VICTOR SANTOS-OCHOA,45, MEXICAN IMMIGRANT FELON ILLEGALLY ENTERED USA BORDERS 4 TIMES

VICTOR SANTOS-OCHOA,45, MEXICAN IMMIGRANT FELON ILLEGALLY ENTERED USA BORDERS 4 TIMES:

OCHOA HAS BEEN ARRESTED AT LEAST 20 TIMES, INCLUDING SEVERAL SERIOUS DUI OFFENSES.

HE WAS FINALLY SENTENCED TO 8 YRS IN PRISON.

AFTER SERVING HIS SENTENCED, OCHOA WILL BE DEPORTED AGAIN.

FEDERAL JUDGE HAS ORDERED OCHOA NOT TO RETURN.


Post Sources: AP, Richmond Dispatch, Justice.gov, Youtube


****** Mexican Repeat offender who illegally entered U.S. four times sentenced to 8 years


A Mexican citizen who illegally entered the U.S. four times and racked up a long criminal history was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday, more than twice the term suggested under federal sentencing guidelines.

Victor Santos-Ochoa, 45, convicted of more than 20 other crimes in the U.S. since 1992, pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to illegal re-entry following a conviction of an aggravated felony and was facing a prison term of 37 to 46 months under the sentencing guidelines.

“Quite frankly, you are the type of individual U.S. immigration policy is intended to keep out of the United States,” U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson told Santos-Ochoa shortly before imposing the term.

Earlier, Hudson told Nia Vidal, Santos-Ochoa’s lawyer, that he has handled 200 immigration cases as a federal judge.

“I believe this is the worst,” Hudson said.

S. David Schiller, an assistant U.S. attorney, told Hudson, “I have done in excess of 500 of these ... cases. I haven’t seen many that come close to this.”

According to court records, the U.S. attorney’s office said that between 1992 and 2007, Santos-Ochoa was convicted of 18 misdemeanors in California, Georgia and Virginia and spent eight of those 25 years in state and federal prisons.

He was deported, apparently in 2007, and then re-entered the U.S., showing up in Chesterfield County, where in 2008 he was convicted of malicious wounding. Deported again, he was caught re-entering the U.S. in Arizona in 2010, sentenced to 57 months and deported again.

He returned to Chesterfield, where he was convicted of possession of marijuana in 2016. Deported again, he returned and was most recently arrested in Chesterfield in September for assault and battery of a family member — a 5-year-old child — and another drug charge.

Vidal told Hudson on Thursday that the guideline range of 37 to 46 months already took into account his prior illegal entries and relevant criminal history. She asked the judge to sentence him within the guideline range, which was not binding on Hudson.

But Hudson cited the defendant’s long criminal history and disrespect for the law in going over the guidelines.

Presuming he will be deported again after his eight-year prison term, Hudson told Santos-Ochoa, “Needless to say, do not return to the United States without proper authorization, sir.”

OBAMA'S TEARFUL GUN CONTROL LAWS COMPLETES HIS LEGACY, WON'T REDUCE DEATHS (CHICAGO)

OBAMA'S TEARFUL GUN CONTROL LAWS COMPLETES HIS LEGACY, WON'T REDUCE DEATHS:

MORE UNEMPLOYED, FRUSTRATED BLACK MEN WILL BE INCARCERATED OR THROWN INTO MENTAL INSTITUTIONS.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016 while delivering a Tearful Press Conference, Pres OBAMA announced his enactment of new GUN CONTROL laws in the United States via Fiat i.e., Executive Action.

During his new Gun Control laws press conference, Pres OBAMA mentioned several Communities adversely impacted by Gun Violence: Aurora, Colorado.......Sandy Hook, Connecticut......San Bernandino, California and CHICAGO.

***By the way Pres OBAMA only mentioned CHICAGO for one second.

Under OBAMA'S Administration thousands of BLACK Boys & Men in CHICAGO have died via Gun Violence yet he barely mentions CHICAGO.

OBAMA mentioned three Initiatives for his new Gun Control laws.

1). To stop Straw Buyers and Straw Sellers from putting Guns into the hands of Customers who can't pass a Background Check.

2). To ensure everyone who purchases a Gun is in fact subject to a Background Check and can clear a Background Check.

3). To help people who are MENTALLY ILL.

Now let's analyze these Initiatives.

Straw Buyers & Straw Sellers will continue to make Money selling Guns. Moving forward they will just have to do it completely LEGAL.

WHITE People and Middle Eastern citizens with Criminal Records and FELONIES will continue to purchase Guns LEGALLY just as they did before OBAMA enacted new Gun Control laws.

Citizens with NO Civilian Criminal Record and NO apparent signs of MENTAL INSTABILITY/ MENTAL ILLNESS but are actually Psychological walking time bombs, will continue to LEGALLY purchase Guns and KILL innocent people once their Psychological inner time bombs explode.

I perceive MORE Unemployed, Frustrated BLACK Men some of them with prior Criminal Records, will be thrown into Mental Health Institutions and Prisons.

Thus I don't quite see how Pres OBAMA'S new Gun Control laws will help curb Gun Violence in the United States.

Especially in WHITE Communities.

However I do see the number of Unemployed, Frustrated BLACK Men being thrown into Prisons and Mental Institutions increasing.

Dear GOD We Really Need To PRAY & VOTE In November 2016!

~ President Obama Cries During Gun Control Speech

For a man who's rarely rattled, this was a powerful display of emotion.

