In a surprising and radical shift, Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon used harsh words to describe the city’s red-light camera program, saying that while the system makes intersections safer, its harsh punishments are out of proportion with the crime, and Palm Coast’s drivers–and the city’s image–are suffering as a result. But he is less clear on how to improve the system, which he does not want dismantled.
Rights & Liberties
Voting Rights Act Sapped as Fractured Supreme Court Defies Near-Unanimous Congress
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, declared key parts of the Voting Rights Act invalid even though the U.S. Senate had passed the act unanimously in 2006, and the House of Representatives had passed it 390-33.
Morning-After Victory on Women’s Reproductive Rights, But Testosterone Policies Persist
Reproductive rights advocates are celebrating the Obama administration’s surrender on the morning-after pill, empowering all women to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies. It’s about damn time, argues Kathleen Joyce, but she warns: don’t let your guard down just yet.
U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide Legality of Bunnell’s Government Prayers, Via Greece
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case from Greece, N.Y., where government meetings are started with distinctly Christian prayers, as they are at Bunnell City Commission meetings. The case is being taken to the court by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
Selective Memory Surveillance: Obama, the NSA and September 11
Those making the argument that the NSA’s domestic spying program would have stopped the 9/11 attacks had it been in place have ignored a key aspect of historical record, including the fact that USA intelligence already knew the identity of a hijacker long before the attack and could have found him.
With Opposing Gun Lobbies Taking Aim at Him, Gov. Scott Mulls Over Firearm Sales Bill
Gov. Rick Scott is being flooded with calls and emails about a bill that would stop some gun sales, and whichever course he chooses could be risky as he runs for re-election.
Racist Attacks on Mexican-American’s National Anthem Performance Reflect GOP Blinders
It’s sad that Sebatien de la Cruz’s singing of the National Anthem at an NBA playoff game should become the target of ugly, anti-immigrant sentiment. These views didn’t arise in a vacuum, argues Raul Reyes. Republican lawmakers have been demonizing immigrants to the detriment of our civil discourse and to their own party. Meanwhile, our nation continues to grow more diverse, putting the GOP out of step with a changing America.
Without Owner’s Consent, Code Enforcement Cleans Up a Property at Taxpayers’ Expense
It was a costly, day-long project involving personnel from four city departments, including police, on a house already facing a $50,000 lien, but officials defended forcibly cleaning up the property on Deen Road at taxpayers’ expense, saying it was a matter of maintaining property values. The case shows the extent–and limits–of code enforcement’s growing authority.
The Cruel and Unusual Justice Thomas
The cruelties of the self-loathing, self-pitying Clarence Thomas were on display again this week when he provided the deciding vote that had the Supreme Court managing to turn the right to remain silent against the accused, and using that silence as evidence of incrimination.
Scott Signs Fast-Track Execution Bill, Making 13 Death Row Inmates Immediately Eligible
In signing the so-called “Timely Justice Act,” Scott went against the tide of calls, letters and emails urging him to veto it. As of Thursday, his office had received 447 phone calls, with 438 opposed to the bill; 14 letters, with 13 opposed; and 14,571 emails, with 14,565 opposed.
Memo to the NSA: You Have One of 725 Domestic Steve Robinsons Spooked
Our own Steve Robinson discovers not only that there are 724 other Steve Robinsons in the country, but that with the NSA tapping into every Tom, Dick and Harry’s computer histories, the pasts of shadier Robinsons, if not his own pot-luck history, could short-circuit his own.
ACLU to School Board: Sending 8th Grade Boy Home for Wearing Make-Up Is Not Lawful
Chris Martin, a 14-year-old 8th grader in Pinellas County, was sent home last week for wearing eyeliner, eyeshadow and lipstick even though girls at his school wear make-up, and the student code of conduct does not prohibit boys from doing so. Nor could it, the ACLU wrote the superintendent, saying the principal’s action was illegal. The case triggered a petition and is garnering international attention.
Van Poyck, Third Florida Inmate Executed This Year, Leaves Stark Word Trail Behind
William van Poyck had spent nearly 26 years on death row after his conviction in 1987 in the murder of a prison guard. He spent many of those years writing books and maintaining a public blog, which chronicled in the last weeks his last days on death row. Excerpts are included.
