#The Future of Law Enforcement

[vertigoartgore]

1992's Dark Horse Comics #2 cover by cover artist Mike Mignola.

[spockvarietyhour]

Pudface

[fatherwarxiv]

[antiprohibit]

The Case for Legalizing and Safely Producing All Drugs

A farmer gathers his crop’s production The argument for legalizing and safely producing all drugs is gaining traction, driven by a mix of public health and economic concerns. The current approach to drug policy has failed to stem the tide of overdose deaths, with over 600,000 people having lost their lives to acute drug overdoses. To put that in perspective, this is more than the combined combat…

[kodokugumon]

the fact that so many child abuse laws are like "its not child abuse unless it leaves a lasting mark" is so fucking crazy to me. You can hit a kid as long as your fists weren't closed and you hit them light enough

[carewyncromwell]

“And the big bad man and his big bad clan, Their hands are stained with red... Oh, how quickly they forget... They aren't gonna help us --  Too busy helping themselves! They aren't gonna change this:  We gotta do it ourselves... They think that it's over, but it's just begun!”

~“Only the Young” by Taylor Swift

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“And so…esteemed members of the Wizengamot…based on the overwhelming evidence – the factually bankrupt, inflammatory anti-Muggle and Muggle-born leaflets sent out by the defendant’s Commission and promoted by the defendant herself; the transcripts of trials overseen by the defendant that spell out blatant corruption and unsanctioned cross-examination techniques, including having Dementors present during all trials and actively refusing to give any defendant proper legal representation; the testimony of over fifty Ministry employees, speaking to the defendant’s close working relationships with known Death Eaters and to her own willingness to overlook Wizarding Law to advance herself and her Commission’s political aims; the countless memos written in the defendant’s own hand condemning nearly a thousand people, including over a hundred children, to unjust captivity; and the defendant’s well-known reputation among her ex-students, her coworkers, and even her own family for enjoying the suffering of others and persecuting fellow wizards and witches not just for their blood, but also for suffering from medical conditions like lycanthropy and blood maledictions – all of which the defense has offered no suitable defense for, aside from incorrectly asserting that the defendant was ‘simply following orders’ from her superiors…I think there is no question as to her guilt, or to what justice would be appropriate.

Although I – as a private citizen of the Wizarding World – agree with Minister Shacklebolt’s measure to remove the Dementors from Azkaban prison…I must acknowledge that if there were ever a case for a criminal from our world deserving the Dementor’s Kiss…it would be Dolores Jane Umbridge. But because we – unlike the defendant – have a code of honor before us that we will not break just to achieve a political objective…I believe it’s our solemn duty to ensure this basilisk in human skin never walks free again.”

~Carewyn Cromwell, prosecutor for the trial of Dolores Umbridge // January 1999

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About two-and-a-half years ago, I drew a concept for Carewyn as a lawyer for the Ministry of Magic, and...yeah, looking back at that concept, I knew I could improve on its visual, if I tried it again! 

Carewyn Cromwell was still a fresh-faced, idealistic young lawyer of twenty-five when she became the Chief Prosecutor behind the Ministry of Magic’s trials of ex-Death Eaters after the end of the Second Wizarding War in 1998. That very same year Carewyn also became the legal guardian of one of the Muggle-born children she defended in court (a drawing of whom is also coming soon!), even while unmarried and only living in a small flat in London. Despite her relatively short time with the Ministry, however, the fashionable young prosecutor left a strong impression, not only taking charge and putting Dolores Umbridge under citizens’ arrest when the Death-Eater-controlled Ministry fell, but also in fiercely advocating for those who had been most hurt during the War. The Daily Prophet was eager to spotlight the young Cromwell in their articles, both flatteringly and otherwise, simply because of how much fascination such a pretty and paragon, and yet stoic and ruthless woman evoked in both reporters and the paper’s readership. There were even several points, both during and after the trials, when Carewyn’s name was floated by the Prophet as some possible future replacement for Minister Shacklebolt, or even just as a permanent member of the Minister for Magic’s support staff -- but Carewyn, thoroughly disinterested in working directly in politics, instead remained steadfast in her pursuit of legal justice. 

[secondjulia]

"I’m very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial in this case.  He’s being prejudiced by some statements that are being made by government officials. Like every other defendant, he’s entitled to a presumption of innocence. But unfortunately the way this has been handled so far his rights are being violated. And as you know, Your Honor, there’s a wealth of case law guaranteeing his rights to a fair trial, but none of the safeguards have been put in place yet here — in fact it’s just the opposite of what’s been happening. 