President Barack Obama has been recorded crying only a handful of times while in office, and this may very well have been the most poignant.

The president took executive action on gun reform Tuesday in a move that he seemed to feel was long overdue.

When discussing the deaths of shooting victims – particularly the first-graders murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 – the president was overcome with emotion.

"Our unalienable right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness – those rights were stripped from college students in Blacksburg and Santa Barbara, and from high schoolers at Columbine, and from first-graders in Newtown. First-graders," he said, pausing and tearing up.

"Every time I think about those kids it gets me mad.

And, by the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every day."

Sources: France24, ABC News, US News, Youtube

Haley Barbour: God Bless You! Pardoned Inmates & Forgiveness

When former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour recently Pardoned 200 Convicted Felons AFTER they Served their time for Criminal Acts, he demonstrated unbelievable examples of Courage, Forgiveness & Humanity.

In fact it took a lot of Courage for Haley Barbour to do what he did for those Inmates because too often Our Society treats Inmates like Animals.

Including many Inmates who have been Wrongfully Convicted & Wrongfully Imprisoned.

And while I empathize with families of the Victims, I can't forget that more than 50% of ALL Currently Imprisoned Men in American Prisons are BLACK & Latino Human Beings.

Since the Mississippi Supreme Court found NO Error in Haley Barbour's decision to Legally Pardon those 200 Convicted Felons, why continue all of this drama?

The Media should STOP wasting valuable time & resources Bashing Haley Barbour for doing something that was Completely Legal.

Considering the fact that each of those 200 Convicted Felons Served at least 20 Years in Prison, I ask again why is the Media choosing to remain focused on this situation?

Instead the Media should be focusing its attention on why 50% of BLACK & Latino Men living in this Country are Still being Racially Profiled, Wrongfully Convicted & Wrongfully Imprisoned in the 21st Century.

Society is always talking about how Many Southern WHITE People are Racist but than when they display Benevolent, Humane Behavior towards BLACKS & Latinos, we want to Bash or Shun them.

What about those hundreds of Wall Street Executives who Stole BILLIONS from the Federal Government from that TARP money?

Why isn't the Media jumping up & down over that Atrocity???

Let it Go!

Stop Hating!

God Bless You Haley Barbour!






Docs show murderers got special treatment from governor, wife


Investigative documents obtained by CNN show that former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, his wife and his staff may have given preferential treatment to two of the convicted murderers who were among the more than 200 former and current inmates he pardoned in January.

According to the documents compiled by the office of Mississippi's attorney general, the state's former first lady, Marsha Barbour, apparently called a car dealership regarding the purchase of two vehicles for two convicted murderers -- days before they were pardoned.

The cars were later delivered to the governor's mansion, two days before the men were released.

CNN has also learned that a member of the governor's staff took the same two men, David Gatlin and Charles Hooker, to get their driver's licenses while they were still in state custody, before their pardons were signed and made official.

"Yes, that's true ... I did take some of them," said Barbour's former security chief, Wayland Adams. "I knew that they were going to be paroled. I was assured of that and I just took them to get their driver's licenses.

"I thought that if I went ahead to get them a driver's license it would speed things up on getting them a job. And that was the only reason. I was just trying to help them."

Adams, who retired as security director of the Mississippi governor's mansion when Barbour left office in January, told CNN the former Mississippi governor did not ask him to take Gatlin and Hooker to get their licenses.

"No, I assume full responsibility for it," he said.

Adams admitted his actions were a bit unusual.

State law enforcement experts and legal experts told CNN that while this would be considered preferential treatment for any inmate, no state laws were violated.

"Unless a person has had his or her license revoked ... they are not prohibited from acquiring or renewing a driver's license while incarcerated as long as they had domicile in the state prior to imprisonment," according to a written statement from Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Master Sgt. Johnny Poulos.

Poulos said his department was not aware of any directive from Barbour to provide licenses to the men.

Either way, Randy Walker is furious. Nearly 20 years ago, he survived a gunshot wound to the head by Gatlin moments after Gatlin killed Tammy Ellis, Gatlin's estranged wife. Gatlin admitted he shot her in the head as she held their 6-week-old child in her arms. Police found the infant, still in her arms, alive and covered with blood.

"Where is enough enough?" said Walker, who has recovered from his head wound. "It should be enough that they gave a convicted killer his life back."

During his last days in office in January, Gov. Haley Barbour issued pardons to more than 200 current and former inmates. Most of the pardons were granted to former inmates who had already completed their sentences and were free.

However, some of the prisoners were convicted murderers. Now, the legacy of the once popular two-term governor, who considered running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, is being questioned by some Mississippians.

The pardons were challenged by Mississippi's attorney general, but last week the Mississippi Supreme Court upheld the legality of the pardons.

Five of the prisoners -- including Gatlin and Hooker -- worked as trusties as part of a state rehabilitation program that allows model prisoners to work as servants and handymen at the governor's mansion.

They had access to Barbour practically every day, according to people familiar with the program.

Barbour has said he believes the men are no longer a threat, that they are rehabilitated and deserve a second chance at life.

"That's what we as Christians believe. My wife and I are Christians," he told CNN's John King on his show, "John King, USA," weeks after issuing the pardons.

"When we have people who get rehabilitated ... they deserve a second chance.

It's the governor's job and the governor's job alone to let them have a second chance. That's why I'm very comfortable with this."

But no matter how one looks at this story, the benefits these convicted murderers received appear special.

"It's abhorrent that these people would be given this sort of treatment after the crimes they've committed," said Mississippi State Rep. David Baria.

