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Retailers in the United States have been hit by more theft and fraud than at any point over the last seven years. Retailers from Target to Macy’s to locally owned businesses have all been targets. According to an industry survey three factors have contributed to increased theft and fraud at retailers across the U.S. Those factors are less store personnel, sophisticated technology and more gang activity.
Rural and suburban counties in Minnesota are trying to deal with a criminal law conundrum; the question of how to deal with the cost of an abundance of unused jail spaces. Multiple counties have built new facilities or upgraded old facilities to increase jail capacity while the overall crime rate has declined. Criminal experts and criminal defense experts are not sure what has caused the decline in the crime rate. Regardless, the resulting circumstance is an oversupply of spaces at a time when there is less demand.
Civil rights and criminal defense efforts are being challenged in states where warrantless cell phone searches are allowed. Over the last few years, warrantless cell phone searches have expanded in a number of states as cell phones have been recognized as a treasure trove of personal data.
Two weeks ago a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of Galleon Group, ofwhite collar crime. The hedge fund founder faces sentencing for 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy and faces millions of dollars in fines as well. Rajaratnam in 2009 was worth $1.3 billion and is expected to remain a wealthy individual after the payment of legal defense fees and criminal penalties.
Minnesota’s elected and appointed officials are typically subjected to heightened scrutiny in their day to day lives. As a result, any arrest of a public official usually ends up as a widely reported story. Washington County Commissioner Bill Pulkrabek’s recent arrest is no different.
An Indiana appeals court has ruled that, when faced with an illegal arrest, citizens have no right to resist arrest in their homes by the police. The court over-ruled English-American common-law precedent dating back to 1215, the date of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was the first basis charter of human rights and civil liberties in English constitutional history. It formed the basis for the Bill of Rights of our U.S. Constitution, including the principle that police may not violate your rights and affect an Illegal Arrest if they do not have a Search Warrant or certainly narrow exceptions to the Warrant Requirement.
Lawmakers in Minnesota are reviewing a proposed law that would treat children trafficked for sex as victims instead of criminal offenders. The purpose of the bill is to help children caught up in the illicit sex trade get out and find treatment and safety. Currently, some cities in Minnesota already treat children involved in sex crimes as victims. The proposed law would bring uniformity to municipalities across the state.
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