#The crime for murder is either life in prison or 20-25 years.

[kizzer55555]

Dismissed on a Technicality

Ok so Danny accidentally killed the joker. He was working part time as a taxi driver. Funny thing is that he got hired in the city next to Amity Park. The problem is some moron decided to have him drive aaaalllll the way from Amity to Gotham city. And Danny might have run over the Joker while there.

Look…he didn’t feel like a human. Danny (as someone half dead) can feel souls and he could only barley feel anything from the guy so it just looked like a blob in front of the road. He thought it was an animal or something! Danny was short on time so he was going pretty fast. And drivers Ed was very clear that one is NOT to swerve the car to avoid animals as it causes the car to go into other lanes and can cause a crash, especially in a big city. It’s sad, but it’s true, better to run over the poor animal.

So Danny hit the gas.

Only to be greeted with the face of a clown smashed into his windshield.

Danny stopped the car.

He got out.

Looked around at all the people of the city staring at him (no longer cowering as Joker went on a monologue, holding them at gunpoint while waiting for a bat.)

Danny looks down as the mangled corpse sprawled over the front of his taxi.

And he pulled out his phone and called 911 to report a car crash. In front of everybody.

When Batman arrived, Danny held out his hands and willingly let them be cuffed. Time to be taken to court!

Now one might think Danny would be panicking in this situation. After all, he just killed someone, even if it was on accident. But Danny had a different point of view and made it known in court.

It was a whole thing. Full courthouse, practically the entire city attending or watching on a live news feed. And who did Danny call to defend him as his lawyer?

Himself.

And this begins the most confusing and controversial court in the history of Gotham.

Now, what defines a human? Because according to the law it’s ‘anyone capable of speech or higher reasoning.’ But that cannot be. There are aliens and Atlanteans who fit those categories and they do not classify as human. And what about that demon the Justice League killed last week. The one with 2 snake heads and a hippo body? That thing could talk. What about being a Homo sapien capable of speech? But there is an entire city of talking gorillas. Therefore, the definition of human should be revised.

As for the Joker, he had many differences to the typical human. When he fell into a vat of chemicals it changed his very atomic structure physically and altered his mind mentally. Those gassed with Joker venom can be turned back but Joker’s transformation was permanent. Meaning the change occurred at the level of his very DNA.

Which begs the question. Is the Joker really human? And if not, is what Danny did really murder?

Let it be known that Daniel James Fenton is not trying to get out of his crime.

Despite his appearance, the joker was alive. He was breathing, had a heartbeat, and blood flowed through his veins (despite that blood being green).

So yes…Danny committed a crime. And he confesses in front of the entire court.

He confesses…to animal cruelty.

[conradscrime]

Amelia Dyer: World’s Most Prolific Female Serial Killer?

April 28, 2021 

Amelia Dyer (born Ameila Hobley) was born in a small village called Pyle Marsh east of Bristol in 1836, being the youngest of 5 children born to Samuel and Sarah Hobley. 

Amelia’s mother suffered from mental illnesses caused by typhus and from a young age Amelia watched her mother fly into violent fits and had to take care of her until she died in 1848, when Amelia was 12 years old.

After Amelia’s mother died she moved in and lived with one of her aunts in Bristol, gaining an apprenticeship with a corset maker. Amelia’s father died in 1859 and in 1861 at the age of 24 Amelia married a man named George Thomas. George was 59 at the time and both had lied about their ages on the marriage certificate. 

Amelia trained as a nurse after marrying George. However, soon after this Amelia met a midwife where she discovered that an easier way to make money was by opening up her home as a place to stay for women who were having babies illegitimately, that is, getting pregnant without being married first. The women could stay until they had their baby and then the babies would be farmed off for either adoption or they would die from neglect and malnutrition (similar to the Butterbox Babies, previously covered on this blog). 

Amelia’s husband died in 1869 which left her needing an income fast. She began to advertise her services which included nurse care, adoption services, and just childcare for parents who needed it and they could come reclaim their children at a later date. Amelia told the women that she was respectable and married and their babies would be safe with her. 

In 1872 Amelia married a man named William Dyer and they had two children of their own. Amelia eventually left William but kept his surname throughout the rest of her life.

There is no specific details of when this began exactly but at one point during this baby farming career, Amelia began to forgo the expense of letting the young babies and children die through starvation and after the receipt of each child she would murder them. This allowed her to keep most of the fees. 

It was easy for Amelia to get away with this for quite some time because the mothers of the babies and children usually did not go looking for them after birth, and if they did they were too embarrassed to get a welfare check done on the child because it was very looked down upon to have an illegitimate child. 

In 1879 a doctor became suspicious of Amelia due to the number of child deaths he had been called to certify. However, Amelia was only sentenced to complete 6 months of hard labour for neglect. According to some, this sentence of hard labour was extremely difficult on Amelia and resulted in her having poor mental health and suicidal tendencies. She was also heavily drinking alcohol and abusing opium-based products when she first began to kill which some think attributed to her poor mental health. 

Because of the doctor’s constant suspicions, Amelia decided to stop involving him to issue death certificates and so she began to murder the babies and then dispose of the bodies herself. A lot of people were keeping eyes on her, not only authorities but also parents who wanted to reclaim their children again. To try to avoid this, Amelia and her family would relocate to different cities and she would use a number of aliases to keep her true identity hidden. Keep in mind this is the end of the 19th century -- it was easy to relocate and start a new life at this time. 

Due to her suicide attempts and mental health struggles Amelia was sent to asylums a few times in her life and in 1893 she was discharged the last time from the Somerset and Bath Lunatic Asylum near Wells. In 1895 she moved to Reading, Berkshire with a woman named Jane “Granny” Smith, Amelia’s daughter, Polly, and Polly’s husband Arthur. “Granny” was to be called “mother” in front of the unwed mothers handing over their children so that they felt safe, knowing they were giving their child to a caring home. 

In January 1896 a woman named Evelina Marmon, 25, gave birth to a daughter illegitimately and she was named Doris. Evelina placed an advertisement for a respectable woman to come take her child for a short period of time while she went back to work. She had full intentions of reclaiming her child. 

Evelina saw an advertisement for a couple who were looking to adopt a healthy child and she responded to a “Mrs. Harding” (Amelia Dyer) who promised she would take care of the baby. Amelia took the baby one week later, wrote a letter to Evelina telling her all was well and then she was never heard of again. 

Amelia had told Evelina that she was taking the young Doris to Reading, Berkshire, however she actually took her to Willesden, London where Polly was living. Amelia took some white edging tape used for dressmaking and wound it twice around the baby’s neck, tying a knot. Then Amelia and Polly wrapped the body up in a napkin. The next day, April 1, 1896, a 13 month old boy named Harry Simmons was given to Amelia and because she had no edging tape left she took the tape from around Doris’ neck and used it to murder the boy. 

On April 2, she took both bodies and stacked them on top of each other into a carpet bag along with some bricks to add some weight. She then took the bag and took it to the River Thames, forcing it through the railings. 

Unlucky for Amelia, her scheme was up. On March 30, 1896 what appeared to be a package that was not weighted adequately from the Thames had been spotted by a bargeman. Inside was the body of a baby girl who was later identified as Helena Fry. They discovered the package belong to a “Mrs. Thomas” and found an address. 

On April 3, 1896 Amelia was expecting a new client to show up on her doorstep but didn’t know this “new client” was actually a decoy set up by police. When she opened her door, police raided her home. They found no human remains in the house, though the whole place smelled like decomposition. They found a lot of other evidence, such as pawn tickets for children’s clothing, telegrams with adoption arrangements, white edging tape and letters from mother’s asking about their children. 

Amelia Dyer was arrested and charged with murder on April 4, 1896. Police estimated that in the previous couple of months at least 20 children had been placed in her care, and they also discovered she was getting ready to move again, to Somerset. Some estimated that Amelia Dyer murdered over 400 babies and children.

They also searched the Thames and found 6 more bodies including Doris and Harry’s who were the last victims. Amelia pleaded guilty to only the murder of Doris on May 22, 1896. The defense used insanity, claiming that Amelia was unstable and had been committed to asylums in her life. However, the prosecution claimed Amelia only was committed to asylums as a ploy to keep her undetected, she only went to these asylums when she felt her crimes may be exposed.

The jury found Amelia Dyer guilty in 4 and a half minutes. Amelia Dyer was hanged by James Billington at Newgate Prison on June 10, 1896. Her last words were, “I have nothing to say.” 

Stricter adoption laws were put in place, allowing local authorities to police baby farms to stop abuse from happening within them. Despite this however this abuse didn’t stop. In 1898 two years after Amelia’s execution, a couple of railway workers found a parcel with a 3 week old baby girl inside. The girl was still alive and had been the daughter a widow named Jane Hill who claimed she had given the baby to a woman by the name of “Mrs. Stewart” for 12 pounds. It has been claimed that “Mrs. Stewart” was Polly, Amelia Dyer’s daughter. 

[thathawaiianchick]

my wolfstar fic recc

29 of my favs, plus 2 comics :)

sorted from shortest to longest, series at the bottom

i like long fics, i like raising Harry AUs, i like Lay Low at Lupin’s fics, i like marauder era “we’re 70′s trash fics”, i like angst, but i also love “everybody lives”, kind of a mix of everything but seriously a lot of raising Harry AUs because it fills a need i guess

some super popular, some relative unknowns i think

all fics that characterize wolfstar for me :) 

JKR has disappointed me supremely, but fan works will hold my love forever

 part 2 because i forgot some

STANDALONES

1. A Day Like Any Other by dustmouth

(a comic, not really a fic, just hosted on AO3)

The one where Sirius keeps receiving unwanted mail, Remus drinks a lot of tea, Peter's out on a hot date, and James is offering unwanted make overs.

(Or the answer to the question of exactly how many cursed letters can you flush down the loo).

2. To Keep a Star by dustmouth

(a comic, not really a fic, just hosted on AO3)

Daily life in the Intergalactic Postal Service. Or the one where Sirius is a postal star and Remus lives on a spaceship.

3. in your bedroom, during the war by lupinely

There’s the bed, there’s the room, and there’s Remus. This, at least, Sirius knows for sure. (4Kish)

4. Home We’ll Go by appalachian_fireflies

"I can't, I don't know how," Remus stuttered as Molly dropped the infant into his arms, who immediately ceased crying and stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Nonsense," Molly said. "Be a dear and keep him from falling while I feed Ginny."

"Ba!" Ron giggled, and slapped Remus in the face.

Molly is the emergency contact for the Order when those listed can no longer be reached. Remus' life finds a different path. (10K)

5. A Store of Happiness by coyotesuspect

Harry spends the summer after his third year living with Sirius and Professor Lupin. (10K)

6. In The Bed by bigblackdog

Left to his own devices the summer after the prank, Sirius crafts an unusual gift to mend his relationship with Remus. (11K)

7. Vigil Strange I Kept by whitmans_kiss

Remus' lycanthropy has caused his body to seriously deteriorate over the years due to the constant stress of the transformations, and by his fifty-sixth birthday, it's certain that he won't live to finish out the year. However, a cure has recently been discovered - but what if the cure is just as bad as the disease? (11K)

8. Elucidation Practice by montparnasse

Christmas, 1978. Remus, wrestling with the mighty problems of gift-giving on a budget, contemplates life, love, London in winter, and falling off the edge of the world with Sirius Black. (21K)

9. On a Windswept Cliff by starfishstar

On the cliff top where the fearsome Lord Black once stalked, an outcast man meets a big black dog, and things are not as they seem.

Or: The Remus/Sirius gothic romance AU. (21K)

10. Lethe and Mnemosyne by montparnasse

Winter '79. Looking to get out from under the black-hole overhang of wartime, Sirius and Remus take off to play house on the Cornish moors. It goes downhill from there.  (26K)

11. Purity by FelisA 

Sirius resurrection fic. (27K) 12. Common Woodbrown by imochan

Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there. In 1985, Remus Lupin realizes that Sirius Black is innocent. Now, he just has to prove it. (36K)

13. Wilde and Whimsy by chasing bluefish, obsob

In a world where Dumbledore defeated Voldemort during the first war, the wizarding community is picking up the pieces and getting back to their lives. Remus Lupin becomes a person of interest in a murder at the bookshop where he works and Sirius Black and James Potter, aurors, are sent to investigate. As they navigate the crime itself, Remus and Sirius realize that there is something to their instant chemistry. But they need to keep their newfound attraction under wraps while trying to find the killer and stop them from claiming more victims. (36K)

14. Paper Wings by Krislaughs

(not hosted on ao3)

What if Sirius Black sent a final message from Azkaban? Enter the home of the last Marauder in the days following Voldemort’s downfall. Lost and alone, Remus asks a question of the void, a question whose answer will send him around the world. Meeting puppies, Kneazles, dementors, and nomads, Remus learns more about himself and his friends than he ever thought possible. Learn the secrets of the Marauder’s map and the world’s best chocolate, how various Death Eaters occupied themselves after the fall of their lord, and why you should never leave Remembralls lying around.

15. Uncreated Night by earlybloomingparentheses

Remus can drift through whole worlds in his own mind. Sirius lives in his body, electric, ablaze. In 1979 and 1996 and 1978 and 1981 and in many other years and many different places, they search for the bridges between them and the spaces they can share. Time after time, they fight their way back together, head and heart, mind and body.

And in 1998, Remus stands before the veil, wondering if he should finally stop thinking, and just act. (41.5K)

16. Lemon Chiffon Yellow by Spklvr

An unplanned night between Remus and Tonks ends up changing their lives forever. (42K)

17. The Weather Inside by earlybloomingparentheses

Sirius rides a flying motorbike, and snogs strangers in pubs, and strikes moody poses Remus finds irritatingly attractive. But for Remus, who drinks milky tea and wears flannel pyjamas, there's a chasm cracked right down the fault line between wanting and doing.

How he wants, though. How he wants. (43K)

18. the dogfather by hollimichele

“I’m not a reverse werewolf either,” says the man. “I’m your godfather.”  (47K)

19. Domestic Creatures by veeagainst

Growing up is hard to do -- but the journey is better if you take someone with you. (53K)

20. Leave the Children Behind by montparnasse

Bravery, sometimes, is the ending just as much as the beginning. Remus, Sirius, and a series of choices.

Or, a love story—backwards and forwards. (54K)

21. A Series of Sketches Done in Black Ink by  mustntgetmy

Non-magic AU. Sirius had always imagined the aftermath of falling in love would mean lightness, and an escape from all the horrors of his childhood. But the past never leaves, and even love can't stop bad memories from resurfacing.

An almost year in the life of Sirius and Remus's first year as a couple replete with art and tangled sheets, and containing the following: filled sketchbook pages from people lost and people found, terrible biscuits from an excellent therapist, mismatched music records, expensive hot chocolate, a lost brother, photographs (some invasive and some invoking terrible memories), a reckoning with the past, a promise of the future, and yet another ridiculously over the top Halloween party. (57K)

22. Alt Ed by NachoDiablo

“Remus? Who the bloody hell is Remus?” James is scrambling to straighten his chair as McGonagall glares at him from the head table.

Mary smiles innocently. “Oh, just a new friend that Lily met over the holidays. He’s homeschooled, just moved into her neighborhood it seems. She says he’s very clever. And I hear he’s quite fit, as well.”

AU where Remus and Lily become friends outside of Hogwarts, setting James and Sirius on a quest to learn more about this mysterious newcomer. (61K)

23. Indiana Lupin and the Search for the Conqueror by nekarose

Remus Lupin is an undercover archaeologist for the British Museum and is sent to Greenland to investigate a Roman shipwreck. In Greenland he meets Sirius Black, makes a real discovery and soon enough the two of them are racing through the world in search of the remains of the Library of Alexandria with Remus’ arch-enemy right at their heels. (66K)

24. Le Mot Vagabond by ironicallyinternational

(It all starts with Peter Pettigrew dying twice.

First, Peter kills Wormtail (discreetly), and then Sirius kills him (less discreetly).

Losing a friend is never easy, even amidst the ravages of war, but losing the last of your childhood alongside him is far worse.)

War is a complicated, messy thing. The Marauders have their fucked up shit to deal with, but they also have each other, and that counts for a lot. (151K)

SERIES:

25. The Hole in the Ground by sostrata

(5 works)  A series of fics about Sirius and Remus raising Harry in their home, The Hole in the Ground.  (18k)

26. Holding Out by bigblackbog

(works 2)

On Halloween, 1981 Sirius and Remus abscond with Harry despite their recently rocky relationship. (36K)

27. Maddest House by busaikko

(6 works)

old as hell. Another wolfstar raising Harry fic (55K)

28. Lycanthropic Studies by Eiiri

(3 works)

After the Battle of Hogwarts, Remus recognizes something familiar in Draco Malfoy and offers him sanctuary. With nowhere else to turn--his parents in prison, his home a crime scene--Draco reluctantly accepts and becomes a tolerated, if not welcome, member of his schoolyard rivals' and wartime adversaries' family of choice. As pages of the lunar calendar turn and the summer wears on,Draco and the others begin to see each other in a different light. (139K)

29. Stealing Harryverse by copperbadge

(works 12)  

On a dark night long ago, Sirius Black took a wrong turn and never found Peter Pettigrew. Instead of Azkaban, Sirius settled down in Little Whinging to keep an eye on his godson, and hired Remus Lupin to run his bookshop for him. Then one day when Harry was eight, Sirius found out how the Dursleys treated him, and stole him away.

Stealing Harry is an alternate universe version of Harry Potter's life before his time at Hogwarts. It is the story of Harry's family: Sirius and Remus, Ted and Andromeda, Nymphadora, Neville Longbottom, and even Severus Snape, all banded together against a newly powerful Peter Pettigrew who is still searching for a way to resurrect Voldemort.

Laocoon's Children follows Harry through his time at Hogwarts as he develops a very different group of friends: Hufflepuff Draco Malfoy, Ravenclaw Padma Patil, and Gryffindor Neville Longbottom, strange companions for a Harry who was sorted into Slytherin -- the house of his beloved Professor Snape.

This universe ends in Harry's third year, and is partially incomplete. As it is not likely to be finished, the last story in the series is a group of notes I made on where the story would have gone and how it would have ended. (443.3K)

30. All the Young Dudes by MsKingBean89

(4 works)

LONG fic charting the marauders' time at Hogwarts (and beyond) from Remus' PoV - diversion from canon in that Remus's father died and he was raised in a children's home, and is a bit rough around the edges. Otherwise canon-compliant. 1971 - 1995 (557K)

31. Crow Rides A Pale Horse  by tb_ll57

(4 works)

The note pinned to his collar read 'Harry J Potter - please accept'. The Dursleys had left him with nothing else but a pillow sack with half a sleeve of McVities biscuits, a mealy apple, and ten pounds. (618K)

[jmsa1287]

A Year in Review: The 31 Best Episodes of TV of 2019

There's never been more TV than this year. Thanks to the launch of new streaming services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ (with more to come in 2020!), there is an infinite number of hours of content out there. And while not all those TV shows are worth a watch, mot seasons of shows genuinely contain at least one great-to-amazing episode. The 31 episodes listed below are the ones that stood out the most; that either became part of the cultural conversation or were not well-watched but still resonated in a way that deserved more attention. Whether it was the writing, the acting, a visual moment or a hilarious scene, these selected episodes rose above the cut to show what TV can do in this unprecedented era.

