Sidestepping Statues of Limitation via DNA

There is an aspect of American law which is not often covered in Law-and-Order type shows - the statute of limitations. Most crimes have a length of time in which they must be prosecuted. If the State is unable to try a suspect by that time limit, it is out of luck.

Defense attorneys argue that statues of limitations exist for a reason -- if a person is charged with a crime after too long a period, it may be difficult to defend against the charges. "People’s memories fade" and "witnesses move and can’t be found," Bauer reports at the KC Star.

This is an important protection in our system where any suspect is "presumed innocent until proven guilty". (Please note, capital crimes like murder have no statute of limitations.) But a new disturbing trend is beginning to emerge. Prosecutors looking to get around the law by charging the DNA found in crimes in absence of an actual person. This allows the search for an actual person to go on indefinitely, and effectively removes a critical protection in our legal system.

Human Nature is perplexing, disgusting

Some days, I truly do not understand my fellow man. Consider this story. A woman - either crazy or criminal - drives up to a Burlington Coat Factory in a (fraudulently) rented limousine and announces she has won the lottery and will pay for the purchases of anyone in the store up to $500. People go wild, buying everything in sight. After several thousands of dollars worth of merchandise has been rung up, the people figure out the woman has been lying. She has no money. So what do they do?

By the time employees realized Brown didn't have any cash to pay, police said, she already had taken off in the limo.
That's when angry customers, realizing they weren't getting free coats, began throwing merchandise on the floor and grabbing clothes without paying for them, Nace said.
"Everybody was like, 'I still want my free stuff,' and that started the riot," he said. "It looks like (Hurricane) Katrina went through the store."
Police said they have no way of tracking down the customers who stole items and fled, but they're reviewing surveillance video.

So, person A wrong me, and I feel this gives me the right to take vengeance upon person B. Is it any mystery why this world is so messed up?!

This should also be a cautionary tale for legislators looking to reform Health Care. Remember, people may not thank you for your efforts. In fact, it is likely no matter what you do, they will feel cheated out of the "free stuff" they feel they were promised.

Stupid Criminals

My mother loves the "stupid criminals" features on Jay Leno's show, so she is sure to enjoy this story. An Ohio man had his car stolen, along with his cell phone. A friend, on a whim, sent a text message to the stolen phone pretending to have "hot chicks and drugs". He then sent an address to meet at, which the criminals rushed to reach. The police were there instead. The following has to be my favorite line from the story...

And to make things easier for the officers, the suspects showed up in the stolen car.