Monday, July 07, 2008
A REMINDER ON SOME GOOD INTERNET LEGAL INFORMATION RESOURCES
For access to the "South Carolina Family Law Blog", click here.
For access to a list of publications about Child Custody, click here.
For access to the South Carolina Appellate Cases back to 2000, click here.
For access to the "South Carolina Appellate Law Blogspot," click here.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
MORE THOUGHTS ON TURNING JAILHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE
The article Turning jailhouse to schoolhouse "got us to thinking."
Wouldn't we be better off as a society if Dorchester County Sheriff Ray Nash had spent the "prisoner recreation funds" on literacy programs for "deadbeat dads" rather than on parties for his friends? Wouldn't the children who were not receiving child support have been better off if their "deadbeat dads" had received vocational training while incarcerated so that they could provide for their families upon release? If Sheriff Nash is a Christian as he claims to be, why didn't he use some of the money in the "prisoner recreation fund" to create a non-interest bearing loan program to assist the families of the "deadbeat dads" while they were incarcerated and unable to make child support payments.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
REHABILITATION INSTEAD OF PURE RETRIBUTION
Given our knowledge of "non-profits," we are skeptical about the implication that the program spotlighted in the article Turning the jailhouse to schoolhouse does not cost the taxpayers anything. Because of the nature of the work it does, we suspect that this non-profit, like many others, must rely primarily upon government grants to stay in existence. Still, we commend everyone involved in this program for their vision and their willingness to take a creative approach to problem-solving. In the long run we think this program will save money for the taxpayers just as some other innovative prison programs have saved money. Are you listening Dorchester County Sheriff Ray Nash and Dorchester County Sheriff-elect L. C. Knight?
A.C.L.U. FINALLY OPENS CHARLESTON OFFICE
Click ACLU opens Charleston office to read the article from The Post and Courier. Scroll down the page to read reader comments. Frankly, while we expected some opposition to the A.C.L.U.'s presence in South Carolina, we were surprised both at how misinformed people are regarding this organization and how vitriolic and personal they were in their attacks against it. Still, we predict that unless Dorchester County Council and the Town of Summerville get busy returning "prisoner processing funds" and doing something about some of their gutter service problems that they will be writing some seriously large checks to the A.C.L.U. in the near future. Likewise, we predict that the South Carolina Legislature, the Charleston County School District, and Beaufort County Council will soon be sending some large checks to the A.C.L.U.
Labels: A. C. L. U.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
SC GOVERNOR SANFORD VETOES DNA BILL
The Post and Courier reported:
Read the entire article at Sanford vetoes DNA measure.Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have expanded the use of genetic information in criminal cases, saying collecting DNA samples when suspected felons are arrested is an invasion of privacy.
"We see this legislation as a reach past that very foundation upon which this country was founded," Sanford told legislators in his veto. He called the bill a "further encroachment on our civil liberties and privacy rights."
Labels: DNA
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR IDENTITY THEFT
The Post and Courier reported today in Candidates clash over identity theft claims that "Former newspaper publisher Bill Collins sent out a stinging e-mail Monday blasting former state senator and current Republican nominee Mike Rose for saying Collins' petition drive could lead to identify theft."
We do not understand why Mr. Collins is upset about Mr. Rose's statements. After all, we noted the growing problem of identity theft a year and a half ago in PRIVACY RIGHTS UNDER SIEGE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. And on March 5, 2007 we wrote "The New York Times says, "Think Your Social Security Number Is Secure? Think Again." But, do not take the word of The New York Times. Log on to StolenIDSearch.com to determine if you may be a victim of identity theft. Remember, if you are a divorced parent in South Carolina, your Social Security Number is available on the Internet." Yet nobody chastised us.
The bottom line is this--do not voluntarily provide your Social Security Number to strangers. At least make them steal it off the Internet.
Labels: Identity Theft
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
DNA SAMPLING BILL NOW IN SC GOVERNOR'S HANDS
We thought this was a bad idea then and we think it is a bad idea now. After all, who is going to oversee the destruction of DNA once people are acquitted? And note:
Graham Boyd, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union South Carolina Office, said the provision to take samples upon arrest is a poison pill for a bill that could otherwise do a lot of good.
"The privacy concerns that troubled the governor before have not been cured and in some cases, I think, are even worse," Boyd said.
Boyd said that the bill could mean the state could have thousands of DNA samples on record for innocent people. In 2005, he said, more than 100,000 arrests were made in South Carolina and only 42 percent resulted in convictions.
"The reality of this bill would be that the majority of the people who are arrested shouldn't have their DNA tested," Boyd said.
Labels: DNA
