliance Defense Fund could not be reached for comment Monday. DD DD The Gilbert Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss the sign-code amendment during its regular study session at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Gilbert Municipal Center, 50 E. Civic Center Drive. HH header UB IB DD http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1106tax-prop1106.html DD DD Initiative would roll back property taxes DD DD Matthew Benson DD DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 6, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Hoping to capitalize on homeowners' angst over rising property-tax bills, another citizens group is targeting the tax with a Proposition 13-style initiative planned for the 2008 state ballot. DD DD Calling itself Prop 13 Arizona, the group filed language Monday for an initiative modeled after its California namesake. The measure would roll back property valuations, for tax purposes, and institute strict limits on future value increases and tax bills. DD DD "All we're really doing is protecting property owners from tax increases," Prop 13 Arizona Chairwoman Lynne Weaver said. "We're just putting property owners and government on equal footing." DD DD The Phoenix resident explained that the run-up in property values of the past several years, which saw some homes increase in value by 50 percent or more, has left many homeowners feeling the burn from increased tax bills. Weaver's is the third initiative filed this year with its sights on property taxes. DD DD But the measure is already generating concern in some quarters, such as Maricopa County government, where property-tax revenue accounts for roughly one-third of the general fund. DD DD "Lowering the property-tax limits as much as this does might have a big impact," said Chris Bradley, deputy budget director for the county. DD DD Weaver's measure has three main provisions. It would: DD DD • Adjust property valuations to their 2003 level or, in the case of properties sold after 2003, to their most recent purchase price. DD DD • From there, the property value could increase no more than 2 percent annually. DD DD • Residential property taxes would be capped at no more than 0.5 percent of the home's value, or $2,000 for a $400,000 home. A 1 percent cap would be instituted for commercial and other real-property taxes. DD DD The provisions are modeled after the Proposition 13 approved by California voters in 1978. Weaver noted that the proposal is battle-tested, having survived numerous challenges to its constitutionality. DD DD But Ken Strobeck questions whether it's needed here. DD DD The executive director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns said, "We already have constitutional limits on property tax. There are safeguards already built in." DD DD He also suggested that artificially limiting property taxes would simply force hikes in other areas. About half of Arizona municipalities collect property taxes, and it's a key revenue source for counties, school districts and special districts. DD DD Weaver attempted a similar initiative in 2006 that fell short of the ballot when she failed to collect enough signatures. DD DD She is getting an earlier start this time around and is confident about her chances. DD DD To make the ballot, her group must submit 230,047 valid signatures by July 3. DD DD "I don't know of anyone who's against it, except those in government," she said. "It's truly a nonpartisan idea. We have backers from all parties." DD DD http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_TAX_ROLLBACK_AZOL-?SITE=AZMES&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT DD DD Group wants Prop. 13-style property tax rollback DD DD PHOENIX (AP) -- Government doesn't like it, but anti-tax crusaders say they are pushing on with a ballot initiative aimed at rolling back Arizona property taxes. DD DD The group pushing the initiative, styled after a groundbreaking 1978 effort in California called Proposition 13 that limited property tax increases, filed language Monday in an attempt to get it on the 2008 ballot. DD DD If it makes it to the ballot, and if it is approved by voters, the measure would roll back property valuations, for tax purposes, and institute strict limits on future value increases and tax bills. DD DD "All we're really doing is protecting property owners from tax increases, Prop 13 Arizona Chairwoman Lynne Weaver said. "We're just putting property owners and government on equal footing." DD DD It is the third initiative filed this year aimed at lowering property taxes. DD DD The measure has already created angst among various local governments, where property-tax revenue accounts for roughly one-third of the general fund. DD DD "Lowering the property-tax limits as much as this does might have a big impact," said Chris Bradley, deputy budget director for Maricopa County. DD DD "We already have constitutional limits on property tax," said Ken Strobeck, the executive director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. DD DD "There are safeguards already built in." DD DD Strobeck says limiting property taxes would simply lead to hikes in other areas. DD DD Weaver says the idea has broad nonpartisan support. DD DD "I don't know of anyone who's against it, except those in government," she said. "We have backers from all parties." HH header UB IB CW DD 1) why do the cops want to charge her with kidnapping if the kid left volunary with her? DD DD 2) why do the cops want to charge her with kidnapping if the kid is not a legal resident of the USA and not even allowed to be in the USA when she just took him back to his home country? DD DD Seems like the cops are overcharging DD DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1106teacher-abduction1106.html DD DD Boy in sex case may have to stay in Mexico DD Emily Bazar DD USA Today DD Nov. 6, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD A 13-year-old Nebraska boy who investigators say ran off to Mexico with one of his teachers may not be able to return to his family in the United States. DD DD The eighth-grade boy and the teacher, 25-year-old Kelsey Peterson, were found Friday in the Mexican border city of Mexicali. The teen has been living in the U.S. illegally, says Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman in Nebraska. DD DD "He's been here most of his life," she says. "He was born in Mexico." DD DD Peterson, a math teacher at Lexington Middle School in Lexington, Neb., is accused of having a sexual relationship with the boy. USA Today does not identify possible victims of sex crimes. DD DD She appeared in federal court in El Centro, Calif., on Monday to face charges of transporting a child across state lines or a foreign border for sexual activity, says Joe Stecher, U.S. attorney for the district of Nebraska. DD DD She also could face state charges of kidnapping, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Waterman says. DD DD Investigators believe that she and the boy fled on Oct. 26 and headed for Mexico, according to an FBI affidavit. DD DD Police searched Peterson's home and found letters between teacher and student "acknowledging their sexual relationship," according to the affidavit. DD DD The two were found after relatives of the boy told police he had sent a text message from Mexico to an aunt in Lexington. DD DD Peterson was arrested, and the boy was handed off to relatives in Mexico. HH header UB IB CW DD http://onlymagazine.ca/News/1577/pig-at-the-trough-victorias-top-cop-busted DD DD Pig at the Trough: Victoria's Top Cop Busted! DD DD by Zoe Blunt DD DD DD So, Vancouver, you think you got the worst cops in the province? Just because people keep falling down dead at their hands? Guess again, you big city braggers. Police brutality is so routine, it barely makes the news anymore. Move aside, Jamie Graham! Here comes the baddest chief in the west: Paul Battershill, Victoria¡¯s top cop. DD DD Battershill is about to do what no other police chief has done in recent memory: get himself suspended from his job. What does it take for a chief to get suspended? Battershill¡¯s not telling. Neither is anyone else. All we know is the Police Board put Battershill on administrative leave on Oct. 11, and Victoria mayor Alan Lowe is calling it a ¡°personnel issue.¡± DD DD Blame it on those damned Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Some anonymous asshole goes nosing around in police records, and BAM! The chief gets an indefinite vacation. DD DD Lawyer David Mulroney won¡¯t identify the client who hired him to file those FOIs full of pointed questions about goings-on in the cop shop. Like: How many people has the chief fired without cause? How much are senior staff getting paid? And how much does old Battershill spend on lunch? DD DD The answer to the last question is $91,000 since 2004. To be fair, that does include dinners and the occasional box of Kleenex. In 2006, Battershill¡¯s bill to taxpayers was over $29,000. Check it out: DD DD - Dinner for six at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort: $325.08 DD DD - Dinner for three at the Boathouse Restaurant in Richmond: $240 DD DD - Complete Cuisine gift certificate (recipient¡¯s name is blacked out): $100 DD DD - Only Magazine¡¯s first annual Pig at the Trough Award: PRICELESS DD DD Now, it¡¯s possible Battershill just couldn¡¯t afford to treat all his friends to his favourite restaurants on his $147,000 salary, but it¡¯s worth noting that most of us have an annual income that¡¯s less than half what Battershill spends on restaurants¡¦ in one year. Meanwhile, a thousand people in Victoria are homeless and begging for spare change just to score beer and meth. DD DD Things were looking bad for the battered Battershill, but they just got a lot worse. In the last week of October, we learned that Battershill is the target of a high-profile investigation by the police complaints commissioner. Yes, the RCMP are getting ready probe Battershill¡¯s ass. But they still won¡¯t tell us why. DD DD A few suckups have come to Battershill¡¯s defense, whining that he¡¯s just doing his job and it¡¯s the most dangerous job in the world. Well, excuse us for mentioning it, but that¡¯s a lie. Garbage men are more likely to get hurt on the job than cops. Don¡¯t they deserve a gold card and an unlimited expense account, too? Hell, don¡¯t we all? ¡Ú HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.wdtn.com/Global/story.asp?S=7308460 DD DD Mayor: Fire chief demoted for using crews to repair vehicles DD DD DD DD DD Associated Press - November 3, 2007 9:15 PM ET DD DD WESTLAKE, Ohio (AP) - Westlake's mayor says a fire chief who used on-duty firefighters to service his family's vehicles has been demoted and suspended without pay for 30 days. DD DD Mayor Dennis Clough says the union representing firefighters in the Cleveland suburb complained in June about Fire Chief Richard Pietrick asking them to do repair work on the cars. DD DD Pietrick's attorney says the chief never ordered a subordinate to do the jobs, and there's no policy forbidding firefighters from helping each other or a senior officer. DD DD The lawyer -- Joseph Diemert Junior -- says an appeal will be filed. DD DD http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2007/11/westlake_fire_chief_demoted_fo.html DD DD Westlake fire chief demoted for getting car fixed DD DD Posted by John Horton November 02, 2007 18:56PM DD DD DD Westlake Fire Chief Richard Pietrick has been demoted to firefighter and suspended for having his family's vehicles serviced by on-duty firefighters. The drop in rank docks Pietrick nearly $30,000 in annual salary; the 30-day suspension costs him $7,300 at his old pay rate. DD DD Mayor Dennis Clough announced the punishment Friday, nearly five months after the city launched its investigation. The union representing Westlake firefighters complained in June about Pietrick asking them to work on the cars. DD DD Pietrick's attorney called accusations of wrongdoing "bogus" and said Clough's decision will be appealed. DD DD The chief never ordered a subordinate to do the jobs, and there's no policy forbidding firefighters from helping each other or a senior officer, Diemert said. He called the repairs an example of a firehouse culture that encourages sharing skills with comrades. DD DD Diemert accused Clough of using the union complaint to move Pietrick out of the chief's chair, which he has held since 1994. He said the mayor previously asked Pietrick to step down. DD DD Clough said past issues did not factor into the current situation, and that an outside investigator handled the case. DD DD "The charges are what they are," said Clough, who called it inappropriate for a superior to ask an employee to perform personal work for them. The investigation showed that firefighters completed at least five substantial repairs for Pietrick over the past few years. DD DD The city's labor attorney, Gary Johnson, said that the firefighters approached by Pietrick felt pressure to do the work. DD DD Clough said that auditors will determine whether criminal charges of theft in office -- for having public employees do private work while being paid with taxpayer dollars -- should be pursued against Pietrick. DD DD Pietrick declined comment. He has been on paid leave collecting his $89,200 annual salary since June 14. DD DD Union officials could not be reached Friday. DD DD http://www.westlifenews.com/2007/10-31/firechief.html DD DD Westlake fire chief suspended, demoted DD DD By Kevin Kelley DD DD Westlake DD DD Web Updated 6 PM Nov. 2, 2007 DD DD DD Richard Pietrick DD DD BREAKING NEWS — Westlake Fire Chief Richard Pietrick has been suspended without pay for 30 days and demoted to the position of firefighter, Mayor Dennis Clough announced Friday. DD DD The suspension and demotion follow a finding by outside legal counsel that the fire chief asked city employees to make mechanical repairs to vehicles owned by Pietrick or members of his family, the mayor said in a statement. DD DD "This just can't be an accepted practice to do that," Clough told West Life. DD DD Pietrick has three business days to appeal the disciplinary action to the mayor and then 10 days to appeal to the city’s civil service commission. Clough said that he has not yet heard from Pietrick as to whether or not he has accepted the suspension and demotion. Pietrick is eligible to retire, the mayor said. DD DD As of Friday afternoon, neither Pietrick nor his attorney could not be reached for comment. DD DD Gary Johnson, the attorney hired by the city to review the allegations, told West Life that Pietrick acknowledged having the city-employed mechanic work on his vehicles. DD DD "It's not an issue of him saying he didn't do it," Johnson said. DD DD Johnson also said Pietrick asked that work be done on his vehicles on several occasions over several years. DD DD "It's not one incident," Johnson said. "It's been a recurring situation." DD DD Johnson said he did not think charges will be filed against Pietrick and that the situation was best handled administratively. DD DD "It's in Pietrick's court right now," he said. DD DD The complaint was filed on June 6 by Westlake Firefighters Association Local 1814. Pietrick has been on paid administrative leave since June 14. Assistant Fire Chief Richard Janicek has been in charge of the department since then. DD DD Apparent discord between Pietrick and the department's rank and file came to light in an audit made public in December 2005. The audit found “significant dysfunction” within the department and poor communication coming from the department’s leadership. DD DD Illinois-based McGrath Consulting Group, Inc. was hired by the city to conduct a comprehensive independent audit of fire department operations, management structure, and staffing and facility needs. DD DD However, the report was critical of Pietrick’s ability to communicate a clear vision to his employees. “Communication is a huge problem and not one of the fire chief’s best attributes,” the report stated. DD DD The report found that poor or bad behavior is often not addressed. The fire chief apparently believes that this is the responsibility of the line officers or shift commander, the report said, while shift commander or officers feel that there is no clear direction and question if they will be backed up if disciplinary action is taken. The result, according to the report, is that most individuals work independent of any master plan and feel there will be no consequences for their actions. DD DD The report called Pietrick “a caring individual who is passionate about the fire service.” DD DD “The question is not about his character, but about his leadership style,” the report said. HH header UB IB WB DD So this is what bring freedom and democracy to Iraq really means. DD DD http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD8SNO2280 DD DD 2.3 Million Flee to Elsewhere in Iraq DD By LAUREN FRAYER – 20 hours ago DD DD BAGHDAD (AP) — The Shiite militia's threat came in a typed letter tossed at Mohammed Abdul-Wahab's door: "Leave this house within 48 hours or you will face death." DD DD The Sunni government worker did just that — fleeing his ancestral home in a mostly Shiite area of Baghdad with his wife and 2-year-old son. DD DD Now, struggling to pay rent higher than his salary, Abdul-Wahab is among the nearly 2.3 million people the Iraqi Red Crescent says have been driven from their neighborhoods as Iraq is increasingly carved up along sectarian lines. DD DD The number of internally displaced people has swelled in Iraq since the beginning of 2007, when the group counted less than half a million. DD DD A new report issued Monday by the Iraqi Red Crescent shows that such people now outnumber Iraqis who have fled the country altogether for refuge in neighboring states like Syria and Jordan. DD DD The rise came despite a sharp drop in bombings, shootings and other violence more than four months after the U.S. completed a 30,000-strong force buildup here. American and Iraqi death tolls have also fallen dramatically. DD DD At least 17 Iraqis were killed or found dead Monday, police and morgue officials said, including a councilman gunned down in a neighborhood next to his own in western Baghdad. DD DD On average, at least 56 Iraqis — civilians and security forces — have died each day so far in 2007, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press. DD DD Deadly rivalries have forced Shiite and Sunni Muslims to flee once diverse neighborhoods across Iraq's capital, leaving the city with clear boundaries between sects. More than 60 percent of those forced to flee were in Baghdad, the report said. DD DD "I didn't harm anybody, and I don't know why I was displaced and my house was taken by another family," said 28-year-old Abdul-Wahab, who fled his Jihad neighborhood last December. DD DD His house had been in the family for generations. Now, coupled with his wife's income as a teacher, Abdul-Wahab's meager government salary — $120 per month — is just enough to rent another house in nearby Amariyah, a Sunni enclave. They have almost no money left for food. DD DD "The two salaries are not enough. We have to buy milk for our baby," Abdul-Wahab said. "We filled out an application form for displaced people at the immigration ministry, for extra income, but so far we have received nothing." DD DD In some places like Shiite-dominated Hurriyah in northwest Baghdad, fighting has subsided because there are literally no more Sunnis left to kill. DD DD The scramble for safety in segregated enclaves was thought to have eased after anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called a formal cease-fire in August. His militia, the Mahdi Army, was blamed for dozens of bodies turning up on Baghdad's streets each day — apparent victims of sectarian murders. DD DD But while the daily body count has dropped dramatically — three corpses were found Monday in Baghdad — the Red Crescent said the number of residents displaced from their homes rose 16 percent in the month after al-Sadr's cease-fire. DD DD About 83 percent of the country's displaced people are women and children under the age of 12, the organization reported. And many are not able to find permanent housing like Abdul-Wahab was. DD DD "Children do not attend schools and are being sheltered in tents, abandoned government buildings with no water or electricity, mosques, churches, or with relatives," the report said. "In addition to their plight as being displaced, the majority suffer from disease, poverty and malnutrition." DD DD Four and a half years after the U.S.-led invasion, the Iraqi government struggles to provide basic services — water, electricity and access to schools and medical care — to citizens across the country. Much of Iraq, especially the capital, is beset by violence, crumbling infrastructure and rampant crime, and most humanitarian groups are unable to reach victims who need help. DD DD Some 2.3 million Iraqis have been driven from their homes but remain inside the country's borders, according to the Red Crescent's most recent figures, through Sept. 30. DD DD According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, some 2 million Iraqis have fled their country. Of these, 1.2 million are in Syria, 750,000 in Jordan, 100,000 in Egypt, 54,000 in Iran, 40,000 in Lebanon, 10,000 in Turkey and 200,000 in various Persian Gulf countries. DD DD The figures in Monday's Red Crescent report were tabulated by Red Crescent coordinators and volunteers in all 18 Iraqi provinces. The group says it has 5,000 employees and 95,000 volunteers working at 365 offices around the country. HH header UB IB WB CW DD But he is OUR dictator!!!!! DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1106pakistan-assess1106.html DD DD Why U.S. sticks with Pakistani leader DD DD Howard LaFranchi DD DD Christian Science Monitor DD Nov. 6, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD WASHINGTON - America's safety and the demands of the war on terror trump immediate concerns about democracy in Pakistan. DD DD That Bush administration perspective explains why the United States - as disturbed as it may be by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency - is expected to refrain from steps that could weaken Pakistan's leader. President Bush has regarded Musharraf as a major ally in the fight against Islamic extremism. DD DD So while U.S. officials talk about reviewing the billions of dollars in mostly military assistance Pakistan receives from the United States, a break with Musharraf over his authoritarian turn is seen as improbable. Anything more than intensified diplomacy - calling for a restoration of rights and for holding elections as soon as possible - is unlikely, at least over the short term. DD DD Although most analysts agree that the U.S. options for influencing Musharraf are limited, they also say the time has come for a new Pakistan policy that is less Musharraf-centric. The military ruler, they say, may not last long at the helm of a nuclear power in a volatile region. In addition, it is increasingly clear that U.S. interests in a stable Pakistan, free of al-Qaida's influence, have not advanced under Musharraf. DD DD "We have to start by acknowledging that we don't have that many options in this relationship. And we should take our history with Pakistan into account, which shows that any sticks we've wielded or sanctions we've imposed haven't had direct impact on Pakistan's actions," says Karl Inderfurth, a former assistant secretary for South Asian affairs who is now at George Washington University. "But we need to be engaged with the Pakistanis in this time of crisis. Our action should be nuanced and broad-based, and we should be consulting the international community on this." DD DD Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated Monday the U.S. view that "the best path for Pakistan is to quickly return to a constitutional path and then to hold elections." That came after earlier comments she made - echoed by the White House - that no U.S. action would be taken to jeopardize the Pakistani military's battle with al-Qaida insurgents and their supporters in remote tribal territories. DD DD A White House spokesman had a similar comment: "We're obviously not going to do anything that will undermine the war on terror," said Gordon Johndroe. DD DD As it tries to influence Musharraf, the United States may seek to pressure the Pakistani military - and indeed is already showing signs of doing so. DD DD The U.S. Embassy said that a U.S.-Pakistan Defense Consultative Group meeting to be held in Islamabad this week has been postponed - awaiting "conditions that are more conducive to achieve the important objectives of the meeting." DD DD Such signals to the Pakistani military could indirectly influence Musharraf to step back from actions that he claims are directed at Islamic militants but have come across more as a personal power grab. DD HH header UB IB WB CW DD http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071106/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/military_waivers DD DD Military may ease standards for recruits DD DD By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer DD DD WASHINGTON - Faced with higher recruiting goals, the Pentagon is quietly looking for ways to make it easier for people with minor criminal records to join the military, The Associated Press has learned. DD DD The review, in its early stages, comes as the number of Army recruits needing waivers for bad behavior — such as trying drugs, stealing, carrying weapons on school grounds and fighting — rose from 15 percent in 2006 to 18 percent this year. And it reflects the services' growing use of criminal, health and other waivers to build their ranks. DD DD Overall, about three in every 10 recruits must get a waiver, according to Pentagon statistics obtained by AP, and about two-thirds of those approved in recent years have been for criminal behavior. Some recruits must get more than one waiver to cover things ranging from any criminal record, to health problems such as asthma or flat feet, to low aptitude scores — and even for some tattoos. DD DD The goal of the review is to make cumbersome waiver requirements consistent across the services — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force — and reduce the number of petty crimes that now trigger the process. Still, some Army officers worry that disciplinary problems will grow as more soldiers with records, past drug use and behavior problems are brought in. DD DD Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel, said the review is necessary. Now, he said, many recruits who were arrested as juveniles for what can be considered youthful indiscretions — minor fights or theft — are forced to get waivers even if they were never convicted of the crime. DD DD "I do believe it needs to be done," Rochelle said of the waiver review. "There are really anomalies out there." DD DD The waivers require more time, paperwork and investigation, from detailed health screenings and doctor referrals to testimonials about past bad behavior. Depending on the seriousness, the final decision can be made by senior recruiting officers or higher-ranking commanders. DD DD In addition, many waiver requirements differ from service to service, and some officials and recruiters say the policies should be more uniform. DD DD The starkest difference involves Marines and drug use. The Marines require a waiver for one-time marijuana use, while the other services don't, and 69 percent of conduct waivers for Marines who joined from October 2006 to June 2007 were for previous drug use. It was 12 percent for the Army. DD DD The bulk of the Army's conduct waivers during that time — 71 percent — were for serious misdemeanors, which can include thefts worth more than $500, any incident involving a dangerous weapon on school grounds, or minor assaults and fights. A waiver is required even if the recruit was a juvenile and the charge was dismissed after restitution, community service or other conditions were met. DD DD According to the Pentagon data, the bulk of all conduct waivers are for recruits involved in either drug offenses or serious misdemeanors. Over the past five years, the overall percentage of recruits involved in serious misdemeanors has grown. DD DD A bit more than 75 percent of the Marine waivers from October 1996 through June 2007 were for conduct, compared with about 73 percent the previous two years. In both years, the bulk of the remaining waivers were for medical issues. DD DD Similarly, about 77 percent of the waivers for Air Force recruits in 2003 were for conduct, compared with 80.8 percent through June 2007. The Navy was the only service that saw a decline, with 56.7 of waivers in 2003 for conduct, compared with 40.3 percent through June 2007. DD DD Relaxing some of the waiver requirements may make it easier for the Army to meet increased pressure for recruits in the next few years. DD DD The Army is already strained by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and needs to grow to meet those demands and be prepared to respond to crises in any other hot spot. DD DD The Pentagon has recommended the Army be increased by about 65,000 soldiers to a total of 547,000, and the Marines be increased by 27,000 to 202,000. The services will either have to bring in more new people or convince more current soldiers and Marines to stay on. DD DD Army recruiters attending a recent conference in Denver said they often encounter would-be soldiers whose records are tainted by minor offenses. DD DD Several related the story of a 15-year-old who was trying to smoke out bees in a hive and accidentally set the hive on fire. The flames spread to a nearby house and caused damage. Police charged the youth with arson as a juvenile. At age 22, he tried to join the Army, and officials had to go through the waiver process to get him in. DD DD In another instance, detailed by the Pentagon, two 