[BlondieLeigh]

The latest reports have been saying the kid was passing every class except hers, and was telling other students he would love for her to be dead (apparently he had a grudge and was fixated on her). The victim, as far as we know, did nothing but fail him, and considering the response of current and former pupils, I wouldn't be surprised if that really was it, and she was killed for doing her job.

It's unspeakable that this happened, and it's made that little bit worse by the amount of children that witnessed it. A woman is dead, and a number of teenagers have been changed forever, and if what the articles are saying is true, people knew he had a grudge, and people knew he had a knife in school - this was preventable.

Usually, the media will jump in and blame the child's poor background for their appalling actions, but they can't do that this time, because he doesn't have one, the reports are saying his father was high up in local Government, so they're already playing the mental illness card, which imo, is insulting in itself, depression does not make you kill anyone, you still have a choice, and as a society, we really need to stop suggesting otherwise.

Sooner or later, it's going to get to a point where kids have to be searched before going into school just to avoid things like this, and that's wrong.

[sunnykerr]

There will never be anything more wrong than blaming the victim in such a crime as this, so I'm glad to hear that's not happened.

I will say that I also don't believe a child can do this without something being amiss.

I'm not saying it's the home life or mental illness. I'm no doctor and I don't know any of these people.

I'm just saying that this is the very definition of moral deviant behaviour and it seems to me that you don't get to that point without taking a couple of wrong turns along the way.



At the end of the day, none of that exculpates the act here. That boy killed someone. That's something he'll have to live with (by which I mean, "face consequences for") for the rest of his life, hopefully.

[sunnykerr]

Amanda Knox 'delivered fatal blow to Meredith Kercher' The Italian judges who reinstated the guilty verdict against Amanda Knox say she delivered the fatal knife blow to UK student Meredith Kercher. Explaining their ruling, the judges said Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, killed Miss Kercher after a violent argument. Knox and Sollecito were originally convicted of the murder in 2007. They were acquitted on appeal in 2011, but that ruling was overturned in January. Knox, who is currently in the US, was sentenced to 28 years and six months. Her former boyfriend received 25 years. Both had pleaded not guilty. 'Fought over money' Explaining its reasoning on Tuesday, the appeals court in Florence said the victim's wounds indicated multiple aggressors. The judges said they believe both Knox and Sollecito wielded knives, as another man, Rudy Guede, held the victim down and committed a sexual assault. But it was Knox who "delivered the only mortal blow", striking Meredith Kercher with a kitchen knife, presiding judge Alessandro Nencini concluded. The prosecution had originally argued that Miss Kercher was killed in a sex game that spiralled out of control. But in its explanation, the appeals court agreed with a later theory that she was killed after a violent quarrel. It said Knox and Miss Kercher had fought over money on the night of the killing. In a statement on Tuesday, Knox said the court's reasoning was "not supported by any credible evidence or logic". Both Knox and Sollecito are expected to appeal against the latest decision. The trial will now go back to Italy's highest court, the Court of Cassation, which could uphold or overturn the verdict. If it upholds it, officials are expected to begin the lengthy process to extradite Knox from the US, where she returned on her release from prison in 2011. Meanwhile, Guede is already serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted of Miss Kercher's murder at an earlier trial.

Well, the Italian courts must know something the rest of us don't if they have satisfied themselves that there is enough evidence to convict Ms Knox.

To tell you the truth, I think she's guilty.

But I also think the evidence's been so botched since Day One that it probably can't be proven.

[sunnykerr]

I can't believe it's been a year already:

Cleveland kidnapping victim says Ariel Castro deserves forgiveness CLEVELAND -- One of the three women held captive for nearly a decade in a Cleveland house before escaping last year says she forgives the man who kidnapped and tortured her all those years. Michelle Knight, interviewed Monday on NBC's "Today" show, said Ariel Castro deserves forgiveness because she'd want to be forgiven if she did wrong, and "that's the way of life." She added, "he is a human being and every human being needs to be loved," even if he did wrong. Tuesday is the anniversary of the escape from the house by Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. Knight, 33, said she doesn't see much of the other two women, saying "we're all now living in our own way." Knight -- who has a book coming out Tuesday -- said she's a singer who just recorded a song, and she's also training to be a boxer. The 53-year-old Castro pleaded guilty in August to hundreds of charges and committed suicide in prison. Knight said in the interview that she was surprised when Castro killed himself, wondering "why would he hurt his children like that?" The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004. Berry was 14, DeJesus was 16 and Knight was 20. They were rescued from Castro's run-down house May 6, 2013, after Berry broke through a screen door. Berry and DeJesus are collaborating with two Washington Post reporters on a book due out next year. Charles Ramsey, the man credited with helping the women escape from the house, also has written a book.