31. “Striking Vipers,” Black Mirror Season 5, Netflix 

30. “Smell Ya Later,” Killing Eve Season 2, BBC America

29. “Chase Gets the Gays,” The Other Two Season 1, Comedy Central

28. “Refugees,” Ramy Season 1, Hulu

27. “Finish It,” The Deuce Season 3, HBO

26. “Chapter 7: The Reckoning,” The Mandalorian Season 1, Disney+ 

25. “Life’s a Beach,” Pose Season 2, FX

24. “Easter,” Better Things Season 3, FX

23. “Chapter 8: Overview,” The OA Season 2, Netflix

22. “Reborn,” Servant Season 1, Apple TV+

21. “Stories,” Broad City Season 5, Comedy Central

20. “Blondie,” High Maintenance Season 3, HBO

19. “The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed,” Euphoria Season 1, HBO

18. “The Bad Mother,” Big Little Lies Season 2, HBO

17. “405 Method Not Allowed,” Mr. Robot Season 4, USA

16. “1:23:45,” Chernobyl Season 1 HBO

15. “Dundee,” Succession Season 2, HBO

14. “Episode 9,” Mindhunter Season 2, Netflix

13. “401 Unauthorized,” Mr. Robot Season 4, USA 

12. “Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am,” Modern Love Season 1, Amazon

11. “Part Four,” When They See Us Season 1, Netflix

Ava DuVernay's achingly painful "When They See Us" miniseries about the persecution of the Central Park 5 is capped off with its brilliant final episode; a showcase for Jharrel Jerome ("Moonlight") who undergoes a transformation here unlike any other actor on TV this year. Playing Korey Wise, we see Jerome go from happy-go-lucky New Yorker to a victim of the vicious prison system who is beholden to his truth despite its consequences. It is a harrowing 88 minutes of TV that is both devastating and beautiful, carried on the shoulders of Jerome's unparalleled performance.

10. “A God Walks Into a Bar,” Watchmen Season 1, HBO

The penultimate episode of "Watchmen," the buzziest show of the fall, is the most Damon Lindelof has been during this stellar season of TV. "A God Walks into a Bar" is a revealing episode in the same way as the last season of "The Leftovers," Lindelof's previous project. The episode reveals that for all of its surrealness and commentary about race and gender in our world, the "remix" of the popular comic book series is, at its core, a love story. Lindelof sets the episode as a classic cosmic joke but as it goes on, it exposes itself to be full of heart and emotion; about two people from different parts of the universe (and different parts of the space-time continuum?) connecting. At a bar. Over beer, conversation, and eggs.

09. “Strawberries,” Ramy Season 1, Hulu

Unlike anything depicted on TV, "Strawberries," the peak of Hulu's comedy "Ramy," created by standup Ramy Youssef, is told in flashback, tracking a young Ramy in the days leading up to and after 9/11. Seeing the event play out from the perspective of a young Muslim child in middle school is heartbreaking and raw; a highlight that is thoughtful, meditative, funny and surprising.

08. "Shook One Pt. II,” Euphoria Season 1, HBO

It's not until "Shook One Pt. II" that "Euphoria" finally clicks and finds its groove. Playing out at a carnival, the episode raises the dramatic stakes for the show's young cast, where creator Sam Levinson's bold aesthetic choices complement the intense tension on display. Part thriller, part romance and all edge, this episode of "Euphoria" features stellar performances from Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi and more.

07. “Volume 7: The Magician" + "Volume 8: The Hanged Man,” Too Old to Die Young Season 1 Amazon

It was hard to pick just one episode of Nicolas Winding Refn's twisted noir cop saga "Too Old to Die Young." The controversial auteur made a perfect thing for streaming age; somewhere between a film and a series. NWR said himself that you can watch the episodes out of order, or start from anywhere, which is sort of true. But it's the back-to-back episodes towards the back half of the series, "Volume 7: The Magician" and "Volume 8: The Hanged Man," that stand out the most; a chaotic and insane set of events that turn "TOTDY" on its head.

06. “Posh,” PEN15 Season 1, Hulu

"PEN15" is hands down the funniest show of 2019 but it's the Hulu series episode "Posh" — a thoughtful and insightful examination of racism in the 00s — that is the show's highlight. In the episode, BFFs Maya (Maya Erskine) and Anna (Anna Konkle) make their own version of the Spice Girls with a group of mean girls at their middle school for a class project. They force Maya, who is Japanese-American, to play Scary Spice — the only woman of color in the insanely popular British girl group, because Maya is the only girl of color among them. It sparks a deep divide between Maya and Anna that is explored in the short episode with maximum effect.

05. “DC,” Succession Season 2, HBO

Over the last few years, Americans have made Congressional hearings they're own sort of perverse reality show. So, it's no surprise that "Succession" would go there and put members of the Roy family on display and under scrutiny. The main targets here are Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), who have to answer a number of questions about Waystar Royco's handling of alleged sexual assaults and crimes involving the company's cruise line. "Succession" had been building up to this moment since early Season 1 and the payoff is both cringe-worthy and hilarious.

04. “The Great War and Modern Memory,” True Detective Season 3 HBO

Filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier's ("Green Room," "Hold the Dark") crack at a TV show is nothing short of spectacular. With "The Great War and Modern Memory," he establishes an unsettling mood and tone to the third installment of "True Detective," a somber story about two cops investigating the disappearance of two young children over the span of several decades. The episode is poetic and solemn, featuring two mind-blowing performances from its stars Mahershala Ali and a career-best Stephen Dorff. They're both in tune with what kind of show they're in, selling creator Nic Pizzolatto's writing, which coming out of the mouths of other performers would likely sound dreadful.

03. “Episode 1,” Fleabag Season 2, Amazon

Filming a dinner scene is not as easy as it looks. For the first episode of the second season of the outstanding "Fleabag" both writer/creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge and director Harry Bradbeer hit out of the park. It's a whirlwind of an episode where PWB's Fleabag character literally tells the audience Season 2 is a love story, which, of course, involves the so-called Hot Priest (Andrew Scott). "Episode 1" is fast, zippy, and manages to get most of the show's cast in one room, featuring wonderful performances from not only PWB and Scott but also Olivia Coleman, Sian Clifford and Brett Gelman. It's a chaotic half-hour of TV that has a kinetic energy unlike anything else this year, taking an awkward family dinner to its limits.

02. "Series Finale Part 2: Hello, Elliot,” Mr. Robot Season 4, USA

The series finale of “Mr. Robot” is as emotional as it is shocking. Sam Esmail sticks the landing with his hacking drama, turning a story about a vigilante and his crew trying to right the wrong world into a personal journey of a young man struggling with deep trauma. It’s a beautiful sendoff, that is fully satisfying and a magnificent accomplishment of modern television.

01. “Never Knew a Love Like this Before,” Pose Season 2, FX

"Pose" proved itself to be an uplifting and hopeful show, uprooting cliched and tragic stories about trans people we've come to see on screen and instead, opts to show us something beautiful. But its "Never Knew a Love Like This Before" that is 2019's best episode of the year — a heart-wrenching and unexpected boom and a reminder that trans people, especially trans women of color, are often in danger. Here, Candy (an out-of-this-world performance from Angelica Ross), who orbited around the main cast in the series, is murdered. She returns to her funeral in spirit, having in-depth conversations with her friends, enemies and frenemies. Pray Tell (Billy Porter) honors her by moving forward with her wish — a lip-synch category for the balls that he previously rejected. It's a beautiful story about the history of queer culture that's personalized in an unexpected way.

[sebastbu]

My Top 40 Movies of the Decade

***just my opinion***this list is not set in stone either***

1. 12 Years A Slave (2013)

What Steve McQueen has managed to do with this movie in nothing short of the best thing art is capable of. He takes the horror of humanity and turns it into a heart shattering tale of the best of humanity. A film that could have sunk easily among the brutality it contains, instead soars with Solomon’s survival. It is one of the most life-affirming, uplifting works of art I��ve ever seen. It makes you cry, it makes you shout, it makes you cheer, it makes you breathless. In short, all the things movies are best at. Not just a definitive movie, but a definitive work of art.

2. The Act of Killing (2012)

This has my vote for the best documentary film of all time. What begins as a transfixing profile of the mass murders responsible for the 1965 Indonesian genocide quickly transforms into a Brechtian nightmare as director Joshua Oppenheimer somehow convinces these men to stage scenes for a fake movie reenacting their crimes. As the film progresses you can hardly believe what you’re witnessing. Horrifying, yet you can’t look away. Oppenheimer holds your attention for every second. What’s captured for film here is truly unique, ground-breaking, soul shaking. A statement about the banality of evil as profound as Ardent’s essays. 

3. The Tree of Life (2011)

Malick has reached his final form here. An organic art form, pure cinema, visual poetry, whatever you want to call it. Nothing but a movie could be this. The images he crafts here are as close to a religious experience as I’ve ever had watching a movie, and probably ever will. In exploring childhood memories, Malick’s style perfectly matches his subject manner. He use of ellipsis and fluidity mirrors the way memories flash through our heads. It is as if we are witnessing memory directly, unfiltered. This movie will move you in ways you didn’t know a movie could. 

4. The Social Network (2010)

That Facebook movie? Hell yeah that facebook movie. What Fincher and Sorkin have managed to do is take what could be a standard biopic, or dull tech movie, and made it into an epic tale of betrayal, greed, friendship, coming of age, and identity. Ross and Reznor’s score pulses, as does the dialogue. This movie starts the instant you press play and it doesn’t let you catch your breath for one second until the very end. Endlessly quotable, perfected acted. A masterclass.

5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

What can I say about this movie? Every shot is perfect. Every joke, beat, pan, zoom. Well, I guess I’ll say this. This movie disarms with its charm, its facade. But at its heart is a wrenching tale of loss, nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of everything, especially those we love. A jewel of a film. Anderson makes sure you’re cozy and then pulls the rug out from under you, and suddenly you’re crying. 

6. The Master (2012)

Career best performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Lushly shot. Greenwood delivers another ground breaking score. PTA has made an aimless film about aimless characters that nevertheless is riveting. At the end, you may not know exactly how far you’ve progressed, but you’re sure glad you went on the journey. 

7. Drive (2011)

This is not an action movie. It’s a love story. The now famous dream pop soundtrack. Ryan Gosling doing so much with so little. Refn’s breathtaking cinematography. Diluted dreams. Crushed hopes. Silent gazes, filled with more emotion than dialogue could ever render.

8. The Revenant (2015)

An achievement of pure cinematic insanity. I still have no idea how they got some of these shots. A brutal, thrilling story of survival among nature’s cruelty. Inarritu’s camera is like magic in this film, uncovering the previously thought not possible. 

9. La La Land (2016)

A reinvention of a genre that somehow manages to have its cake and eat it too: a nostalgia trip that also subverts expectations. Right up there next to Singin’ in the Rain, in my book at least. How on earth was that only Chazelle’s second ever movie? 

10. The Lighthouse (2019)

TELL ME YE FOND O ME LOBSTER! WHYD YA SPILL YOUR BEANS? IF I HAD A STEAK ID FUCK IT. That about sums it up.

11. Parasite (2019)

Bong Joon Ho has made a beautifully twisted psychological thriller that is also hilarious, touching, and a lasting commentary on class and social mobility. 

12. The Florida Project (2017)

Baker’s approach of setting this story from the viewpoint of children makes it a glorious romp through a world of innocence as well as tragedy, and also makes it all the more emotionally impactful.

13. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

It’s all about the cat. Alongside the Coen’s mastery of dialogue and the side character, as well as the beautiful folk music, this film acts as a deeply moving portrayal of depression, and how sometimes we are our own worst enemy. 

14. Moonlight (2016)

Expertly crafted. Expertly acted. Expertly shot. A gorgeously rendered coming of age story. I’m not really the person who should speak of its importance. I’ll just say: it is. Very. A movie that will stun you. 

15. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Practical! Effects! Yeah, that really is Tom Hardy swinging fifty feet off the ground on a pole as explosions go off behind him. A feminist, post-apocalypse, road trip movie brought to you by the director of Happy Feet and Babe 2. What more could you want?

16. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

A wonderful celebration of childhood and of fantasy. Anderson crafts a world you want to return to again and again. Anyone else get jump scared when they realized Lucas Hedges was in this??? 

17. Arrival (2016)

I love Denis Villeneuve’s films for so many reasons. The most important I think is that he balances entertainment and artistic depth so well. Like all great scifi Arrival is not really about aliens, it’s about us. 

18. Inception (2010)

A film that runs on all cyclinders. Smart, funny, jaw dropping, just plain fun. Nolan manages to build some surprisingly moving moments as well. 

19. Gone Girl (2014)

Ah Fincher and his twists. Rosemund Pike at the top of her game. Ross and Reznor return with another gripping score. Around the narrative, Fincher creates a fascinating portrayal of the media and marriage, one with endless twists and turns. You never quite know where it’s headed.

20. Sicario (2015)

A second thing I love about Dennis Villeneuve: he does point of view characters better than anyone else. 

21. Enemy (2014)

A third thing I love about Dennis Villeneuve: he plays with genre and narrative structure unlike anyone else working right now.

22. Incendies (2010)

A fourth thing I love about Denis Villeneuve: he’s given us some of the best female lead characters this decade.

23. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

A fifth thing I love about Denis Villeneuve: he somehow managed make a Blade Runner sequel work. Here’s hoping for Dune. 

24. The Look of Silence (2014)

The companion film of The Act of Killing. Oppenheimer does it again, this time focusing more on the victims of the genocide. Groundbreaking cinema.

25. Shame (2011)

Slow clap for Michael Fassbender. Slow clap for Carey Mulligan. Slow clap for Steven Mcqueen.

26. Hereditary (2018)

Using horror to examine mental illness and family trauma. Aster has made a new classic of genre, taking it to new heights.

27. Under The Skin (2014)

How to make a movie about an alien descended onto earth in order to capture men and engulf them in her weird black room of goo? Make a very alienation movie. Chilling. Otherworldly. Haunting. 

28. Son of Saul (2015)

In making any holocaust film there’s always the risk of feeling exploitative. Nemes’s radical camera work, focusing almost entirely on the main character’s face in close up leaves this concern in the dust. The horrors enter only at the corners of the frame, while humanity is firmly centered the whole time. An important film everyone should see. 

29. Whiplash (2014)

As visceral and heart pounding as the solos performed, the film as a whole is a perfectly made portrait of a obsession. 

30. Amour (2012)

Haneke takes his unforgiving approach and lays bare a topic with incredible emotional depth. The result is deeply moving without ever being sentimental. I’m hard pressed to find another film about old age that is this poignant. 

31. Birdman (2014)

A whirlwind of a film. A high wire act. The long takes turn it into something more akin to a play. A pretty damn good one at that. 

32. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2011)

What’s Chekhov doing in the 21st Century? He’s in Turkey. He name is Nuri Ceylan. 

33. The Favourite (2018)

Lanthimos turns down his style and turns up his humor. The result is the best of both worlds: a dark, twisted tale of power and a hilarious parody of monarchy and British costume drama. 

34. Phantom Thread (2018)

PTA delivers again. What could easily have been another tired tale of the obsessive artist and the woman behind him is instead a fairy tale-ish ensnaring of two people’s ineffable pull towards each other. 

35. A Hidden Life (2019)

Still fresh in my mind. Malick’s late style is given the backbone it needed in the form of a relevant tale of resistance and struggle. A meditative, prayer-like film about the power of belief. 

36. Prisoners (2013)

A sixth thing I love about Denis Villeneuve: his movies have layers, but only if you look. Otherwise, the ride is pretty great as well. 

37. Manchester By The Sea (2016)

A masterclass in doing less with more. 

38. Foxcatcher (2014)

Bennett Miller does biopics unlike anyone else. That is to say, maybe better than anyone else working today. 

39. The Witch (2015)

Eggers’s first foray into historical New England horror. A chilling commentary on the evils of puritanism.

40. The Kid With A Bike (2011)

The Dardenne brothers managed to make a gut-wrenching tale of childhood, masculinity, abandonment, the power of empathy, belonging, and redemption in 84 minutes. Here’s a suggestion. Watch this movie. Then watch it again. A better use of the same amount of time it takes to sit through The Irishman. Oh wait, no you still have 30 minutes left over. 

[thekillerblogofkillers]

Charles Ray Hatcher (1929-1984)

Charles Ray Hatcher was an American serial killer who confessed to the murders of 16 people over a 14 year period. He was born in Mound City, Missouri, on July 16, 1929, the youngest son of Jesse and Lula Hatcher. Jessue Hatcher was an ex-convict & a violently abusive alcoholic. Hatcher was bullied as a child, and would bully his classmates in turn. In early 1935, Hatcher and his older brothers were flying a kite made with copper wire they had found in an old Model T Ford. Arthur, the oldest brother, was just about to hand the kite to Charles when it hit a high-voltage power line and electrocuted him - he was pronounced dead at the scene. Not long after this incident, Jesse left the family and divorced Lula, who remarried several times. In 1945, Hatcher moved with his mother and her 3rd husband to St. Joseph. 

In 1947 Charles Hatcher was convicted of auto theft in St. Joseph after stealing a logging truck from his employers at the Iowa-Missouri Walnut Company. For this, he received a 2 year suspended sentence. The following year he was convicted for the same crime for stealing a 1937 Buick & was sentenced to 2 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. On June 8, 1949, he was released after serving just over a year - he was back in prison within a few months, this time for forging a $10 check at a Maryville gas station. On March 18, 1951, Hatcher escaped from prison & attempted a burglary but was captured and received 2 extra years in prison. He was released from prison on July 14, 1954, and promptly stole a 1951 Ford in Orrick - he was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Prior to sentencing, Hatcher tried to escape from the Ray County Jail in Richmond & received an extra 2 years. On March 18, 1959, Hatcher was released from prison for the 6th time. 3 months later Hatcher attempted to abduct 16-year-old Steven Pellham, a paper boy, threatening him with a butcher knife. Pellham reported the incident & Hatcher was arrested when the police pulled him over whilst he was driving a stolen vehicle. He was subsequently sentenced to 5 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary for the attempted kidnapping and auto theft under the Habitual Criminal Act. Whilst waiting to be transported to prison, Hatcher unsuccessfully tried to break out of the Buchanan County Jail. When he arrived at the Missouri State Penitentiary, he claimed to be the most notorious criminal in northwest Missouri since Jesse James. On July 2, 1961, fellow inmate Jerry Tharrington was found raped & stabbed to death on the prison’s kitchen loading bay. Hatcher was the only kitchen crew member who was missing at the time of the murder. He was sent to solitary confinement but there was not enough evidence to convict him in court. Whilst in solitary, Hatcher wrote a note saying that he needed psychiatric treatment, but the prison psychologist believed this was just a scheme to get out of solitary and possibly to be released early. Treatment was therefore refused, and Hatcher was returned to the general population. His sentence, however, was reduced to 3/4 the original time, and he was released on August 24, 1963.

