Crime News
The Daily Signal reports on crime news with analysis and commentary on policies, crime rates, and policing debates.
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opinion
More on Criminal Justice Reform: A Response to Paul Mirengoff
Opposition to the criminal justice reform proposals that the Senate is now considering, which promise significant public safety gains, continues to miss the mark. Last week, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote an editorial in The Wall Street Journal expressing his strong opposition to some modest sentencing reform proposals that have been offered by Sen. Chuck… -
news
University System Plans ‘Full Criminal Investigation’ After Confederate Statue Toppled
The University of North Carolina System is taking action after protesters toppled the statue of a Confederate soldier at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Monday night. “Campus leadership is in collaboration with campus police, who are pulling together a timeline of the events, reviewing video evidence, and conducting interviews that will… -
news
Illegal Immigrant Charged in Mollie Tibbetts’ Murder
The man charged with killing missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts is an illegal immigrant, police said Tuesday. Police charged Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, with first-degree murder. The Los Angeles Times reported: “Rick Rahn, special agent in charge with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said … Rivera had been living in the area… -
opinion
Why It’s Not ‘Soft On Crime’ to Support Criminal Justice Reform
In a Wall Street Journal editorial last week, Sen. Tom Cotton offered tepid support for prison reform measures in the FIRST STEP Act, which the House passed in late May with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Arkansas Republican said the bill contains “some flaws,” but has “worthy goals.” The FIRST STEP Act is designed to enhance public safety… -
opinion
With Criminal Justice Bills Pending, Sen. Warren Wrongly Calls System ‘Racist’
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was right to backpedal from her speech last week at Dillard University in New Orleans in which she said, “Our criminal justice system” is “racist … front to back.” But her clarifying remarks at a town hall meeting, following criticism from law enforcement officials in her home state and the U.S…. -
news
4 Unanswered Questions About the FBI and Justice Department After Peter Strzok’s Firing
The controversies surrounding the Justice Department and FBI won’t end with the firing of veteran agent Peter Strzok, known for his bombastic text messages targeting Donald Trump during the presidential campaign and the Hillary Clinton email scandal. Trump weighed in Monday on Twitter, noting Strzok was one of those on “a list of bad players”… -
news
FBI Fires Peter Strzok, Agent Who Vowed to ‘Stop’ a Trump Presidency
The FBI has fired Peter Strzok, the agent who in 2016 texted he would “stop” Donald Trump from becoming president and has since been under a cloud of suspicion of political bias in doing his job. The Washington Post first reported Monday on the firing of Strzok, who last month found himself on the hot seat… -
opinion
Fight Against Human Trafficking Begins in Our Own Neighborhoods
The 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report had a refreshing take on anti-trafficking strategy—one that emphasizes the role of communities in addressing sexual and labor exploitation. The report, released annually since 2001, ranks countries according to their compliance with minimum standards for eliminating trafficking in persons. Countries are ranked from best to worst in four categories: Tier… -
opinion
New Report Shows Government Gave DACA Protection to Thousands of Criminals
Historian Jacob Burckhardt once warned against being deceived by “terrible simplifiers.” If he hadn’t died in 1897, you might be tempted to think he was writing about defenders of President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The left consistently characterizes all DACA recipients as though they were innocent, law-abiding Phi Beta Kappa college… -
opinion
This Man Has Spent 26 Years Behind Bars for a Crime Someone Else Confessed To
“If it wasn’t for my artwork and God, there’s no way we’d be having this conversation right now.” I’m in Colorado on a three-way phone call with Valentino Dixon, inmate No. 91B1615 at New York’s Wende Correctional Facility, and his 27-year-old daughter, Tina Dixon, a first-grade teacher in Ohio. Faith, family, and drawing—golf courses, jazz… -
opinion
Justice Department Weighs In to Protect Free Speech on Campus
In the face of Orwellian speech codes on campus—and with the help of advocacy groups like Speech First Inc.—college students have been fighting to defend their First Amendment right to free speech. Now, they can count the Justice Department as one of their strongest allies. Earlier this year, the University of Michigan passed a policy… -
news
Unlikely Senate Allies Lee, Booker Use Film to Document the Need for Criminal Justice Reform
A conservative Republican from Utah and a liberal Democrat from New Jersey are unlikely allies in a bipartisan bid to reform the U.S. criminal justice system. “In many instances, federal mandatory [minimum] sentencing laws impose unjust and illogical outcomes, leaving the judge with no discretion at all,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told The Daily Signal… -
opinion
MS-13 Threatens the Legitimacy of Salvadoran Government
In a recent poll, residents of El Salvador were asked, “Who runs your country?” Forty-two percent reported gangs, while only 12 percent said the government. These results reveal a huge problem for El Salvador: The public’s lack of trust in its government threatens to dismantle the country’s democracy and stability. MS-13 is a dominant force… -
news
Congressman Who Introduced ‘Abolish ICE’ Bill Won’t Comment on Crime by Illegal Immigrants
The Wisconsin congressman who introduced the "abolish ICE" bill admitted he would vote against it during an appearance Tuesday on Fox News Channel's “Tucker Carlson Tonight," while also declining to comment on crime committed by illegal immigrants. The bill from Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., co-sponsored by nine other Democrats, was designed to dismantle U.S. Immigration… -
opinion
Podcast: Sen. Mike Lee on Criminal Justice Reform
Rachel del Guidice speaks to Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, about mandatory minimums and other criminal justice reform matters, and we feature her interview in today’s podcast. Plus: Millennials want to retire at 61 … but most of them haven’t saved a dime. >>> The Daily Signal podcast is a 25-minute weekday podcast that shares the… -
news
7 Takeaways From FBI Agent Strzok’s Testimony Before 2 House Committees
A joint hearing of two House committees Thursday repeatedly turned testy as FBI agent Peter Strzok sought to explain away text messages sharply critical of Donald Trump and how they did not affect the fairness of the FBI investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Strzok, reassigned but still an FBI employee, admitted… -
opinion
The Immigration Scandal No One Is Talking About
Among the least talked about scandals in Washington is how immigration officials spent decades misleading Congress about the number of migrants evading court. I discussed that scandal at length in my last article. In advancing this decadeslong effort, no accounting trick and no false narrative was out of bounds. Never in any year did these… -
news
Woman Who Was Attacked at Restaurant Says Owning a Gun May Have Saved Her From Assault
Restaurant worker Miranda Schaeffer, who defended her co-worker with a legally owned firearm, appeared on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday and said her gun may have been the deciding factor in saving their lives. Schaeffer’s co-worker, Veronica Kaehler, was attacked behind the counter at a George Webb in Milwaukee by an unknown assailant Friday, but he… -
news
Ex-FBI Lawyer Lisa Page Defies Congressional Subpoena
Former FBI attorney Lisa Page will defy a congressional subpoena to appear for a deposition on Wednesday, her lawyer said in a statement. The House Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform committees issued the subpoena to Page, who has been at the center of controversy over anti-Trump text messages that she exchanged with Peter… -
news
House Committee Subpoenas Former FBI Attorney Who Sent Anti-Trump Texts
Two congressional committees have subpoenaed a former FBI attorney who exchanged anti-Trump text messages to appear for a closed-door deposition on Wednesday. The House Judiciary and House Government & Oversight Committees issued the subpoena on Monday to Lisa Page, the former mistress of FBI agent Peter Strzok. Strzok, who oversaw the FBI’s Russia investigation when…