Conviction & Sentencing ‘Monster’ rapist-kidnapper of teen girls in Lancaster never getting out: 100-year conviction upheld by high court A “monster” convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two 15-year-old girls about three weeks apart in Lancaster in 2015 lost his bid Wednesday to have the California Supreme Court review the case. Joseph Kenneth Cornett was […]
Sentencing Roman Polanski’s victim asks judge to end case against director Roman Polanski’s sexual assault victim asked a judge Friday to end the 40-year-old case against the fugitive director, but there was no indication her plea would bring an end to the lengthy court saga. Samantha Geimer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon […]
Conviction & Sentencing Man charged with murder after baby is born, dies following car crash A North Hills man with three prior DUI convictions has been charged with murder in connection with an alleged head-on DUI crash into a car containing a pregnant woman who gave birth to a baby girl who died soon afterward, […]
Prosecution Prosecutors are pushing back against Sessions order to pursue most severe penalties A week after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told federal prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense” and follow mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines, a bipartisan group of prosecutors at the state and local level is expressing concern. Thirty current and former state and […]
Crime Rates & Victims Note the missing word……victims As crime rates rise and victims continue to be marginalized by some state legislators, the Los Angeles Times again provided a “criminal justice reform” advocate with a platform to expound on how the system is too harsh. This time it was Fordham law professor John Pfaff, who blamed budgetary incentives and […]
Prosecution 23-year-old pleads not guilty to felony A Los Angeles man on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to three felony charges for a fatal crash in Venice last month, officials said. Benjamin Albert Seider, 23, was allegedly drunk when he ran a red light at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Ocean Avenue on April 10, […]
Prosecution The limits of prosecutorial power Criminal justice reformers seem to have found a new champion in the progressive prosecutor. A recent New York Times article profiled some of these rising stars-Andrew Warren of Tampa, Scott Colom of eastern Mississippi, Kim Foxx of Chicago, Kim Ogg of Houston, and Aramis Ayala of Orlando. The Marshall […]