Hatcher confessed to abducting 12-year-old William Freeman in Antioch, California on August 27, 1969, claiming that he told the boy to come with him, took him to a creek, & strangled him. 2 days later, Gilbert Martinez, 6, was reported missing in San Francisco. The 6-year-old who was playing with Martinez stated that he walked away with a man who offered him ice cream. Martinez was found by a dog walker, who saved him while he was being beaten and sexually assaulted. Police arrived on the scene & arrested the perpetrator, who gave his name as Albert Ralph Price, but carried ID with the name Hobert Prater. Martinez survived his ordeal, and FBI records identified the assailant as Charles R. Hatcher. Still using the name of Albert Price, Hatcher was charged with assault with attempt to commit sodomy & kidnapping, and was ordered to complete competency evaluations to determine whether he was fit to stand trial. A complete psych evaluation was ordered when he was unresponsive during the preliminary evaluations. At this time, Hatcher claimed he was hearing voices, and faked delusions & suicide attempts in an effort to avoid going to prison. In December 1970 Hatcher was sent between the courts and the hospital many times - one psychiatrist diagnosed him as having a passive-aggressive personality with paraphilia & paedophilia. Hospital staff believed that Hatcher was lying about/exaggerating the symptoms of his mental disorders. He was examined by 2 psychiatrists in January 1971; he was declared insane by the 1st, who recommended vigorous treatment in a secure hospital & the 2nd psychiatrist declared him incompetent to stand trial & sent him back to the hospital. On May 24, 1971, Hatcher was sent to trial. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity & was sent to a different hospital for more evaluations, where he was determined to be unfit to stand trial. On June 2, Hatcher escaped from the hospital & was caught a week later in Colusa, California, where he was arrested for suspected auto theft under the name Richard Lee Grady. Hatcher was taken back to the California State Hospital for a mental evaluation. In April 1972 hospital staff declared his treatment unsuccessful and determined that he was a danger to other patients. As a result, he was sent to the prison state hospital in Vacaville. In August of 1972, Hatcher was transferred to San Quentin State Prison to stand trial, 3 years after the crime. He was ordered to undergo 2 final examinations - 1 declared him competent to stand trial & the other believed he was sane at the time of the crime. In December of that year Hatcher was tried & convicted of the abduction & molestation of Martinez. He was committed to the California State Hospital as a “mentally disordered sexual offender”. 

On March 28, 1973, guards found Hatcher hiding in a cooler near the hospital’s main yard with 2 sheets stuffed into his pants, admitting to an escape attempt. He was sent back to court for sentencing after doctors decided he was still a threat to society. In April Hatcher was sentenced to 1 year to life and was sent to a medium-security prison in Vacaville. In May of the same year a psychologist declared Hatcher to be a “manipulative institutionalised sociopath” - the following month he attempted suicide by cutting his wrists after it was recommended that he be transferred to a maximum security prison. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia & remained at Vacaville. In August 1975, at Hatcher’s parole review, the guards reported good behaviour. In June 1976, the California Parole Board found that Hatcher had improved during his time in prison & set a parole date of December 25, 1978. Due to the passing of a bill giving inmates credit for time spent in jails and mental hospitals, Hatcher received a new parole date of January 1977, and was released to a halfway house in San Francisco on May 20, 1977. On September 4, 1978, Hatcher, under the name Richard Clark, was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy. He was sent to the Douglas County Mental Hospital & was released in January 1979. On May 3, 1979, Hatcher was arrested for assault & attempted murder after trying to stab 7-year-old Thomas Morton. He was subsequently sent to Norfolk Regional Center after the charges were dropped. In May 1980, Hatcher was released from this facility but was sent back 2 months later following another assault - he escaped in September. On October 9, 1980, Hatcher, as Richard Clark, was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska, for the attempted assault & sodomy of a 17-year-old boy. He was then sent to another mental health facility and released 21 days later. On January 13, 1981, Hatcher was again arrested under the name Richard Clark in Des Moines, Iowa, after a knife fight. He spent time in several mental health facilities before being released to a Davenport Salvation Army shelter in April.

On May 26, 1978, Eric Christgen, 4, disappeared from St. Joseph, Missouri - his body was found along the Missouri River, having been sexually abused. He died of suffocation. The police questioned over 100 potential suspects, including “every known pervert in town”, to no avail. One was 25-year-old Melvin Reynolds, a man of below-average intelligence who had been a sexual abuse victim as a child, & who had homosexual experiences as an adolescent. Although Reynolds was agitated by the investigation, he fully cooperated through several interrogations including 2 polygraph tests and 1 interrogation under hypnosis. In December 1978, Reynolds was questioned under amobarbital (believed to be a truth serum) and made a vague comment that intensified suspicion against him. 2 months later the police brought Reynolds in for another found of interrogation - 14 hours of questions, threats, & promises. He finally snapped, saying: “I’ll say so if you want me to.” In the following weeks, Reynolds embellished his confession with details that were fed to him, either deliberately or otherwise. This was enough to convince the prosecutor to charge Reynolds & a jury convicted him of 2nd degree murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. 4 years later, Reynolds was released when Charles Hatcher confessed to 3 murdered to an FBI agent - including that of Eric Christgen. On July 29, 1982, Michelle Steele, 11, was reported missing in St. Joseph. The following day her uncle found her naked, brutalised body on a bank of the Missouri River - she had been severely beaten before being strangled to death. Hatcher was arrested the next day, trying to check in to the St. Joseph State Hospital. Whilst awaiting trial, he confessed to 15 other child murders dating back from 1969. The 1st victim, 12-year-old Willam Freeman, had disappeared from Antioch, California, in August 1969, a day before Hatcher was charged with child molestation in nearby San Francisco. In a different case, Hatcher drew a map leading searcher to the remains of James Churchill on the grounds of the Rock Island Army Arsenal near Davenport, Iowa. He then confessed to the murder of Eric Christgen, for which he was convicted in October 1983, & receiving a term of life imprisonment with no parole for at least 50 years. After his 2nd Missouri conviction a year later for the murder of Michelle Steele, Hatcher requested a death sentence but the jury refused, recommending life on December 3, 1984. 4 days later, Charles Ray Hatcher hanged himself in his cell at the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City.

[coprelawland]

George Floyd’s Legislative Legacy

By  Madeline Thulin, University of Colorado Boulder Class of 2020

April 7, 2021

After the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020” was introduced to create more police accountability and increase racial equity. Roger Fergusson, CIA of TIAA said of Floyd’s death that, "The haunting video of Mr. Floyd's last breaths is a sobering reflection of this national crisis. ...This is a time when we must embrace our differences and become more inclusive. No group should ever be targeted for racism, harassment or other form of discrimination.” [8]

George Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis, was killed by white police officers. Floyd was accused of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. The four police officers—Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao—were fired the day after Floyd’s death by the Minneapolis Police Department. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck causing asphyxiation, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on May 29 [1]. According to the Minnesota statute, third-degree murder charges result when an individual causes the death of a person “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard to human life” [10]. An individual found guilty of third-degree murder charges faces a prison sentence of either no more than 25 years or a fine of no more than $40,000, or both. According to the Minnesota statue, second-degree manslaughter occurs when an individual “creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another” [10].  An individual found guilty of second degree manslaughter faces imprisonment for no longer than 10 years or a fine of not more than $20,000, or both [10].

On June 3, more serious charges of second-degree murder charges were brought against Mr. Chauvin. According to the Minnesota statute, an individual who causes the death of a person “by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life”. An individual who is found guilty faces a prison sentence of no more than 40 years [10].

The other three former officers have been accused of aiding and abetting second-degree murder by the Hennepin County prosecutor [1]. Aiding and abetting second degree murder applies to “an individual who assists in a crime, but does not commit the crime himself” [9]. In Minnesota, an individual found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree murder faces imprisonment of no more than three years, or $5000 in fines, or both [11].

Mr. Floyd’s death precipitated a nationwide civil movement focused on racial equality and law enforcement accountability. One of the Black Lives Matter platform encouraged mass participation in order to “join the [Black Lives Matter] Movement to fight for Freedom, Liberation and Justice” in “support of the movement and our ongoing fight to end State-sanctioned violence, liberate Black people, and end white supremacy forever” [2]. Floyd’s death became a uniting symbol nationwide and globally of institutional racism. Individuals and corporations supported legislation which would result in police reform, and of “overdue reparations to Black Americans” [3]. Floyd’s death also raised awareness of other tragedies based on racism such as Breonna Taylor’s death. This increased awareness of troubling racial inequality in the United States is resulting in legislative changes nationwide as well as prohibiting racial profiling at federal, state and local levels.

The major legislative change due to George Floyd’s death will result from the H.R. 7120 “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020” after consideration by the Senate. This act “addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, to enhance transparency and data collection, and to eliminate discriminatory policing practices” [4]. This act also increases culpability measures for police officers which makes it easier to convict a law enforcement officer due to misconduct while limits qualified immunity as a defense for police officers. Qualified immunity in the United States allows immunity to police officers who are performing discretionary duties. By limiting qualified immunity for police officers, officers have less protection from private civil action. This act also increases the power of the Department of Justice which can now “issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for a pattern or practice of discrimination” [4].

It includes a section on racial profiling sparked by the civil rights and discriminatory nature of George Floyd’s death. The bill creates a “framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels” [4]. Additionally, new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies have arisen. These requirements include training in an implicit bias program established by the Attorney General [15].  In addition, racial profiling is illegal with the Attorney General creating regulations at a state and local level. Federal law enforcement officers or agencies are required to wear body cameras or risk appropriate disciplinary action. Finally, law enforcement officers and agencies must report data of use-of-force incidents. Each state and Indian Tribe is required to take an audit and send their reports to the Attorney General [15]. Implicit bias training allows a person access to the knowledge of how much implicit bias they have on a given topic. The reason implicit bias is important is that once a person knows their implicit bias, they can work to remove it or can take their biases into account. This can decrease incidents of racism and increase equality. Implicit bias training for law enforcement officers will allow the officers insight into their own bias. This allows the officer an option to work in a more equitably fashion. The provisions of this act increase accountability on law enforcement officers.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, supports the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020”. The NAACP is “the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation” [5]. Because the NAACP focuses on civil rights of non-white individuals, their approval of the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020” demonstrates the widespread support of this civil rights bill. They specifically approve of the provisions that address police conduct such as qualified immunity, data collection on forceful police encounters, police body cameras and uniform policies that specify the use of force. The NAACP also supports the provisions of the bill related to community. The limit of military equipment on U.S. streets and an end to race and religious profiling are included in the image of a healthier community.

One of the reasons the George Floyd killing was so shocking was because it was such a nonchalant and gross show of police overreaction against Black and Brown people. That said, qualified immunity exists. In the Pearson v. Callahan, “qualified immunity balances two important interests—the need to hold public officials accountable when they exercise power irresponsibly and the need to shield officials from harassment, distraction, and liability when they perform their duties reasonably” [12]. Qualified immunity is meant to protect public officials which would allow them to do their job effectively. Not all police undergo implicit bias training. While implicit bias training improves knowledge and awareness of bias, research indicates “it may not have much effect on police incidents involving minorities” [13]. Additionally, there have been discussions over using profiling in larger scale policing because profiling can effectively narrow down suspects in criminal investigation [14].

George Floyd’s legacy almost one year after his death is profound. On March 3, 2021 the House passed the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” with a 220-212 vote. "Never again should an unarmed individual be murdered or brutalized by someone who is supposed to serve and protect them," said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., in a statement. "Never again should the world be subject to witnessing what we saw happen to George Floyd in the streets in Minnesota." [6]. In order for this bill to be put into effect, it must be considered and approved by the Senate. The “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” would result in a “series of police reform measures in the wake of national uprising against racial injustice and police brutality” [7].

As Barak Obama said, "Let's not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves." [8]

______________________________________________________________

[1] Hill, E.; Tiefenthaler, A.; Triebert, C.; Jordan, D.; Willis, H.; Stein, R; (2020, May 31). How George Floyd was Killed in Police Custody. New York Times.  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html

[2] Black Lives Matter. (2021, March 22). Take Action. Black Lives Matter. https://blacklivesmatter.com

[3] Blackenship, M. and Reeves, R. (2020, July 10). From the George Floyd Movement to a Black Lives Matter movement, in tweets. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/07/10/from-the-george-floyd-moment-to-a-black-lives-matter-movement-in-tweets/

[4] Bass, Karen (2020, July 20). H.R. 7120 – George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7120

[5] NAACP (2020, July 22). The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. NAACP. https://www.naacp.org/latest/george-floyd-justice-policing-act-2020/

[6] Weiner, C. (2021, March 3). House Approves Police Reform Bill Named After George Floyd. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/03/973111306/house-approves-police-reform-bill-named-after-george-floyd

[7] Behrmann, S. and Santucci, J. (2021, March 4). ‘We Must Act Now’: House passes Police Reform Bill named for George Floyd. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/03/house-passes-george-floyd-police-reform-bill/6904980002/

[8] Kretchmener, H. (2020, June 4). How Leaders are Reacting to the US George Floyd protests. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/george-floyd-racial-inequality-quotes-leaders-barak-obama/

[9] Justia. (2018, April). Aiding and Abetting. Justia. https://www.justia.com/criminal/offenses/inchoate-crimes/aiding-abetting/

[10] VOA News (2020, June 3). What Do 2nd-Degree Murder, 3rd-Degree Murder, Manslaughter Charges Mean? VOA News. https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/what-do-2nd-degree-murder-3rd-degree-murder-manslaughter

[11] Segal Defense P.A. (2021). How Serious is Aiding an Offender in Minnesota? Segal Defense P.A. https://www.segaldefense.com/serious-aiding-offender-minnesota/

[12] Legal Information Institute (2021, March 23). Qualified Immunity. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/qualified_immunity

[13] The IACP (2021, March 23). Evaluation of Implicit Bias Training. The IACP. https://www.theiacp.org/resources/evaluation-of-implicit-bias-training

[14] The Atlantic Beach Official Website (2021, March 23). Bias-Based Profiling. The Atlantic Beach Official Website. https://coab.us/475/Bias-Based-Profiling

[15] Congress (2020, July 20). H.R. 7120. Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7120/text#toc-HA857A12484134F7A9FCDFF44C2E90DA9

[conradscrime]

Ray and Faye Copeland: Oldest Couple on Death Row

May 04, 2021

Ray Copeland was born on December 30, 1914 in Oklahoma. Ray’s family growing up moved around a lot, until his parents Jess and Laney settled in the town of Ozark Hills, Arkansas. Ray eventually had a younger brother and sister. However, when the Great Depression hit Ray had to help support his family during this tough time where most families were struggling to make ends meet. 

Ray began a life of petty crime as a young man. At the age of 20 he committed his first crime, stealing two hogs from his family farm and selling them in another town. His father found out but no charges were filed. He was often stealing livestock and forging checks and was eventually caught for this in 1936 and served a year in prison. 

In 1940 Ray went to a routine checkup at a physician’s office met a 19 year old woman named Faye Wilson. Faye Della Wilson was born on August 4, 1921 in Arkansas. Faye’s parents Rufus and Gladys Wilson were very hard working people from Harrison, Arkansas and Faye was one of 7 children, growing up in a dirt floor cabin. The two began dating and 6 months later got married and had five children together. Their first child was a boy named Everett, born a year after they got married. Then two years later they had another son named Billy Ray. 

In 1944 Ray and Faye moved to Fresno County, California and had another child, a girl named Betty Lou the following year. After that they had a son named Alvia and in 1949 they had their final child, William Wayne. That same year Ray had been accused of stealing horses from a local farmer. No charges were filed but Ray had to leave the area because his reputation was damaged, so the Copeland’s moved back to Arkansas.

It didn’t take long for Ray to get arrested again, being found guilty of grand larceny and sentenced to another year in jail. Once released Ray moved his family to Rocky Comfort, Missouri where he was arrested for cattle theft again. He was sentenced to complete labour at a judge’s farm.

In 1953 Ray moved his family from town to town quite frequently, and was arrested at least 5 times for writing forged checks. In 1966 (some sources say 1967) the couple bought a 40 acre farm in Mooresville, Missouri. A lot of the Copeland neighbours did not like Ray, thinking he was a bitter elderly man who physically abused his family, though Faye and the children denied this.

 Ray was unable to buy and sell cattle due to his criminal record and being known as a fraud so he would pick up drifters and hitchhikers and employ them to work as farmhands on his and Faye’s property. Ray would take his employees to the market, they would use his bad checks to buy cattle and then Ray would sell the cattle quickly. The farmhands would never been seen again after the transaction. This plan worked for a period of time before one of the scam victims, Gerald Perkins exposed the scheme. Ray was caught once again and sent to jail for two years for check forgery.

When Ray was released he continued on with this plan, but tweaked it a little bit, making sure his farmhands couldn’t be as easily connected to him. Again, this worked for a little while until a previous employee named Jack McCormick called the Crime Stoppers hotline on August 20, 1989. 

Jack told them that Ray had tried to kill him and that he also had seen human bones on their farm while he was working for the Copelands. The police weren’t sure if they could believe Jack but because Ray had a lengthy criminal history they investigated further into this claim. 

In October 1989 they searched the Copeland farm with a search warrant but did not find any incriminating evidence at first. After they searched further, however, they did come across the bodies of three young men found in a nearby barn. As they continued searching they found many more bodies, all had been killed with a .22 caliber Marlin rifle found in the Copeland home. They also found a quilt made out of clothes worn by the victims.

Ray had been caught killing his employees to gain money and in November 1990, Faye also went to trial with the jury convicting her of four counts of murder and one count of manslaughter. She was given four death sentences and life without parole for the manslaughter. They offered Faye a plea deal, telling her that if she showed them where more bodies were buried they would only charge her with conspiracy to commit murder, a lesser charge. Faye covered for her husband. 

On March 7 1991, Ray Copeland went on trial and was convicted of 5 counts of murder and sentenced to death. When Ray heard that his wife Faye had also been sentenced to death he said, “Well, those things happen to some, you know.” He showed no emotion. 

Ray and Faye Copeland were the oldest people to ever receive the death penalty, with Ray being 75 and Faye being 69 at the time of their sentencing. Both were sentenced to die by lethal injection.

Ray died of natural causes on October 19, 1993 at the age of 78. Faye’s attorneys appealed her conviction, saying that the jury had not been allowed to hear of evidence that Ray had abused her. On August 6, 1999 a judge overturned the death sentence, commuting her sentence to 5 consecutive life sentences without parole. 

On August 10, 2002, Faye had a stroke which left her partially paralyzed and unable to speak. In September 2002, Governor Bob Holden gave permission for Faye to have a medical parole, that is she would not die in prison but rather be sent to a nursing home in Chillicothe, Missouri. Faye Copeland died of natural causes on December 23, 2003 at the age of 82.

All of the Copeland’s victims had been shot execution style and all of them had either been buried on the property or on another property where Ray used a barn. One victim, Dennis Murphy, was dumped in a well. Faye had kept track of all the victims, writing their names on a list and if they had murdered the man there would be an X written beside his name. 

Here is a list of the known victims of the Copeland’s:

Paul Jason Cowart, aged 21 - killed on October 17, 1986

John Freeman, aged 27 - killed on November 19, 1986

Jimmie Dale Harvey, aged 27 - killed on October 25, 1988

Wayne Warner, unknown age - killed on December 8, 1988

Dennis Murphy, aged 27 - killed on May 1, 1989

Jack McCormick, aged 57 - attempted murder on August 20, 1989

The Copeland’s have been suspected in murdering 7 additional drifters.

[reyskyber]

The 100 ask game

I was tagged by my bae @asroarke.  But it was like 6am and I was on mobile.  (I got some pretty weird looks at the bus stop while I was near cackling at your answers Alex omg!)

rules: answer as many as you want if tagged and then tag three more people OR just reblog it and treat it as a regular ask meme!! have fun xoxo

1. What would you get arrested for on the Ark? So I thought about this a lot, I’d be shouting at my siblings for doing shitty scottish accents or singing wonderwall at me and I’d scream and someone would hear me and then I’d go to prison for helping my mum to harbour extra people.