From Zimmerman Trial to Civil Disobedience: Five Questions for Sen. Arthenia Joyner
The first time Sen. Arthenia Joyner demonstrated for civil rights, in 1960, she was in the 11th grade at Tampa’s Middleton High School. She went on to study law to follow in the footsteps of Thurgood Marshall, and will be the first black woman to serve as Senate Democratic leader in Florida. She is expected to start that role in November 2014.
NSA Black Holes: 5 Things We Still Don’t Know About Spy Agency’s Snooping
The FBI and the National Security Agency have been collecting Americans’ phone records en masse and the agencies have access to data from nine tech companies. But secrecy around the programs has meant even basic questions are still unanswered. Here’s what we still don’t know:
Florida Appeal Court Approves Weekly Check-Ins for Homeless Sex Offenders
In a case that may have ramifications beyond the Florida Panhandle, where it originated, a state appeals court Monday approved a Bay County Sheriff’s Office policy that requires homeless registered sex offenders to report by 10 a.m. each Monday about where, through a detailed log, they expect to spend the next seven nights.
Watch Live: George Zimmerman Trial
Live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the George Zimmerman on a charge of second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin. We have the NBC and WFTV news feeds.
NRA Bragging Rights: Arrogant, Mercenary, Irresponsible
The NRA used to be a gun-safety group. Now it tells us we need to be armed in order to fight our own government, writes Steve Robinson, obscuring the responsibilities of gun ownership while legitimizing fringe fanatics. Paul Miller’s murder of Dana Mulhall in Flagler Beach is our own Exhibit A of this dangerous trend.
Gun Zealots Attack Scott For Replacing Sheriff Arrested in Concealed Weapon Misconduct
The governor is face criticism from Second Amendment advocates for his suspension of Liberty County Sheriff Nicholas Lee Finch, who allegedly destroyed documents tied to the arrest of a man charged with carrying a concealed firearm.
Media Descend on Florida for Zimmerman Trial Amid Duels of Fact and Prejudice
With 200 news organizations expected in Sanford for the second-degree murder trial of George Zimmerman, which starts Monday with jury selection, Florida is in an unwelcome spotlight again in the racially charged case, with likely far-reaching consequences.
Florida Government’s DCF Looks to Religious Organizations to Recruit Foster Parents
Looking for foster parents, DCF Director of Faith Based Development Erik Braun told child welfare professionals at a conference that Florida has 12 million residents affiliated with a Catholic or Protestant church, 1 million Jews and 400,000 to 600,000 Muslims.
George Zimmerman’s Murder Trial of Trayvon Martin: About Race, Pure and Simple
The George Zimmerman trial starting June 10 isn’t about self-defense or vigilantism or gun rights. It’s about race, pure and simple, argues Steve Robinson. For proof, we need look no further than at the strategy being pursued by Zimmerman’s defense.
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Scott’s Drug-Testing of State Workers as Too Broad
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals declared an executive order by Riock Scott to drug-test 85,000 state employees and all job applicants as mostly unconstitutional, but left room for a lower court decision to be rewritten to allow for certain employees in certain categories to be drug tested–essentially restoring Florida’s drug-testing standard to what it was before the governor’s executive order.
Elmer Carroll To Be Killed at 6 p.m. as Stay Is Denied; Exonerated Men Will Deliver Petition to Scott
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied the last appeal by Elmer Leon Carroll to stay his execution, On Thursday, Herman Lindsey and Seth Penalver – the 23rd and 24th men exonerated from Florida’s Death Row – will deliver a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, asking him to veto the Timely Justice Act, which will fast-track executions.
Surveillance Drones Give Germans Bad Memories
Railway operator Deutsche Bahn wants to police its rail yards with tiny drones to fight graffiti, triggering a debate in a country where clandestine surveillance is a strongly emotional issue. Florida banned police surveillance by drone this year, absent a warrant.