Baria, a Democrat, sponsored several bills to change Mississippi's pardons process. The bills all died in committee last week. He said the victims in the cases have put up with too much already.

"Not only to turn these folks loose but to treat them like kings, essentially -- it's outside the bounds of common decency of what we expect of our government," he told CNN.
Gatlin and Hooker were released on January 8. They both had driver's licenses when they went to Gray Daniels Chevrolet in Jackson, Mississippi, on January 6.

Records show Hooker bought a white 2007 Ford Focus while Gatlin picked up a gray Chevy HHR. Both vehicles were paid for with bank checks from Bank Plus.

Both men put no money down. It remains unclear how the men were able to secure bank checks while still in the custody of the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

When reached by CNN at the dealership, the salesman who sold the men the cars refused to comment.
"I am not allowed to speak about any transactions," he said.

But the investigative reports compiled by Mississippi's attorney general's office show that Barbour's wife, Marsha Barbour, aided the transaction.

In the report, the investigator writes, "While at the dealership I spoke briefly with the salesman who stated that Marsha Barbour had contacted him regarding the purchase of vehicles for Hooker and Gatlin."

The details of the conversation were not available and it is not clear exactly what role Marsha Barbour played in the transaction, or the nature of her relationship with the pardoned men.

The report further stated that "the inmates had been brought to the dealership on January 6, 2012, in a black Ford Crown Victoria to complete paperwork for the sale and [the investigator] stated that the prisoners had paid with certified checks issued by Bank Plus."

According to the report, the car salesman also told investigators "he delivered both vehicles to the governor's mansion on the afternoon of January 6, 2012."

When investigators asked Gatlin how he got the car, he allegedly told them, according to the report, "I can't tell you."

When asked about the driver's licenses and the role of Marsha Barbour in the purchase of the cars, a spokeswoman for the former governor said the questions "were based on assumptions of fact which simply are not true."

Spokeswoman Sherry Vance did not elaborate on which aspects of this story were untrue, and has not responded to CNN's questions for clarification.

Walker, the victim who stared down the barrel of Gatlin's gun before he was shot in the head, said he's "baffled" by the allegations and believes Barbour is financially helping the men.

"Was it because he was a trusty at the governor's mansion and he had so much time with Barbour?" he wondered. "It's insane that he would do that. Where's my handout?"
"I mean, I had thousands upon thousands of medical bills that nobody helped me pay.

I'd like to get some of that money back that I wasted because David shot me. I didn't ask for David to come shoot me. Where's my handout?" he asked angrily.

CNN went to Hooker's home in Jackson several times and saw the White Ford Focus mentioned in the state investigator's report parked outside his house, but Hooker did not answer his door or respond to CNN's phone calls.

According to the investigative reports from the Mississippi attorney general's office, Hooker allegedly told investigators that his son helped him buy the vehicle, and that his son had already made three months of car payments for him.

CNN also went to Alabama to try to get Gatlin's side of the story, and found him living in the home of Ernest Jacks. His gray Chevy HHR was in the driveway, but Jacks said Gatlin refused to talk to us.

But Walker has a lot to say. He can barely contain his anger that the man who tried to kill him could get such preferential treatment.

"I've been trying for over two years, since 2009, to get a face to face with Barbour, and never got a phone call back," said Walker. "Gatlin must have made quite the impression on him."


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Sources: CNN, Google Maps

DSK Released! Felon's Lies! Accuser's Rights Violated! WHITE Wins Again!

I Warned You This Would Probably Happen!

So Today Accused Sexual Predator Dominique Strauss-Kahn Was Released From House Arrest During A Hearing In An Manhattan Courtroom.

I'm Not Surprised.

Considering How The French Press Published His Accuser's Name In Several Articles, DSK's International Influence, His Wife's Money & The LIES Of An Incarcerated Felon, The News Of DSK's Release Did NOT Surprise Me.

Of Course DSK's People & The NYPD Are Going To Try & Make DSK's BLACK Accuser Appear To Be A Lying, Money Hungry Slut.

After All She's Just A Hardworking, Low Income, BLACK Woman From New Guinea (An African Country) Who Came To AmeriKKKa Seeking A Better Life For She & Her Daughter.

Who Would Believe That SHE (A Hardworking, Low Income, BLACK Woman From New Guinea) Were Actually Raped By A WHITE, Prominent Man Of DSK's Status?

I Mean Its Okay For An Attractive, Young, WHITE Woman To Kill Her 2-year-old Child, Become A Celebrity, (i.e., Casey Anthony) & Possibly Walk Free But How Dare A Hardworking, Low Income, BLACK Woman From New Guinea Accuse A Prominent, WHITE Man Like DSK Of Sexual Assault?

To Make Matters Worse, For Manhattan Prosecutors To Accept The Testimony Of An Incarcerated Felon Who Would Probably Say Anything For An Early Release Deal, Is Preposterous!

Now As It Relates To DSK's Accuser Not Being Honest When Asked About A Previous Rape Charge On Her Asylum Application, Since English Is NOT Her Native Language When She Was Being Interrogated Was There An Interpreter Or Translator Present?

If NOT Then DSK's Accuser Civil Rights Were Clearly Violated!

However, I Warned You This Kind Of Thing Was Going To Happen.

Once Again Rich, WHITE Males Win!

Oh! And One More Thing.....

If You Want To Accuse Me Of Playing The "Race Card" Be My Guest!