2. Would you take off your wristband when you landed on the ground? Um, maybe?  I probably would to get food but I doubt I’d pull a Finn and try and take it off for the sake of it.

3. What would the necklace Finn would make for you look like? (Clarke: deer/Raven: a raven duh..) a fox?  idk tbh if finn gave me a necklace I’d give it right back

4. If you could resurrect any MINOR character who would it be? WELLS JAHA omg

5. Create a squad of 5 characters to go on missions with. Who are they? Bellamy bc he seems to be the only one who can drive the rover?  Raven because she’s amazing does this even need a reason? Monty because we could geek out over plants even tho i hate biology.  Jasper just so I could keep him safe.  I feel like if I include Clarke I’m asking for trouble since her and Bellamy can’t get in the rover together without some kind of accident happening.  But I love her with all my heart and we’d need her.

6. Minty or Briller? Minty for life, I just didn’t like Bryan :/

7. What would your name be in Trigedasleng? (example: Octavia=Okteivia…just make it up!): Iylah(?) I’m juts using Niylah without the N, soo

8. Thoughts on Finn? Omg don’t get me started.  I just don’t understand how you can grow up with Raven Reyes and fall in love with her and have her love you back and then get to earth and act as if she doesn’t exist?  Granted, I am also a sucker for beautiful blonde girls, but I’m not dating Raven Reyes sooo.  I think my main problem with Finn was how he was always like “yeah, Clarke I know I didn’t tell you about Raven but I miss you.”  or “Raven, you’re telling me I hurt your feelings?  But what about my feelings?”  Like he was just so self centred.  I’m gonna stop rn before I make this entire post about Finn.

9. Be honest. How willing would you have been to take the chip without knowing all the horrible things it does? Idk really, probably really easy because I literally follow what everyone else is doing at all times.  If they advertised it as a fashion thing oh boy, I’d be right there.

10. What character do you relate to most & What character do you like the least not including the obvious ones like Pike, etc…  I once did two of those “which character are you?” quizes, and I got Clarke in one and Bellamy in the other.  I think i’m more like Bellamy though, in that I’d do anything for my family and I go with my emotions rather than thinking things through first.  Also riddled with regret and guilt. Idk about liking the least, I personally don’t like Niylah but I really don’t know why?  She’s a really well done character and everything but idk something doesn’t sit right with me and I can’t put my finger on it (?)

11. Describe your delinquent outfit: Black skinny jeans, but that’s a given.  I think a t shirt like Clarke’s and then either her iconic s2 leather jacket or Raven’s red bomber jacket bc I love them both.  And the combat boots that everyone has.  And I think I’d style my hair like Raven’s bc it’s so pretty.

12. Favorite type of mutant animal? Pauna idk? 

13. What would your job be on the Ark? making food with the Greens.  I’d be the judgy older friend that told Monty and Jasper not to do drugs but then just rolled my eyes when they did it anyway.

14. Would you have willingly pumped Ontari’s heart if Abby asked it? If Abby asked me to jump from the top of the tower in Polis I would do it with little to no hesitation.

15. If Lexa wasn’t Heda, then who would make the best commander? Anya, she always deserved better <3

16. If you were a grounder, then where would you live and who would be your mentor? Just for purely selfish reasons: Azgeda so I could train with Echo.

17. How would you act if you ate the hallucinogenic nuts like Jasper and Monty? I get headaches from smelling weed near me so I’m terrible near any kind of drug, I think I’d end up like Jasper and get really scared of something that wasn’t there, or go the complete other way and discuss changing the tides with Monty.

18. How would you have dealt with Charlotte’s crime? I’mma leave that for Clarke and Bellamy.  I would not be involved in that conversation at all.  Sort of like Finn, just stood at the side watching them eye fuck each other.

19. Who should be the Chancellor, if anyone? I really loved Abby as chancellor, and Kane.  That being said, Kane, Abby, and Jaha all have a tendency to still be going for “adults vs kids” when it comes to problem solving, so maybe have one of the 100 as chancellor?  But everyone’s in the bunker now so idk how relevant that is?

20. Mount Weather had a lot of modern commodities. (example: Maya’s Ipod)What is the one thing you would snatch while there? I would grab Maya’s ipod so fast, I hope she has good taste in music.

21. Do you think you’d have caught the virus spread through camp or would you have been immune like Octavia? I’mma touch wood rn but I’ve never actually had the flu or anything so I think I might have a strong immune system??

22. What would your grounder tattoos look like? Hairstyle? War paint? I like the swirling ones that Lincoln had so maybe some like that?  For hairstyle I’d go for Octavia in s2 because that’s a look.  And I doubt I’d be going to war so no war paint for me.

23. Favorite quote? She stopped being a kid they day you sent her down here to die.

24. Can you forgive Murphy for his actions? How about Bellamy? Yes and yes.

25. If one of the characters was in the Hunger Games, who would have the best shot at winning? I think Murphy would have a really good shot, like he’d trick everyone into thinking he was dead or something and then he’d murder them all while they were asleep or something.

26. Least favorite ship? Favorite ship? NOT INCLUDING CLEXA OR BELLARKE. Still not set on Clarke and Niylah, but like I said that’s bc of some weird thing I’ve got against Niylah that I’ve not figured out yet.  Obvs bellarke are my faves, but other than that I really like Minty and Braven because their dynamics are both really interesting and I love them <3

27. A song that should be included in the next season, like when Radioactive was? So, I thought about this a lot.  I really wanted a slow or instrumental/guns n roses version of knockin’ on heaven’s door for the bellarke reuinion. BUT the lyrics and the meaning of that song were really important for 216.  So, what if they played knockin’ on heaven’s door again but like at the end of s5 after someone (maybe octavia) dies or something???  Or like in the middle of the war?

28. What would you do if you were stuck in the bunker with Murphy for all that time? He’d make jokes, I’d laugh, he’d scowl, repeat for the next 5+ years 

29.Opinion on Emori? Roan? Loved Emori in s4, hyped to see her in s5.  OMFG do not.  Roan did not deserve to die, and death by drowning?? I thought we were gonna have a call back to 302 when he tried to drown Clarke and she thought she was done and he jumped back out in typical extra Roan style.  Then we could have had some really good Roan/Octavia scenes where they talked about Bellamy???

30. Would you want to be an extra that is killed off in a brutal way? Not really, can I not just survive in the background like Shawn Mended? 

31. A character you’d like to learn more about and get flashbacks of? I’m gonna agree with Alex on this one and say we needed back story on Roan.  But I’d also like to see more of the Jahas, like what happened to Wells’ mum and what Wells did to get on the dropship.  What were things like when Diana was chancellor???

32. A character you’d bang? So many, that’s a whole other post tho.

I’m gonna tag @the-most-beautiful-broom, @bellamyblake-kru, and @nathanmillers (sorry if you guys have already done this <3)

[swanderful1]

A Cold Awakening: Ch 21/25

Summary:  Modern crime AU. Twenty years have gone by since Storybrooke was shaken to the core by a gruesome crime that went unsolved. Sheriff David Nolan and his partner, daughter Emma are forced to revisit the crime. At the same time, Killian Jones and his older brother Liam have been drawn back to the town they had longed to never see again, struggling to find their own answers. As taunting notes and clues show up they are taken on a journey to finally bring justice for the Jones family. And Emma Nolan finds herself caught in a situation more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

Notes: Once again special thank you to the sweet nugget, @shady-swan-jones for the banner for this story (still so grateful). HELLO IT HAS BEEN A MINUTE SINCE I UPDATED. So let me just apologize for that. I'm so sorry. I was having a lot of trouble focusing and writing and it took me forever to figure out which way to take this but I'm definitely more confident in my direction. I didn't want to post anything I was wishy-washy about. Thank you for your patience and support. Please leave feedback or whatever, I love hearing from people. 

The whole thing can be read on either AO3 or ffnet (if you’re interested)

Disclaimer: I own nothing all rights to OUAT

Rating: M

Word Count: ~9000

Emma’s POV: Monday Night, 8:15 pm

“Milah,” Emma gasped. The woman she had pinned beneath her to the grassy ground was someone she had barely met before, but had the common threads of several circumstances, several people connecting them. But then the brown eyed woman looked up at her and Emma realized Milah probably had no idea who she was. “Or are you going by Grace again?”

The two women stayed quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from either of them being their ragged breathing from the chase. Even in the fading light of the evening, Emma could make out most of Milah’s features. After a few minutes Emma couldn’t swallow her words any longer.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” she asked, trying to sound objective, like a cop (well not really trying that hard actually). It came out harsh.

“How do you know who I am?” the woman asked, her jaw tightening and her opposing glare at Emma solidifying.

“I’m a cop. It’s my job,” Emma spat back.

What had gotten into her? She was never the type to be deliberately nasty to someone. Before she continued to speak, she reigned herself in, realizing that her reasons for being tough on Milah were personal. They could be directly linked to Neal’s long-felt abandonment from his mother. And more recently the tumult she had caused in Killian’s life. Killian. She had only just hung up the phone with him minutes ago to tell him she was on her way here. He had once loved this woman that Emma was now directing all of her hostility toward. Gulping down a stream of inappropriate sentences she opted for something more civil. “I’m going to need to escort you back to the house.”

Milah seemed to take the cue and her body softened a bit as well underneath Emma’s grasp. There was a brief flash of understanding in Milah’s eyes before she put her guard back up again.

“Is there a problem?” the brunette asked.

“There are many problems right now and the most pressing of which involves a proven murderer on the loose who you used to be married to.”

Emma began to rise from the ground and lock Milah’s wrists in the handcuffs, careful not to let the woman slip from her grasp. Though she didn’t look like she was about to sprint off into the night it was hard to tell just what this woman was capable of. Emma caught herself peeking down at Milah’s wrists to see if she had a tattoo that matched Killian’s. She didn’t. And Emma released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Putting Milah in front of her Emma began to urge them toward the house, lit dimly far off in the distance. She hadn’t realized just how far she had chased Milah, everything happening so quickly that she could have sworn it was only for about 30 seconds. But Milah was limping, which explained why Emma mistook her for Gold.

“Is your leg alright?” Emma asked. Not sure why she was even concerned. The task at hand was simple, get Milah back to the house, find out what her role in all this was. There was no need for small talk. No need for pleasantries.

“It caught on a tree root when I ran from the house…” Milah said warily. Even in the ill-lit path back Emma could tell she made the woman anxious. There was no way she could possibly know Emma’s affiliation with Killian, she may not even know her past with Neal either. Having been gone for so long, Neal not accepting her attempts to reach out in recent years.

“You can put ice on it when we get inside.”

Killian’s POV: Monday Night, 8:20 pm

Despite the circumstances, Killian Jones found the balcony of his rented hotel room just outside of Storybrooke, Maine to be one of his new favorite places. Often taking advantage of the private outdoor space to think. To ponder the world’s problems. To work on his laptop in near silence. To sit alongside his dog and take in the quiet evenings.

Which was why he was out here now, in the remaining light from the day, absentmindedly leafing through papers with his dog on the chaise lounge curled against his outstretched leg. His attempt to have a productive work day was in vain. Knowing that somewhere, not far, Emma was hunting down the man responsible for the death of his parents. To say he was worried about her would be a complete understatement.

He had gotten off the phone with her not even twenty minutes ago but now as night began to fall, he wished she was here with him as she had been the night before. He looked up from his paperwork, shivering at the thought of their night together. And when he closed his eyes he could almost picture Emma sitting between his legs instead of a growing stack of proposals and invoices.

The steam rose from the surface of the water that filled the tub, a soft scent of lavender from the bath oils. Emma laid her back against Killian’s bare chest. His hands resting over top of hers on her stomach. He pressed gentle kisses to the bare skin of her shoulder, the exposed space behind her ear, the top of her head. Anywhere he could get his lips on without disturbing her. Their bodies sated from another round of love making in the warm bath water. Her breathing slowed and for a second Killian wondered if she had fallen asleep.

“What’s the best memory you have of being a child?” she asked. He felt himself stiffen a bit but then relaxed. A loaded question that normally would have terrified him. But there was something about Emma that allowed him the comfort of opening up. He paused for a while, searching through all of the bad memories for one that was good.

“My mother was happiest when she was creating things.” He recalled all of the projects she used to take on. A creative soul that always turned toward art. “Most of the paintings in our home were done by her. Sometimes she would write little poems to go along with them.”

Emma spun in his arms to face him. Her eyes filled with curiosity. And he once again felt more at ease talking.

“When I was very little she would make up stories to tell me that went with her drawings. Wild tales of adventure and intrigue. She could come up with anything on the spot. Liam and I used to stay awake listening to her for hours,” he felt himself choke up a little. Knowing she had been going through so much at the time but choosing instead to treat Killian and Liam as though they were the kings of the castle.

Emma smiled at him and rested her hand on his cheek. The skin of her fingers beginning to wrinkle from their long stay in the tub. She didn’t say anything but her expression did everything to reassure him. With her it never felt like she was luring information. She simply wanted to get to know him, and he with her. Killian often caught himself wondering how he had gotten so lucky as to have met someone as incredible as Emma Nolan. And this was one of those (many, many) times.

When he snapped out of last night’s memory he was disappointed to find that he was still on the chaise lounge with his snoring dog. He stood from his seat, slowly moving his leg so as not to wake Princess and walked to the balcony railing. In his hand was lukewarm cup of tea, his third cup, that he now sipped just to give him something to do. That was all he had spent the day in search of. Something to do that was distracting enough to take his mind off of Emma chasing down the man who had murdered his parents.

There was no doubt in Killian’s mind that Gold was still a monster who wouldn’t hesitate to attack again if he felt it meant remaining in prison. How does one even escape a holding cell anymore? It wasn’t the 1600s. There were security cameras and armed guards. How does one man evade all of the hurdles? And if he’s capable of that then he certainly was a desperate man.

He hoped she would catch Gold and then this spiderweb of stress that formed in the pit of his stomach would resolve itself. Though as the time ticked by, Killian realized the hunt for Gold was most likely not an easy one and would obviously be rather extensive.

A breeze swept by, tickling Killian’s skin as he stared down from his balcony at the surrounding land. Imagining Emma safely by his side, her golden hair blowing the light summer breeze. Her easy smile calming his nerves. Her warm soul keeping him grounded on what was now important in his life. As it somehow had regained a purpose other than 80 hour work weeks and conference calls and paperwork. He had done a good amount while in Storybrooke. But he wasn’t nearly as invested in it anymore. And it wasn’t entirely because of the entrance of a certain deputy sheriff to his life, but she certainly helped. Emma Nolan was someone who made him see a life beyond his work, the prospect of taking a trip that wasn’t job related, the thought of spending a quiet evening at home, a Saturday morning in bed, Sunday evening dinners with Liam and his wife, getting to know his new niece or nephew as they grew, perhaps a life and family of his own.

But now he stood here worried sick about her safety, and all he could do was pace. Was it easier to have no one and be isolated from personal relationships than it was to deal with them?

Somewhere along the building of his tense mood, Princess had even gone back in the hotel room, presumably annoyed by how on edge Killian was. He rarely actually worried about people, for their safety, most of his life he hadn’t had someone to care that much for. Save for a few. And one of which, it turned out, had been lying to him the whole time.

Grace. Milah Gold. Whomever.

When he had found out that the woman he spent years loving, years building a life with, had betrayed him in such a way his brain could hardly process it. It’s one thing to lie about who you are, it was another to have that person once be married to the man who had murdered his parents. It was simply too coincidental for Killian to not think the worst. That it was all a sick ploy. But then his heart spoke, and told him that perhaps there was another side to things that he wasn’t seeing. The whole situation was highly complicated, and it broke him further every time he felt himself thinking about his ex-girlfriend. He could run in circles for days trying to figure it out but he knew that the only person who had all of the answers was Grace.

As time had gone on he realized, the answers didn’t so much matter anymore. Because his past was his past, it was a part of him. However, his future was clear. There was one woman he could truly see himself with for the rest of his life. And that woman was without a doubt Emma.

Emma’s POV: Monday Night, 8:25 pm

Once they finally reached the house, Emma opted to take Milah through the front door. But it was locked, so she rang the doorbell with her goddamn elbow while still holding onto Milah’s arm as tightly as she could. Under the light of the porch Emma got a decent look at Milah, a pretty woman, clearly older than she. With curly almost black hair and an angular face that was both striking and attractive. Assuming she was probably nearing 60 years old at this point, she looked incredible. For her age and for… well for any age. It was easy to see why Killian had been drawn to her. Though Emma had never been a jealous person, there was a small part of her that was intimidated by Milah. But then she remembered the night before, the time she had spent with Killian and let her mind wander.

After they had spent more than enough time soaking in the large bathtub in Killian’s suite, the two fell into bed together. Not even bothering to dry off or put clothes on before engaging in a long, slow round of making love to one another. This time bathed only in moonlight from the open windows of his bedroom.

In the wake of their passions they laid together, just staring into each other’s eyes. Emma had never felt like this with anyone before. She couldn’t remember a time she had ever been swept off of her feet by any man. He must have picked up on it because soon his hand reached out to brush her face.

“What are you thinking about, love?” he asked in that gorgeous voice of his. His blue eyes catching the briefest twinkle from the moonlight.

“You,” she said before she could think of something more vague. She didn’t feel the need to put up that veil with him.

“Ah, and what is it about me that’s running through your head?” Great. Just what he needed. More of an ego boost.

“I’ve just never been so happy with someone.” It was the truth, and at first it was scary, but now that she was embracing it she felt lighter. She reached up and grabbed his hand that still rested on her face.

“Aye, love. Me too,” he whispered, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips and tugging her body into his chest. “You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever known, darling.”

He was warm, and familiar but not in a bad way. In a way that made her realize, she would miss this if he went back to London. It made her realize that she wanted a future with him. And it made her realize that if she believed in soul mates (which she didn’t) that he would be hers.

Emma was distracted from her train of mushy thoughts when the front door began to open and she caught Milah looking down at her hand that was wrapped around the brunette’s arm. Her body sighed when she remembered she wasn’t in bed with Killian. She was face to face with his ex-girlfriend.

“Is there a problem?” Emma asked Milah, back to being angry with her. For no reason. Well for a lot of reasons but none that the woman was aware of.

“No.”

“Emma?” Ruby asked as she cautiously opened the door.

“Found someone outside…” Emma didn’t so much have to haul Milah into the house because the woman willingly went. Wait a minute, was she comfortable walking in here? Emma looked to Belle, who stood several steps into the foyer. Eyes blown wide. From shock or recognition Emma wasn’t sure, but something was definitely up.

“Is this….?” Ruby started.

“Yeah,” Emma mumbled before her best friend could finish.

“What do we do with her?”

“Find out all we can. Grab some ice for her ankle. We’ll go to the library.”

With her arm on Milah’s, following this illusive woman from behind, Emma and the others headed into a room she knew there weren’t a lot of alternative exits to. The library. A few windows lined the walls but they were all visible from Emma’s standpoint. She wasn’t leaving until she had a solution about why in the world Milah was lurking around outside and why Belle looked like a deer in the headlights right now.

Inside the library Emma had Ruby draw the blinds as she escorted Belle to a couch opposite Milah. And Milah was taken to the chair with a wooden arm Emma could lock her wrist around with one side of the handcuffs.