Miller Trial Turns to 5 Bullets’ Paths, Mulhall’s Last Moments–and Blood-Alcohol (0.188)
Paul Miller, accused of murdering Dana Mulhall, looked away or closed his eyes for the first time in the now-three-day-old trial as images of the bloodied and shot Dana Mulhall were placed on an easel for the jury to see and the prosecution to analyze with witnesses Wednesday morning. The defense takes up its case in the afternoon.
As Jury Is Seated in Paul Miller Murder Trial, Questions About Guns Weed Out Prospects
The most anticipated trial of the year—of Paul Miller, the 66-year-old Flagler Beach man accused of murdering his neighbor Dana Mulhall last year during an argument over Miller’s barking dogs—began Monday with jury selection, which by day’s end had seated an all-white jury of three men and three women, plus three alternates (a woman and two men, one of them black).
Joseph Drenner, 50, Is Killed in Early Morning Wreck on U.S. 1; Companion Survives
Joseph Drenner, 50, was killed when he was ejected from a Toyota SUV his companion, Christina Laming, 41, was driving north on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast early Saturday morning. Charges are pending against Laming, who refused to have her blood tested at the scene for impairment.
Blacks Charge Cop Harassment and Bullying As County Cancels Block Party in Bunnell
When Bunnell police alerted the county of a large block party for South Bunnell’s black community the county had previously permitted–as a “picnic/party”–to take place on county land near Carver Gym, the county cancelled it. Monday evening, several members of Bunnell’s black community complained to the city commission of chronic harassment and bullying by Bunnell police.
Fast-Track Kill Bill Aside, Scott Speeds Death Warrants, Slating 3 Executions in 26 Days
Gov. Rick Scott is not waiting to sign a bill that would accelerate the pace of capital-punishment executions in Florida. The death warrants he’s signed since April lead to the fastest-paced series of executions since four inmates were killed in March 1998, when Lawton Chiles was governor.
Gun Zealots Urging Scott to Veto Firearm-Regulation Bill Even the NRA Supports
The bill closes a legal gap, as state law already bars firearms purchases by people who are involuntarily committed under the Baker Act. This one focuses on people who are found to be an “imminent danger” and face the possibility of being involuntarily committed if they do not admit themselves.
Updating Facebook Status, Charlie Crist Endorses Gay Marriage in Florida
Amid speculation he will run as a Democrat for his old job, former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday said he supports allowing same-sex marriage, joining other politicians who recently have changed stances to support gay marriage, including Florida’s Bill nelson and Ohio Republican Rob Portman.
Altered States: Now Lefty Hollywood Is Protesting Gun Control in Gotham
Movie-makers opposing New York’s recently passed gun-control laws are upset that they may have to use props instead of real firearms in films, a a blatant admission from people we call “creative,” , argues Steve Robinson, that without endless, massive gunfire there are no stories to be told, no issues to explore, no human experiences to illuminate.
Red-Light Camera Fines May Go Up to $408 and Be Harder to Fight Under Newest Rules
A new law awaiting Gov. Scott’s signature returns hearings to the control of local governments that have red-light cameras, such as Palm Coast, and allows them to impose an additional fee of $250 on top of $158 tickets, when contested, among other changes.
Church-State Separation Be Damned: Bunnell Sponsors 3rd Prayer Day, Invoking “God’s City”
Bunnell marked the national Day of Prayer for the third year with its own sponsored religious event, a distinctly Christian, evangelical-like service that features commissioners and the mayor offering prayers and pastors invoking Jesus’s name and god’s law above all others.
Paul Miller’s Stand-Your-Ground Trial Over Dana Mulhall Killing Set for May 20
Paul Miller’s trial will be the first Stand Your Ground case in Flagler County since the controversial law was enacted in 2005. The trial before Circuit Court Judge J. David Walsh may take two weeks.
Stop-and-Frisk in Bunnell Turns Into Brawl With Officers, and Threats of a “Hit”
Theodore Moore, 25, was observed by a Bunnell cop allegedly trespassing–near Moore’s home. The cop briefly pursued Moore and handcuffed him, finding a gun and contraceptive pills on him as Moore resisted his arrest and dared cops to Tase him as a crowd gathered in South Bunnell.
