Well, we can put the entire question about whether Judge Barry Williams is an “activist judge” to rest.  This ruling is a direct contradiction to the 5th Amendment and an accused person’s right not to testify in trial.  The state cannot force a defendant to accept immunity.

Officer Porter’s trial ended in a “mistrial” (hung jury); as a consequence, the prosecution has announced their intent to re-try Porter later in the year which means any testimony he gives can/will be used against him at a later trial date; despite the judge saying the prosecution cannot use such testimony – it becomes impossible testimony to parse.

In addition the federal DOJ has previously announced their intentions to investigate/charge based on civil rights violations, so any testimony carries an additional overture of concern with future prosecution.

Judge Barry Williams says he finds himself in “uncharted territory”.  Really?  Not-so-much, the law is very clear on this matter.   It would not be surprising if an appellate court strikes down this judicial decision as clearly outside the bounds of legal authority.

(Via Baltimore Sun ) Baltimore Judge Barry G. Williams ordered that Officer William Porter be compelled to testify at the upcoming trial of a fellow Baltimore Police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray, a ruling Porter’s defense attorneys said they would immediately seek an injunction to block.

Williams said he found himself in “uncharted territory” as he granted Porter a type of immunity that allows his charges to stand but which precludes his testimony from being used against him. Attorneys and legal observers agreed that such a ruling against a co-defendant was a first in Maryland. (more…)

To many of us it might seem like bizarro world, but in Cologne Germany it appears the preferred method of dealing with hoards of Islamist “refugees” attacking the female population is to request the women citizens be more compliant and accepting of societal change… or something.

The female Mayor of Cologne, Hemriette Reker, obviously does not want to face the politically incorrect approach of enforcing laws to prevent the rapey tendencies of their Islamist guests. Preferring instead to address German women with behavioral instructions intended to provide a less offensive sexual assault experience.  Perhaps these instructions could best be considered “the Lara Logan Rules”….

(Via UK Independent) The Mayor of Cologne said today that women should adopt a “code of conduct” to prevent future assault at a crisis meeting following the sexual attack of women by 1000 men on New Year’s eve.

Mayor Henriette Reker attended an emergency meeting with Chief of Police Wolfgang Albers and Wolfgang Wurm to discuss how to deal with the attack, where dozens of women were repeatedly touched and groped, with one case of alleged rape in the center of town.

“It is important to prevent such incidents from ever happening again,” said Mayor Reker, as reported in German by RP Online. “We have heard by now that they [the attacks] have occurred in other cities. This of course is not comforting to us.”

Hamburg also received complaints of sexual assaults. (more…)

FINALLY – Good Legal Advice – Officer Michael Slager did not waive his right to a speedy trial, he invoked it.

However, the Judge denied the request.  Judge Clifton Newman and Lead Prosecutor, Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, have just opened themselves up for increased scrutiny.  Smartly, Officer Michael Slager, through his attorney, requested his constitutional and legal right to a speedy trial be invoked.

According to a local media report Prosecutor Scarlett Wilson filed a 10 page motion to request the defendants’ right to a speedy trial be denied.  As many of you are familiar, when facing malicious and political prosecution the (almost guaranteed) tendency of the State is to delay the trial.  (more…)

It would appear Mayor Stephanie “space-to-destroy” Rawlings-Blake ended up with more human destruction than originally intended; or, perhaps not.

BALTIMORE SUN – Blood was shed in Baltimore at an unprecedented pace in 2015, with mostly young, black men shot to death in a near-daily crush of violence.

On a per-capita basis, the year was the deadliest ever in the city. The year’s tally of 344 homicides was second only to the record 353 in 1993, when Baltimore had about 100,000 more residents.

The killings were on pace with recent years in the early months of 2015 but skyrocketed after the unrest and rioting of late April. In five of the next eight months, killings topped 30 or 40 a month. (more…)

Just when you think the insanity of the moonbats has reached its peak, the professionally aggrieved find a new level of humorless anxiety to push political correctness ever higher.

(Via Daily Caller) The tweet caused a social media uproar, now it’s cost someone their job.

The official Twitter account for the Times Square Ball angered a lot of people with one simple hashtag: #BallLivesMatter.

The tweet was up for about half an hour before being deleted, but the damage was done.

Black Lives Matter activists directed their anger at the account, calling for the head of the person who sent the tweet. The next day they got it. (more…)

Sheesh, you just can’t make this stuff up….  A rally to promote non-violence, ends up in fist-a-cuffs between rival factions.

New Jersey – A skirmish broke out between rival activists on the steps of City Hall Wednesday during what had been intended as a demonstration against violence in Newark.

Police were called to the scene after a small crowd began arguing over escalating violence and the city’s attempts to curb it.

The noon press conference was called by a group of activists led by Salaam Ismial, co-chair of the New Jersey Study Commission on Violence, and Abdul Muhammad, a longtime Newark anti-violence activist. In a release announcing the event, the two said they planned to ask Mayor Ras Baraka to “unleash his quality of life plan in addressing ongoing violence facing Newark residents.” (more…)

The Baltimore prosecution team did not turn over an investigative memo to defense attorneys outlining knowledge of a prior back injury claimed by Freddie Gray.  Defense attorneys now want to explore the previously undisclosed information.

BALTIMORE – Attorneys for Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr. have filed in court an internal police document in which officers wrote that Freddie Gray once complained of a back problem, as part of the defense’s effort to gain access to Gray’s medical records.

The document had been previously sealed, after Judge Barry Williams ruled that prosecutors failed to disclose it to defense attorneys for Officer William G. Porter until his trial was underway last month. Porter’s case ended in a mistrial when jurors failed to reach a verdict. (more…)

The full criminal complaint is included below the article EXCERPT.

NEW YORK NBC – Federal officials in Rochester, New York, have arrested and charged a local man who was allegedly plotting a New Year’s Eve machete attack on diners at a local restaurant in the name of ISIS.

Emanuel Lutchman, 25, an ex-con Muslim convert with mental issues, was charged with attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group, federal prosecutors said.

The FBI says he had pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, wanted to leave to U.S. to live in the caliphate, and was in contact with a reputed ISIS member in Syria — who urged him to kill non-Muslims on the holiday.

“New years [sic] is here soon. Do operations and kill some kuffar,” the overseas contact told him, the court papers allege.

The mayor of Rochester cancelled the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration Thursday so that more police could be deployed to patrol, but officials said there is no information of a credible threat. (more…)

Ben Carson’s campaign manager Barry Bennett, Deputy Campaign Manager Lisa Coen, and Campaign Communications Director stepped down from their posts with the presidential campaign Thursday morning:

[…] “We respect the candidate and we have enjoyed helping him go from far back in the field to top tier status,” Watts said of himself and Bennett in a statement Thursday. “We are proud of our efforts for Dr Carson and we wish him and his campaign the best of luck.”

(more…)

Obviously the black grievance industry is furious at the non-indictment.

(Via ABC ) An Ohio Grand Jury has declined to indict two police officers in the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was shot dead by a Cleveland police officer last year, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said today.

McGinty said he also recommended that no charges be filed. (more…)