February 12th, 2010
A new online video accuses State Senator Renee Unterman of supporting the decrimnalization of child prostitution after she introduced a bill into the state senate that would stop the punishment of children under 16 who are accused of prostitution. Instead, these kids and teens would receive treatment and counseling to help them escape the dangerous lifestyle.
Atlanta criminal attorneys largely believe the ads are filled with outright lies. They explain that children under 16 performing these services are not criminals, but victims, and our current position of punishing the victim is both wrong and antiquated. Instead, these children need therapy, support, and in many cases, a new home. The people who need to be punished are those who use the services of these underage sex slaves and those who put them in this position.
Senator Unterman had sharp words to say on her behalf, “I have worked tirelessly for years to protect the children of Georgia from predatory and despicable acts of sexual exploitation and prostitution. I’m severely disappointed and personally insulted that conservative groups I have worked with and supported have chosen to misrepresent all the work I have put into protecting Georgia’s children.”
To read more on the issue, see the article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Image via Paul!!! [Flickr]
Tags: child protection, crime, prostitution, sex, sex trade, treatment
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February 5th, 2010
A new study has shown that one key factor contributes to an underprivileged youth’s future more than any other. That all important characteristic is resilience. Researchers found that nearly 20% of all American youths experience depression and the numbers are even higher amongst those in low income groups. They also found that those who have the most resilience are able to pull themselves out of their difficult situations and move on to bigger and better things, while those who were lacking the quality were more likely to move on to lives of crime.
Non-resilient children were more likely to display psychiatric problems, do poorly in school and take on anti-social behavior. Researchers also found that the leading predictor for resilience is self-regulation or focus. The most important part of this finding is the fact that focus is a skill that can be taught, so these non-resilient children still have a chance to turn around. Atlanta criminal lawyers claim that by teaching these qualities in public schools, the nation as a whole could see much lower crime rates, particularly among juveniles.
To read more about these fascinating discoveries, see the article in PR Web. Image via Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester [Flickr].
Tags: crime prevention, factors for success, juvenile crimes, research, resilience, teens, underprivelleged kids, youths
Posted in Legal News | No Comments »
January 29th, 2010
Georgia lawmakers are hoping that they will be able to pass a law to prevent racial profiling this year. The senate bill, number 325, was introduced by the Democratic representative of Stone Mountain, Gloria Butler. It would not only criminalize the act of stopping people due to the color of their skin, but also force the police to undergo yearly training on the matter and document the race, gender and age of anyone they pulled over.
“If you don’t collect data and numbers, you have nothing to measure… you have no information to form opinions,” she says.
A similar bill was introduced in 2004, but the congress was unable to reach a suitable compromise that would please Republicans and Democrats.
House senator Sen. Donzella James experienced this racial profiling upclose when her son, a youth minister was pulled over by the police, “They put him on the ground… they patted him down. They wanted to know why was he in a luxury car and why was he dressed up… he was in his family car.”
Atlanta criminal attorneys are hopeful the bill will pass, as it will help reduce racism in the police force and help improve the state as a whole.
To read more about the bill, see the article on WSB Radio. Image via pvera [Flickr].
Tags: crime statistics, crimes, police, racial profiling, racism
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January 25th, 2010
Atlanta criminal lawyers have great news for DeKalb residents. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the murder rate in the county has dropped significantly in the last year –almost 44%. The county’s police chief, William O’Brien, said the factor most responsible for the change is the department’s new policy to focus on guns and gangs. Last year, police took 1,500 guns off the streets and now the murder rate has not been so low since 2000.
Local resident and neighborhood activist Embry Malone supports O’Brien’s tactics, “The relationship between law enforcement and the community has improved 1,000 percent. Before it was law enforcement by intimidation, my way or the highway.”
Other crime rates have gone down as well, overall crime is down by 19%. The only crime that has seen an increase in frequency is rape. County Commissioner Kathy Gannon says that while the statistics look good, people are still scared. “The hard big numbers are down, but that’s not the perception of a person who wakes up and finds their car stolen or their door kicked in. Those perceptions are we’re still unsafe.”
