Endless, Shameless Reefer Madness

In the last week two 'studies' on the effects of marijuana use have been spreading like some sort of agressive disease. This happens every year or so and it seems to always be the same two studies.

The first one proposes the idea that smoking even one joint could raise your risk of developing schizophrenia later in life by an astronomical 40%.
However, if one takes the time to look at actual rates of schizophrenia among the entire world population they will see that the rate has always been around 1% with no real fluctuation. If what the propaganda scientists say was actually true then we would have seen a HUGE jump in the number of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. We have not seen that. Period.

The second one claims a link between marijuana and lung cancer. It states that one joint is as bad as five cigarettes. However, a gentleman by the name of Dr. Donald Tashkin, who for many years worked in cahoots with the DEA to try and prove this theory, recently released a study that that shows smoking marijuana DOES NOT cause lung cancer and may even have some prevantative effects. THC, you see, has lots of anti-cancer properties.. The government has known since the 1970's that this is true.

Both are absolute government sponsored propaganda orgies and quite frankly I am getting a little tired of having to refute the same nonsense studies year after year after year. You'd think they would come up with something new once in a while.

And let me just say that even if both of these studies were the absolute, unvarnished, truth would placing non-violent users of marijuana in a government cage really be the best solution? Sure, you might keep someone from getting lung cancer or schizophrenia from weed....but they'd likely contratc HIV/AIDS and Hep C instead.

Clinton Campaign Copies Cleavage Candidate

There is a fascinating story on CNN right now about something which all of my readers will be intimately familiar with...newspaper media talking about a candidates cleavage. Except this time the candidate is Hillary Clinton Seeking Cleavage Cash instead of Loretta Nall Flashing for Cash.

From CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Few political fundraising e-mails have ever carried the subject header “cleavage,” but White House hopeful Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign sent a solicitation to supporters Friday with the attention-grabbing header in order to decry a recent Washington Post article devoted to the New York Democrat’s chest — and raise campaign cash in the process.

When the two news guys here in Alabama wrote about my clevage I did much the same as Hillary. I immediately figured out a way to raise money with it (see flash for cash ads below) as well as wrote to the newspaper editor who wrote the original column and the editor who provided the picture thanking them for introducing the twins to the rest of Alabama. I don't think Hillary has written a direct response to the Post writer who wrote about her twins...she's welcome to take a page from my letter if she likes.

Here are the flash for cash ads...now free of charge.
Ad 1
Ad 2
Ad 3
(My thanks to Steve Gordon for this flash concept)

I also made up these nifty t-shirts. I figured if the media was going to focus on boobs in the election that the focus should be on the right ones.



My outrageous response to the boob barbs landed me in the international media spotlight. The following is just a sampling of the media coverage I got. People like boobies.

Candidates Get Face Time

USA Today: "Vote Nall Y'all...She's Smokin'!

Alabama Gubernatorial Hopeful Campaigns on Cleavage

Feedback on the Twins

National Media Storm Begins

The Slippery Nipple

Nall on Fox & Friends

Loretta Nall #1 on Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Candidate Talks Issues, Not Good Looks

Nall on NBC 13 News (no video uploaded for this one yet)

Political Levity a Good Thing

Nall Endorsed by Talk Left

WAKA and WVTM Coverage

Nall's Campaign Ads Named "Most Honest" by Brandweek magazine

So, Hillary...if you need any tips on how to get the most bang for your boobs give me a holler...I've always had a thang for Bill anyway.

This is absolutely fascinating for the sheer sameness of it. This isn't the first time mine and Hillary's paths have crossed. Back at the end of the election some asshat wrote an article in which he rants about my campaign and also mentions Hillary Clinton. Funny how things work out sometimes.





hillary clinton cleavage

More on the Jerry Wayne Love case

Yesterday we learned that Judge Karen Hall denied Jerry Wayne Loves motion to withdraw his plea of guilt. I think that was yet another mistake by Judge Hall. This morning there is a more in-depth story in the Huntsville Times about how things played out in court.

Love, 51, of 3202 Overhill St., told Hall during a hearing that he did not understand the consequences of his deal with the prosecutors. He said he followed the advice of his lawyers to avoid a trial.

"I was innocent and I pleaded guilty to something I didn't do," he said. His lawyers "said I wouldn't be able to get a fair trial on these charges. It was a bad deal, but I took the advice of my counsel."

Love pleaded guilty July 9 to the charges involving three of his foster children. In exchange, the prosecution dropped 10 counts of sodomy and three counts of sexual abuse against Love.

