Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Milwaukee CBS-58's Sarah Barwacz brags of passing local residency restriction ordinance

When journalists make news, the results are bad. It is even worse when journalists help pass bad laws then brag about their dumb deeds on social media. So Sarah Barwacz is bragging her "Bottom Line" (or is it bottomfeeder?) investigation uncovered registered citizens are living too close to schools so they worked with the city to pass 2000 foot residency restrictions for the city. Obviously she didn't do her research as she was far to busy posting selfies and bragging on FB. 

Ruining lives is never anything to brag about.

Supposedly this yellow journalist has won awards for her fluff pieces. Perhaps she will win a different award this time-- a Shiitake. 


Bottom Line Update: Sex offender law passes after CBS 58 Investigation
by Sarah Barwacz
Story Created: Jul 22, 2014
Story Updated: Jul 22, 2014 

MILWAUKEE -- Thanks to a CBS 58 Bottom Line Investigation Milwaukee now has a new sex offender ordinance.
CBS 58's Investigative Reporter Sarah Barwacz brought the issue to lawmakers back in May after finding child predators living next to schools, daycare centers, and parks. It was legal for child predators to live next to schools and parks because there was no law against it. Some council members we spoke with felt Milwaukee had become overrun with offenders. After several months of working with lawmakers Tuesday we got a law passed.
Alderman Tony Zielinski says, "I'm very excited, it's been a long standing problem in our community, today we got a major victory for the City of Milwaukee, so I want to thank CBS 58 for working with me to make this legislation a reality." 
Offenders already living in Milwaukee would be grandfathered in but new offenders would have to follow the 2,000 foot rule, restricting them from living next to day care centers, parks, and schools.
But some like Alderman Witkowski from District 13 say some districts will end up with a larger proportion of the sex offenders.
"It is still something that doesn't make the neighborhoods comfortable. With this change, four aldermanic districts that get to bear the burden for the City of Milwaukee."
Milwaukee had more sex offenders because neighboring communities passed residency restrictions while Milwaukee did not. The has one final hurdle, the mayor has to sign it. If he does the law will go into affect in 60 days.


Monday, July 14, 2014

Manassas City cops sought to make child pornography to prosecute child pornography

Prince William Co VA's DA Paul Ebert
I honestly can't write a headline worthy of the insanity that has surrounded this crazy case. Here's the rundown-- A 17 year old boy takes a picture of his penis and sent it to a 15 year old girl (the girl sent naked pics of herself to the boy but was not charged for some reason). The girl's parents call the cops, and the cops charge the 17 year old boy with possession AND manufacturing child porn. It isn't enough we're wasting resources on a such a silly investigation, but a funny thing happened on the way to trial. It seems the police came up with a brilliant idea-- they were going to take the kid to the hospital, give him a shot of something to give him an erection, and take a picture of the boy's erect penis to compare with the photos he sent to his girlfriend. 

Yes, this actually happened:


Foster said the case began when the teen’s 15-year-old girlfriend sent photos of herself to the 17-year-old, who in turn sent her the video in question. The girl has not been charged, and her mother filed a complaint about the boy’s video, Foster said. The male teen was served with petitions from juvenile court in early February, and not arrested, but when the case went to trial in juvenile court in June, Foster said prosecutors forgot to certify that the teen was a juvenile. The case was dismissed, but police immediately obtained new charges and also a search warrant for his home. Police also arrested the teen and took him to juvenile jail, where Foster said they took photos of the teen’s genitals against his will.

The case was set for trial on July 1, where Foster said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Claiborne Richardson told her that her client must either plead guilty or police would obtain another search warrant “for pictures of his erect penis,” for comparison to the evidence from the teen’s cell phone. Foster asked how that would be accomplished and was told that “we just take him down to the hospital, give him a shot and then take the pictures that we need.”

Then, after the story broke, the Manassas City PD released a statement justifying their actions:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Juvenile Sexting Case

On January 23, 2014 Manassas City Police was contacted by a parent of a 15 YOA female juvenile who was sent pornographic videos by a 17 YOA male suspect after repeatedly being told to stop.  Upon further investigating the incident charges of manufacturing and distributing child pornography were brought against the 17 YOA male suspect on January 28, 2014 after consultation with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.  The matter was set for trial on June 4th 2014 where charges were nolle prosqui by a Prince William County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney.

The circumstances on the decision to dismiss charges and bring forward new charges cannot be released at this time due to this incident being an active investigation and involving juveniles.  New charges of manufacturing and distributing child pornography have been brought forward and a court date is pending.

It is not the policy of the Manassas City Police or the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to authorize invasive search procedures of suspects in cases of this nature and no such procedures have been conducted in this case.  Beyond that, neither the Police Department nor the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office discusses evidentiary matters prior to court hearings.

###

Adrienne E. Helms
Crime Prevention Specialist &
Public Information Officer
Manassas City Police Department
9518 Fairview Ave
Manassas, VA 20110

Thankfully the police did not follow up with this crazy warrant (though apparently the case is still being prosecuted). 

The prosecutor, Paul Ebert, has already been on a similar award list, Radley Balko's list of "Worst Prosecutors in America" on The Agitator, a privilege he has had at least three times now. Add a potential Shiitake award to the list. 

By the way, did you know that John Wayne Bobbitt and his demented penis-severing wife Lorena lived in Manassas when she chopped it off?