Phil Spector Is Innocent

You can argue that Phil Spector has not led a perfect life, made mistakes and has personality issues. Yes Spector is somewhat eccentric as we expect of most artists his age. I’d argue that we are all richer because of Spector’s work product. I’ve been stuck in a musical time warp since the day Spector did his greatest work.

How did Lana Clarkson die? I think we’ve seen some guesses and tried to figure probabilities. We can only follow the real evidence and our system of convicting the accused only after guilt is proven, beyond a reasonable doubt.

To guess what happened does a huge disservice to the memory of Lana Clarkson, her family and friends. We don’t know what happened and I’d argue that Spector may well be somewhat responsible for Clarkson’s death even if he did not pull the trigger. Just letting a drunken Clarkson handle a loaded firearm may have been negligent. Again we’d have to guess if that was the case.

The filing of charges against Phil Spector did not bring Clarkson back to life or somehow make her death less painful to her loved ones. What the prosecution did bring was a salacious and tabloid driven expose’ of Lana Clarkson tragic personal problems. Clarkson should be remembered for her glamour and talent not for addictions, and financial problems. That changed as prosecutors brought charges not supported by evidence against Phil Spector.

This may have been a crime of some kind and Spector may have been involved but we can’t convict anyone on a guess.

In our world killers do get away with murder all the time. It’s an ugly part of our free society that we can’t determine a solution to every crime and have perfect justice.

I hope we’d all rather see a man who’s probably guilty go free than hang an innocent. Person. Our system of justice and fairness is much bigger than even Phil Spector.

Former Deputy Sheriff Ivory Webb Acquitted Today.

This case was the result of a regrettable event of January 29, 2006 in Chino California. After a high speed chase by Webb of a Chevrolet Corvette and subsequent crash the excited officer shot the car’s passenger, Elio Carrion three times wounding him.

Webb was charged with Attempted Voluntary Manslaughter and Assault With A Firearm. That inquiry is now over after a San Bernardino jury cleared him of both charges.
Webb’s shooting was caught on tape by someone that just happened to have a video camera. The tape was of poor quality and left unanswered questions. Speaking of questions Webb was interrogated far too soon after the event while the adrenalin was still pumping through his body. No criminal defense lawyer in the land would have let Webb talk about this event so soon afterwards.

Fear and survival are the rule for cops placed in these life and death events where decisions are made in split-seconds. No second chances are offered officers that don’t act to protect themselves quickly enough. We hope that training kicks in and the correct action is taken. There can be no doubt that Webb has attended the funerals of good cops murdered in the line of duty during his career. Webb was acutely aware of just what could happen to him while performing his duties.

Under the stress of the moment did Ivory Webb even say what he meant to Carrion when on the tape it appears he said, “Get up! Get Up!”? It’s no secret that our own minds can play tricks on us while we are under life threatening stress. What was absent here for Webb’s prosecutors was a motive by the officer to do harm to what we’ve since learned was an unarmed man.

Under the stress of the moment instincts and perceptions take over. It may well have been impossible for Webb to remember just what it was that caused him to fire on Carrion in the darkness. Prosecutors said Webb’s story changed. Perhaps it was because Webb remembered after he had sufficient time to calm down.

Is the punishment over for Ivory Webb you ask? Not by a long shot. In most cases like these the cleared officers are broke, unemployed, depressed and their marriages fail. The civil cases go forward against them and they must relive the event for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps Ivory Webb will somehow beat the odds and have a decent future. We will just have to see what’s in the cards.

Illegal Alien Amnesty Is Dead

I guess our politicians are so far removed from the American people and their problems they continued efforts to push an economic disaster down our throats.

We’ve been invaded for decades by economic refugees, drugs and criminals from Mexico and poverty stricken countries beyond. These desperate people know full well that there are boundless entitlements and benefits in the USA. Bonuses await law-breaking aliens such as free medical care, education and millions of businesses willing to pay tax free cash for workers.

Mexico and the other Latin nations have been shamelessly exporting their crime, poverty and least desirable members of their population here for too many decades.

A cabal developed between Liberal politicians looking to expand their political base and some Conservatives who want to totally destroy organized labor. The Liberals seek the importation of impoverished and dependant people guaranteed to vote the liberal ticket.

The people damaged the most by this invasion are our own poor and minorities who have been forced to compete for the services that have become their birthright. There is no way that allowing millions of poor people to squat on our soil will somehow improve or economy. Our schools, hospitals and penal system are all in critical condition by the failure of our government to enforce our immigration laws.

