Galveston: Murder & carjacking

[seamusTX]

Around 2 a.m. Saturday morning police found the owner of a bakery at 38th and Broadway lying in the parking lot of the business. He later died in the hospital. Apparently he was the victim of a carjacking. His vehicle was found Sunday a few blocks away.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=8970271" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is not a wonderful part of town, particularly at 2 a.m.

- Jim

[jmra]

Very sad. Hope they catch those responsible.

[seamusTX]

On Wednesday Galveston police obtained an arrest warrant on a charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for a Galveston resident. The man's current whereabouts are unknown. He is a 40-year-old black man, described as 6' 1" and 190 pounds.

http://www.khou.com/news/crime/Search-f ... 99641.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1yJKIfy ... r_embedded" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.galvestondailynews.com/news/ ... f6878.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[seamusTX]

The suspect in this case was arrested in Houston. He was denied bail because he is a suspect in other felonies.

http://www.khou.com/news/crime/Person-o ... 17531.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=8996735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Denying bail entirely is (and should be) a rare move.

Remember, all suspects are innocent until proven guilty, even if they have multiple arrests, convictions, indictments, and arrest warrants.

- Jim

[chasfm11]

The suspect in this case was arrested in Houston. He was denied bail because he is a suspect in other felonies.

http://www.khou.com/news/crime/Person-o ... 17531.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=8996735" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Denying bail entirely is (and should be) a rare move.

Remember, all suspects are innocent until proven guilty, even if they have multiple arrests, convictions, indictments, and arrest warrants.

- Jim

I often wonder if they would have multiple arrests and convictions if they served the time, each time, of their original sentence. It must be more clear to me than to the judges and DOJ officials that by the second or third offense for the same crime, a reduced sentence or deferred adjudication is not going to be very effective and that the result is turning an even more hardened criminal back onto society.

I'm one of the misguided soles who also believes stiff penalties with long punishments for gun crimes would go a long way to reducing the number of them. I've never understood giving longer sentences to drug dealers than to people who who commit armed robbery.

Regarding bail, it should be a risk assessment. If the person has been convicted of or is accused of serious multiple crimes, they are a greater risk than a first time offender. If they are in the middle of a one person crime spree as this one seemed to be, a very high bail or no bail at all seems appropriate. I have a lot of problem believing that a person who is accused of multiple different crimes across multiple jurisdictions is simply a victim of circumstances in all of those events.

[seamusTX]

I often wonder if they would have multiple arrests and convictions if they served the time, each time, of their original sentence.

I can't say whether forcing every convicted criminal to serve his full sentence in prison would reduce crime overall. Some continue to commit crimes of various sorts while in prison, and some re-offend immediately after release, even after long sentences.

Also taxpayers have to bear the entire cost of imprisonment.

The argument has been made that the cost of imprisonment would offset the reduced toll in crimes committed, but proving it is not so obvious.

I'm one of the misguided soles who also believes stiff penalties with long punishments for gun crimes would go a long way to reducing the number of them.

Using a weapon in the commission of a crime is an aggravating factor in most cases, and can turn a misdemeanor into a felony. In many places, like Chicago and Washington, D.C., merely possessing a firearm is a felony.

However, this certainly has not eliminated crime, or reduced it below the levels of other places. That is mainly because the morons who commit these crimes cannot understand consequences.

I also question the idea of categorizing "gun crimes" as somehow worse than a child molester or human-shaped a piece of garbage who kicks a baby to death.

Anyway, it's all under the control of elected representatives and judges.

- Jim

[RHenriksen]

I was reading an article recently (cannot remember which/where, sorry) that noted that while Chicago & NYC have *similar* levels of gun control restrictions, NYC is relatively safe these days, whereas Chicago is a bloodbath. The difference, the author contended was that NYC courts would lock you up & throw away the key for a firearms offense, whereas Chicago was revolving-door justice. An example was the thug who shot the 15 year old girl (who performed at the BHO inauguration) was out on parole for other firearms violations (this is from memory, so I may not be 100% on the details).

Worth considering... it's like we pro-2A types tend to say, enforce the existing laws, specifically around criminal *acts*, rather than criminalizing the weapon.

Using a weapon in the commission of a crime is an aggravating factor in most cases, and can turn a misdemeanor into a felony. In many places, like Chicago and Washington, D.C., merely possessing a firearm is a felony.

However, this certainly has not eliminated crime, or reduced it below the levels of other places. That is mainly because the morons who commit these crimes cannot understand consequences.

[seamusTX]

New York City also has all but abolished the fourth amendment. Any pretext for searching a person who looks like he might be carrying a weapon works with the courts.

