News Roundup

Matthew Fishman, a sergeant in the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, was shot and killed this week while attempting to serve involuntary commitment papers. He leaves behind a wife and two children, as well as many other friends and family members. Two other deputies were also shot but will survive. The man they were trying to serve shot and killed himself before a SWAT team entered his home. ABC11 has the story here. Read on for more, and less tragic, news.

Garner officer saves newborn’s life. Eleven-day-old Tobias McLean was passing through Garner this week (in the company of his mother, big brother, and great-grandmother) when he stopped breathing. The family immediately pulled over and called 911. Garner Police Department officer Warren Frey was on the scene within minutes and used “chest rubs and back slaps” to get the infant breathing again. The baby is expected to make a full recovery and Officer Frey is in line for an award. WRAL has more here.

Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison. WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to drug charges in Russian court. As Fox News details here, Griner pled guilty to bringing vape cartridges containing cannabis oils into the country, but contended that it was an honest mistake and that she used the cannabis oils legitimately in the United States to treat pain. The United States Department of State has classified Griner as “wrongfully detained,” and has proposed a prisoner swap that would bring Griner back to the United States, though the Russian government has not yet agreed to the deal.

George Soros speaks out on his support of progressive prosecutors. One of the most remarkable developments in the criminal justice system over the past decade or so has been the rise of the “reform prosecutor.” Many of the big-city progressive prosecutors have been elected with financial support from Hungarian-American hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist George Soros. Soros recently posted this essay entitled Why I Support Reform Prosecutors. The topic is obvious from the title. In addition to explaining his reasoning, Soros makes clear that he plans to continue down the same path.

Police departments awash in guns. WRAL has this story about police departments that have seized hundreds, or even thousands, of guns and are running out of storage space. They’re concerned about a 2013 state law (which I wrote about here) that generally prohibits the destruction of seized guns unless a particular gun is damaged, unsafe, or missing a serial number. The departments have the option of selling the guns to a licensed dealer, and the idea behind the bill seems to have been to encourage agencies to be good stewards of valuable public property. However, some agencies are reluctant to put more guns into circulation. The story suggests that some agencies, and perhaps some legislators, would like to take another look at the law.

New edition of Arrest Warrant and Indictment Forms now available. Do you want to stay up to date on suggested charging language for various criminal offenses? If so, you are in luck! The 2022 edition of Arrest Warrant and Indictment Forms has just been released. You can read more about it here and of course, order your own edition. I worked with Jonathan Holbrook and Christopher Tyner on this revision, which contains dozens of new or revised forms. It would make a wonderful holiday gift for a loved one and would add a certain je ne sais quoi to any law office library.