Our deceitful politicians supporting the open border policy played with words suggesting that a “path to citizenship” for those who break our laws is somehow not amnesty. The supporters of the amnesty legislation refused to call it what it was, amnesty.

Hopefully the American voters can remember to oust those six-year term Senators for their betrayal of the very people that elected them.

Spector Prosecutor Is No Match For Veteran Medical Examiner

Former San Antonio Medical examiner, and book author, Dr. Vincent DiMaio, is an accomplished and incredibly bright man. He is also a defense witness hired by Phil Spector's defense team to examine, evaluate and deliver his findings to the empanelled jury. That’s been exactly what he’s been doing for the past two days.

Dr. DiMaio agrees with the L.A. Medical Examiner’s findings on Lana Clarkson’s cause of death. However the manner of death is where this renowned expert parts company with the L.A. pathologist. Dr. DiMaio produced some really top notch medical exhibits and demonstrated to the jury how Clarkson’s death was a simple, self-inflicted suicide.

The young and brash prosecutor, Alan Jackson was just not equipped or bright enough to match wits with the venerable Dr. DiMaio. Jackson could not contain his seething anger as he watched his prosecution theory fall apart so early in the trial. The obvious baiting of Dr. DiMaio by Jackson scored no points with the jury.

Mr. Jackson’s prosecution is all smoke and mirrors as his case is built on the really stale ramblings of disloyal and disgruntled former sexual conquests of the famed record producer. The fact is Phil Spector never injured or killed anyone in his 67 years on this earth.

When the physical evidence is added up along with a missing murder motive, suicide is the only reasonable answer to this mystery. The only thing that makes sense is Lana Clarkson who was both drunk (.12 blood alcohol content) and under the influence of narcotic pain killers, killed herself.

Lana Clarkson was 40, overweight at 160 pounds, in failing physical and mental health, addicted to both alcohol and drugs, flat broke when she was at the end of a unremarkable and uncertain acting career. Clarkson’s story is a heartbreaking tale of another life chewed up and spit out in Hollywood. In Hollywood dreams only come true sometimes.

Blaming Phil Spector and punishing him for Clarkson’s death is unreasonable and un-American.

Prosecution To Rest Its Case In Spector Trial

Prosecutors have put on their case of gossip, hatred and screwy theories against Phil Spector. This as in a final act of desperation, they beg the trial judge to allow just one more so-called witness that claims to have heard a drunken Phil Spector make hostile and disparaging statements directed at “women”. Of course this too is many years prior to Clarkson’s troubling death.

Without real evidence a, trial by character assassination was the only way the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office could possibly proceed and that has been eagerly facilitated by Judge Larry Paul Fidler’s rulings.

Absent from the prosecution’s case is a single item of physical evidence or a motive suggesting Clarkson’s death did not result from her own horse-playing with the Colt Cobra .38 or a suicide. The physical and medical evidence presented does not implicate Phil Spector or anyone other than Lana Clarkson in this very sad event.

This has been a trial of salacious gossip, sensational tabloid style journalism and book authors making money by trashing a legendary music icon. Don’t forget to add in a cornucopia of internet blogger offerings on this mess.

Don’t be surprised to see former Spector lawyer Sara Caplan, invoking her right against self-incrimination under cross-examination by defense lawyers if she is actually forced by the prosecution to testify before the jury. I can promise that the cross-examination of Caplan by the defense won’t be pretty. Judge Fidler will pay dearly for vouching for Caplan’s earlier testimony by declaring her, “the most credible witness” a motion hearing.

Phil Spector was tried and convicted by the press long before any jury was impaneled. The jury has been and will continue to do what all juries do these days when they get in front of the personal computers, and that’s doing Google inquiries about the case and its players.

One simple fact remains and that is that the prosecution should have never should have brought this case to trial unless or until they had real evidence.

Paris Hilton Should Be Treated Just Like Anyone Else—Sure

Okay, we’ve heard from all of the angry folks that demanded Paris Hilton “pay” for her crimes related to DUI, driving while her license was suspended and a probation violation just like anyone else.

When will they learn that Hilton is not just anyone? Hilton is indeed very special. Hilton’s first post-jail exclusive Today Show interview will bring her a cool $1 million bucks. Hilton can count another million for hosting a few Las Vegas, getting out of jail celebrations. I don’t think the demand for whatever it is that Paris Hilton has to end anytime soon.

