#criminal justice

#criminal justice

I oppose the death penalty. There are several reasons for this. First, I consider it barbaric. Second, I am uneasy with the idea of the state wielding such irreversible power (especially given that most states are less competent than we, and they, would like to believe). Third, the line separating those eligible for execution from those not eligible is forever elastic; its scope is always subject to expansion and reinterpretation. Finally, and this is less a philosophical objection than an experiential one, I have stood inside an execution chamber, at the Walls Unit in Huntsville, Texas. It is not a place I ever wish to see again.

Alameda County supervisors approved a $36 million settlement for surviving family members, but primarily for the Trans' teenage son, Brandon Tran, who witnessed the killings and who is now 18 years old. When the crime occurred, Brandon Tran was 14 years old and his mother, Maria Tran, reportedly died in his arms. Maria Tran's mother and brother were also staying in the house at the time of the killings.

Tyler Brown, 46, began "firing erratically" at vehicles on the busy Cambridge roadway around 1:30 p.m., seriously injuring two men in their respective cars, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. She said Brown ultimately fired more than 50 rounds with the "assault-style rifle" before he was confronted by a Massachusetts State Police trooper and an armed civilian, whom Ryan described as a Marine veteran with a license to carry.

In his nearly 300-page decision released Tuesday, Justice Clayton Conlan also noted that the actions or inactions of the Children's Aid Society (CAS) had "zero to do" with the guilt or innocence of Hamber and Cooney, who'd been trying to adopt the boys for years. Still, multiple observers say, the case raises concerns about the child protection system and has showcased systemic issues that need to be addressed immediately.

Sean McGovern has asked the Special Criminal Court to give him credit for pleading guilty to directing the criminal organisation in the murder of an innocent grandfather.