March 3, 2016
A battle is raging over the encryption of iPhone data between Apple, which manufactures the devices, and the FBI, which would like to access the encrypted data. The feds say specifically that they want to see what’s in the iPhone of Syed Rizwan Farook’s cellphone. Farook is one of the suspect’s in the recent San Bernardino shootings. The shootings left 14 victims dead, and 21 wounded, after suspects opened fire at a state-run facility for […] Read On
August 20, 2014
You may have seen one or more news articles recently which talk about something called “broken windows” policing. If you haven’t had any exposure to the concept, it can be a bit confusing. Broken windows theory says (or at least suggests) that maintaining well-ordered urban environments may stop additional vandalism and avoid an escalation into more serious crimes. What’s behind the language is the idea that if you have a building with a few broken […] Read On
November 13, 2013
We reported in our blog this past August (Judge Rules NYPD Stop and Frisk Policy Unconstitutional) about the recent court decision regarding the New York City Police Department’s stop and frisk policy. Federal District Judge Shira Scheindlin had ruled that the practice was unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. In the process of rendering her opinion, Judge Scheindlin made some statements that angered city officials, including Mayor Bloomberg. In fact, the Mayor stated after the ruling […] Read On
August 12, 2013
We’ve written previously about the New York Police Department’s stop and frisk policy (Have You Been Subjected to a “Stop and Frisk” in New York?). Well, after a two-month non-jury trial in United States District Court in Manhattan, Judge Shira Scheindlin has ruled the practice unconstitutional, specifically a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. Witnesses who testified during the […] Read On