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| NYT-Guns and Jeers Used by Gangs to Buy Silence |
| 2005-01-16 |
| EFL HT Captain's Quarters BOSTON, Jan. 15 - In Boston, a witness to a shooting by a member of a street gang recently found copies of his grand jury testimony taped to all the doors in the housing project where he lives. In Baltimore, Rickey Prince, a 17-year-old who witnessed a gang murder and agreed to testify against the killer, was shot in the back of the head a few days after a prosecutor read Mr. Prince's name aloud in a packed courtroom. And in each city, CD's and DVD's titled "Stop Snitching" have surfaced, naming some people street gangs suspect of being witnesses against them and warning that those who cooperate with the police will be killed. To underscore its message, the Baltimore DVD shows what appears to be three dead bodies on its back cover above the words "snitch prevention." "Witness intimidation has become so pervasive that it is ruining the public's faith in the criminal justice system to protect them," said Judge John M. Glynn of Baltimore City Circuit Court. "We are not much better off than the legal system in Mexico or Colombia or some other sad places." Prosecutors say the need for protection is critical. Daniel Conley, the district attorney for Suffolk County, Mass., which includes Boston, said his prosecutors had seen intimidation in more than 90 percent of cases in the past two years that involved guns, gangs or serious violence. But gang members have become more brazen, too, Mr. Conley said. In Boston last month, at a trial of two gang members accused of killing a 10-year-old girl, some spectators came to the courtroom wearing T-shirts that said "Stop Snitching." Remember the story about the Boston gang, MS-13, having links to al-Qaeda? And now we see these instructional videos in supoport of witness suppression showing up in our cities. I'm beginning to think there may be more dots to connect in the news soon. |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #7 Thanks Moose, real interresting. |
| Posted by: TomAnon 2005-01-16 8:26:52 PM |
| #6 Probably a severe shortage of pissed-off judges in Blue America. Maybe even a shortage of judges with the stones to follow such a rational course, in Blue America. Methinks Blue America will screw itself - this will proliferate via emulation with the publicity it receives (a snowball effect) if not stomped on, hard and early. Successful strategies are always emulated - even among the bad guys. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-16 8:25:16 PM |
| #5 The tried and true method of dealing with exactly this situation is the injuction. A single judge can enjoin every member of the gang, and even their families, from doing *anything* gang-related, or even walking down the sidewalk, talking on a phone, associating with anyone else under the injunction, even physically being in a particular neighborhood. The best part is that any violation AT ALL is "contempt of court", which does not require a grand jury indictment OR a jury trial--just standing right back in front of the judge who issued the injunction to determine his guilt or innocence. Usually "guilty", to serve 1 year less 1 day in jail. Such injuctions are such a burden to a gang that it breaks it up. Often gangsters spend one day "out" then go back for another year less a day. Injunctions can run for pages in length, prohibiting just about any mischief they could possibly get into. And it's usually just the cops word against theirs, in front of the pissed-off judge. It is the nuclear weapon of anti-gang control. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-01-16 8:19:08 PM |
| #4 Dirty Harry, anyone? It's time to let the cops use Lethal Force as needed. |
| Posted by: leaddog2 2005-01-16 8:16:56 PM |
| #3 Massachusetts ya say? Home of Democrats - defenders of the downtrodden? Feh |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-01-16 8:10:44 PM |
| #2 Baltimore... Check, Blue state, very represive gun laws. |
| Posted by: TomAnon 2005-01-16 8:06:07 PM |
| #1 This will only proliferate or take root where the population has been disarmed. Boston: check. The Blue States reap what they sew. Poor Mr Prince. Victim of a Prosecutor seeking political advantage to match his low IQ and even lower ethical qoutient. And victim of a locale where the citizens can't even protect themselves without breaking the law. I dunno if there is any foreign connection, but it's not necessary, as far as I'm concerned. Situations like this call for preventative measures - and that's not what the Police (or Feds) are trained or equipped to do. The people must have their own personal means of deterrence and protection - or become vigilantes. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-16 7:58:42 PM |