For the little folks caught drunk behind the wheel they too will get some perks like getting fired from their jobs, and being deemed uninsurable by the auto insurance industry. Did any of the ordinary jail birds get truckloads of fan mail like Paris Hilton while doing their time in the Heartbreak Hotel?

Crime is not supposed to pay like a giant, over-stuffed slot machine unless you’re of course, Paris Hilton!

ACLU plans a CATCH-A-COP-ON-CAMERA, anti-brutality campaign.

This silly idea is on the move again in St. Louis, MA. Here is a re-post from Monday, January 02, 2006

The St. Louis MO. Branch of the ACLU announced they were planning to give away video cameras so that people prone to police brutality victimization could tape the cops beating them. Forgive me for being skeptical of this ACLU brainstorm but I think it’s both comical and a waste of their donor’s money.

There’s a nervous buzz about this among my Chicago cop friends who fear that video scenes taken out of context could land them on the other side of the prison bars. I guess this is some sort of retaliation for the installation of the Chicago Police Ghettocams in high crime neighborhoods. Wait a second! This is happening in St. Louis, not in Chicago.

Smile! You're on GHETTOCAM!

But what if they do this, catch-a-cop-on-camera crap here? Officer Wallupemgood put that question to me. I told him I thought that this was a tit for tat situation, just don’t get caught on camera dishing out too much tat!

Okay, being the wise man I am, I figured out the reality of this situation. If the ACLU hands out the cameras to responsible people in these neighborhoods where the brutality complaints are being made, that’s the end of the problem. Responsible people work at jobs and need to sleep at night when this stuff supposedly happens. The camera operators and the cameras will be, in bed, snug as a bug in the rug. There will be no incriminating video popping up on the Six O’clock News.

All right, the ACLU is smarter than that. The ACLU will give the cameras to the neighborhood lads in the thick of the action. This should not create a care in the world! Let’s see, the ACLU hands out 10 cameras to the boyz in the hood. Five will be traded for crack or that AK they’ve been looking at. The other five will be in the hands of those too enamored with their new toys to give them up. These cameras will be working all the time! Of course they’ll start with the homemade porn flicks. Then they will use the cameras to tape each other in their colors and whip out firepower so they can see themselves on TV like their heroes, Tupac and Tookie.

Finally, the good part! Our boyz use these cameras donated by the good folks at the ACLU to document their next crime spree. Guess who will catch these guys and confiscate the cameras as evidence? You’ve got it! Yep, Officer Wallupemgood!

This is what ABC news ia saying now.

Catch The Bulldog tonight On WTTW-TV Chicago, Channel 11

The Dean of Chicago’s Crime Reporters, John Drummond will be seen Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m.

Organized crime expert John Drummond will talk with Carol Marin on Chicago Tonight. They will discuss what to expect during the “Family Secrets”trial, and what may be learned about the Chicago Outfit.

Chicago Tonight airs weekdays at 7 p.m., with repeats at 1 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. The staff is dedicated to providing coverage of current events in Chicago and issues of importance to the city.

For more information, check out their website at: http://www.wttw.com/chicagotonight

What’s The Real Reason Behind Sara Caplan’s refusal To Testify?

Caplan freely testified against Phil Spector in earlier motion hearings. To call that irregular is an understatement since Caplan was in fact, a Spector defense team lawyer violating her attorney client relationship with Spector.

Now Caplan won’t testify before the jury about those very same facts and has now been found in contempt of court. What’s the big deal now you ask? The cat’s out of the bag as Caplan accused premier forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee of tampering with phantom evidence. That information and accusation was revealed during cross-examination by a Spector defense lawyer at the motion hearing.

The reason Caplan is a former lawyer is simple to explain since she was part of the Robert Shapiro team fired and sued by Phil Spector. Shapiro kept a million dollar retainer paid by Spector he did not earn.

The prosecutions's phantom evidence is the “Missing Link” that would connect Spector to the death of Lana Clarkson. If this item, suggested, to be a broken fingernail really existed and wishfully contained “bullet wipe” the prosecution contends that it would somehow show Clarkson’s death was no suicide. The key word here is, if. This is nothing more than a prosecutor’s red herring injected into a case where there is no physical evidence to support criminal charges against record producer, Phil Spector.

A serious fact not to be overlooked is that the cops and their CSI teams already examined, photographed, collected all their evidence and turned over the death scene to Mr. Spector and his lawyers. This alone should clear up the issue of whether or not the fingernail exists.