And again Emma caught Milah who, for whatever reason fixed her eyes on different parts of Emma’s arm as it locked the handcuffs on her wrist into place.

“Is he happy?” Milah whispered so low only Emma was able to hear.

“What?” Did she mean her son, Neal? Did Neal ever tell her about she and Henry? “Neal’s alright, as much as he can be. A lot has been happening in his life as of late but he and Henry…”

Milah’s brow crinkled, almost confused. “Neal, how do you know my son?”

“I-uh…”

“Killian…I was um, referring to him. That’s how you knew to call me Grace,” Milah said a bit louder, eye level with Emma who was knelt in front of her attempting to pretend she should still be in that position. “That is his shirt, correct?”

Emma’s eyes widened and she looked down at her arm where the sleeves of Killian’s shirt had been rolled. And where his initials were embroidered. That was why Milah had been staring at Emma’s arm. She had slipped it on this morning, since he had ripped her shirt the night before. She tried not to blush thinking of the memory of them so desperate to have each other they forgot all manners and decencies. She never thought that anyone would notice she was wearing his shirt. But of course, as luck would have it, like 5 people today had.

“But then what do you know about my son?” Milah’s voice was a bit more authoritative now, less soft and easy going than it had been when she first talked to Emma. Ruby and Belle had now clearly heard the nature of the conversation. For whatever reason Emma became nervous, standing from her spot. Even though she wasn’t the one in handcuffs, for a second she felt she had lost the upper hand.

“Neal and Emma were together for a long time…” Belle chimed in. Her soft voice coming from the couch opposite where Milah sat. “They have a son, Henry.”

“I have a grandson…?”

Emma nodded and begrudgingly looked back at Milah, whose eyes had only gotten wider. Though Emma knew the woman had no right to be angry, she could still think it was weird. Because it was weird. It was a completely odd situation.

“So you’ve been with my ex-boyfriend and my son?”

Emma grabbed at the sleeve of Killian’s shirt. Trying to cling to any of his scent that was leftover in the fabric. Wishing she was with him, wrapped in his arms with this whole case behind them, instead of where she was. Though normally, Emma was relatively confident in herself she felt like curling into a blanket right now. Preferably with Killian, the man she had fallen in love with.

“I... uh.… yeah… um…” Emma didn’t really have a clever, quick-witted response.

“I think we’re here to figure out more important things, so just put a pin in this for a while, you two, okay?” Ruby offered. Emma’s chest untightened a bit at her best friend’s suggestion to focus on why they were actually here and she gave the brunette the most gracious smile she could muster.

Killian’s POV: Monday Night, 8:45 pm

Since Emma left his hotel earlier that morning, Killian hadn’t stopped worrying about her. As silly as he knew it was, still his gut persisted. She had left him to chase down an escaped murderer, the very desperate man who had killed his own parents.

Killian himself was feeling desperation as he looked on at the space in the bed where the sheets were still tangled from his morning (and night) with Emma. If he laid down, it would no longer have the warmth of her body as she had left hours ago but her imprint was still there. He felt like a fool sitting across his bedroom staring at the sheets instead of doing something. He wasn’t helping. Emma was the one out in the world apprehending his parents’ killer. She was such an extraordinary woman.

“Little brother!” Killian heard the familiar, and at this moment, irritating sound of Liam’s voice from the downstairs.

Killian rolled his eyes. Now that he was in America he had been spending more time with Liam than he had in years. And while it was nice to reconnect with his brother it was also annoying at times because after all… he was his older brother.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Liam asked when Killian reached the bottom of the steps to the foyer.

“It wouldn’t hurt to just look.” Killian wasn’t sure if he was more convincing Liam or himself.

“Then let’s get on with it,” Liam said as he smiled, clearly sensing his brother’s apprehension and patting him on the back.

By the time they got into Liam’s car it was dark out. The day had gotten away from him. Liam started the car and as it growled to life Killian heard the ringing of his cell phone. His heart skipped when he thought maybe it would be Emma again. But it sank quickly realizing it was Regina, his lawyer.

After a quick conversation with the woman detailing the address they were supposed to meet her at and the way to get into the building, he hung up the phone, avoiding eye contact with his brother who was probably preparing to lay into him for being so obviously disappointed that it wasn’t Emma calling. But Liam didn’t. In fact, the ass was smiling and staring straight at the road ahead as they drove into the city.

“All of a sudden you don’t have an opinion?” Killian asked.

“Oh I do…” Liam smirked. “You just may not want to hear it.”

“When has that ever stopped you before?”

“Fair point. Maybe one day I will. Let’s just focus on the task at hand. Is Regina there yet?”

“Yeah, she’s already there.” They were only a few moments away themselves. Killian looked out the car window, the trees surrounding them on their drive slowly turning to buildings. High rise after high rise until finally they were in the city, and about to pull into the building’s garage.

A few moments later they were buzzed into the building by Regina, their lawyer and sometimes real estate agent who was just in general a phenomenal negotiator. As Killian rode the elevator up to the top floor he got nervous again. Swallowing a lump in his throat he stepped into the foyer of the apartment.

It was massive… and modern. The floors a bright white and the walls an identical color. Still he tried to keep an open mind. After all, he had Regina organize this apartment showing very last minute. He had been toying with the idea of getting a place in the city for a long time. Boston and New York being places he often went on business anyways, it made sense. But he hadn’t had the nerve to actually consider it seriously. Now he was though, and it was scary. What if Emma didn’t want the same future he did? What if the prospect of him getting a place so close instead of living on another continent was more terrifying for her than it was him?

“Killian, perhaps you should put one foot in front of the other to actually see the place. I’m fairly sure there’s more than one room here…” Liam urged from behind Killian, who had apparently stepped out of the elevator and completely frozen in his tracks.

“Finally, you two are here. They’re only letting us have the keys until 9:30, let’s look.” Regina came trotting into the expansive space, the click of her heels on the hospital white floors bringing Killian out of his daze. “Wait until you see the view.”

“Come on now,” Liam shoved playfully and Killian began to move through the apartment. Walking through the doors to what was the combination kitchen and great room he could see what Regina had been talking about.

The view was spectacular. The entire back wall made of floor to ceiling windows. Made to look like there wasn’t even a wall, like you were one with the sky. It was stunning. Killian loved a view, both his London flat and office had phenomenal picturesque views. A compromise to living in the city, and a way to feel like you weren’t living stacked one on top of the other.

Despite the stunning night time view, all Killian could come up with to say was, “There’s no outdoor space…”

“No but with a view like that, it’s almost like being outside…” Regina suggested. She had worked with Killian long enough to know when he wasn’t thrilled with something.

“But it isn’t the same.” Killian stepped as close to the windows as was allowed, looking down on the cars whipping past below. They looked like toys with plastic people. He was so far from it all. He tried to keep an open mind. “Is there any outdoor space within the building? Somewhere I can let the dog out and play?”

“No, but there’s a park a few blocks away where you can take Princess when she needs exercise.” Regina was being awfully suspicious Killian noticed as he looked at her and she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Regina, is this a dog friendly building?”

“Yes,” she answered. “But there are breed restrictions…”

“Breed restrictions, as in, no pitbulls?” Killian slowly felt himself begin to get angrier.

“Killian, if you buy the most expensive place in the building they’re not going to make you give up your dog,” Liam chimed in. Which only irritated Killian more.

“I don’t want to live in a building that has breed restrictions. Period.” Killian stormed off. Not even wanting to see the rest of it now. It felt like a hospital, not a home. And he so badly wanted a home.

In all honesty it wasn’t Regina’s fault that the place wasn’t ideal for him. She had done her best on the short notice and high list of demands he had given her. There was a bigger issue at hand here. He hadn’t ever talked to Emma, concretely about a future. And while he knew she cared deeply for him, did she want to have him so close by? Did she want the same future with him as he did her?

Emma’s POV: Monday Night, 8:45 pm

Now the library was quiet, the ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner serving as the soundtrack to the silence between the four women. Eventually Ruby made her way over to the couch area and stood in front of the empty fireplace to keep her own eye on things, while Emma stood opposite her. She crossed her arms as her mind raced trying to come up with the best way to tackle this.

At first Emma had suspected that Milah was working with Gold, that she had helped to set him free last night. That she was sneaking around Belle’s house as an enemy of the woman who was now married to her ex-husband. But as Emma looked at the two women sitting across from each other she realized something.

“This isn’t the first time you two have met.” Emma was matter of fact in her approach. It wasn’t for certain that she was right, but her gut told her that the way they had responded to seeing each other indicated that they knew one another. And not just in an ‘oh that’s my husband’s estranged ex-wife’ way.

Neither one of them spoke up. Emma made eye contact with Ruby then who looked skeptical of this whole arrangement as well.

“I need to know under what circumstances the two of you could have possibly met…” Emma continued.

“The sooner the two of you start talking, the better shot we have at actually catching your husband…. and your ex-husband,” Ruby said.

“Belle…” Emma started, trying to come across as non-threatening. The two had worked together for a long time, if there was any way Belle could help them out, Emma would be sure to return the favor. “You know I don’t want you to get caught in the crossfires of this investigation anymore than you already have. So if there’s any way to prove that you weren’t holding this secret on behalf of your husband. It’s in your best interest to talk to me.”

Belle held statue still, as Emma hoped that she in some way got through to her. The brunette quickly glanced at Milah, whose eyes went from calm to nervous. From the look on Belle’s face it appeared as though she was measuring her options. She could talk to Emma, work with her, help out or she could keep whatever unspoken alliance was happening between she and her husband’s ex-wife.

And then it clicked. But Ruby beat Emma to the question.

“Belle… did you know your husband killed Brennan and Moira Jones?” her best friend asked, warily. It sounded crazy, the idea they were potentially getting at. At least Emma assumed that was what Ruby was eluding to. Emma had guessed for a while Belle knew what Gold had been up to. Ever since the day of his arrest when she all but gave them the location of the dagger he used to stab Killian’s parents. But then Milah was here, and she was somehow involved. Did she know too?

“Yes… but not the whole time….” Now really wasn’t the time to tread lightly.

“How long have you known?” Emma chimed in. Floored that Belle, a person on the police force working toward solving the case would have known this for any length of time. “Then I’m assuming you knew too?” She turned to Milah.

Both of the women were silent.

“Belle, how long did you know?” Still the women remained silent. If they both knew then they had definitely discussed a bond of silence. “If you don’t give me an answer I will have no choice but to say that both of you were aware for a long enough time to make you an accessory to the crime.”

She wouldn’t do that. But she had to keep them talking.

“I’ve known something was… different, about Robert for a while now. As far as the crime goes, that knowledge came about a year ago.”

Emma kept her eyes on Belle as she spoke, in an attempt to give an unofficial lie detector test, but every so often her gaze would shift to Milah. Who looked just as surprised as Emma and Ruby, however not for the same reasons. Milah’s surprise came from the fact that Belle was talking about any of it.

It was clear as day to Emma that the two women knew each other. The way they first reacted to each other when Emma brought Milah in the house, the way their eyes found each other every few seconds to double and triple check their allegiance, and most importantly, earlier when Emma had only said they were going to ‘the library’ and Milah had known exactly how to get to that room from the front hall.

“At first I thought he was having an affair, with the jewelry. But then I started searching…” Belle was giving the basic breakdown of how she had ultimately made the discovery. Piece by piece finding things that all pointed to a heart wrenching truth. The man she had married was a dangerous monster who had gotten away with committing an unspeakable crime and she feared if she wasn’t careful she would be next.

“And then when he started to catch on to my suspicions… I’ve never felt more in danger.” She talked of being systematically poisoned. A slow burning illness to distract from her terrible feeling about Robert Gold.

“Why wouldn’t you come to the police sooner?” Ruby asked.

Belle appeared to be summoning all of her strength as the wounds from her husband went far deeper than her forced illness. And speaking up was easier said than done. Especially when you’re scared and uncertain. “I knew enough of the case to know that it was botched and screwed up and no one wanted to touch it after your grandfather died, Emma. It was just such a conundrum for everyone. They had spent years searching and found nothing. And the town had suffered because of it. No one would reopen it if there wasn’t a decent trail to follow. It was too risky.”

Another deep breath. Milah still remained silent, but her hand was almost floating in the air, an unconscious motion for her wanting to comfort Belle.

“If he was going to get caught, and convicted and sent to prison for this, especially 20 years after it had happened I needed all of the evidence I could find. And none of it could come from my own home. He would know.”

Emma went through the trail in her head. Most of the pieces they had been sent as evidence hadn’t come from the Gold house. Only at the end, when they arrested Robert did they find the dagger in his shop. There was but one letter in the entire home during the search.

“So where does she come into all of this?” Ruby uncrossed her arms, looking at Milah who was still quiet.

“She helped me.” Belle confessed. “I sought her out. At a time where I felt I had no one, I had her.”

Belle had found Milah, going so far as to visit her in London. They shared their experiences and as it happened, Milah’s experience was not unlike Belle’s. It was then that they agreed to work together, to find a way to see that Robert Gold couldn’t hurt another person again. And the woman with the wild brown hair and pretty face, who Emma had resented for most of her relationship with Neal, suddenly didn’t appear as such an enemy. Now knowing that assuming the woman had simply abandoned him without a care in the world was incorrect.

The reality of it was, Milah had experienced the same slow-coming illness that inevitably left her too ill to get out of bed. With erratic behavior. Eventually, for Neal, she chose to leave. To get well and then return. But that never happened.

“After so many years, Robert told me it would be worse for Neal if I returned,” Milah spoke, she did have a lovely accent. One that matched Killian’s in a way Emma wasn’t expecting. “I took his word, after all he had raised Neal in my absence. I knew that my last interactions with my son were so terrible. Especially for him. It’s something I’ve never forgiven myself for.”

Emma thought of how Neal had told her his mother had tried periodically contacting him. Milah was too scared to attempt to be in his life. So here were two more women who had been intertwined in Robert Gold’s web.

“To live with him, to sleep in the same bed every night knowing what he had done… what he could do... it’s terrifying.” Tears were behind her soft eyes, as Belle spoke. And Emma knew then that Belle revealing the truth about her husband wasn’t an act of revenge it was an act of justice. “When you came to my house to arrest him that morning, I felt so tired and drained. So when you asked me about the murder weapon, I just gave you what I thought was the best answer. It was too hard to continue hiding it. The night you arrested Robert was the first night I slept in nearly a year.”

Emma walked over to her, sitting down on the couch next to her. This woman she had worked quietly near for years, and never known the struggles of.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore.” Emma rested her hand on the young woman’s, feeling the faint tremble of Belle’s palm, whose dainty fingers no longer donned a wedding ring. “To either of you anymore.”

“I know.” For the first time in a while, Belle smiled. It wasn’t jubilant or happy, but relief. Like no matter what happened to her from this point on didn’t matter because the truth had been fully revealed.

Killian’s POV: Monday Night, 8:50 pm

“Hey… where are you going?” Liam’s voice sounded in the large, echoey room as Killian feverishly pressed the elevator button to leave the apartment. “I drove.”

“This was a stupid idea.”

“Something tells me this is about more than just the apartment.” Liam approached warily, like Killian was a spooked horse. “I’ve never seen you this way, Killian. Not even with.. Well with you know who…”

“You can say her name, Liam. She’s not Voldemort.”

“I know that Grace… Milah? What are we calling her?”

“Whatever you want. Get on with it.” It was frustrating to him. That after all of the years he spent with her, he still didn’t know what to actually call her. He had always known her as Grace, the proof was etched in black ink on his forearm. But everyone here had known her as Milah.

“I just want you to be happy, little brother. As much as you think that the life choices you’ve made leave you incapable of finding that happiness, that isn’t true. Just because Grace betrayed you, doesn’t mean she didn’t have her reasons and it also doesn’t mean that you can’t look forward to a future with Emma.”

“But how do I know Emma wants a future with me?” It was unlike him to be so uncertain. But given the circumstances of apartment hunting in the city not far from where Emma called home, it made the prospect of a future with her all the more real.

“Talk to her about it, you idiot. You spend all sorts of time together and you’re both too stubborn to come out and say that you want each other around when the dust settles.”

“Can you blame me for being unsure?” Killian eased a bit, Liam was right. Emma was the one he wanted around in the calm before the storm, during the storm, after the storm. She was the ray of light in his present compared to his dark and gloomy past. “I’ve only ever had one serious relationship and it didn’t end so well… I’m 0 for 1 right now.”

“Emma is different.” Liam reached his hand out and rested it on his shoulder. “It’s not her you’re uncertain of. It’s you. And because of that you’ve been running your whole life, Killian. It’s all right to stand still for a while.”

Killian released a breath, his body losing all of the tension he was feeling. He wouldn’t do anything, buy any property without knowing how Emma felt about it. But he had to be the one to start that conversation.

“We have a date on Thursday. Perhaps then…”

“A real live date?” Liam’s amusement was unmasked.

“Hey. She said yes.”

“That’s shocking considering you’re clearly the less-handsome brother.”

Killian raised his eyebrow, pretending to be pissed off. This was what they did. And it was another part of why Killian thought being around here would be good. He could be close to his family.

“Besides… a certain niece of yours has expressed to me several times that she wants her Uncle Killian to babysit her, all of the time,” Liam said, a face of mock annoyance even though he knew what his brother was overall trying to say. That it wasn’t just Harper who wanted Killian around.

“Aye, well, that’s because I’m a lot more fun than you.”

They both laughed at that, easing beyond the heavier parts of their earlier conversation and into something more comfortable. Killian had lived so far from Liam for so long, he was all that remained of his family. And there was a large part of Killian that wanted to be in his brother’s life. Liam was his best friend, and living apart from him had made Killian feel ultimately alone in this world. It didn’t have to be that way though, which was something he was realizing with each day he was in Storybrooke.

After his and Liam’s conversation, Regina met them in the elevator and Killian apologized for how rude he had been. It was in no way her fault nor her responsibility to find him a place to live. Though he would need her to negotiate pricing for him, that would come later. They separated from her once the elevator reached the ground floor, Killian telling Regina he needed to talk to someone before making any irrational decisions about real estate. She gave him a knowing smile, probably aware of the person Killian was referring to, but otherwise said nothing to indicate she knew that person was Emma (she definitely knew).

When he and Liam got back into the car, Killian checked his phone for the first time in a while. There were no missed calls or texts from Emma and a gut feeling told him he shouldn’t be the one to call her first. Who knows what she was up to in pursuit of Gold, the last thing she needed was an anxious phone call in the middle of a stake out. However, that was the exact thing Killian needed at the moment. To call her and to hear her voice just to know she was safe.

“I could use a drink,” Liam mumbled after driving a few minutes. Killian knew he would just pace and torture himself if he was alone in his hotel room. So he agreed to get a drink with Liam, after all it was only 9 pm.

Emma’s POV: Monday Night, 9:30 pm

After hearing the remainder of their story, Emma knew they were telling the truth. Both Milah and Belle had admitted they had been the ones sending the clues. Milah coming back to America to work with Belle to pull all of the information they could. Spending late nights in a hotel room towns over mapping out the plan. Belle needed Milah because otherwise her husband would have suspected her. And Milah needed Belle because she was the one who had used her police experience to put the pieces together.

Emma looked over at Ruby, who was just as affected by the outpouring of the stories these women had. She nodded for her best friend to follow her to a corner of the room. Emma looked at Ruby, gauging how she felt about all of this.