She's a better woman than I am for talking of forgiveness already.

Of course, she doesn't mention that she would be the one to forgive him.

Just because everyone deserves forgiveness and love doesn't mean we all have to forgive everyone and love them.

[☆♥~Buffyverse_Lover16~♥☆]

I would never forgive a man who held me captive in a house for a decade.

This woman sounds like Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes off of The Vampire Diaries

[sunnykerr]

Which is why I think it's interesting that she never says that she forgives him.

Indeed, I don't think I could either.

Not sure that I'd be one to tell anyone how they should feel.

In fact, don't they say that forgiveness isn't so much about the wrong-doer's redemption or anything to do with their end of things, but rather with the person who forgives choosing to move on with their lives?

If that's the case, and I hope it is for her, I really can't blame her for moving in that direction.

Ten years later, I would want to move on as well.

[sunnykerr]

Unbelievable! They've found another one:

Dismembered human foot in sneaker found on Seattle shore SEATTLE -- A Port of Seattle spokesman says a human foot in a white sneaker has been found on the shore at a park near Seattle's Pier 68. The Seattle Times reports that port spokesman Peter McGraw says volunteers cleaning the park found the shoe and foot Tuesday. Port police turned both over to the King County medical examiner's office. Since 2007, there have been roughly a dozen cases in which a human foot encased in a tennis shoe has washed ashore in regional waters. A number of them were found in British Columbia. In a couple of cases, investigators determined the feet belonged to men who had been reported missing. The Times reports that oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer of Seattle says it's common for decomposing bodies to come apart at the joints, including at the ankles. He knows of at least two feet turning up in Puget Sound over the past decade. He says new lightweight sneakers stay buoyant and float sole up, protecting the remains.

[sunnykerr]

Israeli ex-PM Olmert sentenced to 6 years in bribery case TEL AVIV, Israel -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced on Tuesday to six years in prison for his role in a wide-ranging bribery case, capping a stunning fall from grace for one of the most powerful men in the country and marking the climax in a lengthy campaign against corruption in Israeli public life. With the sentencing, Olmert became the first former Israel prime minister to be sent to prison. He joins a former Israeli president, Cabinet minister and several lawmakers who have all served time in recent years. The cases have sparked shame in the country's elected officials but also pride in its justice system, proving that no one in Israel is above the law. Judge David Rozen, a Tel Aviv district court judge, delivered the punishment in the Jerusalem real estate scandal case, which was related to Olmert's activities before he become prime minister in 2006. Tuesday's sentencing followed a guilty verdict that was handed down by the same court in March. "A public servant who accepts bribes is akin to a traitor," Judge David Rozen read in court. "This is a man who was on top of the world. He served as prime minister, the most important position, and from there he reached the position of a man convicted of criminal offenses," Rozen added, referring to Olmert. Rozen ordered Olmert and a series of other former government officials, developers and businesspeople who were also sentenced to appear before the prison service on Sept. 1. Olmert was also fined $290,000. The 68-year-old Olmert, who stood stoically in the courtroom in a navy blue shirt, insisted he is innocent and never took a bribe. His spokesman Amir Dan called it a "sad day" in which an "unjust verdict" was delivered against an innocent man. He said Olmert would appeal both the verdict and the sentence to Israel's Supreme Court. "It is a very serious sentence and we put our faith in the Supreme Court," Dan said outside the courtroom. Should Olmert end up in prison, special arrangements would likely have to be made to accommodate such a senior official who still enjoys round-the-clock security. According to the verdict, millions of dollars illegally changed hands to promote a series of real estate projects, including a controversial housing development in Jerusalem that required a radical change in zoning laws and earned developers tax breaks and other benefits. At the time, Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and was accused of taking bribes to push the project forward. He was forced to resign as prime minister in 2009 amid a flurry of corruption allegations. Olmert was a longtime fixture in Israel's hard-line right wing when he began taking a more moderate line toward the Palestinians a decade ago, as deputy prime minister. He also played a leading role in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. He became prime minister in January 2006 after then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke. He subsequently led their newly formed Kadima Party to victory in parliamentary elections on a platform of pushing further peace moves with the Palestinians. A gifted orator, Olmert crossed a series of taboos while in office - warning that Israel could become like apartheid South Africa if it continued its occupation of the Palestinians and expressing readiness to relinquish control of parts of the holy city of Jerusalem as part of a peace deal. Olmert led his government to the Annapolis peace conference in November 2007 - launching more than a year of ambitious, but unsuccessful peace talks with the Palestinians. Despite his ambitious agenda, Olmert's term was clouded by the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier who was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid and an inconclusive war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Both incidents occurred shortly after he took office. Olmert also launched a military invasion of the Gaza Strip in late 2008 that drew heavy international criticism. But it was the corruption allegations that accompanied much of his political career and ultimately proved his undoing. He stepped down to face various charges from his time as mayor and later Cabinet minister. Olmert has already faced a trial on separate charges of accepting illicit funds from an American supporter and double-billing Jewish groups for trips abroad. In that case, he was cleared in 2012 of the most serious charges but convicted on a lesser count of breach of trust for steering jobs and contracts to clients of business partners and got a suspended one-year sentence. That verdict was seen as a moral victory, and Olmert had signaled an intention to return to politics if he could beat the charges against him in the real estate scandal. He had been seen as one of the few politicians capable of mounting a challenge as a centrist alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the center of the case was the Holyland housing development, a hulking hilltop project that Jerusalem residents long suspected was tainted by corruption. The case broke in 2010 on the strength of a businessman, Shmuel Dechner, who was involved in the project and turned state's witness. Dechner died last year from an illness. The indictment against Olmert laid out one of the largest corruption scandals ever exposed in Israel. It accused Olmert of seeking money, through a middleman, from Holyland developers to help out his brother, Yossi, who fled Israel because of financial problems. According to the indictment, Yossi Olmert received about $100,000. Ehud Olmert was also accused of asking the middleman to help out city engineer Uri Sheetrit, who also had money woes. Sheetrit later dropped his opposition to the broad expansion of the Holyland complex, which burgeoned from a small development into a massive, high-rise project that sticks out from its low-rise neighbors. According to the indictment, Sheetrit received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. Among those also sentenced on Tuesday was Sheetrit, who was sent to prison for seven years. Others were sentenced to terms of between three to five years. Across the political spectrum, officials expressed grief over Olmert plight while also faith in the country's court system. President Shimon Peres said it was a sad day for him personally. Liat Ben-Ari, a state prosecutor, said Tuesday's sentencing must be read and internalized by all. "Those who give bribes and those who take bribes are corrupt and those who are corrupt, their fate is the same one: a long term in prison, a return of the corrupt money to the state and a mark of turpitude," she said. "No one is above the law and those who commit crimes will be punished."

