Betsie Gallardo: We're Doing Great So Far, But January 5th Is Key

by: fake consultant

Tue Jan 04, 2011 at 10:11:14 AM MST

When we last met, she was being starved to death, literally, at the direction of the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC), who had decided not only to withhold further treatment for her inoperable cancer, but to withdraw nutritional support as well.

Her adopted mother is fighting to have her discharged from prison so that she can die at home-and the DOC have recommended that she be released.

On December 9th, Florida's Board of Executive Clemency ("the Board") chose to ignore the DOC advice.

Since then, thanks to a whole bunch of outside pressure, things have changed, for the better, which we'll be talking about today.

On January 5th, the Board meets again-and if we do this right, we can bring some closure to this story.  

On Starving In Prison, Or, Who Gets Pardons In Florida?

by: fake consultant

Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 01:25:01 AM MST

In fairness, the State did not decide simply to starve her; instead, the Department of Corrections (DOC) first chose to withhold any further treatment for her inoperable cancer...and then they decided to starve her to death.

Her adopted mother is trying to get her released on humanitarian grounds; the DOC recommended in October that she be allowed to go home and die, the Florida Parole Commission refused.

Governor Charlie Crist chairs the Executive Clemency Board, who could also agree to let her go...and so far, they've also refused to take action.

Funny thing is, the Governor and his Board have been more than willing to step in when other Floridians requested pardons and commutations, even in situations that seemed a lot less dire.

Today, we're going to look at that history-and to be honest, as with many things in the Sunshine State, from the outside...it all looks a bit bizarre.

Good News For Murfreesboro Mosque! Judge Refuses Injunction Against Construction

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Thu Nov 18, 2010 at 07:42:32 AM MST

In Murfreesboro TN, a judge has ruled against a requested injunction against the building of a mosque. This is the same building site that was the victim of apparent arson earlier this year. A local anti-Muslim group filed for an injunction against the mosque on the premise that the County board that approved it had broken its own rules in doing so.  

VETO Arizona's SB 1070

by: Fong

Thu Apr 22, 2010 at 00:10:08 AM MST

I would also like to note the acronym GIITEM for Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission.

From the fact sheet:

1. Requires a reasonable attempt to be made to determine the immigration status of a person during any legitimate contact made by an official or agency of the state or a county, city, town or political subdivision (political subdivision) if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S...

5.Allows a law enforcement officer, without a warrant, to arrest a person if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the U.S...

7.Disallows officials or agencies of the state or political subdivisions from adopting or implementing policies that limit immigration enforcement to less than the full extent permitted by federal law, and allows a person to bring an action in superior court to challenge an official or agency that does so...

8. Requires the court, if there is a judicial finding that an entity has committed a violation, to order any of the following:

  a)that the plaintiff recover court costs and attorney fees;

  b)that the defendant pay a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000 for each day that the policy has remained in effect after the filing of the action.

9. Requires the court to collect and remit the civil penalty to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), which must establish a special subaccount for the monies in the account established for the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission GIITEM appropriation.

14.Directs the person to pay jail costs and an additional assessment of at least $500 for the first violation or at least $1,000 for subsequent offenses...

18.Specifies that it is unlawful, if a motor vehicle is stopped on a street, roadway or highway and blocks or impedes the normal movement of traffic:

  a)for a motor vehicle occupant to attempt to hire or hire and pick up passengers for work at a different location;

  b)for a person to enter the motor vehicle in order to be hired by a motor vehicle occupant and to be transported to work at a different location...

29.  States that it is not entrapment for law enforcement officers or their agents merely to use a ruse or to conceal their identities

30.  Directs employers to keep verification records of their employees' work eligibility through E-Verify.

31.Establishes a class 3 felony for failing to:

  a)verify employment eligibility through E-Verify or

  b)keep records of verifications...