Bill Speeding Up Executions in Florida Passes Despite Disturbing Rate of Exonerations
Florida lawmakers gave final approval to fast-tracking executions and reducing Death Row stays, with supporters saying they want justice for victims’ families — but critics warning about executing innocent people, 24 of whom have been exonerated in Florida since 1976.
From Jackie Robinson to Jason Collins: Still Telling It On the Mountain
It will be Jason Collins’s misfortune to be labeled the “gay Jackie Robinson.” Like Robinson, he may have to endure a painful personal burden. But, argues Steve Robinson, history is less likely to view him as a pioneer than ask instead: “what took so long?”
Militarizing the Border: Where Those Billions for More “Security” Will Go
The U.S. spent nearly $18 billion dollars on immigration enforcement agencies last fiscal year, more than all other law enforcement agencies combined. Where would another $4.5 billion go? Here’s a closer look at what is being proposed, and how the government has spent (and often wasted) border money in recent years.
Senate Passes Bill Forbidding Local Measures That Would Ensure Sick Leave for Workers
A Florida House bill supported by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Disney and other industry and corporate groups would forbid local governments from passing living wage ordinances or require employers contracting with government to provide paid sick leave. A Senate amendment would leave those decisions to local governments.
France Becomes 14th Nation to Legalize Gay Marriage and Adoption in Historic Vote
The National Assembly voted today (April 23) 331-225, with 10 abstentions, to legalize gay marriage and gay adoption in France, making it the 14th nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, which remains prohibited in all but nine American states.
Publix’s Profitable Accommodation With Poverty: Not a Penny More for Tomato Pickers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has been trying for years to get Publix to join the Fair Food Coalition, in which suppliers and purchasers agree to pay the workers a penny more per pound of tomatoes picked. Publix won’t even meet with the workers.
Gun Worship’s Perversion: Just Don’t Call 10,000 Murders a Year “Terrorism”
Between the Boston bombing and the Senate’s rejection of gun-control legislation, the moral is that “terrorism” is unacceptable violence, but the 30 daily murders by gun is quite acceptable. So gun-worship’s perversions live on.
Anti-Abortion Bills Pass Through Angry Debate As Florida Creeps Closer to Embryo Rights
After tense debate that included allegations of lying and large-scale eugenics, the House on Thursday passed a measure banning abortions meant to avoid having a baby of a particular gender or race and criminalized harm of the unborn in the act of harming or killing its mother.
Police Drones Are Banned from Florida Skies Absent a Warrant or Other Exceptions
The bill (SB 92) prevents law enforcement use of drones unless a judge has issued a warrant, or in cases where there is a “high risk of terrorist attack,” or a case of imminent danger, such as in a missing person case where the person is thought to be in immediate danger.
Duping Court Ruling, Florida Replacing Life Juvenile Sentencing With 50-Year Minimum
Legislation aimed at putting Florida in line with a U.S. Supreme Court ban on automatic life sentences for juvenile murderers cleared a House panel Tuesday, but with a 50 year minimum sentence that opponents say may keep the state’s law at odds with the court’s aim.
Revenge Porn: Florida Lawmakers Take National Lead in Battling Bullying’s New Virus
In a more lurid consequence of sexting, Florida women and girls have been targeted by revenge porn–the online posting of nude images without the victim’s consent–in several documented instances, leading the Legislature to seek to criminalize the practice as a second or third-degree felony.
Florida Voter Group Argues for a Free Speech Right to Secrecy and Unregulated PACs
The state says it is justified in requiring disclosures of information about political action committee contributions and expenditures. Plaintiffs, arguing their case before a federal appeals court Tuesday, say they should be free to express themselves on political issues without registering as a committee and filling out campaign documents.
Dear Sheriff Manfre: Why Are Deputies So Quick to Shoot Animals–and Leave Them?
A sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a raccoon found to be sickly in Palm Coast’s R-Section this morning, leaving it in a lot, triggering a letter of concern from a resident to Sheriff Manfre about a routine practice among local law enforcement in the disposition of ailing animals.