Dominique Strauss-Kahn goes free without bail, but prosecutors will not drop sex assault case

A smiling Dominique Strauss-Kahn was freed with no bail Friday in a stunning reversal of fortune as prosecutors declined to drop attempted rape charges against the French bigwig.

The accused sexual predator, due back in court July 18, walked out of court with his biggest legal victory since his May 14 arrest for assaulting a midtown Manhattan hotel maid.

Strauss-Kahn held hands with his wife, who stood by him from the start, and flashed a smile while leaving the courtroom. He declined to address a media horde at the Manhattan courthouse.

"This is a giant step," said defense attorney Benjamin Brafman after his client's triumph. "The next step will lead to a complete dismissal of the charges."

With sources saying the case was collapsing amid a series of lies by the accuser, prosecutors acknowledged their witness had "substantial credibility issues."

But prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said the case against the defendant would continue.

"The fact of a sexual encounter was and is corroborated by forensic evidence," she said.

The 62-year-old former head of the International Monetary Fund will be freed from his house arrest in a $50-000-a-month lower Manhattan townhouse.

His $1 million cash bail and $5 million bond will be returned under a deal with prosecutors, and he is permitted to travel anywhere in the U.S under the agreement, said noted attorney Brafman.

Prosecutors held onto his passport, keeping Strauss-Kahn from traveling to France.

Strauss-Kahn, accompanied by his television newswoman wife Anne Sinclair, departed for court in a black Lexus SUV about 40 minutes before his scheduled hearing.

Asked if he felt vindicated, the accused sexual predator turned to face reporters but said nothing. Strauss-Kahn's wealthy wife had posted the huge payout to spring him from Rikers Island.

Strauss-Kahn wore a calm, almost serene look as he headed inside the courthouse with Sinclair and a security guard. He wore a black suit with a light blue tie.

Brafman was smiling too as he joined his white-haired client for the hearing.

The prosecution of Strauss-Kahn is in jeopardy of falling apart because the hotel maid who accused him was caught in a web of lies, sources said.

The Bronx chambermaid's credibility crumbled as investigators linked her to a network of crooks and found that she had multiple bank accounts stuffed with a total of almost $100,000 in dirty cash, sources said Thursday night.

Prosecutors now believe there was little truth in anything the native of Guinea native told them since the NYPD yanked the one-time contender for the French presidency off a plane at Kennedy Airport on May 14, the sources said.

A horde of media joined the simply curious outside the courthouse where Strauss-Kahn was due at 11:30 a.m.

"I hope he will not be guilty for the image of France," said French tourist Jean Mark Beauchet, 62. "It changed the political scenario in France. He would have won the election."

Hells Kitchen resident Willa Streeter said she was there to support Strauss-Kahn.

"I feel bad how they handled this case," she said. "They took him to Rikers Island with all those murderers."

A phalanx of photographers lined either side of the courthouse entrance awaiting Strauss-Kahn, who will make the short ride to court from the Tribeca townhouse where he was held under armed guard.

Strauss-Kahn has reason for optimism: There even appears to be a smoking gun exposing his accuser.

Less than a day after Strauss-Kahn's arrest, the woman had a telephone conversation with an incarcerated "high-end, profitable drug dealer," said one source with knowledge of the imperiled case.

During the jailhouse chat, the maid discussed how she could cash in by accusing the political and financial titan. The damning talk was caught on tape.

"The DA's office has concluded she materially misled the grand jury," said a source close to the case. "The case has gone to hell. It's a wreck."

A perjury charge against the accuser is a possibility - but what actually happened in the hotel room may forver remain a he-said-she-said, the sources said.

Prosecutors were expected Friday to give the judge a letter outlining "four to five" different examples of credibility issues on the maid's part, a law-enforcement source said.

"The end is going to be soon - whether it's this week or next week, the case is not sustainable," the source said.

Prosecutors still believe Strauss-Kahn and the accuser had a sexual encounter - possibly even one of a forcible nature, a police source said. But the maid's shattered credibility makes even a misdemeanor charge against him seem like a tough sell.

The stunning revelation, first reported Thursday by the New York Times, is a major blow to the NYPD and first-term Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. DA's office.

It will also inevitably fuel pre-existing speculation that Strauss-Kahn was set up by political enemies - claims prosecutors have previously said are without merit.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, the department's top spokesman, declined comment. A spokesman for the DA's office also refused comment.

The well-placed source said the NYPD rushed to judgment after it learned Strauss-Kahn, 62, was headed to the airport to catch a Paris-bound flight after allegedly fondling the maid at his $3,000-a-night suite at the Sofitel hotel near Times Square. France does not have an extradition policy with the United States.

"They jumped the gun here because he was getting on a plane," the source said. "That is the explanation."

From the moment the criminal charges made headlines, Strauss-Kahn's legal team beat the bushes, sources said. They learned that she told investigators that her application for asylum included a previous rape - but the papers held no such claim, another cop source said.

The defense team also learned she was paying hundreds of bucks a month for several phone bills, but told authorities she had only one phone, that source said.

In late May, Strauss-Kahn's lawyers sent a letter to prosecutors saying they had evidence that shot holes in the case. Prosecutors fired back telling them to turn over the goods, the sources said.

Prosecutors have scoffed at the notion Strauss-Kahn's defense team spoon-fed them info about the maid's shady background, sources said.

Defense lawyers "knew by the second or third day she was not who she claimed to be," one source said.

