In America everyone is supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law. But we've got a growing group, a particular class of defendants entering American courtrooms who I believe need special consideration. They are soldiers returning from war.

Several studies conclude that between 30% to 40% of...

We want police to get dangerous guns off the street, right? Well, they are -- in record numbers. Now the problem is what to do with all those confiscated guns.

A routine traffic stop yields a rifle in plain sight in the back seat of a car driven by...

My Aunt, Wilma Stephens, was a registered nurse working in my pediatrician's office. If I close my eyes I can still see her in her white uniform, red hair and waffle-soled shoes. She was the one I always wanted to see when I was sick. I have a great respect...

From a crime and justice standpoint it's a stupid move to try a terrorist in a civilian court of law. But that's the plan, folks.

Ahmed Ghailani will be the first Guantanamo terror suspect to be brought here and tried in our civilian criminal court system. And that Ghailani will...

Prisoner number 33765-183 walked out of the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas last week. He'd been sentenced to 23 months but he got out a bit early for good behavior. He'll serve the last two months of his sentence in home confinement.

The point is - prisoner number 33765-183...

Come sit down with me. Let's have a chat -- a meaningful and productive chat. You comfortable, you want some tea?

Here's what I'm thinking. With all this change in the air, this idea that we really can shake up the status quo and attack our nation's problems from...

Jim Buckmaster must think we're stupid. He's the C.E.O. of Craigslist the popular and controversial internet classified ad site. Faced with another major public relations disaster, this time the murder of a young woman who reportedly hooked up with her killer via Craigslist, all Buckmaster had to say was, "I...

What if a policeman approached and ordered you to open wide for a DNA mouth swab test? Suppose you were pulled over on suspicion of DWI, check fraud or skipping child support payments and suddenly you found yourself on the business end of a Q-tip. Would you submit or refuse...

Sometimes America seems like an ugly place to live. The Associated Press recently reported that "there were 53 mass shooting deaths in the United States in the past month." Shocking and the details are gruesome. Among the killings was a pair of triple homicides of police officers in California and...

Get ready for a new crime wave to sweep the nation. It may take a while for us to notice, but it will come. It'll be sparked by the billions and billions of economic stimulus dollars being doled out by the federal government. As an understated FBI director Robert Mueller...

I've never been a joiner. As a child I didn't join the Girl Scouts or go out for cheerleader. I would never have considered joining the Math Club or commemorating Save the Earthworm Day. But as I've matured I've come to realize that only when people ban together around a...

It's time again to let some of you get a turn to sound off about what I write in this space.

Every week I examine some crime and justice related topic that captures my attention. You readers don't always agree with my thoughts.

Jose Armas seemed angry about...

Bernard Madoff, a man surrounded by billions of dollars over his long career now has a new number in his life: 61727054 - his inmate number. And it's very likely, at 70 years old, he will be an inmate until the day he dies.

Now that the dust has settled...

Do you have a home computer? You think you're being careful with what you read, save and share from it? Guess what? Chances are you could be a cyber-crime victim just waiting to happen.

As the economy continues to tank criminals are rising to new heights in the number...

How many times have you heard that prostitution is a "victimless" crime?

As the argument usually goes: So what if people choose to engage in sex for money? It's between two consenting adults. The woman volunteers, the man pays. No one gets hurt.

Really?

Tell that to the...

It is a politically incorrect thing to say but I'm going to say it anyway. Mexico is our enemy.

Drug desperadoes are, in effect, running that country now and have rendered the Mexican government nearly impotent. It's gotten so bad, for example, that the Mayor of Juarez has fled...

Our country is built on a foundation of laws designed to keep order in our society. Some of these laws are passed by legislatures; others are society's laws, the ethical and moral laws that guide us.

Two stories playing out in the news these days underscore the importance of...

The Crime beat is often an ugly one to cover. But every once in a while out of the ugliness comes tear jerking hope, even salvation.

The murders occurred in the most unlikely place and among an unlikely people. The congregation of a small church in...

President Barack Obama has fast tracked closing the multi-million dollar American constructed and controlled detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Ok, so now where do all the bad guys go after Gitmo shuts its doors?

It's a question that's long plagued Brigadier General Greg Zanetti who from January 2008...

Everyone knows the economy is on the skids.

Wall Street certainly feels it. Corporations continue to cut jobs. Mom and Pop businesses struggle to stay open. And state and local governments are faced with the cold hard reality that there's just not enough money to go around.

Here's...