14-year-olds had a fight at school, and police charged both with aggravated assault. One was charged with using a deadly weapon — a shoe. That person is now 18, and needs a waiver to join the service. DD DD Not everyone, however, is enthusiastic about relaxing the regulations. DD DD At Fort Sill, Okla., Army officers said they already spend a lot of time dealing with discipline problems. And in a meeting with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a number of officers vigorously nodded their heads when he asked if that was a concern. DD DD One officer told Mullen that when he was in Iraq he would spend long hours into the night dealing with "problem children." Mullen later said he is not convinced that increasing waivers leads to more disciplinary issues, noting that it is not unusual for officers to have problem troops. But he said the military will keep an eye on it. DD DD Others suggest the need for more criminal behavior waivers may, in part, be a sign of the times. DD DD The Pentagon's top personnel official noted the Marines' policy on one-time marijuana use and wryly wondered if even members of Congress could pass muster. DD DD "That's a pretty tough standard," said David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "Not to be cheeky about this, but (if) we apply that standard to our legislative overseers, a significant fraction would need waivers to join the United States military." HH header UB IB DD http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071106/ap_on_re_us/medical_marijuana;_ylt=AnoRByO0ElF45KZLWEfCuPFH2ocA DD DD Calif. court considers marijuana use DD DD By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Writer Tue Nov 6, 11:14 AM ET DD DD SAN FRANCISCO - When Gary Ross was ordered to take a drug test at his new job, the recently hired computer tech had no doubt the results would come back positive for marijuana. DD DD But along with his urine sample, Ross submitted a doctor's recommendation that he smoke pot to alleviate back pain — a document he figured would save him from being fired. DD DD It didn't: Ross was let go eight days into his tenure because his employer, Ragingwire Inc., said federal law makes marijuana illegal no matter the use. DD DD On Tuesday, the California Supreme Court is due to hear Ross' case, the latest example of the intensifying clash between federal and local authorities over marijuana use. DD DD Ross, 45, contends that Ragingwire discriminated against him because of a back injury and violated the state's fair-employment law by punishing him for legally smoking marijuana at home. DD DD He says he and others using medical marijuana should receive the same workplace protection from discipline that employees with valid painkiller prescriptions do. California voters legalized medicinal marijuana in 1996. DD DD Eleven other states, including Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state have adopted similar laws and many are now grappling with the same sticky workplace issue of employee use of medicinal marijuana. DD DD The nonprofit marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, which is representing Ross, estimates that 300,000 Americans use medical marijuana. The Oakland-based group said it has received hundreds of employee discrimination complaints in California since it first began tracking the issue in 2005. DD DD "It's an extremely widespread problem," said Joe Elford, the group's chief lawyer. DD DD Several national medical organizations and disability rights advocates have filed friend-of-the-court papers urging the Supreme Court to rule in Ross' favor. DD DD Ross, who lives in Sacramento, said he permanently injured his back in 1983 while serving as a U.S. Air Force mechanic. He said it wasn't until 1999 that he found true pain relief with marijuana. DD DD The American Medical Association advocates keeping marijuana classified as a tightly controlled and dangerous drug that should not be legalized until more research is conducted. DD DD "I think I'm standing up for everybody else," Ross said. "My motivation is that I don't like to lose and that medical marijuana is effective." DD DD So far, though, Ross has been losing. DD DD Two lower courts have sided with Ragingwire's decision to fire Ross because federal law holds that marijuana is illegal in all guises and a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision declared that state medicinal marijuana laws don't protect users from criminal prosecution. DD DD Ragingwire marketing chief Doug Adams declined to comment on the case. DD DD Ragingwire, a small telecommunications company in Sacramento, has been joined in the Supreme Court by powerful corporate interests such as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Western Electrical Contractors Association Inc., who said companies could lose federal contracts and grants if they allowed employees to smoke pot. DD DD The conservative nonprofit Pacific Legal Foundation said in a friend-of-the court filing that employers could also be liable for damage done by high workers. DD DD "History abounds with cases of employers found liable," the Sacramento-based foundation wrote, "because their employees were driving vehicles, operating heavy equipment or otherwise performing tasks made more dangerous by their being under the influence of alcohol or drugs." HH header UB IB CW DD Cry baby cops don't think they should be held to the same standards as the other employees in the City of Mesa! They want to have porn e-mails at work! DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1106mr-emails1107.html DD DD Mesa's police e-mail scandal continues DD DD Senta Scarborough DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 6, 2007 02:16 PM DD DD A two-year saga of an e-mail scandal that shook Mesa City Hall is far from over, at least for police officers who sued the city. DD DD On Thursday, Mesa officers who were caught in the e-mail scandal and had sued the city began receiving notification of the internal personnel charges they are facing, union officials said Friday.Mesa police and city officials say they are carrying out a Maricopa County Superior Court judge's order requiring the city to comply with the department's own personnel rules or internal affairs system to impose discipline. DD DD "These are exemplary officers that do an exemplary job every day for the city, and to use this strong arm tactic is hurtful to the officers and morale," Mesa Police Association Vice President Rick Perine said. "They are reopening a wound that we thought was healing. . . . No one was trying to escape punishment. We just wanted it to be just." DD DD DD DD DD MPA and the Mesa Fraternal Order of Police are the two unions that represent Mesa officers, and both filed lawsuits. Both have been negotiating settlement options with the city for several months. DD DD In May, Judge Douglas Rayes ruled Mesa City Manger Chris Brady did not have authority to discipline police employees in the e-mail probe in response to the lawsuit filed by MPA representing about 40 officers. DD DD Last year, nearly 500 city workers, including police and firefighters, were disciplined for misuse of city e-mail after a citywide probe. The city created a matrix to discipline all city employees caught in the probe fairly, officials said. DD DD More than 280 police officers were disciplined using that matrix developed by Brady. The discipline ranged from 240-hour unpaid suspensions to written reprimands and counseling. DD DD A Republic analysis of police e-mails released by Mesa last year found graphic pornography, sadistic photos and racist content. Many of the e-mails mocked specific ethnic or religious groups and included vulgar language. DD DD The MPA lawsuit claimed Brady created a policy on use of city e-mail, and then imposed punishments for conduct that occurred before the policy was established and handled the officers' appeals. Both unions claimed the city's discipline system overlooked the Police Department's internal investigation system. DD DD Deputy City Attorney Alfred J. Smith said this week that the police's internal disciplinary process will reassess the e-mail evidence and eventually the chief will determine whether an officer violated internal policies and what if any disciplinary action he should receive. DD DD Mesa police spokeswoman Det. Diana Tapia said Monday that the department is moving forward with the court's order but not conducting a new investigation. DD DD Mesa FOP President Bryan Soller said the union has discussed an offer with the city whereby officers would drop their involvement in the lawsuit and in return any disciplinary actions would be removed from their personnel records. Soller said most of the officers were planning on taking the deal, which hasn't been finalized. DD DD "I think it is to force the hand and see who will stay and who won't in the lawsuit. I know the city wants this over with," he said. "The union did not want this, trust me." DD DD Soller said the officers are receiving new charges on top of the violation of e-mail policy, including conduct unbecoming an officer, misuse of city property and misuse of company time. DD DD "We were negotiating with the city in good faith for a just resolution and they surprise us by serving our members again," MPA Vice President Rick Perine said. "They are revisiting the issue with a whole new set of charges for the same circumstance." DD DD Soller said the result of the new charges could be far worse for the officers than the original discipline they received. HH header UB IB WB CW DD Hmmm.... so its no longer a war, its a police state and Iraqi are arrested as criminals, not POWs! DD DD http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2007-11-06-eod_N.htm DD DD Commanders pushed to make bomb disposal choices DD DD By Blake Morrison and Peter Eisler, USA TODAY DD During their last six months in Baghdad last year, Navy Lt. Sarah Wilson and her team of explosive ordnance disposal technicians said goodbye to each other more than 70 times. DD Each time they were called to dismantle a roadside bomb, they'd bump fists. Then, Wilson says, "we'd all say we love each other because if we never got to say anything else" — if the bomb ended up exploding — "we wanted to be able to say goodbye." DD DD After they arrived at the scene, they would often begin a perilous, painstaking task: taking apart the bombs, bagging the components and sending the parts back to a unit that analyzes them, much as investigators do on the television show CSI. DD DD They were willing to take such risks, Wilson says, because "it's the best shot our guys on the ground have of … catching the bad guys." If forensic teams can lift a fingerprint or identify materials used in a series of bombs, "we can connect him," says Wilson, 27. "We know he's a bombmaker." DD DD When roadside bombs became the insurgency's weapon of choice in Iraq, explosives disposal teams became increasingly important in efforts to protect U.S. troops and crack the bombmaking networks. But now, top military officials appear to be compromising efforts to catch bombmakers in favor of expedience and mobility, a USA TODAY investigation shows. DD DD FIND MORE STORIES IN: Iraq | Army | Troop | IEDS | IED | Commanders | Gen. Raymond Odierno DD DD FORUM: Discuss the changing face of warfare DD DD A classified order, issued May 30 and reviewed by USA TODAY, gives commanders the authority to forgo calling in explosives technicians like Wilson to glean intelligence from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. Instead, commanders may use engineers traveling with their regular units to simply detonate the bombs — without gathering evidence from them. Engineers receive about 10% of the explosives training of technicians, and they're not allowed to dismantle bombs. DD DD Commanders and others see the process, dubbed "blow and go," as a way to keep convoys and combat teams moving and safe from snipers and ambushes. But the Army's new approach also runs counter to military doctrine — and to the Pentagon's long-term goal of getting one step ahead of the insurgency by learning about the networks that build, plant and trigger IEDs. The weapon is responsible for at least 60% of U.S. casualties in Iraq. DD DD "The blow-and-go strategy undermines and compromises those overall efforts by losing key biometrics and evidence needed to identify and capture the network of insurgents," says Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the subcommittee on military readiness. DD DD "This is a huge step backward in the long-term effort to prevent IED attacks from occurring in the first place," Ortiz says, "and puts the troops at risk of facing more IED attacks for a long time to come." DD DD The head of the Army Asymmetric Warfare Office, which helps combat forces counter IEDs, also is concerned. "What are we accomplishing by blowing and going?" asks Col. Dick Larry. "You rid yourself of that one device, but the problem is … you have not gotten any kind of exploitative information off it." DD DD In July, a USA TODAY investigation showed that, until last year, the Pentagon balked at pleas from officers in the field for safer vehicles to protect against IEDs. One of the explanations offered by Defense officials for not spending more money on the life-saving armor: that the military's focus was on stopping bombmaking networks before they planted the explosives. DD DD In its annual report last year, the military's Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), called attacking the networks "the lynchpin of our success." Its deputy director, Robin Keesee, estimated last month that as many as 160 such insurgent cells have been identified in Iraq. DD DD And the organization's report listed forensic analysis of bombs — determining how the devices were manufactured, and what parts and types of explosives were used — among the efforts that were providing "unprecedented" intelligence capability. DD DD Among the successes touted by the Pentagon: linking Iran to a particularly dangerous incarnation of the IED, the explosively formed penetrator. "Iranian TNT blocks removed from their packages have been seen on numerous occasions as IED components," according to a Feb. 11 Pentagon PowerPoint presentation in Baghdad. DD DD "I don't want to give away the king's secrets here, but yes, (forensic analysis) was fruitful," says Paul Plemmons, a retired Army colonel who used to command a task force that dismantled bombs. "A bomber is a bomber, and they leave signatures. We saw patterns. We could track patterns." DD DD "We know the engineers are not going to collect forensic data, and the way you defeat that weapon is getting at the forensics," Plemmons says. "We may lose the one device that will lead us to take a whole cell down if you blow and go." DD DD JIEDDO spokeswoman Christine DeVries would not characterize the importance of such analysis, saying that the group is wary about giving too much information to the enemy. But she did say it is "one of the tools that have enabled forces in theater to eliminate a significant number of IED cells." DD DD The need for mobility DD DD When U.S. forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, few foresaw how prevalent or deadly roadside bombs would become. But by that fall, IEDs had emerged as the biggest threat to troops, and the teams that would dismantle the bombs — the explosives technicians — were stretched thin. DD DD In the first months of the war, only a few dozen technicians were in Iraq. Today, including commanders, more than 500 are deployed, many embedded within units. DD DD "When we were first there, the rules of engagement were, 'Let's just destroy all these IEDs,' " recalls Marine Master Sgt. Michael Burghardt, an explosives technician. DD DD During the past two years, Burghardt says, that approach changed. When he was working in Ramadi, Burghardt says, he was collecting intelligence from about 90% of the IEDs he handled. DD DD Today, explosives technician teams try to collect evidence from "every scene," says Army Col. Karl Reinhard, who commands the Army, Navy and Air Force explosives disposal teams in Iraq. From December 2006 through September 2007, he says technicians have handled more than 6,000 IEDs. Since the war began, he says, records show about 80,000 such bombs were planted. DD DD "Some of the information we would glean would be negligible. Other times, it would be important," Reinhard says. The danger of blowing and going, he says, is that "you never know which needle in the haystack is going to be an important needle." DD DD Military doctrine — specifically, a publication titled Barriers, Obstacles and Mine Warfare for Joint Operations and prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff — reinforces the unique role of explosives disposal teams. The document, dated April 26, characterizes the work of those teams as "an essential part of the overall effort to develop a detailed forensic database to target centers of gravity in the IED system." DD DD "In addition to developing actionable intelligence to support future operations," the document says, reports from explosives disposal teams have "an immediate impact on refining unit level force protection-related tactics, techniques and procedures." DD DD Since 2006, the military has taken significant steps to get more explosives disposal teams throughout the war zone. DD DD Col. Kevin Lutz, an explosives technician set to replace Reinhard next year, says the military has tripled the number of explosives disposal teams in Iraq during the past 18 months — going from about 50 to about 150 three-person teams. Even so, when the tech teams are called to an IED, getting them to the site and letting them gather the intelligence often takes time. Sometimes, the delay is 30 minutes. Occasionally, it extends for hours. DD DD Engineers have been lobbying to take a more active approach in destroying roadside bombs for the past few years, Lutz and others say. The engineers' traditional mission — to breach obstacles to keep units mobile — was arguably more important during the invasion of Iraq than it is now, given the military's current role policing the country. DD DD Nevertheless, officials set up a training course, taught by explosives technicians, to help prepare engineers to detonate IEDs. Reinhard says those engineers receive less than 100 hours of training. Explosives technicians train for more than 1,100 hours, he says. DD DD On May 30, Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the second-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq, issued the order that empowers commanders to let engineers blow and go. DD DD "The intent of the order was to allow qualified individuals to detonate explosives rather than waiting for others who may not be readily available," explains Brig. Gen. Michael Silva, an Army engineer who says he lobbied Odierno for the change. "It was a way to improve the efficiency of the route clearing team operations so we were actually enabling the soldiers to do the job that they needed to get done." DD DD IEDs 'just an obstacle' DD DD An instructor who teaches engineers at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri says the order makes sense. DD DD "If you look at IEDs as just an obstacle, one of the engineer functions is just to remove obstacles," says Maj. Eric Goser, executive officer of the Counter Explosive Hazard Center. "Bottom line: The IED to an engineer is no different than a log obstacle," Goser says. "A log … is an obstacle. You deal with that obstacle in a certain way." DD DD Goser's logic troubles explosives technicians. "The difference is, the log obstacle won't kill you," says Reynold Hoover, a former explosives technician who worked as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and served in the first Gulf War. DD DD "You're gaining mobility," Hoover says, "but what you're losing is the ability to find the bombmaker and the supply chain." DD DD Moreover, the amount of time saved by blowing and going may not be much, Reinhard says. He says a study done this year by his task force estimates "the expected value of the time they could save would be 20 minutes, on average." DD DD "Nobody wants to sit out on the battlefield for three to four hours," he says. "Two or three years ago, they were waiting that long. It's definitely not like that any more." DD DD Statistics on response times are classified, but Reinhard says explosives technicians are now able to arrive relatively quickly at IED sites. "For instance, in the north, 85% of the responses in the last week of September were 90 minutes or less," he says. Lutz says a long wait for explosives technicians today is "an outlier." DD DD Engineer Silva, who is no longer on active duty, is skeptical. He believes information released by the explosives technicians may be "skewed" against giving engineers more of a role. DD DD "My belief is that there was a parochialism engaged there — parochial in the fact that they want to be the only ones … blowing" IEDs, Silva says of explosives technicians. DD DD Do risks outweigh benefits? DD DD It's unclear how often commanders have used the blow-and-go approach. Reinhard says records he reviewed showed engineers detonated "approximately 120" IEDs from June through mid-October — about one a day. DD DD But Army Col. Peter DeLuca, commander of the 20th Engineering Brigade, estimates engineers he oversees blow and go at least three or four IEDs each day — far more than the records reviewed by Reinhard indicate. DD DD "There's been a ramp-up," Reinhard explains. "They may both be true" he says of the figures. DD DD Others aren't certain. "No one is keeping good track of that," says Larry, who heads the Army's anti-IED efforts. "How do we know what they're doing," he says of engineers, "if they don't report it?" DD DD Odierno's order specifies that engineers can only detonate relatively simple IEDs, using devices such as robots and the robotic arm of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles — machines that keep troops out of harm's way. DD DD "We have very, very strict limitations about what we are and what we're not supposed to blow up," says Army Spc. Walter Hayden, the 1st Platoon team leader with the 1203rd Engineer Battalion. "If I ever have any kind of doubt," he says, he calls in explosives technicians. DD DD Silva says he can see the amount handled by engineers growing — and the limitations on engineers being lifted as training improves. To date, neither DeLuca nor Reinhard believes any engineers have been hurt while blowing and going. DD DD Despite reservations, Reinhard says he doesn't "object to the engineers doing this provided that they can live within the bounds that sometimes you need to pause and take the time to exploit." DD DD But some explosives technicians fear that engineers will overstep their mission — and make deadly mistakes. Burghardt says he and his team dismantled more than 900 IEDs during his three tours in Iraq. The one that detonated — the one that left six holes in his body, cracked his tailbone, threw him 10 feet and knocked him unconscious in September 2005, despite the protective gear he wore — was unlike any he had seen. DD DD "It was the first time we saw the tactic of where they double stacked it," says Burghardt, 37, now stationed at Camp Fuji, Japan. "I was standing on top of the device when I was clearing it … and they just leave enough earth in between" that the device beneath the other IED was difficult to spot. DD DD Burghardt's experience is what makes explosives technicians wary of the new order — particularly, the idea that engineers will be able to discern a simple IED from a more sophisticated one. "What's simple?" Burghardt asks rhetorically. "You're not going to know that until it's too late." DD DD Such mistakes put troops and civilians at risk. In a 2005 paper for the Marine Corps War College, Lutz chronicled cases in which mistakes by engineers cost lives. DD DD Two different cases during the first Gulf War in 1991 "led to the massive chemical exposure and contamination of thousands of coalition forces and non-combatants, and the loss of seven United States soldiers," Lutz wrote. The reason for one of the mishaps at As Salman Airfield in Iraq: "Engineers were clearing munitions they were unfamiliar with and that turned out to be some of the most deadly unexploded ordnance our inventory can produce." DD DD He wrote that, "buried within the … investigations, point papers, after-action reports, lessons learned from the various units (now in Iraq) … one can find repetitive incidents where the improper destruction of (explosives) led to severe contamination of the surrounding area and caused injury, death and destruction of equipment and facilities to both United States Armed Forces and to the local Iraqi civilian population." DD DD Explosives technician Plemmons put it more tersely. He says the difference between an engineer and an explosives technician handling an IED is like the difference between "your physician's assistant" and "an orthopedic surgeon." DD DD Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook HH header UB IB WB CW DD If your not a criminal and don't have something to hide you shouldn't worry about the extra security. Well not really, just ask these 15,000 people. DD DD http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-11-06-watchlist_N.htm DD DD 15,000 want off the U.S. terror watch list DD DD By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY DD DD WASHINGTON — More than 15,000 people have appealed to the government since February to have their names removed from the terrorist watch list that delayed their travel at U.S. airports and border crossings, the Homeland Security Department says. DD DD TERROR WATCH: List swells to more than 755,000 DD DD The complaints have created such a backlog that members of Congress are calling for a speedier appeal system that would help innocent people clear their names so they won't fall under future suspicion. Among those who have been flagged at checkpoints: toddlers and senior citizens with the same names as suspected terrorists on the watch list. DD DD "To leave individuals in this purgatory is un-American," says Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., who says she'll introduce legislation to try to streamline the process. DD DD The Homeland Security Department says it gets about 2,000 requests a month from people who want to have their names cleared. That number is so high that the department has been unable to meet its goal of resolving cases in 30 days, says Christopher White, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, which handles the appeals. He says the TSA takes about 44 days to process a complaint. DD DD FIND MORE STORIES IN: Homeland Security Department | Terror | July 4 | John Anderson | Christine Anderson DD In February, the TSA launched the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, a one-stop shop for people to appeal links to the watch list, which flags anyone with potential ties to terrorism. The list has more than 750,000 names. DD DD House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., says he will grill officials at a hearing on Thursday. "Given the widespread use of the terrorist watch list, the redress process is of paramount importance," he says. DD DD John Anderson of Minneapolis, who turned 6 on July 4, is among those who have been inconvenienced. DD DD He was first stopped at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 2004, when his family took him for his first airplane ride to Disney World. "We checked in at the ticket counter, and the woman said in a stern voice, 'Who is John Anderson?' " says his mother, Christine Anderson. "I pointed to my stroller." DD DD Her son is allowed to fly. But because his name is flagged, his family cannot print out a boarding pass for him online and he must check in at the ticket counter so an airline official can see that he's a child. DD DD Christine Anderson says she has tried repeatedly to get her child's name cleared, but she can't find the right forms on the TSA website and none have come in the mail after officials promised to send them. "No one can give any answers to why my son is on the list or really how to get him off," she says. DD DD White says many names will be cleared when the government begins requiring air travelers to provide their birth date. The government won't start collecting that information until next year, he says. HH header UB IB CW DD Racist law. When I worked in LA the Black people I worked with constantly used the N-word! I never heard a non-Black person use it once. DD DD http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-07-racial-slur_N.htm DD DD LA official proposes ban on 'N-word' DD DD LOS ANGELES (AP) — A city councilman and former police chief on Tuesday introduced a symbolic resolution calling on residents of the nation's second-largest city not to use a common racial slur. DD DD City Councilman Bernard Parks, who is black, said he proposed the measure partly because of recent situations carrying racial overtones, including noose-hanging incidents. DD DD The N-word "connotes a lazy person with no self-respect or regard for family, a person who is ignorant, stupid, slow moving, does not speak proper English and has childlike qualities," Parks wrote in the resolution. DD DD The non-binding resolution calls on residents to stop using the slur "and to encourage all others whom they may encounter in their daily routine to cease from using the word as well." DD DD The City Council was scheduled to vote on it Friday. DD DD Nearly a year ago, after former Seinfeld actor Michael Richards spewed the slur at several black audience members at a Los Angeles comedy club, New York City leaders passed a similar symbolic resolution declaring the slur out-of-bounds. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101424 DD DD Auditors warned sheriff’s office on spending DD DD Dennis Welch, Gary Grado, Tribune DD DD Auditors warned the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office about a dysfunctional payroll system six months before an overtime spending crisis erupted this week. DD DD But sheriff’s officials said Tuesday that a series of large-scale investigations — not the problems outlined in the audit — are to blame for overspending that may force a hiring freeze of deputies and detention officers. DD DD Regardless of the cause, the agency has overspent its overtime budget by $1.8 million just four months into the fiscal year. Plans hastily implemented to fix the problem caught the ire of the county Superior Court on Monday and the wrath of inmate families on Saturday. DD DD Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Paul Chagolla called both incidents the result of “miscommunication.” DD DD On Monday, as many as 46 defendants in 61 criminal cases missed their scheduled court appearances because deputies in charge of moving the inmates were told to skip their overtime shifts. DD DD On Saturday night, staff at the Fourth Avenue Jail in downtown Phoenix announced a new visitation policy that would have cut inmate visitation days from six to one. Chagolla said the policy change had been discussed but never approved, and he said fliers announcing the policy were posted in error. DD DD Loretta Barkell, the chief financial officer for the sheriff’s office, said Tuesday that the budget problems are “correctable,” considering the overall budget for the agency is $288 million. DD DD “We’ve been down this road before,” Barkell said. “And when we get $1 million over budget, the flags go up.” DD DD Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Lisa Allen said investigations into former County Schools Superintendent Sandra Dowling, Cactus Towing and a network of East Valley gambling operations, among others, took huge chunks of the overtime money. “We have to do that work,” she said. DD DD Excessive overtime used to cover a shortage of detention officers was partly to blame for the sheriff’s office going over budget by $3 million in 2001. DD DD That crisis forced Sheriff Joe Arpaio to cut back on inmate meals, close satellite booking centers and cut a deal with a major vendor for a cash advance. But Allen said the office eventually got the spending under control. DD DD Overtime issues were discovered again last fiscal year when the county Internal Auditor reviewed the payroll. DD DD The auditor’s report, released in May, said that overtime increased 658 percent from fiscal years 2002 through 2006 despite the hiring of more staff to work in the jails. DD Auditor Ross Tate wrote that overtime generally decreases when more people are hired, but that wasn’t the case with the sheriff’s office. DD DD Auditors found a number of reasons for the problems, including the lack of a plan to reduce overtime. The auditors also found inadequate supervision and ineffective controls of its payroll processes. DD DD Barkell said those payroll problems pertaining to overtime have been corrected. DD DD HH header UB IB CW DD The voters approved some big time corporate welfare in Mesa. On the other hand it may have just government workers that voted the thing in. the Mesa cops and firemen supported it. DD DD The vote count I got was DD 27722 Yes DD 14692 No DD DD So it lost by 13030 votes. And a good number of those votes could have been government employees who work for the City of Mesa. DD DD DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101381 DD DD November 6, 2007 - 9:41PM DD DD Mesa voters embrace Waveyard project DD DD Lindsay Butler, Tribune DD DD Surf’s up, Mesa. Mesa voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the package to allow Waveyard, a $250 million resort and adventure park, to be built in west Mesa. DD DD Proposition 300 passed with 65 percent of the vote, according to the unofficial results released by the Maricopa County Elections Department. Final results are expected by the end of the week. DD DD “Mesa is now on the map,” said former congressman Matt Salmon, who worked as a consultant for the Waveyard company. DD DD Voter approval allows the city to offer an incentive package worth more than $30 million (including interest) to the Waveyard development group. Tuesday’s vote authorizes the city to spend $1.5 million on public improvements and to give Scottsdale-based Waveyard LLC a $20 sales-tax rebate over the next 10 years, plus the cost of interest. DD DD The four years leading up to the election were emotional ones for the two heads of Waveyard, Jerry Hug and Richard Mladick. DD DD “We’ve put our heart and soul into this, and we are so passionate about what we do,” Mladick said. DD DD DD WHAT’S NEXT DD DD The support of the voters is just the first step in months of planning, designing and building the project. DD DD Hug and Mladick are planning a trip this week to Kentucky to meet with architects and retail consultants. DD DD They also plan to attend the International Association of Amusement Parks expo in Orlando this month to meet with consultants and make plans. DD DD And now that they know they can do the project, assembling the assets and investors should be a little easier, Hug said. DD DD “We have a very, very deep list of potential investors,” he said. DD DD Landing the deal with Waveyard is expected to have a domino effect on the entire city. DD DD “When you land something like this it shows an attitude that the city is willing to do business,” said city manager Chris Brady. DD DD Brady said developers as far east as the GM Proving Grounds have been “kicking the tires” as word of Waveyard has spread in the industry. DD DD “We are getting more inquiries than we’ve ever had before,” he said. DD DD Convention and Visitors Bureau director Robert Brinton, who also headed the campaign, compared Waveyard to the Mesa Arts Center and Allegiant Air — projects he said were “revolutionary.” DD DD “There will be more good things happening in the next five years than have happened in the last 20,” he said. DD DD DD THE JOURNEY DD DD The Scottsdale developers first floated the idea last summer, marketing it as a “superpark” with surfing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling. DD DD The plan also included a resort hotel, conference center, spa, sand beach, sports and entertainment retail, office space and residential communities. DD DD Not long after that, Waveyard’s revenue and employment potential attracted bids from both Surprise and Mesa. DD DD Although the Surprise agreement touted financial perks and easy access to the booming West Valley, Mesa eventually won out with its prime location — proximity to Arizona State University, Scottsdale, the airport and two major freeways — and eventual incentive package. DD DD The package requires the city to sell the 120 acres at Eighth Street and Dobson Road for $30 million. DD DD The Waveyard would pay $10 million up front, then $2 million annually for the next 10 years. DD DD The annual $2 million is expected to be paid in sales tax revenue, unless the project doesn’t meet the mark. In that case, the developers would have to pay the difference. DD DD Meanwhile, the city would use that $10 million to relocate the softball fields and make changes to Riverview Park. DD DD The issue was sent to the ballot based on the city’s charter, which dictates a vote on any recreational project that creates more than $1.5 million in debt. DD DD Although the city has not identified the permanent home to the adult softball fields, officials promised in early October that they would remain in west Mesa, a sticking point for many community members. DD DD Another concern for Mesa residents was the amount of water necessary to feed the park, but the developers claim it would use about the same amount as an 18-hole golf course. DD DD The average full-size golf course uses 144 million gallons of water per year. Waveyard is projected to use 60 million to 100 million per year, in addition to the one-time amount of 30 million to 50 million gallons. DD DD “Mesa right now is at an inflection point where wonderful things will happen in the city,” Hug said. “The citizens want to be different, to be special in the Valley.” HH header UB RB LB IB DB WB CW SS II MY DD Even though I couldn't vote because I lost my ID two of the three things I was going to vote against lost. DD DD The results are at: DD DD http://recorder.maricopa.gov/electionresults/Nov2007Static.aspx DD DD TEMPE UNION QUESTION 1 DD 100% (33 of 33) precincts reporting DD Vote for 1 EV VOTES TOTAL VOTES % VOTES DD - BUDGET INCREASE, YES 2508 4850 45.98 DD - BUDGET INCREASE, NO 3724 5697 54.02 DD DD TEMPE UNION QUESTION 2 DD 100% (33 of 33) precincts reporting DD Vote for 1 EV VOTES TOTAL VOTES % VOTES DD - BUDGET INCREASE, YES 2384 4677 44.37 DD - BUDGET INCREASE, NO 3861 5865 55.63 DD DD TEMPE UNION QUESTION 3 DD 100% (33 of 33) precincts reporting DD Vote for 1 EV VOTES TOTAL VOTES % VOTES DD - YES 3657 6259 64.4 DD - NO 2011 3460 35.6 HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101410 DD DD November 7, 2007 - 12:36AM DD Tattoo parlor sues Tempe after denied opening DD Garin Groff, Tribune DD DD The Goldwater Institute is helping the owners of a tattoo parlor sue Tempe because the city is refusing to let them open a tattoo studio. DD DD Though cities have discretion to stop some kinds of businesses, the Phoenix think-tank claims Tempe has gone too far by blocking it solely on the stigma associated with the body-art industry. DD DD The City Council voted unanimously to block a use permit a month ago after hearing from a neighborhood group that opposed the business on Scottsdale Road in north Tempe. DD DD The group argued the business would further degrade the public¡¯s perception of the area, partly because check-cashing, bail-bond, liquor and adult stores have clustered in the area. DD DD The city overreached its authority by blocking a business that meets all the city¡¯s legal requirements, said Clint Bolick, the Goldwater Institute litigation director. DD DD ¡°If the city wants to enact a policy, it should enact a policy rather than making decisions on an ad-hoc basis,¡± Bolick said. ¡°Right now Tempe has no restrictions on tattoo studios, and we think that lumping tattoo studios in with undesirable businesses is irrational.¡± DD DD The institute filed suit Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court on behalf of Thomas and Elizabeth Preston, who have owned a Mesa tattoo parlor named Virtual Reality for 14 years. They previously owned a Tempe tattoo shop. DD DD The Prestons are trying to overturn Tempe¡¯s decision and seek financial compensation. DD DD Thomas Preston spent about $30,000 to meet conditions of a use permit the city had issued previously, according to the suit. DD DD Preston said he assumed he had permission to open, but was later informed a neighborhood group appealed the permit he was issued. DD DD ¡°As far as we knew, we could go into business,¡± Preston said. DD DD But the council later voted to reject the permit based on the appeal. DD DD Preston said he is only suing Tempe because the Goldwater Institute contacted him and offered to represent him for free. He said he couldn¡¯t afford the attorneys fees otherwise. DD DD City Attorney Andrew Ching said he hadn¡¯t read the suit yet. DD DD Neighbors oppose the business because they say the presence of a tattoo parlor signals an area is in decline, said Darlene Justus, president of the North Tempe Neighborhood Association. The area already has too many payday-loan stores, pawn shops and adult businesses, she said. DD DD ¡°It¡¯s just piling on top of what we already have to contend with,¡± Justus said. DD DD Preston argued tattoo parlors aren¡¯t seedy places. Tattoos are mainstream now and customers include police, fire fighters, teachers and lawyers, he said. DD DD ¡°If you go around Tempe and do a poll of how many people have tattoos, I can guarantee you it¡¯s going to be well above 50 percent,¡± Preston said. HH header UB IB CW DD To make fun of racists my brother used to jokingly say “I’m not prejudiced; I think Blacks should have the same rights as Mexicans and Indians”. I guess the Arizona DPS can honestly say “We don’t treat Blacks any differently then we treat Mexicans or Indians”. DD DD While the numbers say the cops at the DPS are a bunch of racists who shake down Negros, Mexicans and Indians, they are trying to make us believe that just because they stop tons more people with colored skin they are not racists. DD DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1107dps1107.html DD DD Racial trends found in DPS traffic stops DD DD Data not necessarily proof of profiling, researchers say DD DD Dennis Wagner DD DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 7, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD A statewide study of traffic stops has found new evidence of possible racial-profiling by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, although researchers cautioned that other factors may explain the high rate of arrests and vehicle searches involving minorities. DD DD According to the University of Cincinnati report, Highway Patrol officers were more than twice as likely to search vehicles driven by Hispanics and Blacks than those operated by Anglos during 2006. Minority motorists also were far more likely to be arrested and to be hit with multiple traffic citations. DD DD The most dramatic findings involved the treatment of Hispanic motorists. According to the study, they were the most likely to be searched, arrested, cited and to receive multiple citations but least likely to get off with warnings. DD DD Although acknowledging that racial bias is a possible reason, the 223-page report says such a conclusion should be "tempered" because ethnic-enforcement disparities "may be explained by legitimate factors unmeasured by these data." Such factors include severity of the traffic offense, motorist attitudes and socioeconomic status. DD DD The team of academic investigators, headed by Professor Robin S. Engel of the university's Policing Institute, recommends that the DPS gather more data for analysis in the future, conduct focus groups and take other steps to gain a complete understanding of the results. DD DD In an interview, Engel said the findings mirror racial disparities common to police organizations throughout the nation. She said it's not possible to conclude that discrimination is to blame. DD DD "Until I can get into the mind of an officer, I cannot determine whether he or she is making stops based on race. No researcher can do that," Engel said. "It could be officer bias. I haven't ruled that out." DD DD The inquiry was conducted with the DPS' cooperation as part of the settlement of a 2001 lawsuit against the agency pursued by the ACLU and criminal defendants. They accused state troopers of targeting minority motorists, particularly Blacks and Hispanics, along interstate freeways near Flagstaff. DD DD The DPS settled the case in 2006 after advising the court that it had lost or destroyed two years' worth of traffic-stop data. Although state police did not admit wrongdoing, they agreed to gather detailed information on traffic stops by all officers for analysis. Engel was a consultant for the state in the lawsuit, and the DPS is paying for her three-year research project. DD DD Dan Pachoda, legal director for the ACLU in Arizona, said the new data are similar to findings by plaintiffs three years ago. DD DD "It clearly indicates racially biased decision-making," he added. DD DD Fred Solop, director of the Social Research Lab at Northern Arizona University and a consultant for plaintiffs in the lawsuit, conducted his own analysis of the DPS data, focusing only on traffic stops along interstates in Arizona. Solop said his breakdown shows Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans are 2½ times as likely as Anglos to be searched by DPS officers. He also found that the duration of traffic stops increased significantly for minorities even when no search was conducted. Blacks and Hispanics were delayed about two minutes longer than Anglos; Middle Easterners were held up nearly five additional minutes. DD DD Solop rejected the University of Cincinnati researchers' suggestion that unknown factors, rather than prejudice, could account for the statistical disparities. DD DD "The data is very clearly showing . . . different racial and ethnic groups are being treated unequally," Solop said. DD DD DPS Director Roger Vanderpool said the agency is dedicated to protecting residents and safeguarding their rights. Although it is unclear from the study whether some officers are enforcing the law with prejudice, doing so violates department policy, he added. DD DD He said the DPS revised training methods two years ago and agreed that officers must obtain signed consent forms before searching motorist vehicles. DD DD Engel and a team of academic investigators reviewed four years of DPS records beginning in 2003 but based their findings on data from 460,545 motorist contacts statewide by the DPS last year. All but a handful of the vehicle stops were carried out by Highway Patrol officers. Of the total, 62 percent of the drivers were Anglo, 25 percent were Hispanic, 5 percent were Native American and 4 percent were Black. DD DD Authors of the study emphasized that they were unable to obtain an accurate ethnic breakdown of all motorists who drive on Arizona highways and therefore could not determine whether minorities are pulled over at a disproportionate rate. However, the data showed conclusively that, once a vehicle was stopped, minority drivers received more-severe treatment even when other factors such as the reason for the stop or the vehicle condition were identical. DD DD Among the key determinations: DD DD • Arrests: More than 4 percent of the minorities stopped by DPS officers were arrested, while 2.4 percent of the Anglos were taken into custody. DD DD • Searches: Vehicles driven by Hispanics were searched 7.7 percent of the time, followed by Blacks (7.1 percent) and Native Americans (6.2 percent). Anglo motorists were searched in 3.2 percent of all stops. (Solop's analysis of DPS stops along major interstates found that one in 10 minorities was searched by officers, compared with one in 25 Anglos.) DD DD • Seizures: When DPS officers conducted discretionary searches, they seized contraband from Hispanics' vehicles 36 percent of the time, compared with about half of the time for Anglos and Blacks. Undocumented immigrants, primarily Hispanics, were about five times as likely to be searched but far less likely to possess contraband as other groups. DD DD • Citations: Hispanics received the most citations and the fewest warnings from officers. DD DD Engel said Hispanics' cultural differences may explain why they submitted themselves to searches more readily. She said minorities may face tougher enforcement because low-income drivers are likely to have vehicle-equipment violations, expired license plates or insurance and other problems. DD DD Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the ACLU in Arizona, said racial-profiling is common in law-enforcement agencies nationwide and in a U.S. justice system that imprisons minorities at a disproportionate rate. DD DD "Searching people based on color of skin does absolutely nothing to improve public safety," she added. DD DD Lee Phillips, an attorney who filed the 2001 lawsuit and represents defendants arrested on the highways, said the new data could affect about a dozen pending criminal cases. DD DD In addition to analyzing ethnic distinctions, researchers looked at gender differences in enforcement. According to the study, 72 percent of all drivers stopped were male. There is no data on the number of men and women motorists on Arizona highways. Engel said that, in addition to the fact that more drivers are male, studies have demonstrated that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. DD DD Academic investigators made other findings that may surprise some. For instance, 30 percent of the drivers contacted by DPS officers did not live in Arizona and 60 percent did not live in the county where they were stopped. DD DD Another quirk: Although Anglo motorists generally endured less enforcement action, they were ticketed for speeding at a higher level than all other ethnic groups. Black drivers, however, received more tickets for speeding in excess of 85 mph. DD DD In at least two categories, Native American drivers appeared to get off easy. They received fewer tickets and more warnings than any other group. DD DD Reach the reporter at 602-444-8874. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1107courtstaffing1107.html DD DD Sheriff's Office to rein in spending DD OT crisis may force cuts in training, travel DD Yvonne Wingett and Michael Kiefer DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 7, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Maricopa County sheriff's officials said Tuesday that they will do whatever it takes to offset millions of dollars in overspending, without sacrificing services that affect public safety. DD DD Among other things, they pledge to spend whatever it costs to follow state law to transport prisoners to their court proceedings and ensure the safety of judges, jurors and court staffers. DD DD The move reverses an earlier decision and comes after a Republic report detailed how overtime spending in just a few months has already exceeded the budget for that category for the entire fiscal year. DD DD What's uncertain is how the Sheriff's Office got into the financial mess in the first place and what cuts or reductions in other areas must be made. DD DD Officials with the Office of Management and Budget will soon meet with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and all his deputy chiefs to talk about ways to hold down costs. So far, overtime and hiring freezes have been suggested. DD DD "The extras go bye-bye," Sheriff's Office Chief Loretta Barkell said. "We cut back on training, we cut travel, we cut back on supplies, we cut back on any special projects or programs that may come up that we can't cover beyond our normal duties. We're pretty tight anyway, but we get even tighter." DD DD If the spending continues at the current pace, the Sheriff's Office will spend about $19 million on overtime, exceeding the overtime budget by $14.5 million, according to an internal memo obtained by The Republic. DD DD The overspending came to a head on Monday, when Sheriff's Office managers decided not to approve enough overtime hours to adequately staff the Superior Court. Forty-six inmates did not make it to court, which sent ripples through the criminal-justice system, threw off judges' schedules, kept jurors waiting and potentially infringed on the inmates' constitutional rights to speedy trials. DD DD The Sheriff's Office almost immediately reversed that decision after a judge called them into court and threatened them with contempt of court if it happened again. The court was fully staffed on Tuesday. DD DD Sheriff's officials say they will slow down or stop spending for non-essential operations to prevent the overrun. All state-mandated duties - including patrolling, jail operations and inmate transportation - will not be affected, they said. Overtime overruns so far this year included costs for detention officers in the jails, totaling $1.7 million. Overtime for patrolling unincorporated areas was nearly $1 million. Transportation of inmates to and from jail was about $557,200. DD DD Investigations costs - which include a longtime case against a Mesa towing company, sexual-abuse and other cases - were about $537,600. An additional $138,000 covered the costs of collecting data to determine the legal status of people suspected of being undocumented immigrants. Relatively little, about $26,400 was spent investigating threats against the sheriff and anyone in his office. Much of the money spent investigating a dubious assassination plot reported by an informant was reflected in last year's budget. DD DD The Sheriff's Office has a history of overspending on overtime. DD DD Last year, for example, officials exceeded the office's overtime budget by more than $10 million. By cutting back on extras and absorbing costs in other areas, they came in under budget at the end of the year and even returned $3.1 million to the county's general fund. DD DD A report issued in May by the county's internal audit division showed that "premium pay," which includes overtime, had increased by 650 percent over four years despite hiring new personnel. The auditors came down on the office for failing to adequately manage or document overtime and family- and medical-leave payments. Many of those records, according to the audit, were kept on paper and corrected with Wite-Out without proper initialing to show who had made the corrections. DD DD "We're going to have to tighten our belt, but we're going to be in the black," said Capt. Paul Chagolla, a Sheriff's Office spokesman. "We are not going to go over. We've been here before, twice. We've shown each and every time we can manage our money." HH header UB RB DD Hmmm.... How come god hasn't came down from heaven and released the pope of the FLDS church from his jail cell? DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1106b1-update1107.html DD DD Court records indicate Jeffs tried to hang himself DD Associated Press DD Nov. 6, 2007 11:00 PM DD DD Polygamist-sect leader Warren Jeffs attempted to hang himself in jail in January, eight months before a jury convicted him of rape as an accomplice, according to documents released by a Utah judge Tuesday. DD DD Eric Nielsen, a mental-health expert, examined Jeffs in April and found him depressed but fit for trial. DD DD Jeffs attempted to hang himself in his cell at the Washington County, Utah, jail on Jan. 28, Nielsen wrote. DD DD On Jan. 30 and Feb. 2, Jeffs was throwing himself against the walls and banging his head, Nielsen said. DD DD In April, Jeffs replied "not really" when Nielsen asked if he had truly intended to kill himself. DD DD Jeffs, 51, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was convicted of rape as an accomplice in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old follower. Sentencing is Nov. 20. HH header UB IB CW DD Are the cops lying to us about Daniel Pochoda? Did he really refuse to move his car? Or are the cops making that up? DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/1107pochoda1107.html DD DD Ariz. ACLU official admitted guilt after arrest at protest, report says DD DD Lindsey Collom DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 7, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD It wasn't until he was handcuffed that the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona admitted wrongdoing during a weekend protest, according to an arrest report released Tuesday. DD DD The Maricopa County Sheriff's report said a shackled Daniel Pochoda told deputies, "I know I was wrong," after repeated warnings to remove his vehicle Saturday from the parking lot of the M.D. Pruitt's furniture store in east Phoenix. DD DD Pochoda, 65, was booked into a Maricopa County jail on suspicion of trespassing and later released. DD DD Despite his admission on the record, Pochoda has since claimed he did not do anything illegal. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday but said in an earlier Republic interview that "nothing unlawful occurred on my part." DD DD The local ACLU chapter agrees. DD DD "We dispute these events," said Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU executive director. "The report makes it sounds like he was provoking it, and that's simply not true. We do believe that he was complying with police orders and that he was planning to leave and was walking to his car." DD DD Six off-duty deputies had been hired by Pruitt's to maintain order Saturday and ensure only customers were parking in the lot during a nearby demonstration of activists and day-laborers. Pochoda was there to observe interaction between protesters and law enforcement. DD DD According to one deputy's account, Pochoda was combative when asked at least six times to remove his vehicle from the area. The report said Pochoda told deputies although he was not a Pruitt's customer, deputies did not have the authority to cite him for trespassing. DD DD Soler Meetze said the ACLU will meet today with attorneys to discuss the issue. HH header UB IB CW DD Cops try to sell us more of the rubbish that only cops are qualified to arrest criminals. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/1106mr-cigarrobb1106.html DD DD Mesa cigar store robbers now You Tube stars DD JJ Hensley DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 6, 2007 03:22 PM DD DD Two thieves got more than they burgled for when they tried to rip off Big Sticks Fine Cigars in Mesa over the weekend. DD DD The two crooks got away with a pair of wristwatches valued at about $2,000, but they also became unwitting stars in the process. DD DD Big Sticks owner, Bob Guertin promptly placed video surveillance footage of the pair on YouTube, a ploy that Guertin hopes will work with a $1,000 reward to help bring the crooks to justice. DD DD "I wanted to make them famous," Guertin said. "There's no honor among thieves, and his best friend today might be the one turning on him for a thousand bucks tomorrow." DD DD But while the measure has scored Guertin some modest hits on YouTube, a number that will surely increase as more media outlets get wind of his ploy, it hasn't resulted in any credible leads yet for Mesa Police detectives investigating the case. DD DD Guertin is convinced the tactic will catch on among business owners who are often reliant on police assistance and media coverage to get help solving what amount to relatively petty crimes. DD DD Guertin, for his part, was steamed about the vanishing watches, but was more peeved about the brazen acts of the thieves, who came in early in the day and did their deeds while the store was barely occupied, with one crook distracting employees while the other did the dirty work. DD DD The crooks were so confident that one came back a second day and pulled a watch out of a display case that Guertin was repairing from the prior day's thievery. DD DD It all plays out for the World Wide Web to see in Guertin's YouTube clip, which he thinks is immenently more valuable than the homemade wanted fliers he put up in his store, and at other locations around town. DD DD "I don't roll over and take it lightly," said Guertin, a Chandler resident. "I don't want anyone else to be victimized." DD DD Mesa Police share that desire, said Diana Tapia, a department spokeswoman, but she cautioned that business owners should be careful when they're pursuing shoplifting suspects. Guertin had to chase one of the suspected shoplifters into a waiting van before the thief escaped. Guertin got the license plate number, but admits it could have been a foolish move if the suspect was armed. DD DD Tapia said that's a good reason to let the police handle such situations. DD DD "We recommend to anybody that if their business has been shoplifted or burglarized, call the police right away, report the incident and make sure you are safe," Tapia said. "We don't want anyone to put themselves in danger." HH header UB RB IB CW DD Government nannies are always telling us to do one thing and they do another. According to the goverment gay sex, and sex in public is bad, but not for Buckeye town manager Dave Wilcox DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/1107swv-wilcox1107-ON.html DD DD Ex-Buckeye town manager arrested at sex shop DD DD Elias C. Arnold DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 7, 2007 10:49 AM DD DD Former Buckeye Town Manager Dave Wilcox was arrested last week on suspicion of public sexual indecency at a Phoenix adult shop, police said. DD DD Wilcox, 60, and David Duran, 34, were engaged in "sexual activity" at 8:50 p.m on Nov. 1 when a plain-clothes police officer spotted them inside a coin-operated, video-viewing booth, Phoenix police said. DD DD Sgt. Joel Tranter, a police spokesman, said the officer was conducting a routine walk-through at The Adult Shoppe near 24th and Jefferson streets in Phoenix when he saw the men inside the booth. Phoenix city code allows only one person per booth in an adult store. DD DD "It's just to make sure there's no drug activity, public sexual indecency, that they're adhering to their stipulations," Tranter said of such inspections, which he described as routine. DD DD Wilcox was Flagstaff's longtime city manager before he joined Buckeye in January. Last month, the Buckeye Town Council approved a separation agreement with Wilcox but kept him on the town payroll as a "special consultant" until Dec. 31. The council did not publicly explain the reasons for parting with Wilcox, who lives in Buckeye's Verrado community. DD DD When asked for his occupation, Wilcox identified himself as a consultant for the town, Tranter said. DD DD Wilcox, who is married, and Duran were cited and released at the scene on suspicion of public sexual indecency, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/11/06/82-year-old_tasered_by_chicago_police/6360/ DD DD DD 82-year-old Tasered by Chicago police DD DD Published: Nov. 6, 2007 at 12:02 PM DD DD CHICAGO, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The Chicago Police Department is reviewing whether proper procedures were followed in the Tasering of an 82-year-old grandmother. DD DD Officers arrived at the home of Lillian Fletcher, 82, Oct. 29 for a "well-being" check requested by the city's Department of Aging. However, Fletcher refused to allow the police to enter her home and the officers pushed their way through the slightly open door, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday. DD DD The officers said Fletcher attempted to attack them with a hammer before she was subdued by a Taser-wielding police officer. DD DD "My grandmother is easily confused," Traci Taylor, Fletcher's granddaughter, told the Sun-Times. "She probably didn't know what was going on." DD DD Taylor said her grandmother suffers from schizophrenia and dementia. DD DD "The matter is being looked into by the Office of Professional Standards, and the Chicago Police Department will also be reviewing the matter to determine if procedures were followed," a police spokesman said. DD DD Fletcher was hospitalized for five days following the incident and the Sun-Times said she complains about persistent pain from the burn on her abdomen, where she was struck by the Taser. DD DD http://chicago.injuryboard.com/personal-injury/chicago-cop-being-investigated-for-tasering-an-82year-old-woman.php?googleid=12994 DD DD Chicago Cop Being Investigated for Tasering an 82-Year Old Woman DD DD November 06, 2007 DD DD By Jenny Albano DD DD Chicago's Police Department is investigating a cop's use of a taser gun on an 82-year old woman, who police say was swinging a hammer at them when they arrived. DD DD Officials with the city's Department on Aging went to her home Oct. 29 to make a welfare check, and called police when they saw Fletcher in a window swinging a hammer back and forth, police spokeswoman Monique Bond said Tuesday. DD DD Police officers went to the home to try and calm Lillian Fletcher down and one of the officers used their Taser gun. The department is now investigating whether the officer violated policy regarding the use of the Taser. DD DD Fletcher was rushed to the hospital after being stunned, but was eventually released. Fletcher stated that the officers pushed their way into her home and just shocked her, but her granddaughter told authorities that Fletcher suffers from schizophrenia and dementia. DD DD Taser guns use compressed nitrogen to shoot two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing to give a 50,000-volt shock to immobilize people. DD DD http://chicagoist.com/2007/11/06/dont_tase_me.php DD DD November 6, 2007 DD 82-Year-Old Woman Tased DD DD Mary Mitchell goes to town today with an article about Chicago police officers Tasing an 82-year-old woman. DD DD The Illinois Department of Aging (who knew?) received an anonymous tip that Lillian Fletcher, alone in her West Side home, needed help; they dispatched the police to do well-being check. When police got to Fletcher's door, she refused to let them in, and when they pushed their way in, she got a hammer. DD DD Police spokeswoman Monique Bond tells a slightly different version of events: DD DD Workers with the city's Department on Aging were making what is called a "well being check" at Fletcher's home on the city's southwest side... "The woman was seen at the window with a hammer in her hand, swinging it back and forth," Bond said. The social workers called police. A landlord opened the door with a key and when the officers stepped inside, the woman was swinging the hammer, Bond said. DD DD 2007_11_6.taser.jpg DD Either way, the police told her to stop, she didn't, and they Tasered her. They took her to Mt. Sinai Hospital for treatment, where she was hospitalized for five days. DD DD Fletcher's granddaughter, Traci Taylor, told Mitchell that her grandmother is schizophrenic and suffers from dementia. She also says that her grandmother is still complaining about pain and a burn on her abdomen from the October 29 incident, and that doctors told her that her grandmother should be treated by a neurologist because she has fluid on her brain. We can't tell if Mitchell and Taylor are saying that the fluid is a result of the Tasing--electric shocks have been linked to disrupting heartbeats, but we're not finding anything linking Tasers to hydrocephalus. DD DD Mitchell's story loses us, though: DD DD Obviously, there are times when a Taser should be used to keep the peace. And disabling an out-of-control person is better than shooting that person and asking questions later. DD DD But in Fletcher's case, police officers showed extremely poor judgment. Even if she didn't look elderly, there was no question she was mentally disturbed. DD DD How do these police officers justify using such force on an elderly woman? Where was their compassion? DD DD First, that's not obvious--plenty of people disagree that Tasers should ever be used. Second, if Mitchell says "disabling and out-of-control person" is fine, doesn't Tasering someone who's obviously mentally disturbed fall within that category? Third, if she's going to concede that Fletcher might not have looked elderly, then how can she wonder how the officers would justify their use of force? Wouldn't they say "She didn't look that old, and she was mentally disturbed and swinging a hammer at us"? DD DD Look, we're obviously not advocating the Tasering of 82-year-old women. Tasers are dangerous and can be extra dangerous if they're used on someone's who's on drugs or has a heart condition. But how are police supposed to assess that at the scene, theoretically in life-or-death situations? HH header UB IB WB CW DD It is interesting how these government nannies can complain about these Yahoo Inc. officials who obeyed Chinese law and turned in a person who was a criminal under Chinese law (although we would view him as a freedom fighter). While at the same time the U.S. government gives millions to the dictator of Pakistan who has declared martial law there, and claim he is a good guy who is helping us fight terrorism. DD DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/1107biz-yahoocongress1107.html DD DD Execs defend Yahoo's role in China journalist's arrest DD DD Associated Press DD DD Nov. 7, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD WASHINGTON - Two top Yahoo Inc. officials spent a tense day on Capitol Hill defending their company's role in the jailing of a Chinese journalist. DD DD Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee angrily urged the pair to apologize to the imprisoned activist's mother, who was sitting directly behind them. DD DD Journalist Shi Tao was sent to jail for 10 years for engaging in pro-democracy efforts deemed subversive after Yahoo turned over information about his online activities requested by authorities. DD DD Yahoo chief executive Jerry Yang and general counsel Michael Callahan turned around from the witness table and bowed from their seats to Shi's mother, who bowed and then began to weep. DD DD Yang contended that Yahoo "has been open and forthcoming with this committee at every step of this investigative process" - a contention Lantos and other committee members rejected. DD DD The committee is investigating statements Callahan made at a congressional hearing early last year. DD DD Callahan said at the time that the Sunnyvale, Calif., Internet giant had no information about the nature of the Chinese government's investigation of Shi when the company turned over information about him. DD DD Callahan has since acknowledged that Yahoo officials had received a subpoenalike document that made reference to suspected "illegal provision of state secrets" - a common charge against political dissidents. DD DD Callahan said Tuesday that Yahoo employees in China had little choice but to comply with the demands. DD DD "I cannot ask our local employees to resist lawful demands and put their own freedom at risk, even if, in my personal view, the local laws are overbroad," Callahan said. DD DD "I do not believe that America's best and brightest companies should be playing integral roles in China's notorious and brutal political repression apparatus," Lantos replied. DD DD Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., compared Yahoo's cooperation with the Chinese government to companies that cooperated with Nazi Germany during World War II. DD DD Lawmakers demanded to know what Yahoo would do to help Shi's family and reacted with derision when neither Yang nor Callahan provided a concrete answer. DD DD Callahan said that in going into future markets such as Vietnam, Yahoo would aim to find a way to avoid turning over information on citizens' online activities. DD DD "I would hope to have a structure in place ... that we would be able to resist those demands or have that data not be accessible," he said. HH header UB IB DD Interesting, the rulers of Chandler seem to think THEY own this land, not Motorola. And that they should decide how the land is used, not Motorola. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/1106biz-cr-motorola1107.html DD DD Battle brewing over Chandler's Motorola site DD DD Edythe Jensen DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 6, 2007 04:16 PM DD DD Chandler's Motorola plant - along with its 153 acres of land - could soon become a zoning battleground with prospective buyers wanting to build houses on part of what is now prime industrial real estate. DD DD The site, which sits north of Queen Creek Road, in the Price Road corridor, is critical because it is one of the last available industrial parcels in the nearly built-out city. DD DD Some officials, including Mayor Boyd Dunn, have already taken firm stands against residential development in the area and say the Motorola acreage - currently listed for sale - will play a key role in the area's employment future. DD DD But there are a few, including two City Council members, who say they are open to allowing some residential development if it's well planned. DD DD The City Council will ultimately have the final say on what happens to the site, which could set the stage for high-stakes lobbying and political pressures. Developers and home-builders are historically large contributors to political campaigns, and four seats will open in next year's municipal election, including Dunn's. DD DD Still, Dunn, who has met with two interested buyers that he wouldn't name, said he isn't changing his position. DD DD I was very frank with them; I told them I would not support residential development on that property," Dunn said. "We are running out of space in the airpark area, and I can't imagine not preserving this site for employment." DD DD Planning Director Doug Ballard also said he would oppose residential zoning anywhere on the site. DD DD However, the City Council has the final say, which could set the stage for high-stakes lobbying and political pressures. Developers and home builders are historically large contributors to political campaigns, and four seats will be open in next year's municipal election, including Dunn's. DD DD "One of the reasons Chandler has become the envy of the Valley is because we have developed a strong employment base," Ballard said. "This parcel gives us another tremendous opportunity to do things right." DD DD Prime land DD DD A fixture in the city's Price Road Corridor since 1985, Motorola announced this year it was closing the Chandler plant, its largest in Arizona. Christine Mackay, economic development specialist for the city, said the company wants to sell the site before the end of the year. DD DD The development is in a unique location because it sits in the middle of Chandler's high-technology hub and near Intel. But it is also just north of one of the Valley's most desirable residential communities - Ocotillo. DD DD Developers who want to build houses, apartments or condos on the eastern portion would first have to get a zoning change, and city planners are vowing to resist that. DD DD "This will be the ultimate test of our build-out strategy - and our moxie," said Hank Pluster, interim long range planning director. DD DD Mayor Boyd Dunn and council members Lowell Huggins, Matt Orlando and Trinity Donovan said it's important to keep the site's industrial zoning. However, Councilmen Martin Sepulveda and Jeff Weninger say they would be open to some residential as part of a mixed-used proposal if it were designed well. DD DD Sepulveda said mixed-used projects that combine high-density residential with commercial is the wave of the future. DD DD Misleading information DD DD Part of the problem, Chandler Planning Director Doug Ballard said, is that Motorola's Chicago-based real estate company has misled prospective buyers by telling them Chandler's General Plan allows homes on the eastern portion of the site, which is contrary to what officials told company representatives months earlier. DD DD In a recent letter to Guy Ponticiello of Jones-Lang-LaSalle, the real estate company, Assistant Planning Director Jeff Kurtz calls attention to the misleading sales information, asks him to share the correct information with interested parties and points out that his company was using outdated maps with incorrect street alignments. DD DD Motorola has been credited with starting the influx of technology firms to Chandler during the early 1980s; now Dunn said he hopes the city can create a science and technology park at the site similar to ASU Research Park in Tempe. DD DD "We intend to stand firm," Dunn said. "This is the last opportunity we have for a large employment base." HH header UB IB CW DD Hey its not about helping the kid!!! Its a jobs program for high paid lawyers in the legal system, and a jobs program for nannies in the government child welfare systems. Its about jobs, not justice!!!!! DD DD http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20071107/us_time/willachildbechargedinthefires DD DD Will a Child Be Charged in the Fires? By MICHAEL LINDENBERGER DD DD The 10-year-old boy who accidentally started one of the worst California wildfires last month could face stern consequences, should prosecutors decide to bring charges. Though too young to be charged as an adult, the boy could still face millions of dollars in fines, removal from his home and possible detention as a ward of the state. For now the boy's fate - and that of his parents, who would be partially liable for any restitution payments he would have to pay - rests with Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. His office told TIME he has not yet decided how to proceed. "The matter is under review," spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons told TIME on Monday. "No decision has been made." DD DD To bring those charges, all Cooley must decide is whether the boy knew right from wrong - an easy standard to meet, other prosecutors in the state say. "That is a lot easier to establish than you would think," said Cyndi Jo Means, a deputy district attorney in nearby San Diego County who leads that county's juvenile division arson team. "Think of your own children, even very small children; most of the time they know when they did something wrong." DD DD Despite the low hurdle to prosecution, Means contends the California juvenile justice system seeks to help young suspects, who can benefit from counseling and close supervision from the court and case workers. Children under 14 are nearly always charged as juveniles, not adults - no matter what the crime. "We try to help the child, and prosecuting them as adults would not be very helpful," Means said. Any finding of guilt, she added, would not follow the boy into adulthood. DD DD Southern Californians are still sorting through the wreckage from the fires, which burned more than 800 square miles - an area 40 times as large as Manhattan - and destroyed some 2,100 homes. The 10-year-old's carelessness sparked the Buckweed fire in Los Angeles County, which destroyed 21 homes and injured at least three people. Those losses have left some residents in a less than forgiving mood. "If you accidentally set a massive fire that destroys homes, cause residents to flee for their lives and requires millions of dollars in resources to extinguish, then you damn well need to pay the piper," wrote Dave Bossert on his online newspaper, The West Ranch Beacon. DD DD Peter Arenella, a professor at the UCLA Law School said any prosecution of a 10-year-old that aims to punish the boy, rather than help him, "is an absurdity. The only justification for that would be if, in some extreme case, there was a need to protect society from him." Barring that, he said, prosecutors should be reluctant to sweep the boy up into the legal system. DD DD It's hard to see how stern consequences - taking the boy from his parents, for instance, and handing down a multi-million fine - would be helpful to the 10-year-old. Much of the decision of whether to prosecute him rests with Cooley, who like prosecutors everywhere has a great deal of discretion. Unless uglier details about the boy's behavior are discovered, he could decide that in this case playing with matches doesn't rise the level of arson - even if the boy admits he knew that doing so was wrong. As Means points out, children almost always admit they knew their actions were wrong when they are questioned by police or prosecutors, which can be a scary experience for a kid. DD DD When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty for inmates who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, it argued that teenagers' brains are not fully formed until they are grown, and that punishing them as adults was therefore cruel and unusual. No one is saying a 10-year-old boy ought to be executed for setting a fire, but even the lesser punishment the boy is facing could be nearly as cruel. That has led some to argue that the bar for prosecution ought to be higher than simply proving that he knew right from wrong. Boys know lots of things are wrong - from ignoring bedtimes to eating too many cookies. A better standard, some argue, would be determining whether the boy, at 10, had any way of knowing the consequences of what he was doing with those matches. With reporting by Jill Underwood/San Diego HH header UB IB CW DD What could be worse then Sheriff Joe and Andrew Thomas? Something put together by former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson. I don't know the specifics on this but it could be like running Hitler out of town and replacing him with Stalin. Either way you go government sucks. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101411 DD DD November 7, 2007 - 12:38AM DD DD Controversies fuel county attorney’s race DD DD Jill Redhage, Tribune DD DD On the heels of recent controversies involving Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, several Valley residents are campaigning to replace him. DD DD Phoenix lawyer Art Hamilton and former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson announced Tuesday that they’ve formed an exploratory committee in support of Gerald Richard, director of the Phoenix Police Department, for county attorney in 2008. DD DD “I’m very excited, and I’m honored that the committee has gone ahead and filed the paperwork,” Richard said Tuesday. DD DD Richard, a Democrat, said he’s been interested in running for the position since he was a deputy county attorney more than 14 years ago. He passed up the opportunity to run in 2004 so he’d have more time to spend with his daughter, he said. DD DD If elected, Richard said he’d focus on “prosecution over politics” and building consensus among law enforcement, the courts and the public. He named violent crime, illegal immigration and juvenile justice as issues that would be central to his campaign. DD DD The committee’s announcement follows a string of highly scrutinized moves by Thomas, which included his request in October for a senior Superior Court judge to recuse himself from all cases involving the county attorney’s office and aggressive investigations into the Phoenix New Times newspaper and state Attorney General Terry Goddard, to whom he lost the 2002 election for attorney general. DD DD “Gerald Richard is someone who will go after the bad guys,” said Johnson, the committee’s finance chairman, in a prepared statement. “Even more important, he doesn’t define the bad guys as his critics including judges, attorney generals and the newspapers.” DD DD Committee member Karl Gentles said the timing of the announcement wasn’t planned to coincide with the recent disputes over Thomas’ conduct. DD DD “Gerald is a relative newcomer to the political process,” Gentles said. “The exploratory committee really felt it was time to get this together to tell how strong of a chance he has.” DD DD “We’re on our own timeline,” Gentles added. DD DD Richard has been the director of the Phoenix Police Department for 14 years, where he oversees the administrative support division. He earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from Arizona State University. DD DD He also received a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University, where he is pursuing a doctorate and teaching. DD DD The county attorney’s office had no comment on the announcement Tuesday evening. HH header UB IB CW DD The dumb ass cops should figure you can't have it both ways! If your going to shake down anybody with brown skin and try to ship them back they won't trust you. DD DD Which is what the Chandler police do in their racist patrols of downtown Chandler where the illegals hang out. And of course which is what Sheriff Joe is starting to do. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/1107cr-rapist1108.html DD DD Police seek immigrant help on rapist case DD DD Sarah Muench DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 7, 2007 03:18 PM DD DD The majority of undocumented immigrants won't report crimes to police for fear of being deported, creating a chilling effect between police and that community, immigrants and experts say. DD DD It's no different in the hunt for the Chandler rapist. But police are taking steps to reach out to the undocumented community in hopes another victim or someone with information about the rapist will come forward and help solve the case, which has stymied police for a year. DD DD José Juan Ramirez, a day laborer in Chandler, said the community is aware of the rapist case but "my (undocumented) friends are afraid of going to the police" for any crime, even if they are victims. DD DD Recent and past experience with law enforcement fuels those feelings: DD DD • Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio now has deputies involved in enforcing some immigration laws, training some deputies in immigration law, which allows them to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants in certain situations. DD DD • The city's Downtown Chandler Community Partnership has hired off-duty Chandler police officers to patrol the historic square area in the mornings to enforce a no-stopping ordinance in areas where day laborers congregate to solicit work. DD DD • In 1997, Chandler police teamed up with immigration officials to arrest illegal immigrants. Several dozen U.S. citizens and legal residents caught in what later became known as the "roundup" sued, saying their civil rights had been violated. They won a $400,000 settlement from the city. DD DD Despite that, Chandler Police Chief Sherry Kiyler, along with other Valley chiefs, has taken a public stand that local police will not enforce immigration law. DD DD In the case of the rapist, "Our main goal is to identify the suspect, and all of the other issues are just byproducts that aren't of meaning to us," said Detective Chris Pérez, lead detective on the case. DD DD Kiyler declined to elaborate on her position this week and referred questions to her spokesman. DD DD "We just want the information to get this person off the street," said Sgt. Rick Griner, a Chandler police spokesman. "We're not going to ask them their legal status if they present us with information proving information on a suspect in these cases." DD DD Throughout the year, police have worked to inform undocumented immigrants by posting fliers in Spanish, informing Spanish-language media and hosting special community meetings in Spanish, Griner said. DD DD Police are searching for a man who has raped four girls and attempted to rape two others, all 12 to 14 years old in Chandler. There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. DD DD A witness who is undocumented also could remain anonymous by calling Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. If they were identified they would not be subject to deportation, Perez said. DD DD The federal government recognizes illegal immigrants' fear of reporting crimes by offering special visas for undocumented immigrant victims of violent crime, which includes rape. DD DD Called the "U" visa, the document is good for up to four years, and visa holders in the country continuously for three years can apply for permanent residency. DD DD Last month, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services finally started to process the visas, seven years after Congress offered protection against deportation to those who cooperate with law enforcement. DD DD The 2000 Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act established the visa to encourage illegal immigrants to report crimes against them in return for the right to remain in the United States and eventually apply for permanent residency. DD DD The United States issues up to 10,000 "U" visas every year, according to U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. DD DD Chandler police believe there could be other serial rapist victims, and someone has information that could help catch the rapist. DD DD Pérez said detectives are following up on all leads and are working to rule people out. So far, no potential suspects have matched the physical evidence police have obtained from the known cases. HH header HH header HH header UB IB CW DD Wouldn't it be great if the cop accepted my excuse that I don't have a drivers license because I can't afford it, and just let me go instead of writting me a ticket and then taking me to jail. But that's the excuse ASU is using for not complying with Arizona zoning laws and installing fire sprinklers in the MU, they can't afford them - university officials say a lack of cash has kept them from installing sprinklers in the upper floors of the building. DD DD But thats how government always works, we have to obey the laws, and they don't. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101463 DD DD November 7, 2007 - 8:44PM DD DD ASU union lacked sufficient sprinklers DD DD Katie McDevitt, Ryan Gabrielson, Tribune DD DD There are no sprinklers over the ASU Memorial Union storage closet where a fire started last week and spread across the campus’ busiest building. DD DD No part of the union’s second or third floors has sprinklers despite the fact that state fire code requires a building be “sprinklered” whenever it has major renovations. DD DD The 52-year-old Memorial Union has been undergoing renovations for the past couple years, but university officials say a lack of cash has kept them from installing sprinklers in the upper floors of the building. DD DD Arizona State University only installed the fire suppression devices in the basement and rooms that have been renovated on the first floor within the past two years, said Jim Gibbs, ASU’s fire marshal. DD DD ASU delayed installing sprinklers across the 254,000 square-foot building, which several thousand students and university employees visited every weekday, because there wasn’t money to do the whole project at once, Gibbs said. DD DD Instead, the sprinklers were to be installed in phases during the next two to three years, he said. DD DD But ASU cannot wait any longer. DD DD Phil Mele, Arizona’s fire marshal, has ordered the university to keep the union closed until it has installed sprinklers, a project that could take months. DD DD On Friday, Mele, Gibbs and other ASU officials will inspect the union, which has been closed since the fire broke out last Thursday. The group will determine what other life safety improvements the union needs before it can reopen, including fire alarms and other devices. DD DD In 2001, the legislature cut all funding to maintain buildings at Arizona’s three public universities, according to an analysis by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. That situation has continued for most of the last decade. Lawmakers put some money in the maintenance budget last fiscal year but eliminated it again this year. DD DD The building renewal fund is supposed to pay for critical maintenance projects, including “projects to comply with building, health, fire or safety codes,” the state statute says. DD DD The budget committee’s analysis shows lawmakers have shorted the universities $376 million in just the past seven years. DD DD The university will put out a request for bids to install sprinklers next week, Gibbs said. The project could cost millions of dollars to complete. DD DD More than 5,000 people were evacuated from the union, which burned much of the building’s eastern end. DD DD Mele said he considers the union fire “suspicious,” though the cause remains unknown. DD DD “It’s a crime scene,” he said. DD DD The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is conducting the investigation to determine what caused the fire. Mele said he asked the federal agency to investigate because his office doesn’t have the resources to do so. DD DD When finished, Mele said ATF would provide its findings to the ASU police department, which will head a criminal investigation, if necessary. DD DD Gibbs inspected the union earlier this year and said humans are likely responsible for the fire, not an electrical or mechanical problem. DD DD “There’s nothing that can be found in the building that would have caused this type of situation without intervention,” he said. HH header UB IB CW DD $1 million bond set for guy who took photos up a girls skirt!!!! don't these cops have any real criminals to chase down? DD DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1108pictures1108.html DD DD Man jailed in school sex case DD Leigh Munsil DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 8, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD A Scottsdale school food-service worker is in jail after he admitted taking pictures of female students' legs and buttocks at Saguaro High School by placing a camera phone within inches of their skirts, Scottsdale police said Wednesday. DD DD Ricardo Espinoza-Valdez, a temporary worker running a lunch kiosk for the Scottsdale Unified School District, admitted to taking or attempting to take photographs and video up females' skirts 10 times in the past 30 days, police spokesman Sgt. Mark Clark said. DD DD Police said that when detectives interviewed Espinoza-Valdez, he said he took similar pictures at Chaparral High School and at Scottsdale Fashion Square. DD DD Espinoza-Valdez was using some sort of box to hide the camera phone as he took pictures, police said. DD DD Espinoza-Valdez appeared Wednesday in Scottsdale City Court, where bail was set at $1 million. He was being held in a Maricopa County jail on three charges of suspicion of disorderly conduct. DD DD Police are investigating possible felony charges of voyeurism. DD DD Espinoza-Valdez is a Mexican national whose green card has expired, Clark said. DD DD A student alerted Saguaro school officials Monday that she thought she saw Espinoza-Valdez place a camera that was sitting in a box inches away from another female student's skirt, Clark said. DD DD On Tuesday, the Saguaro principal and vice principal, responding to the initial complaint, watched the suspect engage in the same activity with another female student, Clark said. DD DD Camera seized DD DD The school officials confronted him, seized the camera and notified the school resource officer, who began investigating the incident, Clark said, adding that the suspect was detained at the school and interviewed by sex-crimes detectives. DD DD Espinoza-Valdez was not a direct employee of the school district but was employed through an outside agency called Executemps Southwest Inc. of Phoenix, said Jeff Thomas, executive director of the Scottsdale district's office of Human Capital. DD DD The district employs a dozen workers from Executemps on any given day to fill short-term staffing needs, Thomas said. DD DD Espinoza-Valdez has worked for Executemps for two years. He spent this August and September at Chaparral and at least three days in October at Saguaro, Thomas said. DD DD Executemps took the appropriate hiring measures when hiring Espinoza-Valdez, Thomas said, including fingerprinting by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and a background check. DD DD "Immigration status won't necessarily show up in a background check," Thomas said. DD DD It is unclear how long Espinoza-Valdez was in the country after his green card expired, police said. DD DD "He has no criminal history that we know of," Clark said. DD DD The school district gave letters to Saguaro and Chaparral students Wednesday to take home and give to their parents, explaining what happened. DD DD "As always," the letters said, "the safety and well-being of our students is a top priority." DD DD DD 3rd sex-related incident DD This is the third sex-related incident at the high school in the past 15 months. DD DD A Saguaro substitute teacher and coach is accused of fondling a 17-year-old student April 25 at his Scottsdale home. DD DD A contract janitor was sentenced in July to 80 years in prison for raping a 14-year-old girl at the school last year. DD DD After school Wednesday, many students did not feel reassured. DD DD "It makes it uncomfortable to walk around on campus," said Katy McCalmont, a 16-year-old Saguaro junior. DD DD "It's unfortunate for us," McCalmont said. "It's been one thing after another." DD DD Chelsey Richard, a 17-year-old senior, agreed. DD DD "I think the people working at our school need to think about what they're doing, because they're giving our school a bad reputation," Richard said. DD DD Many parents were unaware of the arrest Wednesday and were upset to hear of another sexual incident at the school. DD DD "Unfortunately almost nothing surprises you anymore," said Bob Davis, treasurer of Saguaro SaberLinks Parent Teacher Organization. DD DD Davis has two daughters at Saguaro, a senior and a sophomore. DD DD But Scottsdale district and police officials said that the swift action of school employees minimized any harm to students. DD DD "He's in custody. He's not on campus. That should be the comforting factor in this," police spokesman Clark said. "The system worked." DD DD Republic reporter Amanda Wible contributed to this article. HH header UB IB WB CW DD These liars will say anything to get elected! McCain is now down on Mexicans because he thinks it will get him elected! These are the same Mexicans we are giving citizenship to if they join the Army and help us kill Muslims, women and children in Iraq DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1108mccain-immig1108.html DD DD McCain shifts on immigration DD Tougher stance a nod to conservatives DD Daniel González and Dan Nowicki DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 8, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Sen. John McCain has hardened his position on immigration reform, hoping the new stand will make his presidential campaign more appealing to conservative Republican voters. DD DD The comprehensive approach he championed for years, one that emphasized a guest-worker program and legalization for those here illegally, has taken a back seat to a plan that puts a priority on tightening border security and beefing up enforcement. DD DD The enforcement-first approach marks a dramatic shift for McCain, R-Ariz., who used his border-state credentials and maverick persona to become the leading Republican proponent in Congress of comprehensive immigration reform. But the comprehensive plan, which failed to move through Congress again this summer, divided the GOP and unleashed an anti-amnesty grass-roots movement vehemently opposed to letting undocumented immigrants gain legal status, even if they had to earn it. DD DD His support of this year's bill hurt his ability to raise money and led to a precipitous drop in support in many early-voting states. DD DD His campaign has been gaining momentum this fall, but McCain's newfound emphasis on border security is unlikely to sell his presidential campaign to voters clamoring for more border controls, political experts and analysts say. DD DD "Too little, too late," said John J. "Jack" Pitney Jr., a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California. "I think Republican primary voters have made up their minds on that one. He came out on the wrong side at the wrong time." DD DD The shift also opens McCain up to attacks from GOP opponents who have staked out get-tough stances on illegal immigration. DD DD "McCain's reputation is a straight shooter. I'm sure his Republican opponents will characterize this as flip-flopping. They will say it's unclear where McCain stands," said John Garcia, a political-science professor at the University of Arizona. DD DD What's more, McCain's tougher stance could hurt him among Latino voters, whose support could be key to winning the nomination. DD DD Last month, for example, McCain skipped a vote that would have allowed the so-called DREAM Act to move forward in the Senate. McCain was a co-sponsor of the bill, which would have let some undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children earn legal status. DD DD "I was very disappointed," said Luis Avila, an Arizona State University student who organized a hunger strike this fall in support of the DREAM Act. "McCain is supposed to be this maverick who stands up for his beliefs. I saw that he is not that man. . . . It also shows that he is not concerned about the Hispanic vote." DD DD Others don't fault McCain for being pragmatic. DD DD "It was pretty evident it wasn't going to pass, and so he took a bye on it. I think he made the determination that it wasn't going to pass, so why take the heat on it," said immigrant advocate Alfredo Gutierrez, a former state Democratic lawmaker. DD DD McCain was in Washington on the day of the vote, having canceled campaign events in New Hampshire so he could vote on a judicial nomination. He left Washington after that vote and before the DREAM Act vote. The day before, he suggested that he was being realistic about the bill's fate. DD DD "I'm for it," McCain said. "But we're not going to pass anything through Congress until 2009. Everybody knows that. . . . We had the (immigration-reform) debate. The wounds are still open, and, unfortunately, it's going to be 2009 before we bring it up again." DD DD McCain's tougher stance on immigration reform is obvious on the campaign trail, when he is frequently grilled about immigration. DD DD "What can you do to convince me that you will do something to stem the flow of illegal immigrants across our southern border?" Chuck Navin asked during a campaign event in Hampton, N.H., on the eve of the DREAM Act vote. DD DD Navin, a retired Navy captain and Republican-leaning independent voter, supported McCain in New Hampshire's 2000 primary but parted with McCain over his collaboration with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform. DD DD McCain gave him the same answer that he has given many times since the defeat of the Senate bill: that he learned his lesson. DD DD "I will secure the borders before we do anything else," McCain said. "The borders have to be secured. I got the message. Got it." DD DD The passionate reaction to the reform reflects the public's deep mistrust of the government to enforce immigration laws. To help restore confidence, McCain proposes that the four border-state governors certify the border is secure before Congress can proceed with other needed reforms, such as a temporary-worker program. DD DD He continues to advocate for "a comprehensive solution" to address the estimated 12 million people in the country illegally, many of whom entered legally but overstayed visas. But the legalization plan he now favors is tougher than the one he first introduced in 2003 and then again in 2005 with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. That plan would have let most undocumented immigrants earn legal status by paying fines, learning English and paying taxes while still remaining in the U.S. DD DD "Some would have to go back," McCain said last month. "Others would have to go back to the country they came from - 'touchback,' we call it - before they can come back and get in line behind everybody else and learn English and pay fines, etcetera. Because we cannot reward anyone, no matter how good a person they are, for having acted illegally and put them in front of people who have come here (legally)." DD DD Navin later said he appreciated McCain's "straight answer" but wasn't entirely won over. DD DD "He said, 'Hey, I got the message we need to secure our borders,' " Navin said. "Well, yeah, it took him long enough to figure it out. Like I told him, he was my candidate eight years ago, and he would be today, but this issue is too important to me." HH header UB RB IB DD Mixing religion and govenrment! If these prudes had their way anyone who admited to having sex would be fired, and civilization would die off. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1108fired1108.html DD DD Surprise fires tennis instructor tied to porn sites DD Erin Zlomek DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 8, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD A Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex worker has been fired after an anonymous letter sent to city staff outlined concerns over his previous career in the sex-entertainment industry. DD DD Former Buckeye resident Geoff Mena, the former employee of Surprise's Community and Recreation Services Department, said he was the victim of discrimination. However, when city officials sought Mena's permission Wednesday to publicly disclose their reasons for firing him, he declined, city spokesman Ken Lynch said. DD DD Mena said in an interview last week that he was terminated around Sept. 11. He said then that he was not given a reason for his firing but added that if it had anything to do with the anonymous letter concerning his previous career, he thought the firing was a violation of his freedom of speech and was discriminatory. DD DD Mena said he worked in Web design, a minority portion of which included Web sites with sexual content, from June 2000 to December 2006. He owned both adult and non-adult Web companies, designed pages, hosted an adult Web radio show and "very, very rarely" got in front of the camera in sex videos. DD DD "There was some nudity," but the videos did not show his face, he said. "I was not a porn star." DD DD Before 2000, Mena had a 12-year tennis career in California and worked as a tennis director at a country club near Palm Springs that employed his acquaintance, one-time Wimbledon doubles champion and current Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex Director John Austin. DD DD Mena moved to Arizona in 2005. He said two years passed before he reconnected with Austin, a Scottsdale resident. DD DD Austin was named director of Surprise's new 25-court Tennis and Racquet Complex around August 2006. Mena said he spoke with him over lunch about jobs available at the center. DD DD "I disclosed to (Austin) my entire involvement in the adult-entertainment industry, we decided that it was OK and that people were allowed to have other jobs outside of that business," Mena said. DD DD Mena said he was chosen for the tennis-center position from about 150 applicants. He started work Aug. 13 and said his duties involved coordinating adult tennis programs, making phone calls and working the center's front desk. DD DD Mena said that at least some city management also knew about his previous career in adult entertainment. Austin and other city staff declined to comment on Mena, citing privacy laws. DD DD "Late last year, I had a change of heart and wanted to get back into tennis," Mena said. "It's personally more rewarding and satisfying than sitting behind a desk or at a computer designing Web pages." DD DD However, a letter sent to Austin dated Aug. 30 and signed "A concerned parent and Surprise resident" read, "My friend and I were talking to the tennis pro, Geoff Mena, about lessons, tournaments, etc. for our families. Once we returned home, we decided to 'google' his name to check his teaching credentials. It was at this time that we discovered that he also is involved in the adult entertainment industry. As a former Marine, I am certainly not a prude, but, after some discussion, Mr. Mena's other career made us wary of him teaching our wives, daughters and their teenage friends." DD DD Mena said he is contemplating taking legal action as a result of his firing. DD DD "It demonizes me in a way. I'm not a criminal, I'm not a sex offender - I was at one time employed in the entertainment industry," Mena said. "I'm a law-abiding citizen." DD DD The six-month period after a new city employee is hired is considered that employee's introductory period, and the city has the right to terminate that employee at any time during that period without providing a reason, said city spokeswoman Diane Arthur. DD DD Mena said his job paid about $39,000 a year. DD DD Since leaving the city, Mena has returned to Web design. HH header UB IB DD So every man, woman, and child in the USA owes $30,000 toward the new national debt of $9 trillion. Every family of 4 owes $120,000 toward this debt. DD DD But the actual amount the Feds are in debt is really about 4 times that when you figure in obligations like social security and medicare which are not part of the national debt. So the amount owed by every man, woman, and child in the USA jumps to about $120,000. Thus the mythical family of four owes $480,000 toward this debt. DD DD http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iysuMkhgYOGlcySlgMom_teZ6WcQD8SP46T00 DD DD National Debt at Record $9 Trillion DD By MARTIN CRUTSINGER – 17 hours ago DD DD WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt has hit $9 trillion for the first time. DD DD The Treasury Department, which issues a daily accounting of the debt, said Wednesday that the debt subject to limit was at $9 trillion on Tuesday. It was $8.996 trillion on Monday. DD DD Last month, Congress passed and President Bush signed into law an increase in the government's borrowing ceiling to $9.815 trillion. It was the fifth debt limit increase since Bush took office in January 2001. Those increases have totaled $3.865 trillion. DD DD The administration contends the rising debt reflects such factors as slow economic growth during the 2001 recession, the Sept. 11 attacks and the cost of fighting terrorism. DD DD Democrats place much of the blame for the exploding debt on Bush's first-term tax cuts, which they say are tilted to the wealthy. The administration says those tax cuts helped to jump-start the economy and resulted in falling budget deficits in recent years. DD DD The tax cuts are set to expire at the end of 2010. The administration and Republicans in Congress want to see them made permanent; many Democrats would like to see them revamped to provide more benefits to lower and middle-income taxpayers. DD DD The budget deficit for the 2007 budget year, which ended Sept. 30, was $162.8 billion, the lowest in five years. DD DD In 2004, the deficit was $413 billion, a record in dollar terms. DD DD The national debt is the total of the annual budget deficits plus money that the government borrows from the Social Security and other government trust funds. DD DD The total national debt is actually higher than $9 trillion because it includes borrowing by some agencies that are not covered by the congressional debt limit. That total was $9.086 trillion on Tuesday. DD DD It took the country from George Washington until Ronald Reagan to reach the first $1 trillion in debt. HH header UB IB DD This means $8 million less in Tempe taxes! So with a population of about 170,000 people that means each person will have $47 extra cash in their pockets they wont have to give to the goverment nannies at the government run public school. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1107tr-schooldefeat1107.html DD DD High school override defeat will impact schools DD Georgann Yara DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 7, 2007 12:53 PM DD DD After finding out voters turned down two multimillion dollar overrides for her district Tuesday night, Tempe Union High School District Governing Board president Zita Johnson dreamed those results were mistakes. DD DD But when she awoke, the decisions that will cost Tempe Union $8 million in the next fiscal year remained reality. DD DD Voters said no to a continuance of a maintenance and operations override, with 54 percent or 5,697 voting no and 46 percent or 4,850 voting yes. They also failed to approve the continuation of the capital override, with 56 percent or 5,865 voting no and 44 percent or 4,677 voting yes. DD DD Wednesday, district administrators began re-evaluating its budget and determining potential cuts. Decisions are far from being made, but cuts could impact class sizes, student services, programs and extracurricular activities, salaries, facilities, maintenance and the elimination of positions. DD DD "The staff will roll up their sleeves and try to lessen the impact on students," district spokeswoman Linda Littell said. DD DD Arizona law mandates that every school district spend the same amount per student, $3,447 this year. State law allows districts to ask voters to "override" the state limit with additional taxes to pay for operations, capital purchases and kindergarten through second grade. Overrides expire after seven years unless voters renew them. DD DD A 40-year Tempe resident, Johnson could not recall a time when district voters did not support an override. She said that voters told her prior to the election that they were concerned over the increase in property taxes, and said that district officials thought a negative outcome was a "remote possibility." DD DD "This is a surprise and a shock. Our community always supports public education to a great degree," Johnson said. "I was aware of the property taxes... But I didn't expect that it would result in those two questions being defeated." DD DD Passage of the maintenance and operations override would have cost homeowners 17 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, and the capital override 12 cents per $100. DD DD The operations override last year resulted in $6 million last year for salaries, benefits and educational programs. The capital override would have provided $6 million to the district's budget for maintenance, buses and technology equipment. It would have added for these areas, DD DD Littell said that in one south Tempe neighborhood an anonymous flyer discouraging passage of the measures was left on doors. Littell said it contained inaccurate information and she called it a "scare tactic." But Littell said the district is taking full responsibility for the outcomes and underestimating the impact of property tax increases. DD DD Littell said the district will call for another override in 2008. If that does not pass, it would cost Tempe Union $10 million for the 2009-10 school year. DD DD Voters passed Tempe Union's third measure, which approves future land sales or exchanges of property, with 64 percent or 6,259 voting yes and 36 percent or 3,460 voting no. DD DD Tempe voters also approved continuation of a Tempe Elementary School District budget K-3 override, with 54 percent or 1,763 voting yes and 46 percent or 1,495 voting no. This will cost homeowners 16 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The funds helped to keep class sizes small and supported AIMS (Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards) tutoring and summer school programs. DD DD --------------------------------------------- DD DD Arizona schools chief Tom Horne sound like King George. He doesn't get it he wants more money! Maybe somebody should sting him up on a telephone pole like they did to Mussolini, then he would get it. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1108overrides1108.html DD DD Schools stunned by voter rejection DD DD Budget overrides defeated in 17 of 22 Valley districts DD DD Pat Kossan and Ofelia Madrid DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 8, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Voters looked at their rising mortgage payments, the empty houses on their streets and a shaky economy. Then, in 17 of 22 districts, they shot down proposals to maintain funding for Valley schools, deciding they couldn't afford it. DD DD School officials on Wednesday pointed to those reasons in trying to explain why only five East Valley districts voted to continue their current property-tax rates, not cut them. Total losses, most phased in over three years: about $51 million for school programs and nearly $19 million for capital projects. DD DD The 17 districts will have to immediately begin tightening budgets for next school year and prepare to take their case to the voters again. DD DD School officials said they knew gloomy economics and still-high taxable home values would make voters leery of renewing tax rates, but no one predicted so many proposals would fail. DD DD Arizona schools chief Tom Horne said that if the districts do not persuade voters to change their minds, they will face "catastrophic" cuts that could reduce teacher pay, increase class size and leave new schools without desks. DD DD "A defeat can be a good education for a district, saying, 'Hey, you need to put more effort into communicating with the community,' " Horne said. DD DD MORE ON THIS TOPIC DD DD Voters reject school override proposals DD Why voters said 'no' DD DD Here are highlights of the Valley override elections that were rejected Tuesday, according to unofficial results. Glendale's tally may change Friday when questionable ballots are counted. DD DD Maintenance and operation override amounts, totaling $39 million, will be phased out over three years starting in 2008-09. K-3 overrides, which totaled $12.1 million, would have paid for school programs. The $18.5 million in capital overrides were for computers, buses and other supplies. DD DD Agua Fria Union High School District DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $3.1 million. DD DD Capital override: $3.9 million. DD DD Alhambra Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $7 million. DD DD K-3 override: $3.5 million. DD DD Avondale Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $2.9 million. DD DD K-3 override: $1.5 million. DD DD Balsz Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $1.5 million. DD DD K-3 override: $775,435. DD DD Buckeye Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $1.99 million. DD DD Cave Creek Unified DD DD Capital override: $4.7 million. DD DD Glendale Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $6.5 million. DD DD Isaac Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $3.8 million. DD DD Litchfield Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $4.9 million. DD DD Littleton Elementary DD DD Capital override: $300,000. DD DD Morristown Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $98,763. DD DD Pendergast Elementary DD DD Capital override: $2.3 million. DD DD Roosevelt Elementary DD DD Capital override: $1.3 million. DD DD Tempe Union DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $2.1 million. DD DD Capital override: $6 million. DD DD Tolleson Elementary DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $1.45 million. DD DD K-3 override: $$722,943. DD DD Tolleson Union DD DD Maintenance and operations override: $4.1 million. DD DD Washington Elementary DD DD K-3 override, $5.7 million. HH header UB IB WB CW DD So this is what bring Democracy to Iraq is all about! We are not any better then the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, the British Empire or Communistic China. Just another empire forcing its way on the world. The Amerikan Empire!!! DD DD http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20071108/wl_csm/osheikh DD DD Will 'armloads' of US cash buy tribal loyalty? DD DD By Sam Dagher DD DD Thu Nov 8, 4:00 AM ET DD DD TIKRIT, Iraq - Inside a stately guesthouse on the grounds of Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit on the banks of the Tigris, sheikh Sabah al-Hassani jokes that the initials "SH" of the former dictator etched on the walls are his. DD DD "I have a weakness for Cuban cigars, French cologne, and Spanish-made loafers," he says with a wide grin. DD DD Since June, Mr. Hassani, who claims to be one of the princes of the legendary Shammar tribe, which numbers nearly 7 million across the Arab world, says he has received at least $100,000 in cash and numerous perks from the US military and the Iraqi government. DD DD With his help, at least $1 million has also been distributed to other tribal sheikhs who have joined his Salahaddin Province "support council," according to US officers. Together, they have assembled an armed force of about 3,000 tribesmen dubbed the "sahwa [awakening] folks." DD DD All of these enticements serve one goal: To rally Sunni tribes and their multitude of followers to support coalition forces. DD DD The payments are a drop in the bucket given the billions spent annually in Iraq by the United States. And paying tribes to keep the peace is nothing new. It was one of Mr. Hussein's tools in his selective patronage system designed to weaken and control all institutions outside his Baath party. The British also tried it when they ruled Iraq last century. DD DD But the strategy is fraught with risks, including the serious potential for wars among the tribes themselves and the creation of militias in die-hard Sunni Arab lands where many continue to question the legitimacy and authority of the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad. DD DD "[The US military] threw money at [the sheiks]," says Col. David Hsu, who heads a team advising Iraq's armed forces in Salahaddin, Saddam's home province. He shows recent digital photographs he captured of smiling sheikhs holding bundles of cash as they posed with US military officers. "You are basically paying civilians to turn in terrorists. Money was an expedient way to try to get results." DD DD US military officers on the ground say there is tremendous pressure from high above to replicate the successes of the so-called "awakening" against Al Qaeda in the western Anbar Province. The drive reached its apex in the run-up to the September testimonies to Congress by the top US military commander and diplomat in Iraq, US officers say. DD DD "In order to turn the intent of [Lt.] Gen. [Raymond] Odierno for reconciliation into action, the coalition forces on the ground basically started recruiting leaders to try to turn other civilians against the insurgents," says Colonel Hsu, a native of Hawaii. General Odierno is the No. 2 commander of US forces in Iraq. DD DD And the push seems to have paid off. Both the number of explosions and US military fatalities in October dropped to almost half their September levels in the Multinational Division-North area, which comprises of Diyala, Salahaddin, Tamim (Kirkuk), and Ninevah Provinces, according to military figures. DD DD Unwieldy allies? DD DD A senior official in the Shiite coalition of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki defends the wisdom of partnering with Sunni Arab tribes. Humam Hamoudi, a member of parliament from the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council party, says the tribes may ultimately make better political allies than the Sunni political bloc that quit the government in June and has boycotted it since July. DD DD But, he warns, Baghdad has to have more oversight over the tribal outreach project, otherwise the Sunni Arab tribes could turn against the government once the American presence diminishes. DD DD "They need to have dialogue with the government," says Mr. Hamoudi of the tribes. "If their connection remains only to the Americans, then they are a time bomb. In the future they may become enemies of the democratic project." DD DD Maj. Gen. Abdul-Jabbar Rabie, who was once a commander in the Saddam-era Army and now heads a brigade of the new Army in Salahaddin, shares that view. Hassani's men lack discipline and loyalty, he says, and could soon become a militia. DD DD "They can spin out of control. They may be double agents and deal with both sides," says General Rabie. DD DD Based on intelligence provided by Hassani, Rabie says he led a force of Iraqi soldiers and policemen on Oct. 30 to arrest alleged Al Qaeda cell leaders and free hostages at a "kidnap colony" in the province's remote Hamreen mountains. When they arrived, they discovered that most of the men had been tipped off about the operation. DD DD Hsu, the US officer, says that while Hassani's role in that operation was positive, he may be tempted to "do whatever to continue the flow of money." DD DD He recounts how in early October Hassani rushed on a whim to the scene of an Iraqi Army-led operation west of the volatile city of Samarra "to try to claim some credit" only to be hit by a roadside bomb that killed two other sheikhs who were accompanying him. DD DD 'A recipe for endless blood feuds' DD An Iraqi-born sociologist and expert on tribes says the US strategy has a good chance of succeeding if the military learns from its own lessons and chooses credible tribal figures able to reach out not only to their constituencies but to other tribes, technocrats, former regime military and intelligence brass, and businessmen – what he calls the four main components of Sunni Arab society. DD DD "It depends on the quality of the tribal leaders. Some lack connections, resources, and credibility," says Faleh Jabar, director of the Beirut-based Iraqi Institute for Strategic Studies. "If the Americans do not understand that then they will always be in trouble." DD DD Rumors are swirling that Hassani isn't even a real prince, says Hsu. If the US cultivates a perception that it is funding hucksters, other sheikhs may doubt the "awakening" program's credibility. DD DD On the ground in Salahaddin, a province of 1.3 million of whom nearly 90 percent at one point were once Baathists, attitudes toward the new order and the shifting alliances are complex. DD DD For example, Hassani's archenemy, deputy governor Abdullah Jabara, who was a senior Baathist and hails from the rival Jubour tribe, tried to have the sheikh arrested last month. DD DD For his part, Hassani praises the US support and says he's gotten only "empty promises" from Baghdad. He says if US forces were ever to leave the province he would be in the lead of their departing convoy. As tribes got down to settling scores, he says, there would be a "bloodbath." DD DD Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Obeidi, one of the chiefs of the Obeid whose fiefdom is in the plains of nearby Kirkuk and extends to Salahaddin, says the US push for these awakening councils is "a recipe for endless blood feuds" among tribes. DD DD He says a commander of US forces in Kirkuk arrested his son and two nephews "on false charges" in September because he refused to form an awakening council. Meanwhile, many members of his tribe continue to oppose the presence of US forces in Iraq but still advocate joining the Iraqi police and Army. DD DD "This is unspeakable fitna [discord] being sowed by the Americans," says Mr. Obeidi. "They want you to kill your own cousin and brother." DD DD On a recent evening, Hassani sat behind a large desk that once belonged to Hussein. Two rifles were propped up against the marble wall behind him. Immense crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the carpeted office. DD DD Four sheikhs arrived. They asked that their chief, Fanar Mubarak al-Farhan al-Obeidi, be released from jail. He is head of the tribe's Albu-Issa clan and was arrested in the Oct. 30 operation. The brother of one of the visiting sheikhs was a known member of Al Qaeda who was recently killed by US troops. DD DD Hassani said the tribal chieftain will only be released if they provide information on all insurgents in their area and publicly announce their support for his awakening council. He flashed a photo of a wanted man. DD DD "There's no such thing as resistance," Hassani told them. "The American is our friend. The enemy is the one that slaughters us … this man [Col. Hsu] is trying to help us. Join us. Do not waste this opportunity, and I promise you will get moral and financial support." DD DD There was a momentary silence. Then one of the visitors spoke. DD DD "We can't do it this fast, we just can't," says Sheikh Nouri Ahmed al-Obeidi. "Our area is hell. There's Al Qaeda, Islamic Army, bandits, you name it." HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101618 DD DD November 9, 2007 - 7:16AM DD DD Harassing Mesa police copter results in jail DD DD Mike Branom, Tribune DD DD A Mesa man must serve at least five days in jail for using a bright spotlight to harass the crew of a police helicopter, a judge decided Thursday. DD DD David DeGroote, 38, was sentenced in Mesa Municipal Court on misdemeanor charges of endangerment, disorderly conduct and criminal nuisance. DD DD His punishment, as handed down by Judge Paula O. Burgess, also includes mandatory counseling and three years of unsupervised probation. DD DD If DeGroote completes those without incident, the court will suspend the remaining 25 days of jail time in his sentence. DD DD According to police records, in November 2006, a Mesa police helicopter was searching for suspects in the theft of a bank’s automated teller machine. DD DD One of the crew members was wearing night-vision goggles to aid in the hunt. DD DD When the helicopter flew over DeGroote’s home, at 10437 E. Kiva Ave., a high-powered light blinded the crew for about 30 seconds, they said. DD DD DeGroote has claimed since the incident that the police department’s aviation unit has harassed him and his family. DD DD But prosecutors and the judge noted DeGroote’s residence is underneath the flight path of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, about 5 1/2 miles to the southwest. HH header UB DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101570 DD DD E.V. weather ties century-old record DD Mike Branom, Tribune DD DD Today’s high temperature of 91 degrees tied a record set 101 years ago. DD DD This is the fourth straight day the daily maximum has either surpassed or equaled the previous high. DD DD Also, this morning’s low of 66 degrees tied the record high minimum for this date, set in 1988. HH header UB IB MY DD Wouldn't it be nice if you could tell the messy yard cops that you were going to refuse to obey the zoning laws because you didn't have enough money. The messy yard cops would be laughing while they arrested you. DD DD But the government can and does use that excuse. ASU officials are using the excuse that they didn't have enough money to obey the zoning laws that require fire sprinklers in the Memorial Union building. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101463 DD DD November 7, 2007 - 8:44PM DD DD ASU union lacked sufficient sprinklers DD DD Katie McDevitt, Ryan Gabrielson, Tribune DD DD There are no sprinklers over the ASU Memorial Union storage closet where a fire started last week and spread across the campus’ busiest building. DD DD No part of the union’s second or third floors has sprinklers despite the fact that state fire code requires a building be “sprinklered” whenever it has major renovations. DD DD The 52-year-old Memorial Union has been undergoing renovations for the past couple years, but university officials say a lack of cash has kept them from installing sprinklers in the upper floors of the building. DD DD Arizona State University only installed the fire suppression devices in the basement and rooms that have been renovated on the first floor within the past two years, said Jim Gibbs, ASU’s fire marshal. DD DD ASU delayed installing sprinklers across the 254,000 square-foot building, which several thousand students and university employees visited every weekday, because there wasn’t money to do the whole project at once, Gibbs said. DD DD Instead, the sprinklers were to be installed in phases during the next two to three years, he said. DD DD But ASU cannot wait any longer. DD DD Phil Mele, Arizona’s fire marshal, has ordered the university to keep the union closed until it has installed sprinklers, a project that could take months. DD DD On Friday, Mele, Gibbs and other ASU officials will inspect the union, which has been closed since the fire broke out last Thursday. The group will determine what other life safety improvements the union needs before it can reopen, including fire alarms and other devices. DD DD In 2001, the legislature cut all funding to maintain buildings at Arizona’s three public universities, according to an analysis by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. That situation has continued for most of the last decade. Lawmakers put some money in the maintenance budget last fiscal year but eliminated it again this year. DD DD The building renewal fund is supposed to pay for critical maintenance projects, including “projects to comply with building, health, fire or safety codes,” the state statute says. DD DD The budget committee’s analysis shows lawmakers have shorted the universities $376 million in just the past seven years. DD DD The university will put out a request for bids to install sprinklers next week, Gibbs said. The project could cost millions of dollars to complete. DD DD More than 5,000 people were evacuated from the union, which burned much of the building’s eastern end. DD DD Mele said he considers the union fire “suspicious,” though the cause remains unknown. DD DD “It’s a crime scene,” he said. DD DD The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is conducting the investigation to determine what caused the fire. Mele said he asked the federal agency to investigate because his office doesn’t have the resources to do so. DD DD When finished, Mele said ATF would provide its findings to the ASU police department, which will head a criminal investigation, if necessary. DD DD Gibbs inspected the union earlier this year and said humans are likely responsible for the fire, not an electrical or mechanical problem. DD DD “There’s nothing that can be found in the building that would have caused this type of situation without intervention,” he said. HH header UB DD http://www.lvrj.com/news/11142366.html DD DD O.J. SIMPSON PRELIMINARY HEARING: Witness: Guns a shock DD DD Hotel raid was in works for weeks, associate says DD DD By BRIAN HAYNES DD REVIEW-JOURNAL DD DD Thomas Riccio knew O.J. Simpson would be leading a hotel room raid to reclaim his treasured sports mementos. He knew Simpson had recruited five other men to help. And he knew the two memorabilia collectors inside Room 1203 had no idea what was coming. DD DD But Riccio didn't know there would be guns, he testified Thursday. DD DD "There was no reason for a gun," Riccio said. "They were getting their stuff back without a gun." DD DD Riccio's testimony capped the first day of the preliminary hearing for Simpson, 60, Clarence Stewart and Charles Ehrlich, both 53, who each are charged with 12 counts including robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and conspiracy. Three other men who took part in the Sept. 13 incident at Palace Station have agreed to plead guilty and testify against the others. DD DD At the end of the hearing, which could run into next week, Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure will decide whether to send the case to District Court for trial. DD DD Riccio said Simpson and he had planned the sting for weeks, ever since memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley told him in early August about a collector who had thousands of Simpson's stolen personal items. The items included a plaque signed by former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, one-of-a-kind game footballs and family photos, Riccio said. DD DD He said he helped plan the sting because he believed the items were Simpson's. He thought Simpson and his men would enter the room to identify what they believed was Simpson's stolen property, and if the collectors did not hand over the property, the police would be called, Riccio said. DD DD Yet Simpson didn't seem to want any authorities involved. When Riccio suggested they have a hotel security guard on standby, Simpson declined. DD DD "'I have my boys here. We're going to take care of it,'" Riccio said Simpson told him. DD DD Prosecutors allege Simpson and the others burst into the room and robbed Beardsley and memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong at gunpoint. Las Vegas police arrested Simpson three days later. DD DD The Heisman Trophy winner's appearance inside the Regional Justice Center on Thursday attracted the anticipated collection of news reporters and regular irregulars outside. DD DD Between occasional smoke breaks, a man dressed as a chicken carried signs that read "O.J. is guilty" and "If I Did It" with the word "If" crossed out. DD DD Meanwhile, a man in a bunny suit with "stop police brutality" spray painted on it circled the building on roller skates, carrying a sign proclaiming "O.J. didn't do it." As the day heated up, the man shed the bunny suit but kept the skates and could be seen hanging out with a guy whose sign declared "War on the police." DD DD Simpson arrived at the courthouse about 30 minutes before the hearing, rolling up in a dark-colored Hummer owned by his bail bondsman, Miguel Pereira. A throng of people surrounded the vehicle as it rolled to a stop, and Simpson emerged. DD DD Simpson and his entourage walked past a line of photographers and through a courthouse metal detector. As Simpson removed his belt to walk through the checkpoint, people waiting in the security line scrambled to find cameras and cell phone cameras, and court marshals tried to control the growing mob surrounding the NFL hall of famer. DD DD "O.J. I love you," Erica Smallbear, 28, shouted as Simpson put his belt back on. DD DD He gave her a wave, put his sunglasses on and headed for the courtroom. DD DD "I talked to him!" Smallbear said. DD DD "I believe God will set him free, and that's what we're praying for," she said of her and her friends at the Salvation Army program for mental illness and drug addiction. DD DD Simpson kept his sunglasses on until he sat at the defense table. DD DD The hearing started with testimony from Fromong, a North Las Vegas resident who used to work with Simpson on sports memorabilia deals. Fromong said Beardsley told him a buyer was interested in some of his Simpson collectibles. DD DD Fromong loaded the collection into his truck and drove to Palace Station, where he met Beardsley and Riccio. After they took the items to the room and laid them on the bed, Riccio left to meet the buyer, Fromong said. He returned with Simpson and five other men, two of whom had pistols, he said. DD DD "I remember Mr. Simpson say, 'Don't let anybody out of this room. Nobody leaves,'" Fromong said. He said the men burst into the room in "military invasion fashion." DD DD Fromong said one of the men shoved him into a chair, and another stuck a gun in his face while the men made off with the memorabilia, which included footballs, Joe Montana lithographs and Pete Rose-signed baseballs. DD DD "O.J. was screaming, 'This is all ... my (expletive). You guys stole this from me,'" said Fromong. He said he told Simpson he bought it legally from former Simpson business associate Mike Gilbert. DD DD During nearly two hours of cross examination, Simpson lawyer Gabriel Grasso questioned Fromong about whether the memorabilia had been stolen by Gilbert. DD DD Fromong's answers varied, from Simpson gave it to Gilbert to Gilbert took it from Simpson. DD DD "Mike took it from O.J. I didn't say steal. He took it," Fromong said. DD DD Fromong denied that the memorabilia was stolen. DD DD Fromong said that as the men left the hotel room with the memorabilia, he told Simpson he would give him Gilbert's number, but Simpson just took the cell phone and left. Fromong said Simpson told him he would leave the phone at the front desk but didn't. DD DD About five weeks before the incident, Riccio and Simpson started planning what they called a sting to retrieve what they thought was Simpson's property. Riccio called Los Angeles police and the FBI looking for help. DD DD "They made it sound like it was a civil thing, and they didn't want nothing to do with it," Riccio said. DD DD The plan evolved to include some sort of sting in a hotel room, but they did not settle on a Las Vegas location until late in the planning, Riccio said. DD DD Riccio said he thought Las Vegas was a good place because Simpson was going to be in town for a wedding, the memorabilia was in North Las Vegas and Riccio could make an easy stopover on his flight back to Los Angeles from New York. DD DD For setting up the meeting, Simpson agreed to sign 200 copies of the new book "If I Did It" for him, Riccio said. DD DD Hours before the hotel room raid, Riccio met Simpson, Ehrlich and others at the Palms pool and discussed the plan. Simpson's sister and another man who said he was a lawyer tried to talk Simpson out of it, but he ranted about having his stuff stolen and was determined to get it back, Riccio said. DD DD After Fromong and Beardsley laid out the memorabilia in the Palace Station room that evening, Riccio met Simpson and the other men in the hotel lobby. DD DD Riccio said he was not worried about Simpson and his group getting out of control. DD DD "I was afraid of Beardsley and whoever he might bring," Riccio said. "Not O.J." DD DD But moments later they were rushing into the room and screaming at Fromong and Beardsley. The six-minute episode was captured on a digital audio recorder that Riccio had hidden in the room. Riccio said he bought the recorder at a Radio Shack the day before to have a record of his dealings with Simpson to protect himself. DD DD One man who sounded like Simpson shouted, "(Expletive), you think you can steal my (expletive) and sell it?" DD DD After the men cleared out, a man who sounded like Beardsley said, "We were just robbed at gunpoint, man. We were just robbed at gunpoint by O.J. Simpson." DD DD Riccio gave the recorder to authorities after prosecutors granted him immunity. DD DD His lawyer, Stanley Lieber, said he thought his client would not have been charged anyway because prosecutors told him Riccio did not do anything wrong. DD DD Riccio provided other recordings, including a voice mail left shortly after the incident in which Simpson said they did not use any guns. DD DD Riccio testified that Simpson called him again a couple days later. DD DD "O.J. told me, 'This is all going to blow over in a couple of days. Nothing's going to come of it,'" Riccio said. "The next day he got arrested." DD DD Review-Journal staff writers Henry Brean and K.C. Howard contributed to this report. DD DD Contact reporter Brian Haynes at DD DD bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0281. DD DD DD http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OJ_SIMPSON?SITE=AZMES&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT DD DD Nov 9, 6:46 AM EST DD DD Drama unfolds at O.J. Simpson hearing DD DD By KEN RITTER DD Associated Press Writer DD DD LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The first day of O.J. Simpson's criminal evidentiary hearing was marked by dramatic audio recordings and a collectibles broker who testified he set up the meeting that ultimately led to armed robbery charges against the former football star. DD DD The second day of the hearing to decide if Simpson and two other men should stand trial on 12 criminal charges was set for Friday. Defense lawyers were expected to try to undercut the testimony of Tom Riccio, who captured the events on a digital recorder. DD DD Riccio testified Thursday he hid a recorder in the hotel room where Simpson is accused of leading the armed robbery. DD DD Simpson, 60, gritted his teeth and laid his gold-framed reading glasses on the defense table as the echoes of a voicemail he left for Riccio hung in the air of the courtroom. DD DD "Hey Tom. It's O.J. What are they talking about a gun? All I wanted was my stuff back again," Simpson says on the 35-second recording. DD DD On the recording, Simpson refers to hundreds of items taken from memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley on Sept. 13 as his "stolen stuff." DD DD "Nobody had a gun, you know?" he says. "Ain't nobody had any guns. They're feeling guilty so they're trying to make up something." DD DD Those calm words contrasted to the chaotic bellows, barked orders and curses heard during a six-minute recording of the confrontation in a room at the Palace Station Hotel Casino that ends with a single voice. DD DD "We were just robbed at gunpoint man," a man says. "We were just robbed at gunpoint by O.J. Simpson." DD DD Defense lawyers for Simpson, Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich lost a last-minute bid to get a judge to exclude the audio. They were to open the second day of testimony cross-examining Riccio, whose account of the confrontation painted the event as an almost comical caper gone wrong. DD DD Riccio said he later sold a copy of the recording to a tabloid Web site before handing it over to police. DD DD Prosecutors allege Simpson, Stewart, Ehrlich and three other men who have taken plea deals conspired to rob Beardsley and Fromong and then say no guns were used. DD DD Former co-defendants Michael McClinton, Walter Alexander and Charles Cashmore are expected to testify that Simpson asked for guns to be brought along to show they were serious about retrieving items that he claimed were his. DD DD Simpson has maintained in interviews and through his lawyers that no guns were displayed, that he never asked anyone to bring guns and that he did not know anyone had guns. DD DD Simpson, 60, and Stewart and Ehrlich, both 53, face armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges. A kidnapping conviction could result in a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. An armed robbery conviction could mean mandatory prison time. DD DD Fromong testified Thursday he had expected to meet with an anonymous buyer on Sept. 13, when Simpson arrived with others "in a military invasion fashion." DD DD Fromong and Riccio were the first two of eight witnesses prosecutors said they expect to call during the hearing. DD DD Asked during a break what he thought of the proceedings, Simpson smiled, shrugged and said, "It is what it is." He has been instructed by his lawyers not to talk to the media. DD DD During cross-examination by Simpson attorney Gabriel Grasso, Fromong acknowledged that at the same time the dealers were calling police to report they had been robbed, he and Beardsley also were calling a syndicated TV show to try to make money from the experience. DD DD Fromong also acknowledged that he has gone to the online auction site eBay to peddle memorabilia items he has dubbed, "Identical to the items O.J. stole from me!" DD DD He waffled about whether he has been shopping a book deal about the experience, but confirmed he has discussed the idea. At one point, he joked that he'd like Jack Nicholson to play him if a movie is made. DD DD --- DD DD AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/1108gl-copcrash1108-ON.html DD DD Probe: Off-duty officer 'extremely drunk' during accident DD DD Brent Whiting DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 8, 2007 06:30 PM DD DD An off-duty Phoenix police officer was extremely drunk when he crashed a motorcycle last month, suffering severe injuries and harming his girlfriend, another off-duty officer. DD DD Officer Mike Rogers, a 17-year member of the Phoenix force, is believed to have had a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.20 percent, according to a report released Thursday by Glendale police under the Arizona Public Records Law. DD DD Investigators will recommend to prosecutors that criminal charges, including aggravated assault, be filed against Rogers resulting from the crash, said Sgt. Jim Toomey, a Glendale police spokesman. DD [I won't hold my breath waiting for charges to be filed - If they ever are filed] DD DD Police are expected to make the recommendation, perhaps in a few weeks, after the final results of blood-alcohol testing are made available to Glendale officers, Toomey said. [If it were a normal person would the cops wait weeks, or most likely months in this case before pressing charges? Nope! If it were you or me we would be in jail] DD DD In the meantime, Rogers, who has spent much of his law-enforcement cracking down on drunken drivers on Valley roadways, remains under care, according to Phoenix police. DD DD Sgt. Joel Tranter, a Phoenix police spokesman, declined to discuss the extent of Rogers' injuries, but said he is still receiving medical treatment. DD DD The crash occurred Oct. 9 while Rogers was driving the Harley-Davidson motorcycle north in the 17800 block of North 64th Drive, south of Union Hills Drive in Glendale, according to Glendale police. DD DD Investigators believe he lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and struck a bush and miniature palm tree before crashing into the side of a truck that was parked in a residential driveway, police said. DD DD Neither Rogers nor a passenger, Erica Gallegos, a two-year member of the Phoenix force, was wearing a helmet, according to the Glendale report. DD DD Rogers was reported in critical condition when he was taken to a Phoenix hospital with severe facial injuries. DD DD Gallegos, who escaped from the crash with injuries that were not life-threatening, told investigators that Rogers had been drinking, the report said. DD DD Toomey, the Glendale police spokesman, said Thursday the possible aggravated assault charge will be for the harm