Love said Thursday he did not understand that he would be on probation for 15 years; that he would be required to move out of his home near a school, where he has lived for 15 years; that custody of his minor daughter would never be restored; that he would have to go through a sex offender treatment program for two years; and that he would have to pay restitution to the victims.

Nonsense. Plea deals are explained by the lawyers first and then again by the judge to make sure the person entering the plea understands exactly what it entails. Or at least that is the way it is suppossed to be. However, I feel his request should have been granted. If there was enough evidence to make him take a plea deal then surely there was enough evidence to put his ass on trial before a jury of 12 of his peers.

Love, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education,

Wow, I was only joking when I said something relating to him getting a degree in education on Hannity & Colmes. It appears he already has a degree in education. That is downright scary. I wonder if he has ever held a teaching job?

Judge Denies Love's Motion to Withdraw Plea

Love to Testify at 1:30 on Motion to Withdraw Plea

From AL.com

Love to testify in hearing to withdraw guilty plea
Posted by Staff reports July 26, 2007 12:27 PM

Jerry Wayne Love wants to withdraw his guilty plea.Jerry Wayne Love will take the stand at 1:30 p.m. in Circuit Judge Karen Hall's courtroom in an effort to withdraw his earlier guilty plea on three charges of first-degree sodomy involving three of his adopted sons.

Love had earlier pleaded guilty to the three counts and received three 15 year sentences, which were suspended in lieu of five years probation and treatment in a sex offender program. The case got national attention because Love's guilty plea came with no jail time.

He now says that he didn't understand the ramifications of his plea and would like to withdraw it.

--------------

As I stated in an earlier post I sincerely hope they grant this motion so this swine can actually be tried (hopefully by a competent prosecutor) before a jury of his peers. He is an absolute fool to ask for it though. It had to be the best deal in the hsitory of deal making.

Love Tries to Retract His Plea Deal

Huntsville Times

The Huntsville Times is reporting this morning that admitted child sodomizer Jerry Wayne Love went before Judge Karen Hall yesterday with a new attorney to ask Judge Hall to retract his plea of guilty to sodomizing his adopted sons. He claims the plea was an "injustice."

The only injustice in this case is that he isn't in jail. He got the sweetest deal I have ever heard of.

Love, 51, of 3202 Overhill St. appeared in court Wednesday with his new attorney, Barry Abston, to ask Hall to set aside the sentence. Love and his wife appeared to be dejected.

Abston said in court papers that Love's plea was not voluntary because he lacked full knowledge of the nature of the charges and consequences of the plea.

"A withdrawal of the defendant's plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice," the motion said.

The hearing on the motion was postponed because Assistant District Attorney Allison Palmer was unavailable for medical reasons. Hall said she will reschedule the hearing.

I hope Allison Palmer's 'medical reason' is from lack of sleep over her mishandling of this case. I wouldn't be able to sleep either knowing I had let this monster off to prey on another child.

And....Awwwww...the poor molester is dejected. But not as dejected as the kids he raped. This story also says that only three of the four boys the Love's adopted have been removed from their home. WHAT! Why is another child still in the care of these people? Not that I expect DHR to be of any help. After all one of the three boys that got raped was raped again after DHR removed them from the Love home....but why is a child still in that house? I also wonder how old this kid is? Shouldn't Love's probation have included a stipulation that he not be allowed around ANY CHILDREN?

If the judge sets aside the plea then Mr. Love would have to go back on trial...which, in my humble opinion, would not be a bad thing. From what I hear DHR had sexual abuse complaints on this swine for years....but the courts would never convict him so DHR just kept sending him kids to sodomize.

There needs to be an investigation into the actions of DHR in this case, as well as the DA's office for offering that deal and their recommendation that he not serve any jail time and into the Judge for accepting those terms. I understand that our Anti-Child Sex Predator Super Hero Troy King's mandatory minimums do not apply in this case because it was filed before those laws went into effect....but he could still investigate the DA's office and the Judge. However, if this plea is set aside King could step in and prosecute this case thereby taking it out of the hands of the inept idiots who let this man go free. There are those who will no doubt wonder if he would come out any better...especially after the and/or fiasco that recently played out in Autauga Co. But really, could he do worse than what was originally done?


Calling Troy King.........

Bitter Old Punk is Back!

I thought we had lost one of the greatest Alabama blogs out there when Bitter Old Punk vanished from the scene in November. I am thrilled to see that he has started updating his blog again.

Welcome back BoP...I have missed you!