The maid had a jailhouse chat with a man who had been busted with more than 400 pounds of marijuana, the sources said. He and a handful of others had made several cash deposits - adding up to about $100,000 - into "sophisticated bank accounts" set up for the maid.

The maid has told authorities she knew little about the big-money deposits, the sources said.

"She's complicit in those activities," the source said. "She's a rainmaker. She's in with a crew that makes illegal money."


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Sources: AP, CNN, NY Daily News, NY Times, Orlando Sentinel, Slate.fr, Youtube, Google Maps

GOP's 2012 Anti-Obama Lethal Weapon: Voter Suppression! (Black Voters)

New GOP Sponsored "Voter Fraud Prevention" ID Laws Reek Of 2012 Voter Suppression Tactics Aimed At BLACK & HISPANIC Constituents.

Its Obvious GOP Lawmakers On Capitol Hill & Some GOP Governors Are Laser-Focused On Paralyzing The Black American Community's Power & Wealth By Any Means Necessary!

As I've Mentioned Before I'm Vehemently Opposed To Straight Ticket Voting Because It Encourages Politicians, Especially BLACK Politicians To Be Lazy.

If BLACK Politicians Think Their BLACK Constituents Are Going To Support Them Regardless Of How They Are Represented, Than Why Should Those Same BLACK Politicians Fight For Or Look Out For The Best Interests Of Their BLACK Constituents?

Thus My Dislike Of The Straight Ticket Voting Process Still Stands.

However To Suppress BLACK & Hispanic People From Being Able To Vote Is A Whole Different Ball Game!

Voter Suppression DOES In Fact Take America Back To The Days Of Jim Crow, Poll Taxes & Pre-Voting Literacy Exams.

And....

Its ILLEGAL!!

A Direct Violation Of The Voting Rights Act Of 1965!

When The U.S. Supreme Court Ruled In 2008 That States Are Allowed To Control Their Own Voting Laws, The Court Did NOT Grant Permission For States To Violate Or Ignore The Voting Rights Act Of 1965.

However That Is What Exactly What GOP Lawmakers Appear To Be Doing.

By The Way Where Is The Outrage From BLACK & Democrat Leaders Over This Injustice?

Recently When DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-D) Spoke Up & Called Out What The GOP Is Doing As It Relates To Voting Rights Violation, She Was Slammed By The Mainstream Media.

Do Such Public Rebukes Mean The Mainstream Media Actually Supports Voter Suppression Of BLACK & HISPANIC Voters??

I Say Its Time For The U.S. Dept Of Justice To Also Speak Up On This Critical Issue, Just As Debbie Wasserman Schultz So Boldly Spoke Up.

How Can We Save Ourselves From Being Led Back To Jim Crow?

Stop Complaining & Fighting Among Ourselves.

Let's Unite, Mobilize & Re-elect Pres. Barack Obama By Any Means Necessary!

Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around!

Don't Allow Anyone To Silence Your Political Voice In 2012!

As A Legal American Citizen, Of Legal Age, YOU Have The Right To Vote!!

So Get Out & VOTE FOR OBAMA IN 2012!!




Republican ID laws smack of vote suppression


To many Republicans, it is an article of faith that minimalist government works best.

Except, that is, when Republicans want to impose tighter rules for their political benefit. A case in point is the flurry of states —six so far this year— rushing to pass laws requiring voters to bring government-issued photo IDs to polling places. All have Republican governors and GOP-controlled legislatures.

Supporters say this is necessary to prevent voter fraud. But the operative question is: Why, at a time of economic distress and state budget shortfalls, is this such a priority? The answer has less to do with prevention than with suppression.

In theory, there isn't anything wrong with requiring photo IDs to vote, just as they are required to drive, board a plane or cash a check. The Constitution gives states broad latitude to run their elections. And a 2008 Supreme Court ruling upheld an ID law in Indiana, giving other states a green light for their own laws.

So states clearly can impose these requirements. The question is whether they should.

Scratch just gently beneath the surface, and these new measures appear unnecessary at best. Voter fraud is rare and consists largely of the types of actions that IDs would not correct, such as vote-buying and voter intimidation. Fraud is already kept in check by elections officials, poll watchers from both parties, and acceptance of alternatives to photo IDs, such as utility bills.

One study in Minnesota, done after an extraordinarily close Senate race in 2008, found a grand total of seven suspicious votes, out of nearly 3 million cast. No charges were filed that year. Those seven cases were exceeded by the dozen or so elderly nuns in nearby Indiana who were turned away from the polls for lack of picture IDs.

The nuns were exercising a surprisingly common choice. An estimated one in 11— do not have government-issued photo IDs. This, of course, is an option they should be free to exercise. They also have every right to participate in elections, and the government has an obligation to allow them reasonable access to the polls.

So does it make sense to place roadblocks in front of them in the name of policing a crime that barely exists? And does it make sense to try to issue IDs to millions of people who apparently don't want or otherwise need them? Many libertarians see this as a route to a national ID card system, which they deeply oppose.

There is also ample reason to doubt the sincerity of states that say they will provide IDs. When Georgia imposed an ID law in 2005, courts barred the state from charging for them, calling such fees a poll tax — an unconstitutional tactic once used by segregationists to keep blacks from voting. But given the true motive behind such laws, it's likely that states will find other ways to make the IDs hard to get.

Just as Democrats try to help their cause by making it easier to vote through expedited registration and early voting, Republicans see a benefit in lowering the turnout among certain voters. The people most likely to be dissuaded by the hassle of obtaining an ID card — the old and infirm, the young and the poor — tend to vote Democratic. Shouldn't Republicans be looking for ways to expand their appeal to these groups, rather than throwing obstacles in their way?