to Gallegos in the crash. DD DD In their report, Glendale investigators said that preliminary testing of Rogers, after his arrival at a Phoenix hospital, showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.219 to 0.269 percent. DD DD That's significantly higher than 0.08 percent, the level set by law for being drunk in Arizona, as well as 0.15 percent, the level for extreme driving under the influence. DD DD Under Arizona law, a reading higher than 0.20 percent falls in the category of "super extreme DUI," punishable by 45 to 180 days in jail with no possibility of a suspended sentence. DD DD However, the consequences go up drastically, and may include a felony conviction and prison, for DUI-related crashes that involve death or injury, according to legal experts. HH header UB IB CW DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/1108gl-copcrash1108-ON.html DD DD Probe: Off-duty officer 'extremely drunk' during accident DD DD Brent Whiting DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 8, 2007 06:30 PM DD DD An off-duty Phoenix police officer was extremely drunk when he crashed a motorcycle last month, suffering severe injuries and harming his girlfriend, another off-duty officer. DD DD Officer Mike Rogers, a 17-year member of the Phoenix force, is believed to have had a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.20 percent, according to a report released Thursday by Glendale police under the Arizona Public Records Law. DD DD Investigators will recommend to prosecutors that criminal charges, including aggravated assault, be filed against Rogers resulting from the crash, said Sgt. Jim Toomey, a Glendale police spokesman. DD [I won't hold my breath waiting for charges to be filed - If they ever are filed] DD DD Police are expected to make the recommendation, perhaps in a few weeks, after the final results of blood-alcohol testing are made available to Glendale officers, Toomey said. [If it were a normal person would the cops wait weeks, or most likely months in this case before pressing charges? Nope! If it were you or me we would be in jail] DD DD In the meantime, Rogers, who has spent much of his law-enforcement cracking down on drunken drivers on Valley roadways, remains under care, according to Phoenix police. DD DD Sgt. Joel Tranter, a Phoenix police spokesman, declined to discuss the extent of Rogers' injuries, but said he is still receiving medical treatment. DD DD The crash occurred Oct. 9 while Rogers was driving the Harley-Davidson motorcycle north in the 17800 block of North 64th Drive, south of Union Hills Drive in Glendale, according to Glendale police. DD DD Investigators believe he lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and struck a bush and miniature palm tree before crashing into the side of a truck that was parked in a residential driveway, police said. DD DD Neither Rogers nor a passenger, Erica Gallegos, a two-year member of the Phoenix force, was wearing a helmet, according to the Glendale report. DD DD Rogers was reported in critical condition when he was taken to a Phoenix hospital with severe facial injuries. DD DD Gallegos, who escaped from the crash with injuries that were not life-threatening, told investigators that Rogers had been drinking, the report said. DD DD Toomey, the Glendale police spokesman, said Thursday the possible aggravated assault charge will be for the harm to Gallegos in the crash. DD DD In their report, Glendale investigators said that preliminary testing of Rogers, after his arrival at a Phoenix hospital, showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.219 to 0.269 percent. DD DD That's significantly higher than 0.08 percent, the level set by law for being drunk in Arizona, as well as 0.15 percent, the level for extreme driving under the influence. DD DD Under Arizona law, a reading higher than 0.20 percent falls in the category of "super extreme DUI," punishable by 45 to 180 days in jail with no possibility of a suspended sentence. DD DD However, the consequences go up drastically, and may include a felony conviction and prison, for DUI-related crashes that involve death or injury, according to legal experts. HH header UB IB CW DD Wow these government nannies are real smart! They know which dogs will be good dogs and can be adopted. They also know which dogs are bad dogs and should be killed. DD DD I wonder if these are the same government nannies that worked for Hitler and decided which Jews were good Jews and could live, and which Jews were bad Jews and had to be killed. DD DD Perhaps the court system will be replaced with smart cops like these people so we don't have to waste a lot of money having jury trials. The cops can decide which people are bad criminals and should be killed. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1109DogEvals1109.html DD DD Humane Society dogs face life-or-death audition DD Safety fears doom many potential pets DD DD John Faherty DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 9, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Baby, a pit bull, walked into a room with cinder-block walls and a concrete floor for her behavior evaluation at the Arizona Humane Society shelter. DD DD The dog let the handler open her mouth and tug on her ears. She didn't bark, growl or snip when her paws were pulled and her tail was tugged. DD DD This was a good dog but not good enough. DD DD "With pit bulls, she would have to be perfect. And she's not," said Marilyn Gooding-Stueland, supervisor of behavior programs. "She will be humanely euthanized." DD DD Five minutes later, Baby was dead. DD DD There is a heightened interest in these evaluations after a 4-year-old girl was killed by her pet dog Monday afternoon in the north Valley. DD DD More than 4.7 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are on average 16 fatal dog attacks annually. DD DD The Humane Society screens dogs put up for adoption to try to ensure safety, but sometimes, even those evaluations cannot predict an animal's behavior. DD DD Tori Whitehurst died when the family pet, an American bulldog named Cane, turned on her in the family's backyard. DD DD The Arizona Humane Society had placed the dog with a person who later gave him to the Whitehursts. DD DD Cane had gone through the same evaluation earlier this year because American bulldogs are large and can be aggressive. DD DD Cane's evaluation showed him to have an ideal temperament. "The dog was perfect," Gooding-Stueland said. DD DD Assessing behavior DD So far this year, the Humane Society says, it has evaluated 5,300 dogs. Half of the dogs tested were placed with a family, a rescue shelter or a dog-foster home. DD DD The rest of the dogs were euthanized. DD DD The Humane Society does this evaluation for every dog that: DD DD • Has a history of aggressive behavior according to the person that drops them off. DD DD • Shows aggressive or inappropriate behavior at the shelter. DD DD • Is from a list of dog breeds that can be particularly aggressive. DD DD It was because of Baby's breed that she was evaluated. DD DD The idea of the test is to introduce some conflict to the animal and see how it responds. DD DD The evaluation was created by Sam Kabbel, a dog behaviorist and the owner of Pet Behavior Solutions in Phoenix. DD DD "We want to see them in elements of normal conflict," Kabbel said in an earlier interview about pit bulls. "One of the biggest questions we ask ourselves is: Would we want our next-door neighbor to have this animal?" DD DD To the untrained eye, Baby appeared to be a great dog. DD DD She offered no resistance Thursday morning when her bowl was moved as she ate. She showed zero aggression toward another dog who later ate from the same bowl. DD DD Baby's problems were that she never fully settled down during the evaluation and that she exhibited behaviors that may have been just playful or could have been signs of future aggression. DD DD Sometimes, she jumped up at Krystal Nance, who performed the evaluation. DD DD Other times, she turned and squared her shoulders toward Nance. DD DD "There was nothing wrong with that dog," Nance said. "This sucks. She has potential. She could be worked with, but we just can't place her." DD DD Moments later, she led the dog out of the room to be put down. DD DD Are tests accurate? DD It's possible the evaluators are being more cautious this week because of the death of Tori Whitehurst. DD DD The knowledge that Cane had been tested in the same manner, in the same room, appeared to hang heavily over the evaluators. DD DD "That was a hard day, a horrible day. It's still not over," Gooding-Stueland said. "You ask yourself, 'Did I mess up? What happened?' " DD DD Humane Society veterinarian Nancy Bradley has dealt with animals her whole life. She grew up around them, has evaluated them and treated them. DD DD With all her experience, she knows there is only so much you can actually know about a dog. DD DD "These are domesticated animals," Bradley said. "But they are still animals." DD DD Lindsey Collom contributed to this article. HH header UB IB CW DD So why waste your time calling the cops! Most of the time they can't help you! And for that matter before they even pretend to try and help you they will run your name and DOB thru the computer to see if there are any warrants out for you so they can arrest you. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/1109mr-calls1110.html DD DD Police won't respond on scene to low-level calls DD DD Senta Scarborough DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 9, 2007 07:00 AM DD DD Lost cell phones. Non-injury traffic accidents. 911 coin phone hang-ups. Beer runs. DD DD You can call the police, but they likely won't be showing up in person. Starting in mid-December, the Mesa Police Department will stop sending officers to low-priority calls that don't involve crimes or a public safety threat. The goal is to improve service and not waste anybody's time. DD DD Dispatchers will provide residents the information and resources they need in place of sending an officer. DD DD "We can add the time (saved) to crime fighting and prevention," Mesa police Assistant Chief John Meza said. "A half an hour could be used to get radar gun . . . or patrol a hot spot." DD DD Last fall, a committee began reviewing police calls and looking for ways to make the best use of officers' time. The reduction in call response could save 4,872 hours of patrol time, police dispatch training supervisor Kim Clark said. DD DD "I think, ultimately, citizens will get a higher level of customer service with a better-educated call-taker with important knowledge for the citizen on how to best handle their problems," Clark said. "It will also be faster process, a one-call shopping." DD DD Police will still respond to 911 hang-ups from residents and businesses. Officers won't respond to 911 coin phone hangs up where there aren't noises or response when dispatchers call back. Dispatchers receive an average of 426 of the coin phone hang ups each month and officers spend about 92 hours per month responding. DD DD Minor shoplifting incidents including beer runs won't get an officer to the scene if there isn't an identifiable suspect and the business doesn't want to prosecute. DD DD Police have worked with several stores to make it more difficult for thieves, including a Safeway on Main Street where beer is locked up. DD DD However, police will continue to take a report over the phone to monitor trends. DD DD Losing a cell phone won't get an officer to the scene either. Police receive an average of 205 lost cell phone calls each month, racking up an average of 27 hours for police to respond. DD DD "I was shocked at how much time we were spending on this," Clark said. The cell phone companies were requesting customers obtain a police report, Meza said. Callers will receive a case number instead of a report. DD DD Non-injury accidents, which average about 525 hours per month, also will not get an officer sent to the scene. Officers spend about 366 hours on average per month responding to the fender-benders now. DD DD According to state law, police are required to respond to non-injury accidents when the damage is more than $1,000 or there is a crime involved such as a hit and run or a DUI. DD DD Residents where the damage is less than $1,000 and involve no crime can swap information and be on their way, Meza said. Those involved in a non-injury crash can come to the department and file a report. If a third-party calls police about a crash, police will respond. DD DD "This puts us in line with other agencies in the Valley," he said. If a resident insists on a police response, an officer will come and write a citation if a traffic violation has occurred. DD DD Nearly 500 civil-related calls are made per month to police. Officers spend on average 265 hours each month handling them, according to the department. DD DD In civil matters, residents would wait up to an hour for an officer to arrive only to find out there is nothing the officer can do, Clark said. DD DD Police will no longer respond to them unless there is a potential threat to public safety or a disturbance of the peace, Meza said. DD DD Examples of civil matter calls range from a requesting an officer to come with them to make a refund at a store or remove a patio umbrella from the street after a storm. Other calls have included residents reporting a neighbor's tree is coming into their yard, a child is refusing to go to school and a neighbor's chair is making noise around the clock. DD DD Other calls involve private property sales or agreements often handled in small-claims court. HH header UB IB CW DD http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071109/ap_on_re_us/kerik_investigation DD DD Ex-NYC top cop surrenders to feds DD DD By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer 56 minutes ago DD DD WHITE PLAINS, N. Y. - Former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik surrendered Friday to face federal corruption charges, in what could prove to be an ongoing embarrassment for presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani. DD DD A law enforcement official, speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the indictment had not been unsealed, said Kerik surrendered to the FBI in suburban White Plains. He was to be fingerprinted and processed, then taken by U.S. marshals to the federal courthouse. DD DD Kerik, the police commissioner under then-Mayor Giuliani and a failed nominee for homeland security secretary, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges, another person close to the investigation said. DD DD The U.S. attorney's office said it would hold a news conference later Friday with FBI and Internal Revenue Service officials in White Plains "to announce an indictment of a former public official." The office had no further comment. DD DD The indictment could complicate matters for Giuliani, now a Republican presidential candidate, as the first primaries draw near. DD DD Giuliani endorsed Kerik's 2004 nomination to head Homeland Security. Only days after Bush introduced Kerik as his nominee, Kerik announced he was withdrawing his name because of tax issues involving his former nanny. DD DD The charges in the indictment include mail and wire fraud, tax fraud, making false statements on a bank application, making false statements for a U.S. government position and theft of honest services, according to the person close to the investigation. The theft charge essentially accuses a government employee of abusing his position and defrauding the public. DD DD The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the indictment was sealed and wasn't expected to be unsealed until Kerik's arraignment Friday. DD DD The indictment does not include any charges stemming from allegations of eavesdropping related to former Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro's pursuit of information about whether her husband was having an affair, the person said. DD DD Prosecutors had been presenting evidence to a federal grand jury for several months, asking jurors to consider charges including tax evasion and corruption. DD DD The investigation of Kerik, 52, arose from allegations that, while a city official, he accepted $165,000 in renovations to his Bronx apartment, paid for by a mob-connected construction company that sought his help in winning city contracts. DD DD Kerik pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor charge in state court, admitting that the renovations constituted an illegal gift from the construction firm. The plea spared him jail time and preserved his career as a security consultant, but his troubles resurfaced when federal authorities convened their own grand jury to investigate allegations that he failed to report as income tens of thousands of dollars in services from his friends and supporters. DD DD Kerik was police commissioner on Sept. 11, 2001, and his efforts in response to the terrorist attacks helped burnish a career that came close to a Cabinet post. DD DD Giuliani frequently says he made a mistake in recommending Kerik to be Homeland Security chief, but that might not be enough to avoid the political damage of a drawn-out criminal case involving his one-time protege. DD DD During a campaign stop Thursday in Dubuque, Iowa, Giuliani was asked whether he still stood by Kerik. He sidestepped that question and said the issue had to be decided by the courts. DD DD "A lot of public comment about it is inconsistent with its getting resolved in the right way in the courts," Giuliani said. HH header UB IB DD I suspect this dual tuition rate is unconstitutional under Arizona Constitution Equal Protect Clause Article 2 Section 13. DD DD Section 13. No law shall be enacted granting to any citizen, class of citizens, or corporation other than municipal, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens or corporations. DD DD Also the fees seem a little high according to Article 11, Section of the Arizona Constitution - 6. DD DD Section 6. The university and all other state educational institutions shall be open to students of both sexes, and the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1108tuition1108-ON-CP.html DD DD Arizona universities want sharp tuition hike next year DD DD Anne Ryman DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 8, 2007 11:36 AM DD DD Two of Arizona's three state universities want to hike tuition sharply for next year's freshman class and guarantee no increase or a maximum 5-percent increase in the future. DD DD Arizona State University proposes to raise tuition for new students by 15 percent in exchange for fixed increases of no more than 5 percent in the future. Northern Arizona University wants to hike tuition by 12 percent and guarantee the same tuition for four years. DD DD The University of Arizona is not proposing guaranteed tuition, but wants to raise next year's tuition by 9.7 percent. DD DD The proposals from ASU and NAU, if approved by the Arizona Board of Regents in December, would be a bold departure from past practice. Most universities vary their tuition increases each year. DD DD Supporters of fixed tuition say it gives families predictability over costs. Critics say guaranteed tuition saves students no money and could discourage first-generation or disadvantaged students from going to college. DD DD ASU's tuition and mandatory fees would rise from nearly $5,000 to $5,759 next year for incoming freshman and transfer students. After that, students would pay a maximum of 5-percent more every year. Returning students would see a nearly 9 percent increase in tuition and fees for the coming year, to $5,413 and would also pay 5 percent more in tuition increases in coming years. DD DD University officials say the initial hikes are an attempt to bring Arizona universities more in line with other public universities. Tuition and fees average $6,185 this year at four-year public universities, according to the College Board. DD DD "We're offering a great education and a great educational experience for students, and we want to continue on that path. We think the tuition proposal is the best way to do that," said James Rund, ASU's vice president for university student initiatives. DD DD The proposal got a poor initial response from some students, who had heard rumblings of such a proposal earlier this week. DD DD ASU student Liz Simonhoff, president of ASU Tempe's Undergraduate Student Government, criticized fixed tuition, saying the costs lock students into a certain rate without taking economic conditions into account. DD DD "We don't want to gamble," said Simonhoff, who was part of a student rally on Monday urging the universities to freeze tuition for the 2008-09 school year. DD DD In Arizona, tuition increases have been inconsistent from year to year. In 2001, tuition increased only 3.9 percent but jumped 39 percent the following year. Tuition and fees at ASU's Tempe campus are nearly $5,000 a year for undergraduates, almost double what they were five years ago. DD DD Here's how the proposed increases would impact undergraduates, if approved: DD DD • UA students at the Tucson campus, who pay the highest tuition among state universities, would pay $5,527 in tuition and fees next year, or $490 more than the current year. Graduate students would pay $560 more, under the proposal. DD DD • NAU's Flagstaff campus would see tuition and fees go up for new freshman and transfer students by 12 percent, to $5,145. Continuing students, both graduate and undergraduate, would see an increase of 7 percent this year. They pay $4,841 now. Student fees also would increase by $25. DD DD Besides pushing the tuition freeze, the statewide student group wants the state Legislature and governor to compensate by putting extra money into university budgets. The association wants the state to kick in $25 million more next year, the equivalent of a 5-percent tuition increase. It's unclear how much support the students' proposal will get from decision makers, given the tight state budget. DD DD Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com (602) 444-8072. HH header UB IB DD I suspect this dual tuition rate is unconstitutional under Arizona Constitution Equal Protect Clause Article 2 Section 13. DD DD Section 13. No law shall be enacted granting to any citizen, class of citizens, or corporation other than municipal, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens or corporations. DD DD Also the fees seem a little high according to Article 11, Section of the Arizona Constitution - 6. DD DD Section 6. The university and all other state educational institutions shall be open to students of both sexes, and the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/1108tuition1108-ON-CP.html DD DD Arizona universities want sharp tuition hike next year DD DD Anne Ryman DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 8, 2007 11:36 AM DD DD Two of Arizona's three state universities want to hike tuition sharply for next year's freshman class and guarantee no increase or a maximum 5-percent increase in the future. DD DD Arizona State University proposes to raise tuition for new students by 15 percent in exchange for fixed increases of no more than 5 percent in the future. Northern Arizona University wants to hike tuition by 12 percent and guarantee the same tuition for four years. DD DD The University of Arizona is not proposing guaranteed tuition, but wants to raise next year's tuition by 9.7 percent. DD DD The proposals from ASU and NAU, if approved by the Arizona Board of Regents in December, would be a bold departure from past practice. Most universities vary their tuition increases each year. DD DD Supporters of fixed tuition say it gives families predictability over costs. Critics say guaranteed tuition saves students no money and could discourage first-generation or disadvantaged students from going to college. DD DD ASU's tuition and mandatory fees would rise from nearly $5,000 to $5,759 next year for incoming freshman and transfer students. After that, students would pay a maximum of 5-percent more every year. Returning students would see a nearly 9 percent increase in tuition and fees for the coming year, to $5,413 and would also pay 5 percent more in tuition increases in coming years. DD DD University officials say the initial hikes are an attempt to bring Arizona universities more in line with other public universities. Tuition and fees average $6,185 this year at four-year public universities, according to the College Board. DD DD "We're offering a great education and a great educational experience for students, and we want to continue on that path. We think the tuition proposal is the best way to do that," said James Rund, ASU's vice president for university student initiatives. DD DD The proposal got a poor initial response from some students, who had heard rumblings of such a proposal earlier this week. DD DD ASU student Liz Simonhoff, president of ASU Tempe's Undergraduate Student Government, criticized fixed tuition, saying the costs lock students into a certain rate without taking economic conditions into account. DD DD "We don't want to gamble," said Simonhoff, who was part of a student rally on Monday urging the universities to freeze tuition for the 2008-09 school year. DD DD In Arizona, tuition increases have been inconsistent from year to year. In 2001, tuition increased only 3.9 percent but jumped 39 percent the following year. Tuition and fees at ASU's Tempe campus are nearly $5,000 a year for undergraduates, almost double what they were five years ago. DD DD Here's how the proposed increases would impact undergraduates, if approved: DD DD • UA students at the Tucson campus, who pay the highest tuition among state universities, would pay $5,527 in tuition and fees next year, or $490 more than the current year. Graduate students would pay $560 more, under the proposal. DD DD • NAU's Flagstaff campus would see tuition and fees go up for new freshman and transfer students by 12 percent, to $5,145. Continuing students, both graduate and undergraduate, would see an increase of 7 percent this year. They pay $4,841 now. Student fees also would increase by $25. DD DD Besides pushing the tuition freeze, the statewide student group wants the state Legislature and governor to compensate by putting extra money into university budgets. The association wants the state to kick in $25 million more next year, the equivalent of a 5-percent tuition increase. It's unclear how much support the students' proposal will get from decision makers, given the tight state budget. DD DD Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com (602) 444-8072. HH header UB IB CW DD The cops didn't do anything wrong and the woman hung herself! Did you expect anything different from the police report? DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/1109gotbaum1109.html DD DD Autopsy: Gotbaum died from asphyxia by hanging DD DD The Arizona Republic DD DD Nov. 9, 2007 09:55 AM DD DD The Maricopa County medical examiner report said that 45-year-old Carol Anne Gotbaum died from asphyxia by hanging while in police custody at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Sept. 28. DD DD The report also says Gotbaum was acutely intoxicated on alcohol and prescription drugs when she died in a police holding room at the airport. DD DD Gotbaum belonged to a powerful New York family, which has hired a team of experts to probe her death. The case has drawn national attention to how the Phoenix Police Department handled the case. DD DD The autopsy says she died after accidentally strangling herself while in police custody during the airport layover. DD DD Gotbaum had been arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after she was kept off a connecting flight that was to bring her to Tucson, where she was to enter an alcohol treatment center. DD DD Authorities have said that Gotbaum, who was handcuffed and shackled to a bench in an airport holding room, may have accidentally strangled herself. Police have said they followed proper procedures when dealing with her. DD DD Last week, police released documents showing that Gotbaum made a grim, emotional flight to Phoenix and may have ordered a Bloody Mary from a flight attendant, according to witness accounts. DD DD Gotbaum broke down several times on her flight from New York and confided to a passenger sitting next to her that she was going to rehab. DD DD "Ms. Gotbaum would break into tears during the flight and while they were speaking with each other," according to a police statement describing an account by the passenger, Jodi Hall. DD DD According to the account from Hall, "Ms. Gotbaum said that someone would have come with her, but it was her decision to do it on her own." DD DD The accounts were among more than 200 pages of documents released Wednesday by the Phoenix police homicide unit, which probed the New York woman's death at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. DD DD Gotbaum had a layover at the airport during her trip to enter a 30-day rehab program in Tucson. DD DD She was arrested for disorderly conduct after she became irate when denied boarding and died later in a holding cell. DD DD The documents also show: DD DD DD • When Noah Gotbaum was told of his wife's death by phone, he said, "They killed her, they killed her." DD DD DD • Conflicting reports about whether Gotbaum was drinking before she was arrested. While a member of the flight crew recalls serving Gotbaum a cocktail in the galley, passenger Hall says she didn't see Gotbaum drink alcohol. DD DD DD • Gotbaum was taking medications to battle depression, according to police interviews with an investigator hired by the Gotbaum family. DD DD DD • Betsy Gotbaum, a New York politician and Gotbaum's mother-in-law, called the day of the death and asked police to use Carol Gotbaum's maiden name in police reports to shield the Gotbaum family from publicity. DD DD The Gotbaum family's attorney had