Posts Under "Crime":
July 30, 2008
People Apparently Take Their Parking Seriously In Washington...
This isn't really funny...a man was shot to death as he defended his wife in a dispute over a parking space in Southeast Washington.
Daniel Clark died of his wounds at a local hospital, and was a father of three.
Just sad.
9:13 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Crime
June 26, 2008
Supreme Court Strikes Down Gun Ban
The decision, essentially a Scalia grammar lesson, articulates that the Second Amendment allows for the possession of a weapon by private citizens for private purposes. After swallowing an NRA brochure, Scalia argues that the two clauses of the Second Amendment do not rely on one another, and thus grant rights to private gun ownership.
The 5-4 decision reflected the conservative bent to which the Court has moved in the past few years, and serves to articulate the damage that the Bush presidency has done to the judiciary. Had O'Connor remained on the court, this decision would have fallen quite differently, if it had been decided at all (though there is no way to determine who voted in favor of hearing the case).
The full effect of the ruling has yet to be seen, as the ruling does not legalize gun posession in the District per se; the details must be determined by the lower court in a manner consistent with the opinion, and DC could still institute policies that would make handgun registration prohibitively difficult (a complex language test, for example, or a prohibitively high filing fee). Criminals who are arrested for gun violations will likely continue to avoid registration, and it is unlikely that conceal-carry permits will be issued in DC, meaning that law-abiding citizens will only be able to posses these firearms in their homes.
Still, the thought of criminals stealing legitimate handguns is frightening, and the Court erred today in it's decision. Here's hoping for an Obama victory, and a quick overturning of this decision.
The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. ~ Antonin ScaliaAnd with that holding, the Supreme Court made the first definitive determination as to the meaning of the Second Amendment since the framing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the 1790's.
The decision, essentially a Scalia grammar lesson, articulates that the Second Amendment allows for the possession of a weapon by private citizens for private purposes. After swallowing an NRA brochure, Scalia argues that the two clauses of the Second Amendment do not rely on one another, and thus grant rights to private gun ownership.
The 5-4 decision reflected the conservative bent to which the Court has moved in the past few years, and serves to articulate the damage that the Bush presidency has done to the judiciary. Had O'Connor remained on the court, this decision would have fallen quite differently, if it had been decided at all (though there is no way to determine who voted in favor of hearing the case).
The full effect of the ruling has yet to be seen, as the ruling does not legalize gun posession in the District per se; the details must be determined by the lower court in a manner consistent with the opinion, and DC could still institute policies that would make handgun registration prohibitively difficult (a complex language test, for example, or a prohibitively high filing fee). Criminals who are arrested for gun violations will likely continue to avoid registration, and it is unlikely that conceal-carry permits will be issued in DC, meaning that law-abiding citizens will only be able to posses these firearms in their homes.
Still, the thought of criminals stealing legitimate handguns is frightening, and the Court erred today in it's decision. Here's hoping for an Obama victory, and a quick overturning of this decision.
1:04 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Crime, Law, Washington, DC
April 9, 2008
Criminal Masterminds?
An interesting question is whether or not the officer was breaking DC law by carrying his service weapon off duty. Officers are supposedly subject to the same handgun ban as ordinary citizens, and the case heard by the Supreme Court was a security guard who wished to take his weapon home for personal protection.
Still, that makes for a stupid criminal.
Off-Duty Officer Shoots Robbery Suspect ~ Washington Post, 4/9/2008
The Washington Post is reporting that a criminal attempted to rob a police officer at gunpoint...while the officer was in uniform.
Cordell said the officer was still in uniform, and filling up his personal vehicle at the gas station, when the man approached and pulled a gun. The officer responded by drawing his weapon and firing several shots.
An interesting question is whether or not the officer was breaking DC law by carrying his service weapon off duty. Officers are supposedly subject to the same handgun ban as ordinary citizens, and the case heard by the Supreme Court was a security guard who wished to take his weapon home for personal protection.
Still, that makes for a stupid criminal.
Off-Duty Officer Shoots Robbery Suspect ~ Washington Post, 4/9/2008
9:48 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Crime