To read more about the changes in the county, see the article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Image via Miikkahoo [Flickr].
Tags: crime rates, dekalb, gangs, guns, homicides, murder, police, shootings, statistics
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January 15th, 2010
A new study by Georgia State University has shown that youths who feel they may die young are more likely to commit crimes in a desperate attempt to make the most out of their lives in the here and now. The research shows that these minors are aware of the consequences of their actions, but do not care because they believe they will die young anyway.
“It turns out that if you boil it all down the more you think you are going to die young the more likely it is that you are going to engage in criminality and violence,” says criminal justice expert and researcher Volkan Topalli.
To conduct the study, researchers interviewed more than 30 young offenders from the roughest areas of Atlanta. After conducting interviews, the scientists noted that many of the youths were convinced they were at a high risk of serious death or injury. Most of the study’s subjects have been victimized in the past, have seen a dead body in person and have either shot a gun or been shot at. Observers noted that this made the teens feel like they would die young, even if the majority of the minors would not. Researcher Timothy Brezina noted, “many had been shot or stabbed and bore visible scars of physical trauma. They also expressed what criminologists refer to as a ‘coercive’ worldview, in their eyes, they occupy a dog-eat-dog world where it is acceptable if not necessary to use force to intimidate others and to prevent victimization.”
The experts then looked over survey responses of over 12000 youths interviewed in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and found that this data further backed up their research.
Atlanta criminal attorneys believe these types of studies prove that young offenders are in much greater need of reform programs and education, not criminal punishments. They also say that helping to clean up the dangerous neighborhoods these at-risk-teens live in will also provide them with a greater outlook on life and reduce their propensities toward violence.
To read more about the study, see the article in the Times of India. Image via Olliethebastard [Flickr].
Tags: crime, dangerous neighborhoods, death, minors, outlooks, teens, youths
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January 11th, 2010
For years, police have been trying to crack down on the practice of firing guns to celebrate the new year. This year, a tragic accident may help drive home the point more than any police message ever could.
While Marquel Peters was sitting in church with his parents, he was hit by something, which caused him to suddenly fall to the floor. It was only when doctors removed the bullet that anyone realized the boy had been shot by a bullet that had fallen through the ceiling of the church. Investigators say the bullet, which appears to have been fired out of an AK-47, could have been fired from as far as 3 miles away, but was most likely a half mile away.
While parents have urged the responsible people to come forward, Atlanta criminal attorneys have pointed out that the person who fired the shots may be completely unaware of the effects of his actions. Authorities are seeing if the bullet could have been fired from a gun already in their database, but the chances of this are highly unlikely.
To read more about this tragic story, see the article in the Telegraph UK. Image Via brian.ch [Flickr].
Tags: accidental crimes, child homicide, holidays, manslaughter, murder, new years eve
Posted in Notable crimes | No Comments »
December 30th, 2009
As the economy has worsened, more and more Americans have been purchasing guns. While conventional wisdom has told us that more guns means more crime, the statistics tell a different story. Most crime rates have gone down in the past year, particularly violent crimes involving guns. In fact, researchers have said that there is actually no connection between gun possession and crime rates.
Murder is down 10% this year. On the other hand, gun sales have gone up 12%. Pro-gun advocates, like Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, say this proves that theories stated by the gun-control groups are wrong. “Anti-gunners have lost another one of their baseless arguments,” he said.
Of course, researchers are quick to point out that increased gun ownership does not prevent crime either. They say the true reasons for the reduced crime rates are mainly a result of more people being laid off and thus, staying at home. Atlanta criminal attorneys say that the increased unemployment benefits made available to those in need have also helped fight off the sense of desperation that often drives people to commit crimes.
To read more about the issue, see the article in the Christian Science Monitor. Image Via Svdilfari [Flickr].
Tags: crime, crime prevention, crime rates, guns, statistics
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December 22nd, 2009
The state Supreme Court has postponed the execution of Carlton Gary, better known as the accused Columbus Stocking Strangler. The court ordered the lower judge to acknowledge Gary’s Atlanta criminal attorney’s request for DNA testing to be performed. “We are gratified the Supreme Court saw what we always saw — how could you execute someone if there is DNA that can tell us whether he is in fact guilty?” said Gary’s lawyer, Jack Martin.