Y'all drop in and show him some love.

Great Discussion on Drug Courts

Rep. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) has posted a great piece about drug courts over at Doc's Political Parlor. I would like to encourage all of my readers to pop in and join the discussion.
Drug Courts Can Reduce Overcrowding.

And thanks Rep. Ward for posting this. I can count on one hand the number of Republicans I actually like and Rep. Ward is one of them. Ron Paul is the other one.

Montgomery School Resource Officer Get's 20 Years in Sex Abuse of Students

Momtgomery Advertiser

Billy Doss, an ex-officer (he was an employee of MPD when all of this occured) with the Montgomery Police Department was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to sexual crimes against under-aged students at the Capitol Heights Junior High School, said circuit court officials.

Doss, a former police corporal and an 18-year veteran of the police department, pled guilty on July 9 to eight different felony counts, which included attempted sodomy, enticing a child for sexual purposes, and sexual abuse of a child, said an official with the Montgomery County Circuit Clerk’s Criminal Division.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Gene Reese sentenced the former law enforcement officer to 20 years for each Class-B felony and 10-years for each Class-C felony.

All of Doss’s sentences will run concurrently, which will make his total jail time in state prison 20 years, said a court official.

Doss resigned as a police officer shortly after he was charged in January with some 9 different sex crimes against children

.
---------------------

So, how come he only got 20 years? Seems like under the mandatory minimum sentences for child sex offenders he should have gotten more. If he had sold any of these kids some weed stolen from the evidence room he would have been given life.

This news story doesn't break down how many times he was charged with B or C and I haven't had time to look it up, but will do so shortly. Two class B felonies would have come up to 20 years minimum. One class C would have been 10 years. He pled guilty to 8 felonies.

The new statutes mandate the following;

Among the significant changes in the new law are mandatory minimum sentences of 20 years in prison for sex offenders convicted of class A felonies and 10 years for class B felonies. These criminals would also be ineligible for probation, split sentences, correctional incentive time for early release, or parole.

Can someone fluent in Alabama legalese help me understand how the sentence for this scum only came out to 20 years? How come we let people, who are admitted child sex predators, outside the walls of prison ever again? Why are they released to walk free among us, to prey on our babies? Why? If we know they did it through forensic evidence, medical evidence, or a plea of guilt then someone please tell me why we ever let them loose?

BTW, questions like this really make me miss Wheeler at Alablawg all that much more. He was always available to explain some legal issue or other to me in my time of need. You are missed....Come back Wheeler!

Calling Troy King

I've just sent the following letter to the editor of the Huntsville Times. Here's hoping they print it.

Dear Editor,

Those readers who keep up with Alabama politics will remember that during the 2005 legislative special session Attorney General Troy King pushed and helped to pass "Tough Sex Offender Laws". He dramatically wore an electronic bracelet around while the legislation was being debated and even has a nifty picture of himself getting his tracking bracelet removed in front of the state house surrounded by children of different races on the official Attorney General website.

But, where is our crime-fighting action figure hero, who spent part of the 2007 legislative session calling for the death penalty for child sex predators, in the case of Jerry Wayne Love, the admitted child sodomizer who was slapped on the wrist and set free to rape again? With not even so much as an electronic monitoring device according to the papers. And not a peep from King's office. Why isn't he all over it? Surely he knows about a case in his state that has been receiving national media attention. Is it because the safety of our children only matter when an election is looming? At the very least he ought to be looking into why the Madison Co. D.A.'s office offered such a sweetheart of a deal to a child sodomizer and why Judge Karen Hall accepted it.

I have asked these questions of Attorney General King's office myself, but to date have received no response. I hope the citizens of Madison Co. will also ask AG King these questions and that they will remember the actions of the D.A.'s office, Judge Karen Hall and Attorney General Troy King come the next election.

Respectfully Submitted for publication,
Loretta Nall

Child Sodomizers Have More Rights than Pot Smokers in Alabama Courts

The case of Jerry Wayne Love has spawned a fascinating discussion over at FlashPoint and has raised very clearly the issue of child rapers being granted more rights than pot smokers in Alabama's court system. I cannot and will not abide that sort of absolute non-sense.

The Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution states the following,

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

Amendment VI (the Sixth Amendment) of the United States Constitution codifies rights related to criminal prosecutions in federal courts. The Supreme Court has ruled that these rights are so fundamental and important that they are protected in state courts by the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Unless of course you are accused of anything drug related. Then the mere word of a confidential informant can be used against you. These people never have to reveal themselves, therefore if you are accused of a drug offense you NEVER GET TO FACE YOUR ACCUSER! That means that in the Alabama criminal justice system an admitted child sodomizer has more rights than a pot smoker who never sodomized anyone at all. How bout them apples folks?