not seen the report Wednesday, but many of the witness accounts of Gotbaum's emotional state make sense, he said. DD DD "This was her first trip to a treatment facility and she was distressed about leaving her kids," said Michael Manning, who represents Gotbaum's husband and three young children. DD DD The Gotbaum family, which has been critical of the police, has hired its own team of experts to probe the case. DD DD Manning downplayed the drink Gotbaum may have had on the flight, noting that witnesses disagree about that. DD DD A spokesman for Betsy Gotbaum, the New York public advocate, which is an elected office, declined to comment Wednesday evening. DD DD The homicide unit has wrapped up its probe of the death, and Sgt. Andy Hill says it appears that the police acted appropriately. DD DD "All of the witness accounts say that the police did what they had to do," Hill said. DD DD An internal investigation into the officers' conduct isn't complete yet. HH header UB IB WB CW DD http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd10nov10,0,3960843.story?coll=la-home-center DD DD L.A. officials defend mapping of Muslim areas DD DD Mayor Villaraigosa says the LAPD has 'good intentions' in gathering intelligence. Chief Bratton says the effort should be seen as 'community engagement.' DD DD Los Angeles Times Staff Writers DD 11:13 AM PST, November 9, 2007 DD DD DD City officials this morning defended the LAPD's decision to identify Muslim enclaves across the city, saying that instead of "mapping," Angelenos should see the program as "community engagement." DD DD Civil rights groups have harshly criticized the new initiative as racial profiling that unfairly targets Muslims. The American Civil Liberties Union along with other community groups sent a letter to the LAPD this week saying the prospect of such a measure raised "grave concerns." DD DD At a press conference about police recruitment in Elysian Park, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Police Chief William Bratton and Councilman Jack Weiss said they stood behind Deputy Chief Michael P. Downing's decision to gather extensive intelligence about local Muslim communities. DD DD "Chief Downing has good intentions here," said Villaraigosa, who added that he had only learned of the new program through newspaper articles and at a short briefing. DD DD The Police Department respects "the civil and human rights of Muslims in Los Angeles," Villaraigosa said. DD DD The mapping program would be headed by Downing, who is in charge of the LAPD's anti-terrorism bureau. DD DD "We want to map the locations of these closed, vulnerable communities, and in partnership with these communities . . . help [weave] these enclaves into the fabric of the larger society," Downing said in testimony about the program before Congress on Oct. 30. DD DD At the hearing, Downing said his intentions were to "mitigate radicalization," and that law enforcement agencies everywhere faced "a vicious, amorphous and unfamiliar adversary on our land." DD DD The LAPD hopes to identify communities that "may be susceptible to violent, ideologically based extremism and then use a full-spectrum approach guided by an intelligence-led strategy," Downing said during the hearing. DD DD Bratton tried to recast the program this morning, saying that incorrect words had been used to describe the LAPD's actions. DD DD "We are seeking contact with many communities," he said. "We are doing it in a very transparent way here. We got hung up on the word 'mapping', this is 'community engagement.' " DD DD Bratton then used an anecdote from his first days as police commissioner in New York City in the early 1990s, saying that officers there raided what appeared to be a store but turned out instead to be a mosque. DD DD Police can sometimes be ignorant of what is actually in their neighborhood, Bratton said, referencing the officers' mistake. The new initiative is designed to get officers out into communities, meeting with people and learning the local landscape, he said. DD DD City officials repeatedly praised the LAPD for its transparency in describing the program, but police have yet to give any details of how the mapping would be carried out or which communities would be affected. DD DD "Right concern, wrong program," Weiss said. DD DD Concerns over clandestine racial profiling and spying by law enforcement are important concerns but do not apply to Downing's initiative, Weiss said. "This is not a program of subterfuge, it is a program of transparency." DD DD Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, has embraced the vaguely defined program "in concept" and was on hand this morning to support the city officials. In an earlier interview, Al-Marayati said he wanted to know more about the plan and that he would meet with the LAPD next week. DD DD Other Muslim groups have harshly condemned the project. DD DD "We certainly reject this idea completely," Shakeel Syed, executive director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, said in an earlier interview. "This stems basically from this presumption that there is homogenized Muslim terrorism that exists among us." DD DD ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com DD DD richard.winton@latimes.com DD DD Times staff writers Francisco Vara-Orta, Andrew Blankstein, Stuart Silverstein, Paul Pringle, and Jean-Paul Renaud contributed to this report. HH header HH header UB RB LB IB DB WB CW SS II MY DD ASU breaks the zoning laws the rest of us are forced to obey DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101657 DD DD November 10, 2007 - 12:29AM DD DD Union fire threatened lives; warning not heeded DD DD Ryan Gabrielson, Garin Groff, Tribune DD DD Firefighters nearly retreated from ASU’s Memorial Union as fire spread from one floor to another, fearing the building might explode into flames. DD DD The heat inside climbed so high, the air and smoke might have ignited, threatening the lives of the firefighters and anyone else in the union. More than 5,000 people were evacuating from the busiest building on campus. DD DD “That was a potentially life-ending situation,” said Mike Reichling, the fire inspector who responded to the incident. DD DD The Tempe Fire Department crew initially played down the risk they faced in the Nov. 1 fire. DD DD But new details have emerged this week from firefighters, which show the fire threatened lives. And public records show that Arizona State University officials knew the union was dangerously unprepared before the blaze started in a second floor storage closet. DD DD As firefighters worked, the blaze neared a flashover — when heat reaches the ignition point of combustible gasses in the air, Tempe fire Chief Cliff Jones said Friday. A flashover would have caused the union’s smoke-filled ballroom to erupt. DD DD “If firefighters are in there and it flashes over, the chances of them getting out are very slim,” Jones said. DD DD One veteran firefighter told Reichling the union fire was the hottest of his career. Another firefighter considered pulling the crew out because it didn’t seem they were making headway. Finally, they saw some improvement and decided to stay. DD DD “The actions of the firefighters saved that building,” Reichling said. DD DD ASU officials learned at least six months earlier that a fire could grow easily, unchecked within the union. DD DD In April, as first-floor restaurants were renovated, a fire-protection engineering company inspected the building. DD DD The findings were worrisome. DD DD “The Memorial Union building is lacking both life-safety and fire-protection features which are deemed critical due to the large occupant load of the building,” the inspection report states. DD DD Safety problems abounded in the 255,000-square-foot union, from the walls to the elevators, the report found. DD DD ASU Fire Marshal Jim Gibbs lobbied some of the university’s top officials to heed the warning and install equipment to protect the union, e-mail records show. DD DD The university released the inspection report and e-mails related to the union’s life-safety equipment Friday afternoon in response to a Tribune records request. DD DD On April 11, Gibbs sent a message to his bosses, Leon Igras, ASU’s health and safety director, and LeEtta Overmyer, head of all the university’s safety departments, asking for support. DD DD The union had already spent all the money intended for renovations that it had received from Aramark, ASU’s food service provider. Regardless, Gibbs wrote that he pushed the union’s facilities director to install sprinklers. DD DD “I asked him to seriously consider life-safety improvements for the facility,” Gibbs wrote, “he is already aware of the deficiencies of the building but I reiterated them again.” DD DD Overmyer responded to Gibbs, asking him to elaborate and document the problems so that she could provide them to her boss, Paul Ward, ASU’s top attorney. DD DD The e-mails ASU provided to the Tribune don’t show whether university officials further considered the safety measures. DD DD The university budgeted $760,000 in February to upgrade the union’s fire alarms, Overmyer said in a written response to Tribune questions. DD DD Igras didn’t immediately return calls for comment Friday. DD DD Scandaliato Design Group, the fire inspectors, recommended ASU replace its existing sprinklers and fire alarms. DD DD The alarm system that covered 90 percent of the union was deficient, the inspection report states. “Since this building is only partially protected by a fire sprinkler system, limited smoke detector coverage may result in a fire being unchecked.” DD DD Sprinklers covered only the basement and parts of the first floor. The second and third floors, where the fire began and spread, were unprotected. DD DD Several of the university’s buildings were constructed before Arizona had a fire code and required sprinklers. However, ASU installed sprinklers in its dorms about 20 years ago. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101463 DD DD November 7, 2007 - 8:44PM DD DD ASU union lacked sufficient sprinklers DD DD Katie McDevitt, Ryan Gabrielson, Tribune DD DD There are no sprinklers over the ASU Memorial Union storage closet where a fire started last week and spread across the campus’ busiest building. DD DD No part of the union’s second or third floors has sprinklers despite the fact that state fire code requires a building be “sprinklered” whenever it has major renovations. DD DD The 52-year-old Memorial Union has been undergoing renovations for the past couple years, but university officials say a lack of cash has kept them from installing sprinklers in the upper floors of the building. DD DD Arizona State University only installed the fire suppression devices in the basement and rooms that have been renovated on the first floor within the past two years, said Jim Gibbs, ASU’s fire marshal. DD DD ASU delayed installing sprinklers across the 254,000 square-foot building, which several thousand students and university employees visited every weekday, because there wasn’t money to do the whole project at once, Gibbs said. DD DD Instead, the sprinklers were to be installed in phases during the next two to three years, he said. DD DD But ASU cannot wait any longer. DD DD Phil Mele, Arizona’s fire marshal, has ordered the university to keep the union closed until it has installed sprinklers, a project that could take months. DD DD On Friday, Mele, Gibbs and other ASU officials will inspect the union, which has been closed since the fire broke out last Thursday. The group will determine what other life safety improvements the union needs before it can reopen, including fire alarms and other devices. DD DD In 2001, the legislature cut all funding to maintain buildings at Arizona’s three public universities, according to an analysis by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. That situation has continued for most of the last decade. Lawmakers put some money in the maintenance budget last fiscal year but eliminated it again this year. DD DD The building renewal fund is supposed to pay for critical maintenance projects, including “projects to comply with building, health, fire or safety codes,” the state statute says. DD DD The budget committee’s analysis shows lawmakers have shorted the universities $376 million in just the past seven years. DD DD The university will put out a request for bids to install sprinklers next week, Gibbs said. The project could cost millions of dollars to complete. DD DD More than 5,000 people were evacuated from the union, which burned much of the building’s eastern end. DD DD Mele said he considers the union fire “suspicious,” though the cause remains unknown. DD DD “It’s a crime scene,” he said. DD DD The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is conducting the investigation to determine what caused the fire. Mele said he asked the federal agency to investigate because his office doesn’t have the resources to do so. DD DD When finished, Mele said ATF would provide its findings to the ASU police department, which will head a criminal investigation, if necessary. DD DD Gibbs inspected the union earlier this year and said humans are likely responsible for the fire, not an electrical or mechanical problem. DD DD “There’s nothing that can be found in the building that would have caused this type of situation without intervention,” he said. DD DD http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/101617 DD DD November 9, 2007 - 5:15AM DD ASU building to be closed until January DD Jeff Burns, Tribune DD DD Arizona State University students will have to wait until January to go to the Memorial Union for lunch or a study break. DD DD University officials said Thursday the Union’s first floor and basement will open by the beginning of the spring semester. It was closed following a fire last week. DD DD “Our students are our number one priority,” an ASU spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail. “Our primary goal is relocate services and minimize and inconvenience to our students.” DD DD The lower levels of the building are the priority in the renovation process, said Bruce Jensen, interim director of project management at ASU. DD DD The first level of the union contains fast-food restaurants and businesses such as Chick-Fil-A, Taco Bell, a cafeteria and Wells Fargo. The basement has a Burger King, Jamba Juice and Hoodlums, a music store. DD DD The second level primarily consists of large meeting rooms, storage and the Maricopa Café restaurant. Offices for ASU’s student government and other organizations are located on the third floor. DD DD ASU said it is working diligently with its business partners to relocate services while the MU is closed. DD DD The university relocated essential services like banking and created the MU Express, a temporary cafeteria just east of the MU. DD DD ASU also increased its staff at the other residential dining facilities to accommodate overflow. Students can use meal plans at each of them. DD DD Food service workers were relocated to other locations in the Valley or elsewhere on campus. DD DD The fire started in a storage closet on the second floor of the building. Officials say the blaze is suspicious because the cause is unknown. DD DD ASU says it is still too early to determine the amount of financial loss expected while businesses are closed. HH header UB IB CW DD No only did this cop murder his wife, but when she previously tried to complain that the cop was a wife beater, the cops arrested the woman, not the wife beating cop. DD DD http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/POLICE_OFFICERS_WIFE?SITE=AZMES&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT DD DD Nov 10, 8:14 AM EST DD DD Officer a suspect in missing wife case DD DD By DON BABWIN DD DD Associated Press Writer DD DD JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Kathleen Savio tried to get someone to believe that her life was in danger. She told authorities, who charged her with domestic battery instead of her husband Drew Peterson. Savio told her family that if she died, no matter what it looked like, her death would be no accident. DD DD Now, prosecutors are searching for Peterson's fourth wife Stacy, calling Peterson, a police officer, a suspect in her potential homicide. And three years after she was lowered into the ground, prosecutors now plan to exhume Savio's body in the hopes it will give them clues to how she died. DD DD "There's no doubt in my mind it wasn't an accident," Will County state's attorney James Glasgow said Friday. DD DD Glasgow's petition to exhume Savio's body argues that the "evidence is consistent with the staging of an accident to conceal a homicide." DD DD Stacy Peterson, Drew Peterson's current wife, was last seen Oct. 28 and state Police Capt. Carl Dobrich said Peterson is no longer a person of interest in the disappearance of the 23-year-old but "clearly" a suspect. He said the case is now a potential homicide investigation. DD DD "We're sad, but we needed to move on, and this is something we've needed to hear for a long time," said Pamela Bosco, Stacy Peterson's adoptive stepmother. DD DD Peterson has said that his wife phoned him and told him she had left him for another man. His attorney, Fred Morelli, did not immediately return calls seeking comment. DD DD Authorities said that during their initial visit to the Peterson home after Stacy was reported missing, Drew Peterson gave his consent for a search, but limited the number of officers and the area. DD DD The family of Stacy Peterson, who was studying nursing at a nearby junior college, has said she feared her husband, was making plans to divorce him and would not have willingly left her children, ages 2 and 4. DD DD A coroner's jury ruled the 2004 death of Kathleen Savio, Peterson's third wife, an accident, even though there was no water in the bathtub where the 40-year-old's body was found face-down, her hair soaked in blood from a head wound. Investigators theorized the water had drained. DD DD Glasgow said his office has reviewed photographs of the crime scene and autopsy, the autopsy protocol and police reports. DD DD They determined the blood evidence was not consistent with water slowly leaking out of a tub, that the one-inch gash on the back of Savio's head was not sufficient to render her unconscious, and that abrasions on her body were not consistent with falling on a smooth surface like a bathtub. DD DD Glasgow, who took office more than nine months after Savio's death, also said that indicated Savio had sought a domestic violence complaint against her husband. DD DD Peterson was never charged, but Savio was twice charged in 2002 with battery and domestic battery, Glasgow said. She was found not guilty both times. DD DD Jeff Tomczak, the state's attorney at the time that domestic violence charges were filed against Savio and when she died, did not return a call seeking comment. DD DD Savio's niece, Melissa Marie Doman, said family members support the exhumation. She said relatives have long suspected that Savio didn't drown accidentally. DD DD "Something just was never right," said Doman. "I can't really say who, but someone did something." DD DD According to court records, Savio had gotten an order of protection in 2002, alleging a pattern of physical abuse and threats. Drew Peterson has denied involvement in his ex-wife's death. DD DD Savio's sister, Susan Savio, told the coroner's jury that her sister feared Drew Peterson. DD DD In a transcript of the coroner's inquest, Susan Savio told the six-person jury that her sister told family members "if she would die, it may look like an accident, but it wasn't." DD DD Also on Friday, the Bolingbrook Police Department announced that Peterson has been relieved of duty and placed on suspension without pay pending completion of an internal affairs investigation and hearing. HH header UB DD http://www.lvrj.com/news/11169546.html DD DD Nov. 10, 2007 DD DD SIMPSON PROCEEDINGS: Scrutiny remains on guns DD DD Witness says ex-football star might not have seen weapon DD DD Charles Cashmore testifies Friday during a preliminary hearing in Las Vegas for O.J. Simpson and two co-defendants. DD DD Minutes after leading a raid on a hotel room to retrieve his memorabilia, O.J. Simpson left a voice mail for Thomas Riccio saying he hadn't seen anyone use a gun. DD DD Later that night, while Las Vegas police were still in the room investigating, Simpson again called Riccio about the gun issue. DD DD "He said, 'Don't say there was a gun because there was no gun.' That's when I told him I saw a gun," Riccio testified Friday, adding there was a "real good" chance Simpson didn't see the weapon because he was standing several feet in front of the gunman during the Sept. 13 confrontation at the Palace Station. DD DD Riccio's morning testimony wrapped up his turn on the witness stand in the preliminary hearing of Simpson, 60, Charles Ehrlich and Clarence Stewart, both 53, who are charged with robbing two memorabilia dealers at gunpoint. Each man faces 12 criminal counts, including robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and conspiracy. DD DD Three other men involved in the raid have agreed to plead guilty to reduced charges in exchange for their testimony. DD DD After the hearing, which will continue Tuesday, Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure will decide whether there's enough evidence to send the case to District Court for trial. DD DD Despite the large media gathering outside the courthouse Friday, interest in the hearing seemed to wane. DD DD For the hearing's opening day Thursday, court officials had to raffle off the 15 courtroom seats available to the general public. So few people, including reporters, showed up Friday that seats were handed out to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. DD DD Meanwhile, outside the courthouse there was no sign of the chicken man, the giant bunny on roller skates, the shirtless man wearing a barrel around his waist or any of the other characters who roamed the sidewalks the previous day. They were replaced by two people dressed in black-and-white-striped prison garb, one protesting a local car dealership, the other advertising a bail bonds company. DD DD By the end of the day a few Simpson supporters showed up outside the courthouse to cheer as he departed. His supporters inside the courtroom included his sister, Shirley Baker, and friend Thomas Scotto. Simpson was in Las Vegas the week of the room raid for Scotto's wedding. DD DD During his Friday testimony, Riccio elaborated on earlier statements about the weeks leading up to the incident. DD DD He said memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley called him out of the blue in early August to pitch a deal involving stolen Simpson property, including record-breaking game footballs, personalized plaques and family photos. DD DD Beardsley told Riccio the items had been taken from Simpson's house by Mike Gilbert, a former agent, Riccio testified. Beardsley explained that Gilbert had taken the items years ago to hide from sheriff's deputies headed to the house to collect Simpson's property for the $38 million civil judgment against him by the family of murder victim Ron Goldman, Riccio said. DD DD The property was supposed to be returned, but Gilbert kept it, he said. DD DD Riccio said a combination of reasons led him to tell Simpson about the memorabilia and help hatch the plan to get it back. Part of it was doing the right thing, but he also had personal feelings about the people involved and stood to make money in a book-signing deal with Simpson, he said. DD DD "If O.J. was a real jerk to me, I wouldn't have been there," Riccio said. "If Beardsley hadn't been a jerk to me, I wouldn't have been there. If O.J. wasn't doing the book, I'm not in there. You add it all up, I'm there." DD DD Riccio disputed testimony from memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong, who said Thursday that Simpson and five other men burst into the room in "military invasion fashion" and that one of the men pointed a gun at him. DD DD Riccio said the men walked into the room after he used his key to unlock the door and the situation was under control despite the shouting from Simpson and others. DD DD Fromong seemed to be giving Simpson the memorabilia as Simpson accused him of stealing his memorabilia and trying to sell it, Riccio said. DD DD Fromong "said, 'Mike took it,' not whether he stole it or not," Riccio said. "And he was happy to give it back." DD DD But the situation "went south" after Fromong objected to the men taking his non-Simpson memorabilia, including baseballs signed by Pete Rose and lithographs of NFL hall of famer Joe Montana, Riccio said. Riccio said he didn't see a gun until Fromong's protest, and he said Fromong and Beardsley probably would not have called police if a gun hadn't been involved. DD DD "It wasn't a pleasant experience, but I think everyone could have lived with it until that gun came out," Riccio said. DD DD The first co-defendant to testify was Charles Cashmore, a local laborer who said he didn't even meet Simpson until about an hour before the Palace Station incident. DD DD Cashmore got involved in the plan through Stewart, whom he had known about five years. Stewart had agreed to pay Cashmore $500 to help organize and work the bar at a wedding party at his house that week when he invited Cashmore to the Palms to meet Simpson, Cashmore testified. DD DD Before long Cashmore had been recruited to accompany the others to help get memorabilia. When they reached the hotel, Cashmore and Ehrlich were to go to the room and verify the memorabilia was Simpson's and the meeting wasn't a set-up, Cashmore said. DD DD When the men met Riccio in the lobby, however, Riccio convinced them all to come at once, he said. DD DD Cashmore and Ehrlich entered the room first but were quickly pushed aside by the others. Cashmore said he saw one man waving a gun and another man with a gun near his waist. Cashmore said he felt threatened and complied with orders to stuff footballs and memorabilia into pillow cases and carry it out to a sport-utility vehicle. DD DD During the drive from the hotel, Cashmore overheard Simpson in the SUV on his cell phone saying nobody saw a gun and there weren't any guns, he said. DD DD "It might have been some sort of psychology, reverse psychology," Cashmore said. DD DD During cross-examination, Ehrlich lawyer John Moran Jr. tried to convince Bonaventure that Cashmore had violated the judge's rule against watching the hearing in person or on television. Cashmore had appeared on a national television news show the night before, and his appearance could have tainted the testimony of other witnesses who might have been watching, Moran argued. DD DD After about 10 minutes of arguments, Bonaventure ruled against Moran. The decision prompted a loud sigh from Ehrlich, who slumped his shoulders and said "Oh my God." DD DD Cashmore withstood three hours of aggressive cross-examination from defense lawyers, including Gabriel Grasso, one of Simpson's lawyers. DD DD Grasso suggested Cashmore was a publicity seeker hoping to take financial advantage of his role in the incident. DD DD Cashmore denied having a profit motive and said the ordeal has created nothing but problems. Cashmore said he expects to have trouble finding work. His father refuses to talk to him, and he now has a felony conviction. DD DD "The intent here is to do the right thing and try to get my life back," Cashmore said. DD DD Review-Journal staff writer Henry Brean contributed to this report. Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0281. HH header UB IB DD When businesses come to the government asking help it is usually for a handout of free money which we call ¡§corporate welfare¡¨, or asking the government to put their competitors out of business. DD DD In the case of these tattoo shops the second case seems to be true. DD DD I suspect the Arizona Tattoo and Piercing Association thinks that 102 tattoo shops in the valley means too much competition for the same customers and would like the government to some of the smaller competitors out of business. DD DD http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1110tattoos1110.html DD DD Valley tattoo shops ask for state regulation DD William Hermann DD The Arizona Republic DD Nov. 10, 2007 12:00 AM DD DD Valley tattoo-parlor owners, eager to protect and burnish the reputation of their industry, are calling for state regulation of the tattoo trade. DD DD Shop owners have teamed up to form the Arizona Tattoo and Piercing Association, and one of the organization's first steps was to meet this week with state legislators who say they now intend to introduce legislation to regulate the tattoo industry. DD DD Sean Dowdell, who owns shops in Glendale, Tempe and Mesa, said that by his count there are 102 tattoo shops in the Valley, "and nobody is protecting the public from dirty needles, unclean conditions and real health dangers." DD DD "If you want to cut hair or give a massage, you have to get training and be licensed," Dowdell said. "But if you want to go buy some tattoo equipment and starting putting needles and ink into people nobody is checking on you." DD DD Tattoo-industry regulation varies widely across the nation. Hawaii licenses all tattoo artists and inspects tattoo operations. California requires registration of tattoo businesses with a county health department and facility inspections. In Nevada, tattoo artists must be licensed by the city in which they live. Colorado requires licensing under the state board of cosmetology. In Mississippi, licensing is required by the Department of Health. DD DD Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota and many other states have little or no state regulation. DD DD Within Arizona, Coconino County requires its cities to license tattoo parlors. Maricopa County has no such requirement. DD DD "This stat