There is no question that "street crime" and illegal drug use are reduced when the police can search anyone for any or no reason. The USSR and Red China had very low crime rates when they were totalitarian.

- Jim

[RHenriksen]

New York City also has all but abolished the fourth amendment. Any pretext for searching a person who looks like he might be carrying a weapon works with the courts.

There is no question that "street crime" and illegal drug use are reduced when the police can search anyone for any or no reason. The USSR and Red China had very low crime rates when they were totalitarian.

- Jim

True, true, good point. They did tout the stop & frisk policy as part of the reason for NYC's success.

[texanjoker]

Very sad. I wonder if the victim fought back.

[threoh8]

Some continue to commit crimes of various sorts while in prison ...

Thanks for including that. Sometimes we forget that there are people in the prisons who require protection from the criminals. Besides the guards and other employees, there are convicts who are simply trying to serve their time who should be able to do that without being victimized by the savages. There is also the problem of prisoners who run scams from inside the prison, or issue orders for followers on the outside.

I also question the idea of categorizing "gun crimes" as somehow worse than a child molester or human-shaped a piece of garbage who kicks a baby to death.
- Jim

That's something we should consider, especially with the current wave of "gun violence" discussions. Physical "unarmed" assaults often result in death.
Is an ax murderer or a strangler or "knock-out" practicioner less guilty than someone who kills with a firearm? It could be argued that someone who kills with bare hands or improvised weapons is more dangerous because that person cannot truly be disarmed.

Face it. Humans are dangerous.

[seamusTX]

I don't want to get into requiring politically correct speech, but terms like "gun violence" and "gun crime" buy into the notion that these crimes are somehow worse, and if firearms were banned, there would be no crime worse than a slap or shoplifting.

The 9/11 hijackers never picked up a weapon worse than box cutters, as far as we know.

- Jim

[JALLEN]

Also taxpayers have to bear the entire cost of imprisonment.

Maybe it's worth it. Hang the cost! The taxpayers are paying for those hoodlums even when they are out of prison, welfare, dependent children etc.

I remember an incidence probably more than 30 years ago, when I was back home on a visit, and went to see a high school buddy who was then a judge. I had read in the papers that there had been a rash to residential burglaries in the area, some guns had been stolen, now the perps had been caught. One of the victims was my buddy. We were sitting there on his porch looking out over the sun setting on the Texas hill country, striking a blow for liberty, when I asked about it. He took a long pull on his drink and said, "I hope to still be alive when those birds get out of prison." Since we were then still in our thirties, I took this to mean that they would be there a looooooooong time. No unemployment benefits, no "reproductive" allowances, no Section 8, no repeat offenses, just one miserable day after another, year after year.

One way to reduce recidivism is to shoot perps in the commission of a crime, and to encourage law abiding citizens to do just that. My only reservation about the death penalty is getting the wrong guy, but shooting them in the act eliminates that, doesn't it!

[chasfm11]

Also taxpayers have to bear the entire cost of imprisonment.

Maybe it's worth it. Hang the cost! The taxpayers are paying for those hoodlums even when they are out of prison, welfare, dependent children etc.

I remember an incidence probably more than 30 years ago, when I was back home on a visit, and went to see a high school buddy who was then a judge. I had read in the papers that there had been a rash to residential burglaries in the area, some guns had been stolen, now the perps had been caught. One of the victims was my buddy. We were sitting there on his porch looking out over the sun setting on the Texas hill country, striking a blow for liberty, when I asked about it. He took a long pull on his drink and said, "I hope to still be alive when those birds get out of prison." Since we were then still in our thirties, I took this to mean that they would be there a looooooooong time. No unemployment benefits, no "reproductive" allowances, no Section 8, no repeat offenses, just one miserable day after another, year after year.

One way to reduce recidivism is to shoot perps in the commission of a crime, and to encourage law abiding citizens to do just that. My only reservation about the death penalty is getting the wrong guy, but shooting them in the act eliminates that, doesn't it!

Someone heard you.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Homeow ... 53621.html

Pipkins mother, Catherine, said she had been called to the scene by her daughter-in-law and said the crime sounded like something her son would do.

[K.Mooneyham]

Despite the fact that prison is a bad place to go, it seems some folks are "successful" at a career that includes multiple prison stints. I firmly believe that is because they don't work hard when they are there. I know I am one of those cruel people on this topic, but that doesn't hurt my feelings none. Now, I'm not saying everyone in prison should be made to work at the same kind of thing...but the violent offenders should be "breaking big rocks into little rocks, sunup to sundown"...and if they don't like it, too bad, they shouldn't have done what they did to go there in the first place. As a human being, I understand folks make mistakes, but I have a large amount of trouble believing that violently raping a young girl, or robbing someone at gunpoint, is a "mistake".