“I mean, we’ll need to get some sort of confirmation that the two of them both suffered these illnesses. And correspondence between them will be helpful in pleading their case,” Ruby started.

“We can try to get them off as easy as possible. But they admitted to sending the clues.” Emma looked over at the two, who seemed the slightest bit relieved. “They won’t get out of this easy. And we’re going to have to tell David.”

“Yeah. They’ll have to give official statements. Should we bring them down now?”

“We’ll give them a little while longer to calm down. Then we can take them to the station. I think they’ve been through enough.”

“I’ve got to say, Em, you’re handling this a lot better than most people would…”

“What? My ex-boyfriend’s mother and current boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend turning out to be the same person?” Emma said sarcastically. But it was her job, her career, to put the pieces together with the help of this woman. “Doesn’t this happen to everyone?”

“You know it doesn’t.” Ruby smiled deviously. “And I didn’t miss that you just called Killian your current boyfriend.”

Emma bit the inside of her mouth. Cursing herself for the slip of the tongue. But not really that angry about it.

“I mean… he asked me on a date. Thursday.” Emma got a little nervous thinking about it. She hadn’t been on a date that she enjoyed in a long time. But then remembered that it was Killian, and the nerves went away. She always enjoyed her time with him. Even if it was often limited to being between crises.

“It’s about damn time.” Ruby smiled at her, less devious this time and more… happy. “You deserve it. I think you both do honestly.”

“Thanks. But I think I need to talk to her. Privately.” Emma looked over at Milah, who stared off into the distance. Looking exhausted.

“You don’t owe her any kind of explanation, Em.”

“I know.” Emma was still going to give her one though. Ruby didn’t have to know that. Neither did Belle. She just wanted to sit down, woman to woman, and say what she wanted to. So she strode over to where the woman sat and bent down to unlatch her handcuffs.

“Can we talk for a second?” Emma said softly, not wanting Milah to think this was a set up.

“Sure,” the woman said back. She looked skeptical of Emma, but followed her to a quieter corner of the room anyway where there were two chairs surrounded by a small alcove of books.

“Neal and I got together when we were young. Too young, probably, to have been together,” Emma started. “And then we had a baby our senior year of high school. Your grandson, Henry.”

She didn’t want to get too far into things, hoping that maybe someday Neal would tell her about him growing up.

“Even though we haven’t been together for a very long time, he’s still my family. I spend every holiday with him. We share a son. He still buys me Mother’s Day flowers…” that last one probably stung. And Emma retracted just a bit.

“His father has turned out to be an awful man. And I think that Neal could benefit from you coming back into his life,” Emma said confidently. Knowing that smoothing things over with his mother could only help him at this point. If Neal could hear her side of the story, maybe he could forgive her someday.

Milah simply nodded. A soft smile crossing her face. The only sign of wrinkles on the woman’s face came at the corners of her eyes when she smiled.

“And to answer your earlier question, yes Killian is happy.” Emma looked down at her sleeve. Remembering being in bed with him the night before, professing to each other just how happy they were together. But even if they hadn’t had that conversation, she knew in her heart he was. “Better than he’s been in a long time.”

“I suppose then he knows I wasn’t truthful about my identity.”

Emma thought back to the night she discovered it. And had immediately told Killian she knew his ex had been lying to him. That night she wondered if Milah knew the dark connection between herself and Killian Jones when she began dating him.

As if reading Emma’s mind Milah said, “I didn’t know when I met him. Who he was. And I didn’t know that my ex-husband had killed his parents.”

“Was that why you broke it off?” Emma asked, when she and Belle were explaining the timeline of their meeting Emma had done the math. ‘Grace’ had broken up with Killian right around the time Belle went to London.

Milah nodded. The faintest hint of tears in her strong eyes. “I knew if I told him, he wouldn’t ever look at me the same. And hoped…”

“That he would never find out who you had been?”

“It’s foolish right?”

“No.” As much as Emma came into this situation thinking that she didn’t particularly like Milah’s choices, on some level she got it. The woman wanted Killian to move forward. “I think you wanted him to have a shot.”

Milah reached out for Emma’s hand, grabbing it gently across the small wooden table that divided them. It surprised Emma but she didn’t pull away. Instead looking into Milah’s eyes and realizing that any jealousy, any competition Emma had felt toward the woman earlier was in vain. She wasn’t going to try to snatch Killian from her, she wasn’t here to come between them.

“Thank you, Emma,” Milah whispered, squeezing Emma’s hand once more before releasing. The words weren’t there totally, but it felt like they understood each other.

A few moments later, the two women left the corner to rejoin Ruby and Belle who were sitting quietly chatting in the center of the room. Belle looked a bit more at ease, though there was still the looming wonder of what would happen when she and Milah confessed to the rest of the investigation team to leaving the clues. Emma and Ruby had promised they would work hard to ensure their punishments were as light as possible, but in front of a judge there was only so much they could do.

But going in the women had known what they were doing would have repercussions, and had discussed at length what they would do if caught. To both Milah and Belle it was worth it though. Because Robert Gold would be behind bars, something that was long overdue.

Emma’s phone began to ring, everyone in the room looking over to her because it was the only sound that could be heard. A part of her hoped it was Killian, she had called him around 8 but couldn’t talk long and she wanted to hear his smooth voice wrapped around her name. Wanted the butterflies that erupted in her stomach when he called her ‘my love’. But when she checked the front screen it was David, her father, calling and the butterflies she had dreamed up a few seconds ago were gone.

“Hi dad, everything okay?” she asked. Knowing everything was probably not okay and that she needed to tell him all about Milah and Belle. Eventually.

“Em how soon can you be down to the docks?” David asked, his normally calm voice laced with urgency.

“Um… soon? Why what’s going on?”

“It’s Gold. Someone called in and spotted someone suspicious around the cargo ships. We haven’t been able to get ahold of Neal but his car’s missing…”

“What?!” Emma screamed into the receiver. Not quite knowing how to process all of this.

“We need you down here. Have Ruby take Belle down to the station, they’ll be safe there.”

“Alright. I’ll get there as soon as I can.” Emma hung up the phone, too shocked to even move for a few seconds. Neal’s car was gone, Gold was gone. They couldn’t find either. Emma hated the path her thoughts were taking. Gold at the docks was one of the worst places he could be. Hundreds of tons of cargo came through there everyday. He could be stowed away anywhere. Off to the great unknown in seconds as soon as the travel restrictions were lifted. Emma gulped and stopped letting her mind race. She knew what she had to do.

Killian’s POV: Monday Night, 11 pm

A few hours later, and only about 2 beers in, Killian and Liam left the Boston bar to return to their respective rented homes. Getting in the car Killian once again checked his phone to find he had heard nothing from Emma though it was getting progressively later.

“She’s alright, Killian,” Liam offered as he drove through the dark city streets, heading toward Killian’s hotel.

“We don’t know that.”

“No, but thinking otherwise won’t make this go any faster.” Liam stole a glance at Killian looking awfully sympathetic for an older brother who spent most of his time teasing him. “She’s great at her job, Killian.”

“I don’t doubt her abilities as a cop so much as I doubt Robert Gold’s abilities to be a decent human being.”

“I know.” Liam couldn’t offer Killian anything else. Because there wasn’t any argument against what a terrible person Robert Gold was. He had murdered their parents in cold blood. Obviously he was capable of horrid things, and who knew what he would do as a desperate man on the run.

A few moments later Killian jumped as his phone began to ring. He looked down at the caller ID and saw Emma’s name on the screen.

“Oh thank God,” he breathed before swiping the phone to answer. “I was beginning to think you’d never call, love.”

“Killian, it’s not Emma. This is Ruby.”

Killian audibly gulped. Instinct telling him something had to be wrong for Emma not to call him directly herself. Dread filled his body.

“Something happened… Emma’s, well, she’s…”

“What is it, is she alright?” Killian felt a mixed wave of anger, fear, and devastation take over. It felt like his throat might close as he waited mere seconds for Ruby to answer.

“Killian…. Things went really, really wrong… Emma’s hurt. She’s in the hospital.”

It was at that moment that his fears were truly realized and all of the anxiety and dread Killian had been feeling all day was nothing compared to the feeling that he had right now. The worry that took over every system in his body. The gut wrenching sadness that came with picturing his Emma lying in a hospital bed. One where he swore his heart that Emma had done everything to mend was now breaking in half.

[minnesotaprelawland]

Examining The Charges In The George Floyd Cases

By Brendan Connolly, St. Olaf College Class of 2021

June 13, 2020

The State of Minnesota has acted more swiftly and forcefully while taking action in George Floyd’s death thanother instances involving police misconduct. All four responding officers were fired the day after the incident on May 26th. On May 29th, four days after the event, Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with 3rddegree murder and 2nddegree manslaughter. In a subsequent press conference, Hennepin County District Attorney Mike Freeman mentioned that Chauvin’s charges mirrored Mohamed Noor’s charges, a former Minneapolis Police Officer who shot and killed Justine Damond in 2017. Freeman was successful in convicting Noor of 3rd degree murder. However, the facts of these two cases are entirely different, so comparing the two does not provide much insight.

Freeman stated, “This is by far the fastest we’ve ever charged a police officer.” [[i]] He added that cases involving police officers can take nine months to a year to charge, likely referencing Noor’s case where it took Freeman’s office eight months to bring charges.[[ii]]Though this fact might speak to the system’s failings rather than a new sense of urgency in the DA’s office.

Of course, the chaos of the protests and riots certainly could have swayed the DA’s office to arrest Chauvin sooner rather than later. However, Freeman maintains that the delay was due to needing to gather more evidence against Chauvin.[[iii]]

Despite Freeman’s self-proclaimed promptness, many were critical of his delay. Before Chauvin was charged, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey argued that if Chauvin weren’t a police officer, he would have been arrested immediately.[[iv]] To justify an arrest, the standard of proof is that there is probable cause that a crime was committed.[[v]]The video clearly depicting Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, despite his cries for relief, provide more than enough probable cause.[[vi]]

Examining Chauvin’s Initial Charges:

As mentioned above, Freeman charged Chauvin with 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter.

3rd degree murder under Minnesota Statute is described as:

(a)  Whoever, without intent to effect the death of any person, causes the death of another by perpetrating an act eminently dangerous to others and evincing a depraved mind, without regard for human life, is guilty of murder in the third degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 25 years.[[vii]]

2nd degree manslaughter under Minnesota Statute is described as:

A person who causes the death of another by any of the following means is guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both:

(1)  by the person's culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another; or…[[viii]]

According to the criminal complaint filed by Freeman, these are the clauses Freeman cited to charge Chauvin.[[ix]]

Many experts criticized Freeman’s choice of charges against Chauvin, fearing the charges were too lenient or easy to dismiss. Benjamin Crump, a civil rights attorney representing George Floyd’s family, issued a statement calling for a 1st degree murder charge, a charge that would require proving pre-meditation. [[x]] The ACLU of Minnesota issued a statement describing how 3rd degree murder only applies when the defendant’s actions are not directed at any particular person. [[xi]]Obviously, this is not the case with Chauvin. The ACLU contends that a 3rd degree murder is legally defective in Chauvin’s case, opening the door for him to evade punishment. [[xii]]

Laurence Tribe and Albert Goins echo the ACLU’s criticism and concerns in an article for the Boston Globe, where they describe how “baffled” they were by Chauvin’s 3rd degree murder charge. Tribe, a professor at Harvard Law School, and Goins, a criminal and civil rights attorney in Minnesota, write, “No one remotely familiar with Minnesota law would regard either of those charges as the right ones to bring in this case — a case where, even if intent cannot be proven, a second-degree felony murder charge, punishable by 40 years in prison, is manifestly justified.” [[xiii]]

On May 31st, two days after Freeman charged Chauvin, MN Governor Tim Walzappointed Attorney General Keith Ellison to take the lead in any case related to George Floyd’s death.[15] While Walz claims that he made the decision after talking to Floyd’s family, he was undoubtedly aware of the criticism against Freeman by the public, legal experts, and local representatives. [[xiv]]

Ellison’s impact on the case:

On June 3rd, Keith Ellison upgraded the charges against Chauvin to 2nd degree murder using a “quirk” in Minnesota law, as Tribe and Goins describe it, that permits a 2nd degree murder charge when the defendant commits a separate felony offense that results in the unintentional death of a person. [[xv]]

The updated charges cite the following Minnesota Statute:[[xvi]]  

Whoever does either of the following is guilty of unintentional murder in the second degree and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 40 years:

(1)  causes the death of a human being, without intent to effect the death of any person, while committing or attempting to commit a felony offense other than criminal sexual conduct in the first or second degree with force or violence or a drive-by shooting; or… [[xvii]]

In part due to having more information, Ellison’s complaint is much more detailed than Freeman’s. That being said, there are some notable differences between the two complaints. First, Ellison’s complaint does not describe Floyd as resisting arrest, whereas Freeman’s does.[[xviii]]The fact of when, or if, Floyd resisted arrest will likely prove to be critical in determining the degree of force necessary to make the arrest. Although, based on the video evidence available to the public, it would be shocking if Chauvin’s actions could be justified to any extent. Second, Ellison’s complaint directly blames Chauvin’s actions for Floyd’s death. In contrast, Freeman’s initial complaint speculated that it was a combination of effects exacerbated by his arrest that led to Floyd’s death. Although, this difference between the two complaints can be explained by the Medical Examiner issuing the full report on Floyd’s death after Freeman’s initial complaint. [[xix]]

In addition to the upgraded charges for Chauvin, Ellison also filed charges against Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and JA Kueng, the three other officers present at the scene, for aiding and abetting 2nd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter.

Minnesota Statute describes aiding and abetting a crime as:

A person is criminally liable for a crime committed by another if the person intentionally aids, advises, hires, counsels, or conspires with or otherwise procures the other to commit the crime.[[xx]]

Ben Crump, the Floyd family attorney, voiced his satisfaction and the family’s gratitude with Attorney General Ellison’s swift action in upgrading Chauvin’s charges and arresting the three other officers. [[xxi]]

This case has captured the attention of the world. As the public’s focus will inevitably fade, I will be using this platform for the next several weeks to investigate the legal complexities of this case and cases involving police officers in general.

Stay tuned for next week’s article, where I will be looking into the initial court appearances in all of these cases, as Derek Chauvin’s first appearance in court is scheduled for June 8th. 

________________________________________________________________

Brendan Connolly is a rising senior at St. Olaf College pursuing a double major in Political Science & Economics with an emphasis in finance. At St. Olaf, Brendan is the Co-Captain of the basketball team, a Contributing Editor atRebuttal, and a member of the Director’s Council for the Institute for Freedom and Community. After graduating, Brendan hopes attend law school and pursue a career in public policy ________________________________________________________________

[i]Higgins, Tucker. “Ex-Minneapolis Cop Charged with Murder in Death of George Floyd.” CNBC, CNBC, 30 May 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/05/29/former-officer-involved-in-death-of-george-floyd-has-been-arrested.html.

[ii]Nelson, Cody. “Read the Charges against Minneapolis Police Officer Mohamed Noor in Death of Justine Ruszczyk.” MPR News, MPR News, 20 Mar. 2018, www.mprnews.org/story/2018/03/20/inside-the-charges-for-mohamed-noor-shooting-justine-ruszczyk-damond.

[iii]Shen, Aviva. “Protesters Called Minneapolis Officials' Bluff On ‘Investigating’ George Floyd's Killer.” Slate Magazine, 29 May 2020, slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/05/george-floyd-cops-indictment.html.

[iv]Shen, Aviva.

[v]Minnesota House Research Department. “The Arrest and Charging Stage.” Criminal Arrest and Charging - MN House Research, Minnesota Legislature, www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/issinfo/cr-arst.aspx?src=4.

[vi]Shen, Aviva. Slate.

[vii]Sec. 609.195 MN Statutes, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.195.

[viii]Sec. 609.205 MN Statutes,Office of the Revisor of Statutes.www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.205.

[ix]Ries, Brian. “8 Notable Details in the Criminal Complaint against Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.” CNN, Cable News Network, 2 June 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/us/derek-chauvin-criminal-complaint-trnd/index.html.

[x]Madani, Doha, et al. “Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin Charged with Murder in George Floyd Case.” NBC News, NBCUniversal News Group, 2 June 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minneapolis-police-officers-derek-chauvin-arrested-george-floyd-case-n1216011.

[xi]Davis, Sarah, and Lynette Kalsnes. “The Legal Rights Center and ACLU of Minnesota Demand Immediate Amendment of the Charges in the Derek Chauvin Criminal Complaint and Appointment of a Special Prosecutor.” ACLU of Minnesota, 2 June 2020, www.aclu-mn.org/en/press-releases/legal-rights-center-and-aclu-minnesota-demand-immediate-amendment-charges-derek

[xii]Davis, Sarah, and Kalsnes, Lynette.

[xiii]Tribe, Laurence H, and Albert Turner Goins. “Minnesota Prosecutor's Charges Might Lead to an Unjustly Easy Sentence for George Floyd's Killer - The Boston Globe.” Boston Globe, The Boston Globe, 1 June 2020, www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/31/opinion/minnesota-prosecutors-charges-might-lead-an-unjustly-easy-sentence-george-floyds-killer/.

[xiv]Forliti, Amy. “Walz: Minnesota Attorney General to Take Lead in Floyd Case.” Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 1 June 2020, www.startribune.com/minnesota-attorney-general-to-assist-in-george-floyd-case/570910352/.

[xv]Tribe, Laurence H, and Albert Turner Goins.Boston Globe. 1 June 2020.

[xvi]“Read the Amended Charges against Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.” Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3 June 2020, www.startribune.com/read-the-amended-charges-against-ex-minneapolis-officer-derek-chauvin/570991071/?refresh=true.

[xvii]Sec. 609.19 MN Statutes, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.19.

[xviii]Turtinen, Melissa. “A Look at the Differences in the Charges Filed against Derek Chauvin.” Bring Me The News, 4 June 2020, bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/a-look-at-some-of-the-differences-between-the-criminal-complaints-filed-against-derek-chauvin.

[xix]Turtinen, Melissa. Bring Me The News, 4 June 2020s-filed-against-derek-chauvin.

[xx]Sec. 609.05 MN Statutes,Office of the Revisor of Statutes. www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2019/cite/609.05.

[xxi]Higgins, Tucker. “3 More Cops Charged in George Floyd Death, Other Officer's Murder Charge Upgraded.” CNBC, CNBC, 4 June 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/06/03/3-more-cops-charged-in-george-floyd-death-other-officers-murder-charge-upgraded.html.

[wikiablogger]

Change the Law Regarding Sex with Minors

Consequences for Both Parties Involved in the Act of Sex with a Minor

Our current laws are designed to punish the older participant of a sexual encounter whether they are male or female with no punishment are responsibility to the younger participant.

There are thousands of cases where the male has been incarcerated for having sex with a minor and nothing happens to the female.

We have all heard how a girl concealed her age and voluntarily had sex with an older person. When this occurs it’s not the girl that gets in trouble with the law but the person that has been deceived.

As a concerned citizen I am trying to prevent this from ever happening again. When the girl/boy is made responsible as well for the act of sex with another person then this injustice of incarceration of individuals will decrease drastically and the lives of good people will be preserved.

