Category: Crime, Corrections, Law Enforcement
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The Cost of Criminal Justice Reform
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Examining the projected costs of criminal justice reform enacted by the 2020 Special Session may be a bit of old news, but I think it is still useful. The General Assembly has appropriated $27.2 million for the current biennium to support its criminal justice reform initiatives. If one includes the additional $800,000…
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Update: Herring Hands Stoney Contract Investigation to State Police
by James A. Bacon Attorney General Mark Herring has authorized the Virginia State Police to investigate Mayor Levar Stoney’s circumvention of procurement protocols to award a $1.8 million Confederate statue-removal contract to a campaign contributor, reports Virginia Public Media. The investigation, requested by Kim Gray, Richmond City Councilwoman and rival candidate for Richmond mayor, had been…
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Northam Proposes Legal Marijuana in Va Within Two Years
by DJ Rippert Ralph Reefer. On Wednesday the Northam Administration unveiled legislation to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Virginia. The legislation will be introduced by House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth. Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, and Del. Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth. Northam took up the cause…
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Is Abolition of Life Without Parole Next?
by Hans Bader Governor Ralph Northam and other Democratic Party leaders are backing legislation to abolish the death penalty. But that’s not all. A newly submitted bill would abolish life sentences without parole, even for serial killers and those who once would have been sentenced to death. The powerful head of the state senate’s Courts of…
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Dems Seek to Abolish Virginia Death Penalty
by Hans Bader Virginia’s governor and the head of a key legislative subcommittee are backing legislation to abolish the death penalty in Virginia and overturn existing death sentences. In theory, the death penalty could save lives by deterring people from committing murder. Several studies found that it deters killings of innocent people. As the Associated…
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Legislative Persistence and Character
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Twenty years ago, a senior member of the House of Delegates introduced a bill to abolish the death penalty. The introduction of such legislation was unusual in itself; even more unusual was the patron: Frank Hargrove, a Republican delegate from Hanover County. Hargrove, who had been in the General Assembly for 18…
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Northam’s Good Move: End Executions
By Peter Galuszka Governor Ralph Northam will propose legislation to ban executions in the state. The move could end decades of systemic racism in the criminal justice system. “I’ve strongly about this for a long time,” he was quoted as saying. The bill will be taken up by the General Assembly, which met in its…
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Welcome to the Foxhole
by James C. Sherlock I just posted this response to a relative who asked me to read a post by a left wing professor blaming Q’Anon for the violence in the capitol. I read the article. I haven’t read enough of (name of the author) to characterize him, so I won’t. I will, however address…
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COVID, Urban Flight, and Rural Revival
by James A. Bacon In announcing the creation of three new conservation easements in Henrico County, a recent press release from the Capital Region Land Conservancy made an eye-catching statement. The easements, said the Conservancy, act as a bulwark against rising pressure to develop agricultural land across Virginia “driven most recently by shifts in COVID-era…
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You Were Warned
By Peter Galuszka Here are some posts over the past year warning of what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. https://www.baconsrebellion.com/is-a-mighty-storm-coming/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-new-face-of-virginias-gop/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-plot-to-nab-northam/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-very-real-threat-of-boogaloo/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-real-danger-with-antifa/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/notes-from-the-right-wing-echo-chamber/ One other note: One Trump rioter was photographed holding a bunch of white flex cuff handcuffs, presumably to restrain Nancy Pelosi, Mike Pence and others. It reminded me…
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Murder Rate Rose by 37% in U.S. Cities In 2020
by Hans Bader Murders have skyrocketed this year, as local governments have become softer on crime. In the 57 major cities for which data is available, the murder rate is up an average of 36.7%. Murder went up in 51 cities, and down in only six cities. Murder is up 74.1% in Seattle, 72.3% in…
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Where Has the ACLU Been?
by Kerry Dougherty Gosh, I’m getting old. I’m old enough to remember when the ACLU — the American Civil Liberties Union — cared about constitutional rights. You know, the civil liberties of ordinary decent people. No more. As best I can tell, this far-left organization has been largely indifferent over the past 10 months as…
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Shopping Mall Melee
by Kerry Dougherty As a rule, I pay scant attention to social media rumors. But a video clip circulating Sunday on Facebook showing a nasty altercation at Lynnhaven Mall appears to be authentic. The rampage was bad enough that the mall was reportedly forced to close early Saturday night. Not good. The footage shows a…
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Bacon Bits: What Happens In Fairfax Should Stay in Fairfax
Get out of jail free. Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve T. Descano formally announced Monday that his office will no longer seek cash bail, claiming that it exacerbates inequalities between rich and poor, reports The Washington Post. Poor people find it harder to post bail and end up languishing behind bars until trial. Sometimes they…
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Biting the Hand
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Earlier this week, the governor had a ceremonial signing for the Marcus David Peters bill. This is the legislation that establishes a system to alert authorities of someone in a mental health crisis in order that mental health professionals can respond rather than just police. It is named after a young Richmond…