Gary was convicted in 1986 for chocking, raping and killing three elderly women, but he still maintains his innocence in the crimes. Prosecutors claim he also assaulted and sexually abused four other women in the late seventies. Gary’s fingerprints were found at the homes of three of the victims, but he denies attacking or sexually assaulting any of the victims. At the time of his original trial, DNA evidence testing was not available.
Last week, Martin filled a motion to have semen samples found at the crime scene submitted to DNA testing against his client. Superior Court Judge Robert Johnston denied the request, claiming it was only submitted to delay the execution of the prisoner. Since his decision, the state Supreme Court has ordered Johnston to consider the request.
To read more, see the article on ajc.com.
Tags: appeals, crime, death penalty, DNA, dna testing, evidence, lethal injection, rape, sexual assault
Posted in Legal News | No Comments »
December 18th, 2009
Scott Davis was convicted of murder in 2006, despite a lack of eyewitnesses or forensic evidence. Since his trial, the gun expert that testified against him lost his job, largely as a result of falsifying information in trials. Davis’ supporters also claim there has been a history of misconduct by Fulton County prosecutors.
Now the parents of Scott Davis and his supporters are offering a $350,000 reward for information that may help exonerate the convict. They say that at least 70 pieces of vital evidence, including the murder weapon, crime scene fingerprints, and blood samples, that could have cleared Davis disappeared before his trial or were not presented to his Atlanta criminal attorney. If anyone can uncover this evidence or otherwise prove Davis’ innocence, they may claim the massive reward.
“I am innocent of this crime,” says Davis. “Dozens of pieces of vital evidence were supposedly safely stored by five different state agencies, but it all disappeared, some right before my indictment, when it would have become available to me in discovery. We could have tested it then and found other suspects.”
Davis was attacked twice in his home the same day as the victim was murdered and his supporters claim the same people may be responsible for both crimes.
To read more about the case, see the article on PR Log. Image Via Billaday [Flickr].
Tags: evidence, fingerprints, misconduct, murder, reward, wrongful convictions
Posted in Rights violations | No Comments »
December 11th, 2009
A National gay rights group is suing the Atlanta Police Department and the city of Atlanta after police raided a gay bar and searched and detained every person in the club. Lambda Legal, the representatives of the 19 plaintiffs involved, claim the police searched and detained 62 people inside the Atlanta Eagle Bar, regardless of the fact that many were not even suspected of a crime. Patrons were made to lie on beer-soaked floors while police hurled offensive, homophobic slurs as they conducted background checks.
None of the people detained were arrested and the only persons charged with a crime were 10 employees of the club who were charged with code violations. Police claim they were acting upon anonymous tips that there was illegal drug use and sexual activities occurring inside the bar. Police records indicate that undercover officers did visit the club and witness sexual activity taking place in the club while others watched.
The city’s gay community has bonded together after this issue, disturbed at the department’s use of excessive force and anti-gay slurs.
“The police thought they could get away with something that is so blatantly off the chain illegal,” said Dan Grossman, an attorney for several of the plaintiffs. “They thought this was a soft target of people who wouldn’t defend themselves, but they would do this to anyone.”
Most Atlanta criminal attorneys have doubted that charges would have stood up in court if anyone was actually arrested. They, along with the plaintiffs, are eager to see the police records relating to the incident and others like it, in order to see how often raids like this occur.
To read more about these rights violations, see the article on Fox New’s website. Image Via DBKing [Flickr].
Tags: civil rights, discrimination, gay bars, illegal drugs, police raids, Rights violations, sexual conduct
Posted in Rights violations | No Comments »
A new online video accuses State Senator Renee Unterman of supporting the decrimnalization of child prostitution after she introduced a bill into the state senate that would stop the punishment of children under 16 who are accused of prostitution. Instead, these kids and teens would receive treatment and counseling to help them escape the dangerous lifestyle.