There are numerous cases where a male has sex with a girl and discovers that she is underage and gets incarcerated. This is a serious offense and one that can ruin a person’s life. Consider this story:

A male went to a club where you had to be eighteen or older. During his time there he hooked up with a female and ultimately they went somewhere and had sex. Several days later the parents of the girl discovered the relationship and filed charges against the male because their daughter was under the age of eighteen. The outcome is that the male goes to jail and possibly has to register as a sex offender. The girl goes on with her life as normal and is free to put another male in jail. The girl had a fake ID and knew what she was doing when she obtained it. How did the eighteen and older club not catch that this was a fake ID? Shouldn’t they be responsible in some way as well for allowing this underage female into the club? 

Consider this story as well:

A male and female start talking and seeing each other and decide to have sex. The female didn’t tell the male her age. This female looked considerably older than what she actually was and when she eventually told the male her age he told her he could not see her again. She said she wouldn’t tell her mother or anyone else and he still said he couldn’t because he didn’t want to get into trouble.  She told her mother and now this male is sitting in jail.  This is a lie of omission and this young lady should be the one in trouble not the male. Just as the female in the example above this person is allowed to continue on as if she did nothing wrong and live her life as normal.

The law says these girls are not of age to know the difference between right and wrong when it comes to sex. Stealing, vandalism, murder, etc… are offenses they can be punished for under the law for but not sex. This is beyond unbelievable and this needs to be changed! The law states that a minor hasn’t the emotional wherewithal to make a decision to have or not have sex. This is not what this petition is debating but rather it is trying to get enough people to agree that both parties should bear the consequences of their actions. Also if one of the parties involved lied or deceived the other party regarding their age they should be the ones punished instead of the other party involved. When minors realize that this is against the law then they will think hard and long about engaging in sex until they are of legal age.

Kyle Joseph Scott who is a Sexual Harassment Attorney states that in California the age of consent is 18. Therefore he says that when two minors engage in sexual activity then each of them is considered to be a victim and a perpetrator. Even though both minors are not emotionally and mentally capable of giving their consent to sexual activity they have the good sense to know they are engaging in an illegal act.

There are many articles to found on the internet such as “Girls Who Lie About Their Age Should Be Charged With A Sex Crime” and this petition echo’s this  charge.

In today’s promiscuous sexual revolution females are taught that sex is to be used and flaunted in front of the males. As a result, the United States leads the world in teen pregnancy and there are 19 million new STD infections every single year. Our society is teaching girls of all ages that sex is what being a female is all about. Consider the facts below for how this is validated and played out in our society:

·       There are 19 million new STD infections in the United States every single year.  Approximately half of them happen to young people in the 15 to 24-year-old age bracket.

·       There were more than 1.4 million cases of chlamydia reported in the United States in 2011.  An astounding 33 percent of those cases involved Americans that were younger than 20 years of age.

·       It is estimated that about one out of every six Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes.

·       In the United States today, approximately 47 percent of all high school students have had sex.

·       Sadly, one out of every four teen girls in the U.S. has at least one sexually transmitted disease.

·       According to one survey, 24 percent of all U.S. teens that have STDs say that they still have unprotected sex.

·       Amazingly, one out of every five teen girls in the U.S. actually wants to be a teenage mother.

·       If you can believe it, the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate on the entire planet.  In fact, the United States has a teen pregnancy rate that is more than twice as high as Canada, more than three times as high as France and more than seven times as high as Japan.

·       The sexual revolution has caused women to be primarily looked at as sex objects.  In this kind of environment, it should be no surprise that there has been an absolute explosion of pornography in recent years.  An astounding 30 percent of all Internet traffic now goes to pornography websites, and the U.S. produces more pornography than any other nation has in the history of the world.

(Snyder, M., 2013, para. 1).

 American women are being destroyed by the sexual revolution and our promiscuous culture… and the lives of young men are being destroyed by girls giving in to this promiscuous behavior.

This also brings up another problem. Thousands of men are spending time in jail or prison for having engaged in sex with a minor. In many of the cases the girl concealed her age either by not telling the man how old she was or she lied outright about how old she was. What occurs is that the man is the offender and he alone is punished. In cases such as this the girl should be the one that is punished and not the man. The lack of commonsense in our laws is appalling and this is one instance where it is illuminated. How is a man to protect himself from this? Girls falsify their Id’s to get into clubs and to obtain alcoholic beverages and if the club owner can’t make the distinction then how is the man that chooses to have sex with the girl going to know this. Girls are constantly having sex with men knowing that they are not of legal age and they need to be held responsible for their actions. When this occurs the man should be exonerated of any wrong doing and the girl should be the one paying the price for her illegal actions. This is no difference than baiting, setting a trap, entrapment or whatever you want to call it and the girl should be the one getting in trouble with the law not the man.

 So what can be done about any of this?

Making girls responsible for their sexual misbehavior is where it starts. If the girl realizes that she too will be punished as severally under the law as the male or in cases where she lied or concealed her age and suffers the punishment by herself then we will see a drastic reduction of this sexual offense taking place. The old adage “it takes two to tangle” is so apropos in this situation. When the girls are facing jail time the majority of them will cease to sleep around.

Parents, guardians, school officials, the media, and others that have an influence in a young girl’s life need to step up to their responsibilities of providing for their well-being. Schools that have adopted the foolish and irresponsible act of teaching safe sex, offering contraceptives to the children, providing help for abortions, and keeping the parents in the dark regarding the child’s sexual behavior has got to stop. What they are engaging in is the contribution to a crime being committed. What they need to be teaching is that having sex before reaching the age of maturity (according to the law) is against the law and doing so will among other things destroy many young men’s lives. When this takes place and loose sexuality is no longer glorified or seen as acceptable behavior we will see these cases of statutory rape decline considerably.

Bottom line is that it is illegal for minors to be participating in any sexual activity. The problem is that the law goes after the older participant and not the younger party. In no way is this addressing the case of rape. That is another issue all together and has nothing to do with what this petition is talking about.

By signing your name to this petition you are saying to our government officials to pass a law that makes the girl that has not been forthcoming of her age as responsible, if not the only one responsible, to the act of sex with the male. You are also speaking out to the school officials to start teaching the young girls that having sex before reaching the legal age is illegal and can result in destroying the lives of those they have sex with. This message also strongly encourages parents and anyone that has an influence in the lives of minors to be good role models and teach their children the law on having sex before the legal age.

 Concern Citizens for Justice

  Reference:

Snyder, M., (2013).  25 Signs American Women Are Being Destroyed By The Sexual Revolution And Our Promiscuous Culture. Retrieved on April 7, 2015 from: endoftheamericandream.com/archives/25-signs-american...

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-change-the-law-regarding-sex-with-minors

[docholligay]

Jetty Jetty Wolf Wolf’s Birthday Weekend Extravaganza

Hello, this is your local Holligay. As we all know, I hate Jet. I hate with a passion and intensity that could move mountains. Jet has always given me the gift of her intense hatred for my birthday (This year, by freeing Michiru from her cardboard prison,) but I never reciprocated, either because I am a shitty friend, or I work, or both. 

ANYWAY THIS LONG WEEKEND IS ALL FOR HER BIRTHDAY

What will the schedule for that look like, you may ask? LET’S WATCH. 

Friday, September 1st: 

FIC DAY. I will be writing fics and ficlets, all tailored to Jet’s disgusting personal desires. Highlights include:

INNERS FRIENDSHIP

PHARAH TRYING TO EMOTION ABOUT FRIENDSHIP???

OUR PATHFINDER CHARACTERS ON A MAGICAL ADVENTURE

POTENTIALLY MANY MORE

AND LIKE ZERO PERCENT ROMANCE

(If I get lost, i’ll just kill Rei) 

I will be writing from 10 am my time to 2:30 my time, then 6:00ish my time to 9 or so. 

Saturday, September 2nd: 

LIVEBLOGGING FOR JET. From 10 am my time to 5:30 pm my time, with only a brief jaunt to shove something in my face. 

PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR THE ORDER OF LIVEBLOGS UNDER THE CUT

Sunday, September 3rd: 

GAMING LIVESTREAM

Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead. Which I have never heard of outside I know it is a TV show, let alone know anything about it. JET ASSURES ME I AM IN FOR A WILD RIDE. I have never seen the TV show either, so I really know nothing about anything. I am told the story is very choices based, and that the gameplay is mostly about driving the story, SO I’M IN. 

Getting started at about 10, short break for lunch, going till about 5:00

Monday, September 4th: 

LIVEBLOG 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

Same as Saturday, including the approximate times. I WILL FREAK OUT ABOUT JET’S PICKS YET ANOTHER DAY

I HOPE YOU JOIN ME IN FETEING JET AND I AM INTERESTED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON ANY OF THIS

In keeping with Jet’s base and disgusting desires, I will be keeping meticulous tags of each day. Tag for the whole thing is #celebrate a jet wolf

What I am liveblogging, in the order I’ll be getting to it, AND what I know about it, under the cut:

1.

Cagney & Lacey, S6 Ep 20 "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

I’ve been told she’s basically interested in this for one scene.

I have never seen Cagney and Lacey! I know it is a cop show that older lesbians all scream about loving, and that’s the extent of my knowledge. Apparently the fact that I have zero percent context for literally anything that is going on is the allure. 

2.

Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ep 25 "A World That's Ending"

I know three things about NGE:

. CONGRATULATIONS (I have no context for this other than I guess they were trying to find a stupider ending to a show than “naked protagonist wields a baby-sword and forgives a mass murdering fuckhead because she felt real bad about it. Also, her friends were there.) 

. SHINJI GET IN THE ROBOT

 Cruel Angel’s Thesis

Absent that, I have nothing. And I’ve been told I may, NAY AM ENCOURAGED TO savage the fuck out of everything going on onscreen. This ought to be great. 

3.

The Facts of Life, S4 Ep 13 "Magnificent Obsession"

A SHOW I HAVE SEEN. I watched a lot of The Facts of Life on Nick at Nite when i was like...12? Anyway, I am a big believer in Jo/Blair because please I am butch/femme class romance trash, and you don’t even have to look at that shit sideways to get there. 

Jet said this really formalated her love of complicated friendships, because I can’t remember this episode at all. Because of this and the fact that she said I am allowed to “Holligay the fuck out of it” I assume ti about Jo and Blair, so look forward to me trying not to scream “LET THEM KISS YOU COWARDS” at the screen and utterly, utterly fail

4.

JEM, S1 Ep 16 "The Rock Fashion Book"

I literally only know of JEM from watching Jet’s liveblogs of it. I know it is about rock girls who live together and fight crime I guess? I know they are truly outrageous, as I imagine I will find this show. 

5.

Rei and Usagi: The Most Beloved of Friendships: A Retrospective Filled With Adoration And Sincerity

Earlier, i was allowed to be my own person with my own unique and complex views on the world. Those times are over. Those times are dead. Jet’s city now. I have to do the Rei and Usagi bits of these episodes, giving them my full BROTP eye. This is where I live now. This is where my entire heart is. Mina and Haruka? Never heard of the bitches. All is Rei and Usagi and their deep and abiding friendship.  These episodes are:

011 - Usagi vs. Rei! A Nightmare in Dreamland

090 - Premonition of World's End! Mysterious New Warriors

171 - For Love! An Endless Fight in Hell (okay this one is actually for the Rei and Michiru part)

194 - Holy War in the Galaxy, The Sailor Wars Legend

196 - Countdown to the Galaxy's Destruction! The Sailor Senshi's Final Battle

6.

Bubblegum Crisis Ep 5 "Moonlight Rambler"

I only know the Bubblegum Crisis is an anime that exists! I know both Mike and Jet love it, so I’m interested to see how it goes. 

7.

American Horror Story Ep 7 "I Am Anne Frank, pt 2"

HNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EPISODES OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS OF ALL TIME. GOD I LOVED ASYLUM, and this episode is so good, and the squirrel monologue is one of the most effective pieces of writing and acting I have ever borne witness to AND SHE KNOWS I WILL TRY TO GET THROUGH EVERYTHING ELSE TO GET TO THIS. 

8.

The Twilight Zone S1 Ep 5, "Walking Distance"

.She actually picked this episode off a list I’d made for her to do someday, and it is one of my favorite episodes of TZ of all time, which is a show I know SO FUCKING WELL FRIENDS. It was the first complete series I ever bought, and shaped a lot of how I think about writing. This episode is such a great story, and it’s so interesting to put it in mind with what was being put out for TV back then. TZ IS SUCH AN AMAZING SHOW

[diverdowns]

narciso anasui - 1 am character analysis

so, anasui — one of my favorite jjba characters, he’s probably somewhere around third or fourth on my list. i’ll do a quick rundown of his background and personality before i go in-depth into some of the arcs he’s in as well as some of his quotes, notably from the heavy weather arc and the made in heaven arc.

(as you might expect, major spoilers for all of part 6.)

i’ve tried to go easy on the headcanons and focus more on actual character analysis / meta stuff, so here we go.

anasui probably has some serious abandonment issues — we see in canon that it’s mentioned anasui had some major issues connecting with other people growing up, and so he developed a stilted sense of empathy + an obsession with dismantling / disassembling things. this presumably carried over to people — perhaps an underlying subconscious desire to understand people’s motivations that he couldn’t read on the surface through social cues that had, until that point, gone over his head. (or maybe he just really liked tinkering. who knows.)

judging at least from his obsession being allowed to grow unrestricted and out of hand as he continued to suffer socially as a result of it, we can probably assume that anasui’s parents probably didn’t care about him too much — at worst, they may have been neglectful or abusive. still, everything abt his parents is just speculation. notably mentioned in canon though: as a child, he disassembled his neighbor’s car, and was institutionalized for six months. being placed in a place like that for that long of a time does shit to you, and it’s def nothing pretty. add likely parental neglect to the equation, and you have abandonment issues just waiting to erupt.

(as a side note, psychologically, this is an obsessive ritual that can be seen in a number of conditions from asperger’s to alzheimer’s, so honestly any kind of mental illness speculation is fair game for anasui, but this isn’t the post for that.)

whatever the case, he seems to assimilate back into society once his awkward phase ended, though his strange upbringing probably left some lifelong habits / scars there, who knows. he doesn’t do anything to warrant serious attention until he’s 21. at this point, he has a (presumably) long-term, monogamous girlfriend — if it’s anything like the way he treated jolyne, we know that anasui is… overbearing, to say the least. in any case, he walks in on his girlfriend cheating on him when he makes a surprise visit to his girlfriend’s house, and murdered both of them, dismembering them so that “they would never come together again.”

it’s never mentioned if anasui was a stand user since birth, so we can assume he either used diver down to do all this disassembling or he was just…really good at taking things (and people) apart, but it’s likely that he’d had diver down from a young age — up until he’s imprisoned, it doesn’t seem like he was doing anything in particular that would’ve caused him to be normally strong enough to kill two grown adults on the spot, without the help of a stand. (then again, anasui’s capable of some pretty fucked up things either way, so this is just my speculation / hc.)

after his imprisonment, he has a full psychiatric analysis and — nobody can find anything technically wrong with him. besides his obsessive ritual and explosive temper, he’s…just a regular guy, albeit somewhat of an asshole. emporio mentions that his original obsession’s cause was never really discovered, as well. the murder of his girlfriend and girlfriend’s lover was highly publicized, his name being spread through news both on tv and in newspapers, so presumably the details of the crime were sufficiently brutal.

anasui shows a stunning lack of regard for most people’s wellbeing — for the most part, he ignores F.F. and offers little help as she fights kenzo and his dragon dream — though jolyne (and by extension, jotaro) is a notable exception. anasui claims to have fallen in love at first sight, attracted to jolyne by her iron will and strong determination to do the right thing and save her father, and expresses a strong desire to marry her. actually, when jolyne’s involved, he has an almost humorous lack of self-preservation — eg. during the green birth arc, when jolyne’s infected with a presumably fatal plant…infection…disease….thing, anasui not only touches the flowers growing across jolyne’s skin (trying to use his stand to destroy them from inside of jolyne’s body, to no avail) but also puts the flowers in his mouth, which while being played for laughs is also ridiculously foolish. (in general, though anasui ricochets heavily from being the comic relief character to being the stoic yet brash character in the main ensemble, mostly after weather’s death) there’s kind of an explanation for his reckless behavior, coming up later.

(keeping all of this in mind, and despite anasui’s willingness to use his stand to protect the main cast to the point of taking fatal blows for them, he is definitely not a good person. i just want to get that out of the way before someone accuses me of being like, an apologist lmao)

ok, so let’s go thru anasui’s main appearances, from his introduction onward.

emporio goes on to mention that “if weather report wasn’t here to keep [anasui] calm, there’s no telling what anasui’d do.” seeing as anasui is imprisoned when he’s 21, as mentioned in his introductory chapter, and he’s 25 when SO takes place, four years have passed since he’s landed in green dolphin street jail. (for reference, his sentence is for 12 years — relatively light for a double homicide, all things considered — so he’s served a third of that.) presumably, he’s known weather report for at least a majority of that time, as they at least have enough of a rapport for weather to keep anasui out of serious trouble. (weather is 39 during the events of SO. weather, for reference, has been in prison for around 20 years, since pucci took his memories from him when he was 16. also, at the beginning of the BR arc, weather has trouble using a sink that anasui with his impressive sink knowledge notes has been around in modern plumbing for at least 20 years. as a quick side note, anasui seems to have a ridiculous knowledge, in general, of a lot of mechanical things in general — during the yo-yo-ma arc, he spouts off the specifications of a random machine gun after just glancing at it.)

at the end of ch 697 we also just see a scene of weather and anasui hanging out in what appears to be some random ass hallway in the male ward of the prison with no guards around, so take that as you will lol. the two have presumably been hanging around each other for a while like this, so that’s interesting, at least.

the BR arc is where i really got into anasui, so let’s go a little in-depth on those chapters. anasui seems to know a whole bunch of random facts about disney world (though he holds a theme park guide in his hands while he spouts a bunch of random disney world facts, he doesn’t seem to look at it / open it until after he finishes talking, which draws out the legendary “where the fuck is mickey” line). he also mentions manhattan and rome, and how he’s been to neither of those places. it’s probably safe to assume that anasui is floridian — but maybe he’s just really passionate about orlando, who knows. he seems pretty passionate about sinks, too. other than that, not much real information is released here besides things like “anasui’s very passionate about mickey” and “weather report is a fan of post-impressionism”

so, on to the Fun Arc. heavy weather. when weather first gets his memories back, the first things he does, in order, are shove a injured person out of a chair, take said chair, and then force water into a doctor’s body to make him into a chair.

anasui, despite being a literal murderer and honestly doing plenty of fucked up things over the course of the series, flips his shit. he’s legitimately horrified, probably less so from what weather’s doing and more so that it’s weather that’s doing it. actually, weather kinda acts like anasui, honestly, so maybe this is also just anasui being a giant hypocrite, but hey. he’s literally described between chapters as having no idea what’s going on and being pretty freaked out — he’s just following weather at this point because he still has no idea where jolyne is.

(im going to note for my own self-satisfaction that despite weather’s whole “you’re only useful to me now cause you can kill me, anasui” line and all that, when pucci grabs anasui during weather’s fight against him, weather visibly reacts and gets worried regardless, so hey, my rarepair)

okay, after weather’s death, anasui makes a mini speech. (arguably, weather’s death is the turning point for anasui to take more of a serious and less of a comedic role.) here’s what he says:

“listen, jolyne. people have called me a ‘murderer.’ the papers have called me that, and i can’t say that i disagree with them. when people asked me if i would sacrifice myself for the sake of my family, i answered ‘no.’ i’d probably answer that way, now. my heart was never moved by them.”