I guess this was the expected result for those who have followed the case more closely than I.

Personally, I find the sentencing interestingly severe, and I don't mean that as a criticism.

It's just that these sort of crimes aren't often treated as seriously as I feel they should be.

[sunnykerr]

Chinese-American businessman gets 20 years in jail for mob crimes BEIJING -- A Chinese court sentenced a Chinese-American businessman on Thursday to 20 years in prison on charges of heading a mob that kidnapped rivals and operated illegal casinos, and rejected his claim that he was tortured by police. The Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court said in a statement on its microblog that Vincent Wu operated illegal casinos that raked in 48 million yuan ($7.8 million), got an associate to throw acid at a judge who ruled against him in a lawsuit and ordered thugs to set fire to sheds owned by farmers who refused his offer of compensation to clear off land he wanted to develop. About two dozen other defendants in the case received sentences of between 19 months and 19 years. Many of the defendants declared in court that they had been tortured by police -- deprived of sleep or beaten -- into confessing to assault, kidnapping and other violent crimes. About 20 of them recanted their confessions. Wu's daughter, Anna Wu, and lawyer Wang Shihua said the sentence was unjust and excessive and that Wu would appeal. Wu's family says he's a law-abiding businessman whose rivals have framed him to seize his assets. "We're very devastated, of course, because we did not expect it to be that bad, given that so many of the defendants said they had been tortured," Anna Wu said by phone. "No matter how many times we need to appeal, we will, until my dad is proven innocent." China's leaders and its highest court have pledged to curtail miscarriages of justice that commonly occur because of the illegal use of torture to obtain confessions. Such abuses are a focal point of public anger at the legal system and the Communist Party that controls it. Earlier this week, three police officers were found guilty of torturing a suspect in a southwest Chinese city but handed lenient sentences, sparking a flurry of criticism on Chinese social media. Wu's lawyers saw the gang trial as a test case for determining to what extent a court would comply with the leadership in fully investigating allegations of torture -- and throwing out evidence illegally obtained from using it. "This trial has made a joke of the law," said Wang, adding that police had refused to provide video and audio recordings of their interrogations of Wu. "Is this called a trial?" Chinese media cited a police officer who testified by videoconference as saying police could not produce the recordings because the hard disk they were on had a virus. The court refused to let the defence lawyers call many witnesses to the stand, Anna Wu said, while prosecutors and the judge repeatedly interrupted the defence attorneys, prompting many of the lawyers to stage a walkout in protest. The court carried on with the trial despite their absence. Wu told his lawyers he had been beaten, kicked and strung by his arms from a ceiling beam as police tried to force him to sign a confession. One other defendant alleged that police applied electric shocks to his genitals. Others said they were suspended by their wrists from high places. Police in nearby Huizhou city, where the interrogations were carried out, denied the allegations. Wu left China in the late 1970s as a stowaway to neighbouring Hong Kong, where he obtained residency. He moved with his family to the U.S. in 1994, settled in Los Angeles and eventually became a U.S. citizen. He has been denied U.S. consular access since his detention in June 2012 despite being a U.S. passport holder who shuttles between his family in Los Angeles and his business in China. The court said he was tried as a Chinese citizen because he last entered the mainland on his Hong Kong residence permit and China doesn't recognize dual citizenship. U.S. Embassy spokesman Nolan Barkhouse said that aside from the first day of court proceedings in early February, Chinese authorities refused to allow American consular officers to attend the trial, which concluded in early April. "We believe that our consular officers should be permitted access, which is why we've requested access 11 times," Barkhouse said.

