The poor shouldn’t be incarcerated simply because they are poor. But according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that’s happening in Ohio, where the inability to pay fines means jail time in many jurisdictions. [Read more…]
Ohio Judge Blasts Speed Cameras
A Hamilton County Ohio Judge is hearing applause from across the country after his ruling that said speed cameras installed in one local village were nothing more than a sham to collect revenue, not increase public safety as they would have you think. [Read more…]
Big Brother Getting Bigger in Cincinnati
The City of Cincinnati already has plenty of cameras watching citizens as they come and go—118 to be exact. But the police department wants more, and has a goal of having 1,000 cameras trained on the area by the end of 2014. [Read more…]
Court Says Battering Ram, Warrant-less Raid After Missed Turn Signal Was Justified
The Ohio Court of Appeals recently handed down a decision it didn’t want to. They ruled in favor of the city of Dayton, saying that police officers were justified in raiding a home, knocking down the front door with a battering ram to apprehend a suspect who had failed to use is turn signal.
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Elderly Couple Stopped for “Suspicious” Sticker on Car
Two Ohioans traveling through Tennessee were recently stopped for their Ohio State Buckeye sticker. The cops came to their vehicle with body armor and guns in hand, asking why the elderly duo would have a “marijuana leaf” on their bumper, much to the surprise of the couple. [Read more…]
Ohio Private Prison Provides “Unacceptable Living Conditions”
Privatizing the prison system may seem like a good idea to officials who are mostly interested in the bottom-line. But, the Corrections Corporation of America is in the business of making money, not helping people. So, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the Lake Erie Correctional Institution has been plagued with reports of poor conditions since the CCA took over last year. [Read more…]
Ohio Crime Labs Moving Faster
Two years ago, now-Attorney General Mike DeWine achieved his position, in part, because he promised the people of Ohio that the crime labs could do better. He pointed to then-A.G. Richard Cordray’s labs and said they were functioning too slowly, leaving a costly backlog of criminal cases crowding state courts and county jails. He would do better. And, according to recent numbers, he has. [Read more…]
Police Surveillance Cameras Popping Up in Toledo
It’s a sign of the times—even smaller cities are getting their share of police surveillance cameras. Despite criticism and privacy concerns, cities across the state are being littered with cameras that record everything, all in hopes of preventing crime or catching bad guys. But, are they worth the effort? Toledo Police seem to think so. [Read more…]
Cops Ordered to Stop Car-Chase Before It Turned Deadly
The car chase that ended in the police shooting deaths of two unarmed Cleveland adults should have never happened, or at the very least, it should have never went that far. Not only because common sense should have taken over, but because the officers involved were told to back off, to end the chase, before it ever ended on that dead-end road where the men died. [Read more…]
Facebook Status Lands Teen in Jail
Following a tragedy like the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut last week, emotions are high. People are ultra-sensitive to potentially offensive comments. After all, 26 people were killed, most of them well under the age of 10. But, does that mean we should react to bad jokes with arrests? An 18-year old Hamilton County man is likely asking the same question.
Devin Carey made an offensive joke, an off-the-cuff remark, and he put it on Facebook as his status. It was insensitive and pretty stupid. But, local law enforcement decided it amounted to a crime. [Read more…]