While both parties are guilty of self-interested behavior, the national interest of addressing the USA's deplorably low election participation rates clearly falls on the side of making it easier, not harder, to vote.




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Sources: CNN, Politico, TV One, USA Today, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps

Mike Easley Joins The "North Carolina Felons Club" Like Jim Black

Mike Easley Enters Plea Deal To Felony Campaign Finance Charge


Mike Easley, North Carolina's governor from 2001 to 2009, became a convicted felon today when he entered an Alford Plea to violating state campaign finance laws.

He will not serve time but will pay a $1,000 fine.

The plea ends nearly two years of state and federal probes that had surrounded Easley, a Democrat who served two terms as governor and two terms as attorney general.

Easley, 60, entered an Alford plea of guilty to violating campaign finance laws, a felony. An Alford plea means that Easley is not admitting guilt, but he acknowledges there was sufficient evidence to convict him of a crime.

The plea is specifically tied to a helicopter flight Easley took in October 2006 with longtime ally McQueen Campbell, the former chairman of the board of trustees at N.C. State University. It is valued at $1,600.

At the time of the flight, Easley's campaign did not disclose it as required on campaign disclosure forms. Then, last year, following a report in The News & Observer about a vehicle that Easley's son had been driving for years, the Easley campaign amended its 2006 report and said that the SUV had been a campaign vehicle at that time.

But the helicopter flight again was not disclosed, which made it either an in-kind campaign contribution or an unreported campaign expense, according to prosecutor William Kenerly of Salisbury.

A document that Easley signed during today's hearing says that he feloniously caused the campaign to file the report as true when, in fact, Easley knew that it wasn't.

The deal did not address an outstanding $95,000 fine Easley's campaign owes to the state Board of Elections. That fine resulted from hearings last year in which Easley and others testified under oath.

Easley will not have to perform any community service. And he will not be on probation.

State law only denies the right to vote to felons who are in prison or on probation or parole, so it appears that Easley will retain his right to vote.

As part of the deal, federal authorities said in a letter to Easley's lawyer that they will close their part of the probe.

The letter says that federal prosecutors had outlined parts of their case to Easley on Nov. 10 and that Easley's lawyer had approached authorities about reaching a settlement in the case in recent weeks.

The letter is signed by the lead federal prosecutors, including Republican George E.B. Holding. It says "some of the acts and transactions" they reviewed do not warrant prosecution because a standard for presenting those items to the grand jury has not been met.

They said that while other acts might meet that standard, they also were taking into account the burden on accused persons in multiple prosecutions; the effective utilization of federal resources; and the concept of promoting cooperation between state and federal prosecutors.

As a result of those factors, they wrote, the rest of the case will go away because of Easley's plea in state court: "[T]he ongoing federal investigation of Mr. Easley's conduct will be closed, and this office will decline to bring any charges against Mr. Easley based on the currently known facts."

The state prosecutor, Kenerly, said in a statement that he expects the deal will be criticized. In recent weeks, he had said that he was studying whether part of state campaign law gave immunity to people, such as Easley, who were subpoenaed and then testified in an elections hearing. Easley had answered questions under oath for about five hours on Oct. 29, 2009.

Easley had always denied wrongdoing.

Kenerly, a Republican who has been the district attorney in Rowan County for nearly three decades, said the deal was fair.

"Critics of this plea agreement should understand that it is a resolution giving consideration to vague statutes and hotly contested evidence," Kenerly said in the statement. "As a result of this plea the former Governor is now a convicted felon, a result that I consider to serve the interests of justice in this case.”

The crowd of reporters and photographers had court officials worried about a mob scene as Easley left the courtroom. Judge Donald Stephens, Wake's chief resident judge, sent word through a TV reporter for the media not to chase Easley as he left.

To do so, he said, would expose them to contempt of court charges.






NC Optometry Board Agrees To License Convicted Felon Jim Black Again


Convicted Felon and former state House Speaker Jim Black can return to work as an eye doctor, the state optometry board has decided.

The North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry agreed this week to restore his license to practice optometry once paperwork is finalized and he pays a fee, a board attorney said Friday.

Black, who served more than three years in federal prison on a government corruption conviction before returning to the Charlotte area last month, surrendered his optometry license voluntarily in 2008 while in prison.

The board has the power to discipline a licensed optometrist convicted of a felony but has latitude to restore the license if it hears evidence or sees proof the applicant has reformed, according to state law.

Black and his attorney, Whit Powell, attended the hearing Thursday in Asheville to make the ex-speaker's case that led to his reinstatement, which was first reported by WRAL-TV. Powell didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The paperwork should be completed in about 10 days. The license will have to be renewed in January.

The board's deliberations were private, but Johnny Loper, the board's general counsel, said it's reasonable to presume the board took into account that prison officials had released Black. His sentence officially ends April 1. "Since it was not Dr. Black's actions in practicing optometry that put him in prison to start off with, there was no reason why Dr. Black could not return safely to the practice of optometry," Loper said.

Black, now 75, pleaded guilty in 2007 to taking more than $25,000 in cash from chiropractors while he pushed their agenda in the Legislature. Black also accepted punishment on state charges of bribery and obstruction of justice a week after his federal guilty plea, including a $1 million fine.