Dr. Lee has vehemently denied the existence of the supposed fingernail or collecting anything similar. Dr. Lee is expected to testify for the Spector defense and we’ve not heard the last of allegations of misconduct directed at both sides of this case.


Now comes yet another character to shed light on this inquiry, Zvonko “Bill” Pavelic. Bill Pavelic is a now retired, career LAPD cop who has a lot to say about prosecutorial misconduct in the Phil Spector case. Pavelic was retained to work with the Shapiro team who now calls Sara Caplan a liar, perjurer and someone who is trying to destroy Dr. Lee’s reputation.

Pavelic has in his possession photographs of retired Los Angeles Sheriff’s detective, Stanley White with Sara Caplan in the foyer area of Spector’s home (the death scene) taken on February 4, 2007. Sara Caplan testified that White was not present in the foyer area. These photos have been turned over to Spector’s current defense team, Cutler, Rosen, & et al.

Bill Pavelic has outlined his information on his website: http://www.billpavelic.com/current/sara-caplan/

Had Sara Caplan testified as ordered she knew full well that her lack of candor would be exposed perhaps ending her career as a lawyer. Perjury charges may yet surface against Caplan.

I’m still waiting for any evidence to show that Phil Spector killed anyone. The Spector trial is turning into a huge fiasco where I have predicted all along that Spector will be cleared. I can’t help but remind folks that just like Mark Furhman in the O.J. Simpson case the crimes of the accusers will be exposed.

Lawyer Sara Caplan Held In Contempt at Spector Trial

Former Spector criminal defense team member, Sara Caplan testified against Spector out of presence of the jury in earlier proceedings but now refused to answer similar questions in front of the jury. Judge Fidler has stayed execution of Caplan’s penalty pending full higher court appeals.

The impact against Spector is that Caplan will now be ruled as “unavailable” by Judge Fidler and prosecutors will be able to simply read Caplan’s earlier testimony to the jury.

This was just another bizarre twist in this spectacle happening in the courtroom of Larry Paul Fidler. The legal proceedings against Phil Spector have carried so much unnecessary baggage I can’t see how it will end in anything but a mistrial.

Disbar Mike Nifong

I called for strong action against this poor excuse for a lawyer who played a dangerous race card to win re-election as the top prosecutor in Durham, NC. Nifong is on trial for his law license before the NC State Bar.

Aside from any attorney rules he violated, Nifong took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of both the United States and North Carolina and violated them. Instead of prosecuting the guilty and seeking justice he set out on a path to bankrupt three families and destroy the lives of three innocent men.

Nifong knew what he was doing was wrong and did it anyway. Nifong deserves more than disbarment, a lot more.

Nifong reminds me of another rogue prosecutor who was deservedly disbarred by the name of Kenneth Jack Peasley.

Criminalist Testifies In Spector Case

Today Los Angeles County Sheriff’s criminalist, Steve Renteria who specializes in forensic DNA work testified. He suggested that something or someone blocked the blood spray from Ms. Clarkson. ( I guess that someone is Phil Spector who’s white dinner jacket has a very small amount of blood spray on it.) The problem here is a lack of blood spray on Stector’s jacket sleeves.

Renteria went on to say that Clarkson’s DNA was all over the gun from handling it and there was none of Phil Spector’s. The suggestion here was hat Spector somehow removed his own DNA and not Clarkson’s. Spector must have one incredible DNA lab to manufacture selective DNA samples like that!

It does look like Spector may well have cleaned some blood up but this suggested clean up job was well beyond the ability of any mortal man. When criminals tamper with crime scene evidence they for the most part dig themselves in a vast forensic hole.

If you get blood on your hands from trying to help an injured person it is considered a serious biohazard that needs to be cleaned from your hands and other skin. That’s not evidence tampering but simple self-preservation.

I’m still waiting for real evidence that Spector killed anyone at all. Please, wake me up if you hear any in Judge Fidler’s Courtroom.

Bernsen Cleared Of Sex Charges!

Okay, I told you so! The accusers and their stories were bogus. Rod Bernsen was acquitted by a federal court jury today. I predicted this result since this story had the smell of prosecutors seeking fame by prosecuting the famous.

Bernsen now has the toughest task of his life. He must try and regain his stellar reputation and hear from old friends that seem to have forgotten his telephone number since he was falsely branded as a child molester by the two Utah cousins. I don’t know if anyone can ever recover from what Bernsen was put through since this ordeal began.

