Page 2 - John Raphling News Today

Willmar police to decide about new device designed for non compliant or people with mental illnesses As the Willmar Police Department evaluates purchasing a new use of force tool, questions remain about the effectiveness of the device that is designed to be used against non compliant or people with mental illnesses 6:00 am, May 3, 2021 × Company instructor Mike Kleber, left, shows how the BolaWrap restraint device is used with Officer Jeremy Vearrier during a BolaWrap ins...

Sheriff says BolaWrap could see use in mental health situations 6:00 am, Apr. 28, 2021 × Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner holds a module used in the new BolaWrap devices the sheriffs office has purchased to add to its less lethal use of force options. David Olson/The Forum. FARGO — At a time when the country is awash in debate over police use of force and whether it is applied fairly and equally everywhere, the Cass County Sheriffs Office is adding to its use of force options by ad...

The conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was met with a sigh of relief of activists, legislators, US citizens and officials, many of whom have long called for accountability in the killings of unarmed Black people in the country. It also had many – including US President Joe Biden – asking what comes next, and calling for greater police reform and support for communities of colour. On social media, many pointed to the initial Minneapolis Police Department’s versio...

Dear Assembly Members Jones-Sawyer and McCarty: Human Rights Watch opposes the AB 1542 Yolo County pilot program that authorizes judges to sentence people to confinement in a locked treatment facility instead of prison or jail if the judge determines that their crime was motivated in part by substance abuse. We ask legislators to reject this bill and take a more holistic, rights-respecting approach to addressing problematic substance use and crime that may be connected to it. The apparent premi...

Human Rights Watch   Prosecutions for Unlawful Conduct. Section 101 of the bill changes the standard for prosecuting 18 USC 242 cases—a statute that enables federal prosecutors to criminally charge law enforcement officers with violating people’s civil rights—from “willfully” to “knowingly or recklessly.” This change aims to remove an intent requirement that some prosecutors claim has made it difficult to bring Section 242 cases.[9] This may increase the number of Section 242 cas...

Top Human Rights Tweets of the Week Trending rights tweets of the week: Trump’s actions fuel riot at the US Capitol; white supremacy and anti-Semitism converge in Washington DC; the Ethiopian government should let the United Nations investigate grave abuses which numerous witnesses say those involved in the #Tigray conflict have committed; and it is profoundly disappointing that the Kenosha County DA declined filing charges against Officer Sheskey for shooting Jacob Blake multiple times thi...

Top 5 Criminal Justice Reforms Advocates Want Under Biden By Sarah Martinson | January 10, 2021, 8:02 PM EST Joe Bidens election as president has sparked hope among criminal justice advocates and organizations that his administration will overhaul the U.S. criminal justice system and implement reforms they have been seeking for years. Bidens campaign website promises that the Democratic president-elect will "strengthen Americas commitment to justice and reform our criminal just...

Virus Death Rates Make Prison Vaccine Plans A Justice Issue By Law360 is providing free access to its coronavirus coverage to make sure all members of the legal community have accurate information in this time of uncertainty and change. Use the form below to sign up for any of our weekly newsletters. Signing up for any of our section newsletters will opt you in to the weekly Coronavirus briefing. Sign up for our Access to Justice newsletter You must correct or enter the following befor...