State prosecutors accused Black of giving former state Rep. Michael Decker, R-Forsyth, as much as $58,000 in cash and campaign contributions to switch parties in 2003, a move that helped Black remain co-speaker. Black repeatedly denied that he bribed Decker.

Black led the House as speaker or co-speaker from 1999 through the end of 2006. He resigned from the House one day before the federal criminal plea.

Black and his daughter ran a successful Optometry practice in Charlotte and where he lives in Matthews.



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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, WRAL, Google Maps

North Carolina Passes DNA Law To Lock Up More Blacks (Racial Profiling)

North Carolina
Department of Corrections Prisons Statistics


NUMBER OF PRISONS: 71
INMATE POPULATION: 40,133
PRISON SYSTEM CAPACITY: Standard 34,364 ....Extended 40,014
Prison Population and Capacity Data as of 12/31/2009:

GENDER:
Male .....................37,296 .........93%
Female...................2,837 ...........7%
RACE:
Black ....................22,918 .........57%
White ...................14,148 .........35%
American Indian .......758 ...........2%
Asian/Oriental ........... 118 ...........0%
Other......................2,191 ...........6%






North Carolina DNA Sample Testing System Expanded In New N.C. Law


North Carolina's criminal DNA testing system will be expanded with Gov. Bev Perdue signing a bill Thursday that supporters say will help prevent crime and help solve cold cases.

The measure directs police, starting Feb. 1, to take DNA samples of suspects facing certain felony charges, such as murder, rape and other serious crimes.

The samples will be entered into the state's DNA database and ran against DNA evidence in unsolved crimes.

“These samples are the 21st century version of fingerprints,” Perdue said at a bill-signing ceremony in Greenville. “We need to give our law enforcement officers the most advanced tools that we can when they head out on the streets.”

The state already takes a sample when someone is convicted of a felony, but Attorney General Roy Cooper says the new law will expand the DNA database and help solve crimes more quickly – an estimated 100 in the first year.

"It's a win for North Carolina citizens," Cooper said.

Some lawmakers, however, say requiring the sample upon arrest amounts to unreasonable search and seizure.

“I feel like it's unfair. I think it may be a type of targeting that we don't intend for it to be,” said Rep. Rosa Gill, D-Wake, who voted against the bill.

Concerns from lawmakers and advocacy groups prompted changes to the original bill, which required samples from anyone arrested on a felony charge.

The law only calls for samples from those committing certain felonies – specifically violent and sex-related crimes – including murder, manslaughter, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, breaking and entering, armed robbery, cyberstalking and stalking.

The bill also allows for removing a person's DNA from the state database if he or she is acquitted or the charge is dropped.

Federal funds will be used to pay for a portion of the DNA testing.

Eight additional forensic criminal analysts are expected to be hired to analyze and review samples, distribute swab collection kits to law enforcement and help with training.


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Sources: NC Dept of Corrections, WRAL, Google Maps

Charlotte Police Accused of Harassing Blacks & Racial Profiling

Charlotte's Police Dept. was recently accused of Racial Profiling and Harassing Black citizens who reside in East Charlotte.

Especially Ex-Offenders most of whom are Black.

Fore the record just because someone is an Ex-Offender doesn't mean they are lifelong criminals.

How is it that White Ex-Offenders in North Carolina are allowed a second chance at life but Black Ex-Offenders are treated like no good Slaves, who are better off locked up for life??

(Charlotte's White citizens are rarely if ever charged with Felonies and rarely serve time in prison.)

Charlotte's Police Chief Rodney Monroe is also a Black guy but from D.C.

Thus far Chief Monroe has done a Great job considering the fact he's working with a bunch of redneck hicks and scared Black "leaders".

I'm all for his tough crime fighting tactics however I hope this recent news report doesn't mean Chief Monroe has become infected with Charlotte's "Uncle Tom" disease.

Welcome to Charlotte Ya'll!

2010 Racially Segregated capital of the Southeastern region.

Come on down and enjoy this centuries old Racism!

Let us pray people.

Check out the videos and article below.


"You can't separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." Malcolm X Circa 1965









Criticism Of Charlotte Police Tactics Follows Shooting


Police officers involved in Thursday's shooting of a man at the Timber Ridge apartments were part of a new strategy using "focused mission teams" to crack down on crime in trouble spots.

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer shot and wounded 21-year-old Terrence Darden after police say he produced a gun during a foot chase through the east Charlotte neighborhood. The chase ended with Darden collapsing in the community's playground, witnesses say, as dozens of children watched.

Darden, a convicted felon who is on probation, was in stable condition at Carolinas Medical Center, his girlfriend told the Observer. Police say they recovered a handgun at the scene, and charged him with drug and gun possession and assaulting a police officer.

The shooting happened after a team of three officers approached a group of young men hanging out near the playground. The team's mission is to reduce crime in Timber Ridge, using a variety of tactics that can include surveillance, undercover operations and engagement with people who may appear suspicious.

Focus teams helped bring down crime last year, according to Chief Rodney Monroe, who introduced them in 2008 as part of his strategy that emphasizes street patrols and rapid response to crime trends.

But at least half a dozen Timber Ridge residents told the Observer Friday that the intense police presence can sometimes feel like harassment and increase tensions - particularly in their community, where the shooting deaths of two officers in 2007 has chilled relations between police and residents.

"They've got zero tolerance for anything," says Charles Dixon, who often stays with friends at the complex. "They're always stopping people, getting in people's faces."

Chief Monroe declined to discuss the shooting Friday, but police released a statement with some details.

