Crime News
The Daily Signal reports on crime news with analysis and commentary on policies, crime rates, and policing debates.
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news
Loretta Lynch’s Confirmation Moves Forward Despite Lingering Questions About HSBC Scandal
Despite criticism for her decision not to jail the perpetrators of a controversial white-collar crime, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Loretta Lynch this morning to be the next U.S. attorney general, clearing the way for a full Senate vote. In a 12-8 vote, Lynch received unanimous support from the nine Democrats on the Judiciary Committee… -
opinion
Benghazi Scandal: New Pentagon Documents Show Military Knew It Was Islamic Terrorism
Close to 500 pages of Pentagon Benghazi-related documents obtained last week by the non-profit group Judicial Watch prove the U.S. military was operating on the assumption terrorists killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on the night of Sept. 11, 2012. The papers confirm statements about the nature of the attack to congressional… -
news
N.Y. Attorney General’s Office Denies It Has Records Showing Union Collusion in Papa John’s Lawsuit
Did the New York Attorney General’s Office collude with a local union leader to develop the basis for a lawsuit against a Papa John’s Pizza franchisee? If not — if the union leader was not involved in the investigation of the pizza franchises’ pay and employee practices before it became public– why was the union… -
opinion
Gary Haugen’s Congressional Testimony on Human Trafficking
In his recent testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Gary Haugen, President and CEO of International Justice Mission, shared practical steps that Congress could take to end human trafficking. Haugen emphasized that local law enforcement and a fair judicial system are the keys to defeating this global scourge. Without ending impunity, he says, human… -
news
Small Business Owner Questions Why Justice Department Would Threaten His Livelihood
A third-generation veteran says the government is choking him from his livelihood, blocking his access to bank accounts and forcing him to pay exorbitant fees for basic financial services. “I’m an American, and when the government does something like this to its own citizens, it has to be stopped,” said Andy Kramer, owner of Discount… -
news
Government Drops Forfeiture Case Led by Obama’s Attorney General Nominee
Sometimes, not violating the law can get you in trouble with the law. Just ask the Hirsch family from Long Island, New York. Or, better yet, ask Loretta E. Lynch, the U.S. attorney who could be the nation’s next attorney general. After nearly three years of legal battles, the federal government dropped its case against… -
opinion
Congress Seeks to Improve Global Anti-Trafficking Efforts
As National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month comes to a close, Congress is turning its attention to combatting human trafficking. New estimates suggest that as many as 35.8 million people are victims of human trafficking. Renewed attention on this international crisis is necessary if the U.S. is to continue to lead global anti-trafficking efforts…. -
news
Sharyl Attkisson to Testify on ‘Free Press Issues’ at Attorney General Nomination Hearing
Former CBS reporter and Daily Signal senior independent contributor Sharyl Attkisson will testify at this week’s confirmation hearings for Loretta Lynch, who was nominated by President Obama to replace Eric Holder as U.S. Attorney General. Attkisson, who was invited to speak on a panel of witnesses by the Senate Judiciary Committee led by Chuck Grassley,… -
news
FBI Arrests Ohio Man for Plotting Attack on U.S. Capitol
The FBI has arrested an Ohio man for allegedly plotting an “ISIS-inspired” attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to ABC News. The FBI said agents arrested Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, in Ohio as he allegedly was taking the final steps toward traveling to the nation’s capital to carry out the plan. ABC reports that government… -
opinion
Should You Be Jailed for Committing a Crime You Didn’t Know Was a Crime? New Ohio Law Tackles Issue.
Ohio recently enacted a new law to reform the way criminal statutes are written and interpreted in that state. That measure is a step in the right direction toward remedying the problem of overcriminalization. Senate Bill 361, sponsored by Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, passed with the overwhelming support of the Ohio General Assembly and was signed… -
news
New Orleans Mayor Calls on State Taxpayers to Fix City’s Violent Crime
NEW ORLEANS — Violent crime is up 24 percent in New Orleans, and now Mayor Mitch Landrieu is calling on Louisiana taxpayers to send in more state troopers to patrol his city, essentially diverting important resources from other areas of the state. One might wonder why Landrieu, a Democrat, doesn’t use his own local police… -
opinion
Pennsylvania Grand Jury Recommends Criminal Charges Against State Attorney General
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that a statewide grand jury has recommended criminal charges be filed against Pennsylvania Attorney General (and voter ID opponent) Kathleen Kane for perjury and contempt of court over the leaking of secret grand jury information. Kane, a Democrat, had been in the news recently after a local grand jury convened… -
news
‘An Attack on Free Speech’: 12 Dead in Terror Assault of French Satirical Newspaper
UPDATE: French police say two suspects in Wednesday's terrorist attack remain on the run. In a statement on its website, French national police ask for information on the whereabouts of suspects Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi—brothers in their early 30s—warning that both could be armed and dangerous. A third suspect, Hamyd Mourad, 18, surrendered to police. The suspects… -
news
6 Charts That Show How Quickly Big Stories and Scandals Fade From the Media
If you’re a politician embroiled in a scandal, the rapidly moving news cycle might be a blessing. A National Public Radio analysis of issues mentioned by reporters during daily White House press briefings found the media’s attention span for various scandals and stories often wanes after just a few weeks. In six charts, NPR shows… -
news
4 Things You Need to Know About the Findings on the IRS Targeting Scandal
The nation’s tax chief decided not to tell Congress that the IRS was targeting conservative groups, an action that would have brought to light the misconduct before the 2012 election, according to a new report from a House oversight panel. The implication, critics say, is that his failure to act protected President Obama from facing… -
opinion
Why Do 80% of College Sexual Assaults Never Get Reported?
According to a recent Justice Department study, 80 percent of sexual assaults against college students are never reported. The report also found slightly higher rates of sexual assault among 18- to 24-year-old women who were not in college. Non-students were more likely to report the assaults but the vast majority of students and non-students said… -
news
Police Soon May Have a Breathalyzer Test for Pot
Law enforcement officers already use breathalyzers as a preliminary test for blood-alcohol content. Soon, they might have a similar test to detect marijuana usage. Researchers at Washington State University are developing a breathalyzer for pot. According to FOX 8, the device “would be used by police in states that have already legalized the drug.” Even… -
opinion
This Police Department Seems to Think Law Enforcement Is a ‘Get Rich’ Scheme
The city of Sunrise is back in the headlines. Last year, city officials caught flack for luring criminals from around the country into the Florida community just to seize their cash and cars under civil forfeiture laws. Now, the city’s forfeiture program has earned it a rebuke from the federal government. In an audit of the… -
news
White House, Justice Sought to Stop Attkisson’s Reporting on Fast and Furious Scandal, Emails Reveal
Newly released documents show the White House and Justice Department targeted investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson in hopes of thwarting her reporting for CBS News on the secretive government operation called Fast and Furious. In an email exchange, a press aide to Attorney General Eric Holder tells a spokesman for President Obama that Attkisson is “out of… -
news
Congressman Seeks to End Program He Calls ‘More Dangerous’ Than IRS Scandal
Calling a secretive government operation to strangle politically out-of-favor businesses “more dangerous” than the IRS targeting scandal, a congressman with a background in banking is preparing to introduce legislation to kill the Obama administration initiative. “I believe this activity is probably more dangerous and more disastrous than that of the IRS scandal because this is running people…