(more evidence to suggest that anasui’s relationship with his family wasn’t necessarily the best.)

“but i know that i’d be willing to risk my life for something that was able to revive me. i used to be dead.”

interjection here: whether he’s talking about his betrayal (when his girlfriend cheated) or maybe just a general feeling of aimlessness towards life in general, this is pretty dark for anasui, actually. it’s one of the only times he even talks abt his crimes, and this is an interesting concept that araki explores a few times with multiple characters. (eg. anasui risks his life to revive himself with “love,” or what he thinks is love, in any case, to follow jolyne. abbacchio does something similar to follow buccellati, in p5. weather “revives himself” for revenge, and johnny in p7 for the hope of walking again.)

prior to giving himself a mission (jolyne), anasui thinks of himself as functionally dead. this also explains, for example, his nonchalance towards risking his own life and wellbeing for the others.

“weather was that way, too. weather came back to life when he left that prison. i can tell. so don’t think too deeply about what happened to him. these past few days, weather was happy. weather was already saved.”

— okay, in my mind, most of this is just shit anasui says to make jolyne and hermes feel better about weather’s sudden death. to an extent, it’s true: weather prior to getting his memories back was enraptured with the world outside the prison, helping innocent people, messing with sinks, reading fairy tales, but that’s not really the truth. after getting his memories back, weather admits to wanting to die, admitting that he took a cruel sense of pleasure in watching heavy weather run its course and telling anasui that in a twisted way, he’s glad anasui’s there so that he’d kill him. weather’s not happy.

(but who knows? in the end, the character that actually knew weather for the longest was anasui — maybe he’s right and that there was something that revived in weather that we didn’t get to see as the readers.)

but what’s interesting is that he doesn’t mention weather’s sudden transformation after getting his memories back, he lets jolyne and hermes carry on the weather they knew in their thoughts, instead of telling them the truth of weather’s personality. on my second read-through, i noticed that (besides pucci, i guess, and versace by proxy) anasui is the only one who sees weather’s true personality.

and maybe, dying for the sake of his goal (ie. weather’s attempted revenge) was close enough to redemption, in anasui’s eyes. if we pick apart weather’s final goals, he’s living only so that he can 1. take revenge on pucci and 2. die. honestly, in a sad, fucked up anasui-logic kind of way, weather dying in his attempt to kill pucci at least fulfills half of those goals, so it’s not a stretch that anasui could shrug and say “close enough i guess.” but imo, he still says what he does mostly to ease jolyne and hermes’ consciences. it’s one of his kinder moments.

in the actual final fight against pucci, anasui’s probably just behind jotaro in terms of fully grasping and understanding pucci’s abilities — and their implications in battle. his final plan is the only one they really have: because diver down is able to phase through and protect all of the others, he will take the first hit from pucci, and at that exact moment jotaro will stop time and presumably ora pucci into oblivion.

it doesn’t work, but the plan had merit and was surprisingly well thought-out, showing quite a few of his personality traits — while he’s angry and headstrong most of the time, he’s relatively good at thinking on his feet and is always quick to come up with plans, especially in battle. now let’s look at his last lines.

“don’t stop [pucci’s blow] before he hits me. do it after…”

while all the other characters pause and stare at him in shock after he says this, he’s relatively calm about it. he knows it’s the only chance they have, regardless of the danger it poses to himself. dying, to anasui, is not the worst that can happen — it’s having to live again with no purpose (which he’s established, atm, as jolyne).

“ever since i got out of prison, i’ve managed to stay alive… if i can just stay alive, keep this trend… then maybe i’ll ask jolyne to marry me. …or, you know, something like that.”

a lot of people do make light of this (and it’s somewhat comedic, for sure) but it’s interesting again to see how much this drives him. before i really get into it, let’s take a look at jolyne’s (infamous) response.

(jolyne:) “anasui… all right, ask me. […] your plan… it still as hope. it’s not darkness that drives you… even if there’s only one path that we can take, if there’s a hint of hope, then that’s the right path.

holy shit do i love this quote. in the end, anasui’s not… redeemed, not really. he’s still a murderer. he still feels no remorse over killing those people. but he’s not evil, either. his motivation is that he wants to live for real: he is driven by hope. and through all the morally grey protagonists of parts 5 on, this is what they all have in common: a hope or dream that gives someone who’d thought themselves dead something to live for. jolyne doesn’t say this because she’s suddenly in love with anasui, or because she wants to marry them, she says it because she’s realizing this — she’s realizing that anasui’s hope, his resolve, might be enough for this plan to work.

actually, in the end, in an ironic twist of fate, he does die for — and by — jolyne’s hand. (hah.) pucci redirects stone free’s punch into anasui’s torso, piercing through his chest and killing him near instantly. rip. and that, in any case, draws an end to this wall of text.

also i think one random fic i read mentioned a throwaway line that anasui apparently had about him having been married once in prison? i dont recall anything like that, but someone else has confirmed it (i’d love to find the source, if anyone has it!)

i’d love to get into the whole thing about his motivation in the first place: why anasui “falls in love” with jolyne and why that matters, as well as possible subconscious motivations for his obsessions/his stand ability but that’s falling solidly into the territory of hc’s, and not so much analysis/meta. 

i’ll write it up some other time, maybe, if there’s interest.

[redravenapts]

every other question foooor sam and ian bc i can

Know your muse - Sam1. Do they have living close relatives (brother, sister, parents, uncle, aunt, etc)?Yes, his father is alive but locked up, serving a life sentence for the murder of Sam’s mother. He has no other family, aside from his foster one, whom he can’t contact anymore.3. Are they more likely to choose Marvel or DC?Though he likes both, he’s partial to Marvel, especially the X-Men. He used to play with action figures of them when he was small, and watch the cartoon on tv with his mom. 5. What color are their bedroom walls?The ceiling is painted light blue, the walls are white. 7. Have they ever binge-watched a TV show?Hahahahahahahahah. Yes. 9. What’s their favorite book genre? Urban fantasy and science-fiction. He’s particularly partial to Douglas Adams. But he also likes crime novels, like Agatha Christie. 11. What is the pet they would absolutely never keep?Any type of bird, really. He doesn’t really like them much, especially loud ones.13. Dracula or Frankenstein? Dracula. Always Dracula. He loves vampires, especially Anne Rice’s.15. Have they ever been to the ER? What for?He was taken to the hospital when the police arrived at his house the night his mother was killed; he was uninjured but he was in shock and had her blood on him. Another time, when he was fifteen, he had a small accident as he was riding his bike to school. He was taken to the ER, but he was mostly okay, just a little bruised. 17. Have they ever stormed out of their workplace in a rage? If not, would they?No, he hasn’t, but he would, given a good reason. Though it would have to be a very good reason.19. What’s the first movie they remember watching at the movie theater?He went to see Madagascar with his mother when he was about six. 21. Do they have a funny email address or a serious one? Or both?He has several emails, most of which are funny and dorky, but also a couple of serious ones. 23. Would they hire a prostitute?Probably not. He’s not the type to consider paying for sex. He either gets it, or he takes care of business himself. 25. Uber or taxi?Uber, most of the time. 27. Do they prefer sunny or rainy weather?Given that he doesn’t like spending time outside much, he prefers rainy weather, which gives him an excuse to stay inside. 29. Have they ever kissed someone of the same sex?Not really, though he’d do it if he’s dared to. 31. Would they sleep in a haunted house for $1,000?Definitely. Not for the money, but to see if it’s actually haunted or if it’s just a hoax. 33. Do they prefer traveling by train or plane?Train, there’s too much scrutiny at the airport and he’s still very aware that he’s a criminal. So just in case, he prefers to avoid the authorities whenever he can.35. What’s their favorite season?Winter, he loves sweater and blanket season, and hot cocoa with candy canes. Though it’s hard for him to get into the Christmas spirit ever since living alone. 37. What do they put in their coffee/tea?He drinks his coffee with just sugar, but a lot of it. He’s not too big on tea, but when he’s offered it, he drinks it with just as much sugar. No milk. 39. What’s the liquor that made them so sick that one time that they can never drink it again?He’s never been drunk enough for this to happen, but he generally stays clear of hard liquor like whisky and vodka.  41. What photographs can be found in their home?In his living room there are no pictures of loved ones, just random prints of city landscapes and movie posters. In his bedroom, there is a picture of his mother with him, and a few with his best friend Ian, and in some with Javier too. Of course, there is a picture with him and Belle on his desk. 43. Did they tell their parents when they lost their virginity?Definitely not. His foster father gave him the talk, but Sam never really felt comfortable talking to him about that stuff. He did tell his therapist, however. 45. What’s the one place on Earth they’d never visit? His father’s prison. And any desert area, because he hates extremely hot weather.47. Would they go live on another planet if given the chance?Hell yeah. He plans on signing up for the Mars colonization program as soon as it starts. 49. Was there another FC in the run when you picked theirs?No. Well, for thirty seconds, there was a Tyler Posey there in my mind, but no, Sam is Tom Holland. No one else.  ———————————————————-—————————————Know your muse - Ian2. Would they step in to stop a mugging? Definitely yes, and possibly get hurt in the process. He wouldn’t just stand by and watch it happen, though. 4. Do they use their car’s air conditioning or do they just roll the windows down?Roll the windows down and enjoy the wind. Even though it means breathing in city traffic air. 6. White, milk or dark chocolate?All chocolate is sacred to Ian, but he does have a soft spot for, like, super bitter dark chocolate.8. Have they ever met a celebrity? If so, how did it go?He met the British royal family, complete of the Queen’s corgis. It was very formal and brief, but he got the impression they’re all less uptight than most people think. Ironically.  10. Do they prefer liquid soap or regular soap bars?Liquid soap, it’s just more practical and pleasant to use. 12. What are they like with the flu? “I’m a stoic Greek hero and I can endure anything” or “OH MY GOD CALL THE PRIEST I’M DYING”?He’s definitely the “OH MY GOD CALL THE PRIEST I’M DYING” type; he was very spoiled by his mother as a child, when it came to being sick, and he’s way too overdramatic about the whole thing. 14. Do they prefer having women or men doctors?It depends on what the problem is. He’s perfectly fine with women doctors, as long as the problem is not localized in any nether region. 16. As a child, did they sleep with a night light or not?He did when he shared the bedroom with Margaret, but stopped after she got her own room. He wasn’t really afraid of the dark as a baby, but strangely enough, he was terrified of fireworks. 18. What would they name their first child?Probably something that refers to his Welsh heritage, but nothing like his middle names. Though his father would probably guilt him into using at least one of their traditional names. He likes Gavin for boys and Gwyneth for girls. 20. What was their dream job when they were little?He was a huge Indiana Jones buff, something he would never admit to now, and wanted to become an archeologist. When he realized he wouldn’t be melting Nazis with the Ark of the Covenant, he lost interest in this career choice. 22. Have they ever cheated on their significant other? If so, did they confess, keep it a secret or were they discovered?No, he’s never cheated and if it did happen, he would end up confessing it sooner rather than later. Though he likes to think of himself as unattached, he does have a deep sense of loyalty which would make it hard for him to lie about it. 24. What’s their breakfast drink of choice?Tea, black, with no sugar. Two cups. Very strong. 26. What’s their dream vacation?Somewhere warm, tropical, with plenty of girls in bikini and unlimited drinks with colorful umbrellas. Montego Bay would be perfect. 28. What’s the best Christmas gift they’ve ever received?Believe it or not, his parents actually got him a pony when he was eight years old. His name was Buckbeak, because Harry Potter was definitely a big thing in his life at that time. 30. What’s the worst memory they have?He’s been blessed with a good life, but he dreads the memory of his maternal grandmother’s death. He was very close to her, and it came unexpectedly, so it really hit him hard. 32. Have they ever been in a threesome? If not, would they?Oh yes, he has. And he would definitely repeat the experience. 34. Do they have a phobia?Not anymore, but as a child, he was terrified of fireworks. No one ever figured out why, but as he grew older, it slowly got better until it went away. 36. Have they ever experienced something traumatic that left a scar (physical or not)?He fell off his horse when he was seventeen and injured his back; he was bedridden for two months, but ended up recovering completely. 38. Have they ever smoked weed? What about harder drugs?Yes, he has, and he does it from time to time, though not very often. As for harder drugs, no, he’s not interested in trying them. His brain is his trade and he needs it to be fully functioning. 40. Did they like coloring as a child?Not at all, every time he had to color something as homework, he’d get Margaret or someone else to do it for him. 42. Train at the gym or run at the park?Both. He trains with weights at the gym, but often goes jogging at the park.44. What city in the world would they move to if they could?New York City, and he did. He’s never leaving. 46. Do they want to have children?Yes, it’s definitely in his plans, but down the line, in a few years. 48. Did they go to prom?Kind of. He went to the school’s formal ball, and it was mostly boring, until he and his friends snuck alcohol in. 50. Do you think you would get along with them if they were real? Possibly, yes. He’s got a good sense of humor, and he’s a good guy, so I think we could chat over beers and get along just fine. 

[h50europe]

Here is the FULL interview with Alex: 

Go to GERMAN VERSION

It was early 2010, and the Australian actor had just been offered the lead role in the reboot of the classic crime drama Hawaii Five-0, stepping into the shoes of the legendary Jack Lord to play the 50th state’s taciturn top cop, Steve McGarrett. Accepting meant moving to Oahu, in the center of the planet’s loveliest island archipelago. It should have been a no-brainer. Cue that big wave and the theme song by the Ventures: Dum-duh-da-da-da-dum ...

"I was conflicted," Alex O’Loughlin says, reflecting on the decision from his house in Waikiki’s idyllic Diamond Head. "I’d done two network shows before that, neither of which had gone past a season."

He’d played vampire/private investigator Mick St. John on the short-lived 2007 supernatural romance Moonlight. A year later, he was Dr. Andy Yablonski on the medical drama Three Rivers, canceled after just eight episodes. Though anything seemed better than being penniless in Los Angeles, to suffer through another failed show in the middle of the Pacific, 2500 miles from the mainland, was a risk he wasn’t sure he wanted to take.

"I didn’t know anything about Hawaii. I asked everyone, "What do I do? Is this the right move?" O’Loughlin says. "Everybody was like, ‘Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?’."

He took the gig, staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village during the first month. For fans of the show, that’s where McGarrett and partner Danny "Danno" Williams were recently snookered into a joint spa weekend with their significant others.

"It was beautiful, but I didn’t get to see the real Hawaii," O’Loughlin says "I got a glimpse of something that wasn’t what Hawaii is. The weird touristy, crazy hotel part. I still didn’t know how I felt about it, but the pilot felt really good."

It was and remains a really good pilot. In the nail-biting prelude, Naval Commander McGarrett’s convoy comes under rocket fire in the mountains of South Korea by baddies out to free arms dealer prisoner, Anton Hess. Amid the attack, McGarrett listens on his satellite phone, like his father, John, is killed on Oahu by Anton’s brother, Victor – though not before the Honolulu Police Department veteran leaves his son a few cryptic words. By the time the waves break, and the opening credits roll, you are hooked: McGarrett has a vendetta and mystery to solve, and you’re coming along with him. Reboots are tough, but this show’s depth, coupled with O’Loughlin’s chiseled portrayal of McGarrett, made the 20th century Hawaii Five-0 an instant hit. Suddenly Oahu started feeling more certain.

"People say the island either embrace you or push you away. I found myself as a gift from the islands, being blessed in and given a Hawaiian name. I found all sorts of things drawing me in deeper and deeper."

With a full season to shoot, he started to learn the local rhythms from friends, like fellow cast member Daniel Dae Kim, whose knowledge of Oahu stretches back to his days filming Lost. He took up surfing. A few years in, he flew in some friends from back home in Australia to help him rebuild a mid-century modern home he’d found in Diamond Head that had "spectacular bones." Then he met the Hawaiian surfer model Malia Jones. The couple had a son, Lion, in 2012, and later married. The house filled with boys. O’Loughlin brought to the family his teenage son, Saxon, and Jones brought a son from a previous marriage, Spike.

"I’m about to use the G word to embrace the scope," O’Loughlin says "I don’t know what is out there. I don’t know whether there’s a God or whether there’s lots of gods or whether there’s just universal energy, but I know from what’s happened that there’s something bigger than me."

As O’Loughlin’s life was progressing on Oahu, so was McGarrett’s albeit down a much rockier family path. He avenged the death of his father. His mother, Doris, believed to be dead for 20 years, turned up alive, having faked her death to escape threats from her CIA past. He vanquished his true nemesis – the nefarious crime boss Wo Fat – who over the course of seasons framed him for murder of Hawaii’s governor, kidnapped and tortured and revealed himself to be McGarrett’s virtual half-brother. He had two romantic relationships and had spent a lot of time shirtless and even more time kicking sundry bad-guy ass.

Hawaii Five-0 seasons are epic – each a whopping 25 episodes. Multiply that by seven and O’Loughlin is approaching No 175. Playing a character for that long does things to you. O’Loughlin is in a territory where few actors ever get to tread. "It’s such a volume," he says   "This has been a master class for me. I can definitely drop into McGarrett’s head space anytime. I have a bible of who he is in my soul, in my mind."

With Wo Fat and his family issues somewhat in the rearview, McGarrett seems to be finding a modicum of peace on the show. "This season has been more of an easy-peasy McGarrett," O’Loughlin says. "He still misses his dad, and the thing with Doris still hasn’t totally left him. But it’s not all like, "Argh! I’ve got to save the world!"

Still, O’Loughlin is happy to leave the character behind when shooting wraps. "He’s a proper tough guy and a Navy SEAL. He’s always ready to go, walking into rooms like, "What are we doing? What do we get? I’ve had the great fortune of being exposed to a lot of Navy SEAL’s, who’ve helped me with the character. They’re terrific guys. But being like them requires a specific sort of energy, and I have to manufacture that energy," he says. "At the end of the day, it’s like "Keep calm and have another cold one." Paradise hasn’t been all surf and breathtaking sunsets. McGarrett may be a SEAL and a Teflon supercop, but O’Loughlin isn’t, and injuries have taken their toll. In the first few seasons, he elected to most of his own stunts, which he says was a mistake. He rattles off a litany of fractures and lacerations that could rival a snapshot collection of charts in any emergency room. "I blew one of my knees, I’ve torn ligaments and tendons, ankles and both shoulders both wrists," he says "I’ve knocked my front teeth out. I’ve got fake front teeth. I tore my right shoulder to pieces – three external tears, a labrum tear and a detachment of the bicep tendon. My current favorite injury is two herniated disks in my lower lumbar, which I am receiving stem cell treatment for to avoid surgery."

The last injury spooked O’Loughlin. Always athletic, he has given up everything except swimming. The pain was so great, he could barely rouse himself from bed, and he worried about being able to throw a football with his grandkids. Signed on to Hawaii Five-0 through eight seasons, he began talking about walking away while he still could. But recently, he’s felt his workload lighten, and those stem cell injections? They’ve been "magic," he says. Does that mean he might challenge Jack Lord’s record 12 seasons as McGarrett?

"That would be a miracle," says O’Loughlin with a laugh. "But I can see coming back and doing another season or two. I think this show is everything. It’s the core of it all."

One thing is certain: O’Loughlin has found home.

"The majority of my memories are now Hawaiian memories," he says. "You’ve just got to look around. You’ve got to watch the waves in the winter here. There’s something bigger than me in the world, and I feel that source or whatever that is had something to do with the whole journey for me because now it all makes sense."