He’s a young man, and he is being treated like a human pingpong ball between two warring jurisdictions here.

These federal and state prosecutors are coordinating with one another at the expense of him. They have conflicting theories in their indictment, and they are literally treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, like some sort of spectacle. 

He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary. He’s been cooperative with law enforcement. He’d been in custody for over a week. He waived extradition. He was cooperative at all accounts. There was no reason for the NYPD and everybody to have these big assault rifles — that frankly I had no idea it was in their arsenal — and to have all the press there the media there. It was perfectly choreographed. 

And what was the New York City Mayor doing at this press conference, Your Honor? That just made it utterly political. And as your honor knows under Loro v. Charles, the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit has held it to be clearly established that these staged perp walks to the media unrelated to a legitimate law enforcement objective is unconstitutional. And I submit that there was zero law enforcement objective to do that sort of perp walk. There’s absolutely no need for that whatsoever. 

And frankly, Your Honor, the mayor should know more than anyone about the presumption of innocence that he, too, is afforded dealing with his own issues. And, frankly, I submit that he was just trying to detract from those issues by making a spectacle of Mr. Mangione. 

And there are consequences to this. 

He has a right to a fair trial. And I just want to put on the record statements that the mayor made publicly about my client. Nothing saying “alleged” for example. And he said “I wanted to send a strong message with the police commissioner that we’re leading from the front. I’m not just going to allow him to come into our city. I wanted to look him in the eye and state ‘You carried out this terrorist act in my city, the city of New York that I love.’” And he wanted to show symbolism. 

Your Honor, he’s not a symbol. He’s somebody who is afforded the right to a fair trial. He’s innocent until proven guilty. And the mayor was talking to jurors — future potential jurors that elected him. Those are the people that elected him that he is talking to and calling this man a terrorist.

So, Your Honor, I just want to make a record of this and put everyone on notice that this has to stop, and my client is entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence."

From the CNN stream (weird video)

[justsaying4041]

Project 2025: Transforming U.S. Law Enforcement Priorities

Project 2025 has become a focal point of discussion surrounding the future of law enforcement priorities in the United States. At the heart of this initiative is a vision for reforming operations within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to strengthen the U.S. criminal justice system and enhance law enforcement efficacy. However, as with any large-scale policy proposal, the impact of these changes…

[terrorismvictimsday]

From Emerging Tech to Responsible AI - The Present and Future of Law Enforcement and Counter-terrorism.

The objective of this event is to officially launch and promote the second phases of two EU-funded pivotal projects in the field of emerging technologies: The AI and Law Enforcement Programme implemented by UNICRI and INTERPOL and CT TECH + implemented by UNOCT and INTERPOL. The event aims to highlight the significance and transformative potential of these independent yet related initiatives to strengthen both public safety and global security.

Watch From Emerging Tech to Responsible AI: The Present and Future of Law Enforcement and Counter-terrorism!

[vertigoartgore]

1987's RoboCop original Mike Bryan poster artwork.

[spockvarietyhour]

[fatherwarxiv]

[familythings]

How AI is Revolutionizing Crime Investigation

The British police are really getting into the awesome possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to crack some of the country’s toughest and oldest cases. According to cool reports from British media, the Avon and Somerset Police are testing out some cutting-edge tech that digs up useful info that might’ve been missed in traditional investigations. This nifty AI gadget, called Soze and…

[antiprohibit]

The Case for Legalizing and Safely Producing All Drugs

A farmer gathers his crop’s production The argument for legalizing and safely producing all drugs is gaining traction, driven by a mix of public health and economic concerns. The current approach to drug policy has failed to stem the tide of overdose deaths, with over 600,000 people having lost their lives to acute drug overdoses. To put that in perspective, this is more than the combined combat…

[teaandinanity]

Probably the most teeth-gnashingly infuriating thing about true crime stuff is that you have some people who could not be more clearly repeat offenders who get a slap on the wrist, get out of prison in a couple of years, and do in fact go on to do worse--

And then you have stories about people where you go, 'that seems kinda justified actually' and the story is like 'and they will never be out of prison Ever and were put in solitary for decades because the state says torture's okay when they're doing it.'

[artificialintelligenceartistrybl]