One thing everyone needs to remember the cost of bail bondsmen and lawyers bankrupts most people accused of these kinds of crimes. I hope to see Bernsen who now lives in Colorado back doing some of the things he loved such as TV reporting and law enforcement work.


An update:
This evening I got a call from Rod Bernsen who I’ve never met. He told me that when he was really at a low point facing these horrible lies he stumbled onto my blog. Bernsen said that he got a real lift to learn that not everyone accepted the Utah boy’s fables. That lift helped Bernsen cope with the most difficult chapter of his life he has ever faced

Bernsen also told me that his lawyer, James Epstein who was a friend did this case spending no less than 500 hours refused to take more than one dollar to defend him. There were costs for bail and a second lawyer to deal with federal court practice and of course an investigator. The lion’s share of this was one terrific and generous gift from a real friend.

We’ve not heard the last from Rod Bernsen who seems to have somehow sidestepped the bitterness of this experience. We will just have to see what’s next for this fellow who has retired twice now.

To Rod Bernsen, I say I only did my part as a blogger shining a little light on something that to not look right to me. I will sleep well tonight.

I Have A Complaint To file Against A Judge

I have reflected for beyond 24 hours and am so offended by Judge Sauer's conduct I intend to make this complaint to the California Commission on judicial Performance Monday:

RE: Complaint against Judge Michael T Sauer

Dear Sirs:

My complaint against Judge Michael T Sauer of the Los Angeles Superior court in the matter of The People of the State of California vs. Paris Hilton, Los Angeles Superior Court Case # 6MP09160RM is as follows:

Judge Sauer knows Paris Hilton is a major celebrity who was and is represented by counsel. I can’t address all of what happened the morning of June 8, 2007, but its abundantly clear Ms. Hilton did not cause the incredible events of that day.

Paris Hilton had been convicted for DUI, driving on a suspended license and has violated her probation. She may well have deserved punishment and the jail term that Judge Sauer gave her.

Ms. Hilton surrendered and began her sentence and for whatever reason, Sheriff Lee Baca intervened three days into Ms. Hilton’s jail stay and took it upon himself to release Ms. Hilton to house arrest and electronic monitoring despite Judge Sauer’s commitment order. It is not Paris Hilton’s fault that the L.A. County Sheriff sent her home. The fact is that it happened and no escape was involved. Ms. Hilton never went into hiding from Judge Sauer’s authority.

In what I can only describe as a grotesque and medieval exercise Judge Sauer publically ordered the Sheriff to pick up Ms. Hilton at her home and have her transported to his court. This was all too similar to the 17th century European practice of taking a manacled prisoner in a horse drawn cart through the town square. This was done so the hostile crowds could throw rotten vegetables at the hapless miscreant being delivered to a place of execution for some infamous crime that was committed.

Judge Sauer had plenty of civilized judicial options to deal with Ms. Hilton that would not have turned the Los Angeles Superior Court into a venue such as the ancient Roman Coliseum putting on a cruel show visible to all in every country of this earth. There were no exigent circumstances to prevent the flight of a dangerous felon or even Ms. Hilton.

Judge Sauer set out to make major international news and knew full well what would happen. As a result of his conduct Judge Sauer now basks in the lime light of new found fame in Ms. Hilton’s shadow as some sort of judicial hero. Ms. Hilton was subjected to unnecessary, horrific humiliation, scorn and ridicule.

Had Judge Sauer somehow forgotten that Ms. Hilton surrendered to the court’s jurisdiction and later to the jail to begin her sentence? Judge Sauer has brought discredit to all of his fellow judges and turned the Los Angeles Superior Court, halls of justice into a circuis.

As a result of Judge Sauer’s cruel handling of Ms. Hilton she has suffered a hundred times the amount of punishment of any other person convicted of similar crimes. The actions of Judge Sauer violated the rights of Paris Hilton under the Sixth Amendment of The United States Constitution that protects all Americans from cruel or unusual punishment. Judge Sauer should be removed from his position on the bench of the California Superior Court.

Sincerely,



Paul Huebl

Paris Hilton is NOT Anyone’s Equal

The political concept that all men are created equal is the big hope and outright lie in our world. That’s really never the case. Karl Marx tried to artificially force equal wealth but the loopholes exist for Communist leaders who are above all others without even the inconvenience of standing for elections.

Teaching children that we are all equal sets them up for a lifetime of disappointment and anger as others are smarter, slimmer, better looking and of course richer. The fact is we all were not born beautiful with generous lifetime trust funds. Some of us have to work harder than others for what we get in life. Some of us are rich enough or smart enough to figure ways of avoiding the stress connected with simply getting food to eat and our rent paid.