Chase preceded shooting

It happened about 8:15 p.m. Thursday, on what witnesses said had been a quiet night in Timber Ridge. As many as 30 children were at the playground while adults sat on patios and socialized on the cool summer evening.

Darden stood between two apartment buildings, talking with a group of friends and acquaintances.

Three officers pulled up in a patrol car and walked toward the group.

Darden walked away as they approached, say police and witnesses, heading to an apartment building nearby where his girlfriend lives. Officers followed, witnesses say.

Darden spoke briefly with the officers in the hallway, then took off running, police and witnesses say. The officers gave chase.

As Darden raced around the building, witnesses say he dodged one officer and continued toward the children's playground.

"Mr. Darden was armed and displaying the gun during the foot pursuit," police said in a statement.

Officer Thomas Wishon shot Darden once in the upper body, according to the statement.

Police said Friday morning they didn't know whether Darden was shot in the chest or the back, and they later declined to clarify the location of the gunshot wound.

Police also would not say whether Darden pointed his gun at officers, or offer further description of how Darden might have threatened officers or others.

N.C. law allows police to use deadly force when an officer believes his life, or the life of another, is in danger.

Wishon has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard after a shooting. Police would not provide information about the officer's performance record.

After Thursday's shooting, witnesses said Darden sprawled onto the mulch in the children's playground.

Parents panicked at the sound of a gunshot.

Dealmon Rivers sprinted toward the playground, searching for his 4-year-old son.

As he closed in, the boy passed his dad, running for home - then locked everyone else outside, and closed the blinds.

"He was terrified," Rivers said. "He was hollering, 'The cop is going to shoot me.'

"It took two minutes for us to get him to let us in."

Police defend tactic

Capt. Johnny Jennings defended the use of focused mission teams Friday.

He heads the North Tryon Division, home of Timber Ridge, where crime declined last year but recently ticked up enough to gain attention.

Mission teams aren't assigned to routine patrols but instead work as a group to target specific crimes and specific sore spots within a police district. They're just one tactic Jennings says can be effective, and the teams use a variety of measures to stop crime. They are encouraged to be proactive, walking through neighborhoods, talking to people, or riding bikes to get a closer look.

Monroe said Thursday this team's focus was to reduce armed robberies in Timber Ridge. The complex had two robberies in all of last year, and four so far this year.

Timber Ridge has long suffered violence and property crime. Police recorded 349 crimes in the 100-unit complex since January 2006.

In 2007, Officers Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton were responding to an unrelated domestic-disturbance call when they were fatally shot. Police have charged 28-year-old Demeatrius Montgomery with the killings, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in a trial set for later this year.

That crime lingers for police and residents.

The complex has seen at least two other homicides since then.

Officers often wait for backup when responding to calls there, police say.

Some residents say the constant police presence can escalate tension.

Darden's girlfriend says that may be why he ran from police.

Darden is a felon who served time for cocaine possession. And police have searched him before at Timber Ridge, friends say.

"They harass people for no reason," said Chateama McBrayer, 33. "He's a felon. He knows they're going to stop him."

But police said Darden admitted he had a gun during an interview at the hospital Thursday. It's illegal for a felon to carry a gun. He also had enough drugs, police say, to warrant a charge of possession with intent to distribute - a felony.


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Sources: Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, WCNC, WRAL, Google Maps

Cory Booker Launches "ReLeSe" Pro-Bono Legal Help For Ex-Offenders

Mayor Cory Booker:

A strong focus of my administration has been creating successful prisoner re-entry programs to empower men and women returning from prison to find jobs, reconnect/raise their families and contribute to their communities.

To help eliminate barriers to employment for men and women returning home from prison, we launched ReLeSe, the Nation’s first-ever pro bono legal services firm for ex-offenders.




What is ReLeSe?


ReLeSe, a Legal Services program of the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, is designed to help individuals with criminal records address civil legal matters that are barriers to successful community reintegration.

Organized through a collaboration among Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s Office, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, and other organizations, and with the support of community based organizations, local law firms, IOLTA and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, ReLeSe matches clients with volunteer attorneys to handle issues most commonly encountered by recently incarcerated individuals but not handled by existing legal services programs.

Referrals to the program are made by community referral partner organizations that work with the re-entry population, as well as by Newark City Hall. All assistance is provided free of charge.

Who is eligible for ReLeSe?

Any low-income Newark (or Essex County) resident who has been incarcerated in jail or prison, or otherwise has a criminal record, is eligible for ReLeSe assistance.

Individuals can qualify regardless of how much time has passed since their release. ReLeSe attorneys have been trained to handle the following legal issues:

*
Suspended driver’s license (including court fines
and surcharges)
*

Municipal court issues
*

Child support issues
*

Identity fraud
*

Expungement

Clients facing other legal issues (e.g. bankruptcy, divorce, landlord/tenant disputes) are referred to a local legal services organization or to a ReLeSe volunteer who may be an expert in that area of law.

ReLeSe DOES NOT handle Criminal matters.

Because all services are provided by Volunteers, ReLeSe cannot guarantee that all applicants will receive services, but every effort will be made to assist eligible applicants.

Support:

ReLeSe regularly provides training in all of the above-mentioned areas of law. Mentors are available to assist with all matters. Malpractice coverage, model forms and pleadings, and exemptions from mandatory pro bono are some of the benefits provided to volunteers of ReLeSe.

How to apply for assistance from ReLeSe:

ReLeSe does not accept self-referrals.


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Sources: ReLeSe, Facebook, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Youtube, Google Maps