A few graphs to illustrate how well the American justice system works (cough cough)

 

https://www.wfmz.com/entertainment/coffee-break/state-spending-analysis-which-states-spend-the-most-on-policing-and-corrections/collection_b5e885a0-696f-5550-9f97-24e3a7f5b98e.html#1

Mississippi has an incarceration rate of 1,031 per 100,000 people​

Oklahoma has an incarceration rate of 993 per 100,000 people
Georgia has an incarceration rate of 968 per 100,000 people
Arkansas has an incarceration rate of 942 per 100,000 people
Kentucky has an incarceration rate of 930 per 100,000 people

Arizona has an incarceration rate of 868 per 100,000 people
Wyoming has an incarceration rate of 850 per 100,000 people
Texas has an incarceration rate of 840 per 100,000 people
Tennessee has an incarceration rate of 838 per 100,000 people
South Dakota has an incarceration rate of 824 per 100,000 people

Connecticut has an incarceration rate of 394 per 100,000 people
New York has an incarceration rate of 376 per 100,000
New Jersey has an incarceration rate of 341 per 100,000 people
New Hampshire has an incarceration rate of 328 per 100,000 people
Maine has an incarceration rate of 328 per 100,000 people
Rhode Island has an incarceration rate of 289 per 100,000 people
Vermont has an incarceration rate of 288 per 100,000 people
Massachusetts has an incarceration rate of 275 per 100,000 people

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/

https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-two-decade-red-state-murder-problem

So, here is the million dollar question:

 

Republicans like to talk tough on crime — but they're the ones with a real crime problem

Crime is much worse in "red states" — and that's been true for years. Why don't Democrats ever just say it?

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/15/like-to-talk-tough-on--but-theyre-the-ones-with-a-real-problem/

Blog note: Jury duty today, bye!

 

Brazen shameless lies: Dominion settles defamation lawsuit against Faux News

From the Beyond Outrageous Lies Files: The AP reports: 

Fox and Dominion Voting Systems reached a settlement Tuesday in the voting machine company’s defamation lawsuit, averting a trial in a case that exposed how the top-rated network chased viewers by promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election.

The terms of the settlement were not immediately clear.

The settlement was announced by the judge in the case, who allowed the case to go to trial while emphasizing that it was “CRYSTAL clear” that none of the allegations about Dominion aired on Fox by allies of former President Donald Trump were true.

A statement from Fox said the settlement reflected the network’s “continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.”

As I expected in the case of a settlement (post yesterday), the terms of the agreement are secret. Faux gets to proudly and brazenly lie about how great it and its “highest journalistic standards” are. Faux could not care less about allowing “the country to move forward from these issues.” The only acrimony that was relevant was that between Dominion and the fascist Faux trying to protect its revenues, profits and fascist, democracy-crushing agenda. 

Update: Oops, I stand corrected. The Hill is reporting that Faux paid Dominion $787.5 million. I thought that would be kept secret.

Thoughts about normalizing people shooting people

Standing his ground

he feels threatened

I was going to ignore this, but it popped up again today. Now I'm wondering if shooting people for no reason is going to be, or already is, a new norm. In some states, the shooters are protected by stand your ground laws. In other states, shooters are protected by radical fascist Republican politicians hell bent on God only knows what, probably corrupt plutocracy-Christian theocracy. In blue states, maybe the shooters will face jail at least sometimes. Maybe.

The NYT reports on the most recent shooting:

A man in upstate New York was charged with murder on Monday in the killing of a woman who was in a car that mistakenly drove into his driveway, officials said.

The woman and the three friends she was with never got out of the car on Saturday night, Jeffrey J. Murphy, the Washington County sheriff, said at a news conference. They were turning around after realizing their error when the man, Kevin Monahan, 65, stepped out of his house, in Hebron, N.Y., and fired at least two shots at the car, the sheriff said. 

“There was no reason for Mr. Monahan to feel threatened,” Sheriff Murphy said, “especially as it appears the vehicle was leaving.”

What I wanted to ignore was another recent shooting and an older shooting where the shooter will get pardoned. The recent shooting was in Kansas City.

A White 84-year-old homeowner who allegedly shot and wounded Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, after the 16-year-old went to the wrong home to pick up his siblings will face two felony charges, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced early Monday evening.

The impending shooter exoneration is in Texas:

The fate of an Army sergeant Daniel Perry, who was found guilty of fatally shooting a protester at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020, is up in the air as the Texas pardon board reviews the conviction for a possible pardon at the governor’s request and Perry’s attorney pushes for a retrial.

On April 7th, Perry, a 35-year-old active duty sergeant at Fort Hood, was convicted of murder in connection with the death of Garrett Foster, 27, who was killed after Perry shot him during a protest in Austin, Texas, in July 2020. Perry claims he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life after Foster, who was carrying an assault rifle under Florida’s open carry law, allegedly made him feel threatened.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott believes that Perry should be exonerated based on Texas’ stand your ground law, which allows using deadly force to defend yourself if you feel you’re in danger.  

Abbott called for an expedited review of Perry’s conviction on Saturday. “I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry,” Abbott tweeted. “I look forward to approving the Board’s pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk.”

Q: Is it just me, or is people shooting people being normalized, even in blue states?

Useful instructional video: What gunfights are like