Paris Hilton seems to have gotten everything but except good judgment from her maker. The DUI arrest, driving while her license was suspended along with her violation of probation mess was certainly avoidable. She has the cash and lots of fair weather pals to drive her anywhere she wants to go. Now she’s in a mess. I don’t know too many people that would not like to trade their troubles and assets with Hilton. But for Hilton I suspect this is a huge and very public disaster in her life. A disaster that will ultimately bring her more money she does not really need. I suspect she could do without worldwide attention to her mistakes and term in the pokey.

Paris Hilton lives in a goldfish bowl and lost whatever privacy that could have existed for her. Privacy is an important form of freedom. Paris is less equal to the rest of us in other very important ways.

Can someone please tell me what Ms. Hilton could possibly have done to deserve to have her private medical history, mental health treatment and medication to become the topic of front page international news?

Most girls Paris’ age are somewhat emotionally fragile and I now question whether the additional punishment of the spectacle is cruel and unusual. As for Paris all I can say to her, this too shall pass.

Women Never Shoot Themselves In The Head!

"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide." Those were the last words of TV anchor/reporter Christine Chubbuck before she raised a .38 snub-nosed revolver to her head and shot herself live on television. This happened one July morning at WXLT-TV in Sarasota, FL in 1974.

Chubbic placed the gun behind her right ear in a very unusual position. Had there not been videotape my guess is cops may well have made someone a murder suspect.

I love hearing so-called reporters saying women never take their own lives that way, while commenting about the Lana Clarkson death and the Phil Spector murder trial.

I have seen many photos of women who killed themselves in this fashion. Women often leap to their deaths from tall buildings making a grand and unfashionable mess on public sidewalks. Where did this new bogus myth come from? Who made that garbage up?

Why We Solve Far Fewer Homicides In America These Days

When I was a young cop I was astounded to learn that homicides were cleared somewhere around 85%. Who would dare commit a murder with those lousy odds? Capitol punishment was still a reality before that Fuhrman vs. Georgia execution moratorium nearly ended the death penalty for good.

Then came the mid 1980s and the clearance rate for murders began dropping. The murder clearance rate steadily decreased to around 36% where it stands today.

I bet you’re thinking criminals are smarter today and better at avoiding discovery? Not a chance the killers were never very smart nor careful and actually taking steps to hide evidence.

But now we have DNA, high resolution surveillance cameras everywhere, data tracking for every little purchase we make, cell phone cell site data and even GPS gizmos tracking us everywhere we go. We are unintentionally creating airtight alibis for our usual suspects we used to arrest and convict.

The robbery or rape victim turned eyewitness pointed out the suspect in some courtroom and the case used to be all over. Today suspect can quickly tell the cops that he was at the Burger King drive through, bought gas, a bottle of wine and some smokes at a 7-11 store many miles away at the exact time of the crime and prove it without difficulty.

DNA and fingerprints found at crime scenes are often meaningless because suspects are known to their victims and are often guests in their homes. More often than not DNA is clearing wrongly fingered suspects rather than implicating the guilty.

There is a sad truth and that is perhaps as many as half of the people we convicted may well have been innocent of the crime for which they were accused.

Risky behavior and relationships engaged by marginal, throwaway type people make them right to do the time for someone else’s crime. Equally sad is the guilty get away with their crimes and commit more.

The Politics Of Elephant Ivory

I’ve always been fond of elephants and their coveted ivory. My friends at Eagle Grips have offered ivory over the years based on availability and price for top of the line gun grips. Ivory has a special warmth and incredible strength that makes it the very best gun grip material on our planet.

Then came the embargos created in an alleged effort to protect the endangered elephant. The embargos were nothing more than a grand scheme for corrupt Third World, government officials to create a monopoly on clandestine trading and artificially high prices. The end result of the embargos was to make the slaughter of these fine animals even more profitable.

Elephants die and their ivory is harvested without upsetting the balance of nature. Most of us want to protect these awesome and majestic creatures but ivory trade bans only make poaching more profitable and prevalent.

Where does Eagle Grips get their ivory you ask? This is yet another sad story. The now grown children of America’s legendary big game hunters of the 1950s have been selling off their dad’s ivory trophies for big cash. Too often that cash has been used to support narcotic addictions of these sellers.

Here’s a recent ABC news offering on this subject.