This seems right out of a movie, doesn't it?

Mob crimes, police brutality, international intrigue...

[☆♥~Buffyverse_Lover16~♥☆]

I hardly think the defendant is innocent. They shouldn't be making law enforcement look bad He and his lawyer are lying.

[sunnykerr]

Considering three police officers were found guilty of torturing a suspect in the same week, I'm not as quick as you are to believe them to be lying.

If this were happening in North America or Europe, it would be much easier for me to believe that this is just an attempt to get sympathy (not that it worked, when you consider his sentence).

Here, when the courts go through the trouble of putting up a trial, you know there's something to it.

In China, though? Where people go to jail for going online or "bad-mouthing" the government?

I wasn't in the room, so I don't know what happened, one way or the other.

[sunnykerr]

FBI to record all suspect interviews in major policy shift US federal law enforcement agents have been ordered to record interviews with suspects, in a reversal of a decades-old justice department policy. Previously, agents with the FBI and other federal agencies were forbidden from recording interrogations without special dispensation. Critics of the old policy said it risked generating false confessions and other abuses. The change was first reported by the Arizona Republic newspaper. The policy, due to take effect in July, will cover agents at the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the US Marshals service. Under the new rules, agents may take audio or video recordings but the latter will be "strongly encouraged", the justice department memo authored by Deputy Attorney General James Cole states. 'Transparency' Valerie Newman, a lawyer and law professor who served on a Michigan task force on the issue, told the BBC the policy shift brings the US federal government in line with the states, whose police are already required to record interrogations. "Now you have transparency, so it's not one person's word against another's," she said. Under the current policy, federal agents conducting an interview take handwritten notes and then produce a report summarising the conversation. Critics have charged that process unfairly works against a defendant in court, especially when the suspect's recollection of the interview differs from that of the agent. "You'll often hear a criminal defendant say, 'I never said that.' But how can you prove that?" Ms Newman said. Former US Attorney for Arizona Paul Charlton said he was fired in a 2006 purge at the justice department in part because he pushed back against the policy of not recording interrogations. "We were losing cases and pleaded cases to a lower offence when we ought have won those cases," because of the policy, he said. Mr Charlton had jurisdiction over violent crimes normally considered in state criminal courts, because of 21 Indian reservations in his district. He said the lack of recorded confessions did "great harm" to his prosecutions, especially in child sex abuse cases. "It was a grossly outdated policy," he said. While the justice department has refused to release its policy on recording of suspect interviews, the New York Times has published a 2006 FBI document stating that jurors might not understand the legally permissible tactics agents use to obtain information - and could find them distasteful. The bureau has also said recording devices might intimidate suspects into silence. Exceptions to the new policy include when the interviewee refuses to be recorded, national security or public safety situations, or when it is not feasible. The policy shift will not apply to interviews conducted outside the US, though the memo notes recording "may be appropriate" in that circumstance.

I'm honestly rather flabbergasted to hear that this wasn't the policy in place already.

I mean, indeed, transparency alone would seem to dictate that any law-enforcement or intelligence agency would operate like this.

If for no other reason than to protect the process.

I don't need this information to be a matter of public record, but surely some oversight and potential for review is in order in such sensitivae matters.

[Ann357]

I would think this change should be positive for both sides of a case...I imagine many people who are being interrogated by the FBI are on edge and it would be hard to remember everything asked and your response. Not to mention the fact that I'm sure sometimes the agents don't get everything right in their report.

[sunnykerr]

Exactly, right?

And, honestly, this isn't about conspiracy theories for me.

Like, not even a little bit.

It's human to err.

So I should think agencies like the FBI would want to err on the side of caution by having actual records of their interviews and such.

And, heck, that's also tangible proof to rely on in an investigation.

[Ann357]

Yes it just seems like recording any official interview would be common sense.