We have literally prioritized non-violent drug use and possession cases above child sex offender cases. No one should be denied their Constitutional rights in a court of law. Not even those accused of raping a child. How come in drug cases the word of confidential informants can be used against a defendant, which is clearly unconstitutional, but the prosecution in the Jerry Wayne Love case could not read aloud the written statements of the children accusing Jerry Wayne Love of raping them? If we are gonna allow the violation of some peoples rights then why not all? Clearly raping a child is a much more serious offense than smoking a joint.

I think we should bar confidential informants from testifying in drug cases. In my transcript from my original trial we were able to prove that no confidential complaints even existed. So, the cops can just sit around and make shit up on pot smokers, and if the pot smokers wind up in court without adaquate defense and a court reporter then the word of the cop that there are confidential informants will be accepted as unassailable truth. They rarely are asked to produce evidence that backs up their claims and if they are asked to by the defense the judge will very often say that the defense is not entitled to see it because it would compromise the identities of said informants. The rights of the accused non-violent plant consumer be damned.

Another interesting issue that this case has brought up is that for years DHR received complaints of sexual abuse and sodomy from the kids in Jerry Wayne Love's care, but they could never convict him...so they just kept sending him kids to take care of. I wonder how many of those kids were removed from homes where there was nothing going on except perhaps the parents liked to smoke a joint after the kids were in bed? That is what they tried to do in my case...remove my kids to foster care...but, I won that battle, too. Think about that. Because of the dumbass laws kids are removed from homes where their parents love and care for them and never abuse them in any way, simply because their parents choose to ingest plant material instead of drinking a beer or a martini. How many of the kids in Jerry Wayne Love's care came from a good home with pot-smoking parents and were then raped by this scum?

I am really hot about this case and about the fact that the rights of child rapists are routinely granted and protected according to the Constitution, but the rights of a pot smoker are tossed away like so much trash. Whether you agree with me or not on the drug issue you must agree that we have to afford ALL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO EVERY DEFENDANT OR AFFORD THEM TO NONE!

I have raised half the money I need to make the trip to Huntsville on Tuesday to observe the actions of Judge Karen Hall. If you would like to help then me raise the other half click here. If you are in the Madison Co. area and wish to attend with me then click here.

Change must come from the people. Join me in changing these terrible, unfair and unconstitutional laws!

How Will These People be Sentenced by Judge Karen Hall?

I have located the docket for Judge Karen Hall for the week July 23, 2007. This is some two weeks after Jerry Wayne Love was allowed to walk out of her courtroom practically a free man. You can view it here. A little further down I break down the numbers of what types of cases are on the docket.

But, first, let me say this. There are only two conclusions we, the public, can come to in the Jerry Wayne Love case and they are

1. Mr. Love is guilty of the crimes with which he was charged with and pled guilty to and should be behind bars for the rest of his life.

or

2. He is an innocent man who had to bargain for his freedom by pleading guilty to crimes he is not in fact guilty of and will now be haunted by a sex offender conviction which he does not deserve for the rest of his life.

Which is it?

Either scenario is completely UNACCEPTABLE in a criminal justice system that proclaims to be fair. The offering of such a sweetheart plea deal by the DA and the acceptance of said plea deal by the judge are indefensible in either scenario.

Here's how the numbers break down for the upcoming July 23 court docket for Judge Karen Hall.

108 total cases on the docket for the week of July 23, 2007.

Drug Cases = 25 of 108 which comes out to around 25% of the total of all the cases.

Non-violent cases which include, driving with a suspended license, driving while license revoked, operating a vehicle without insurance, DUI and so forth = 11 which is a little less than 10% of the total cases

Property Crimes (burgulary, possession of a forged insturment, receiving stolen property, theft by deception, breaking and entering a vehicle... etc...)= 49 or roughly half of the cases on the docket.

Violent Crimes including rape, assault, sexual abuse...= 13 which is close to another 10%

Crimes I am not sure how to classify like indecent exposure, criminal mischief, harassing communications make up another 10 which brings us to 108.

Now the clearance rate for all criminal cases for Madison County in FY2006 was 23% (located at the bottom of page 23 of the pdf document). So, that means that only 23 times in 100 are these cases ever solved and disposed of. I'd wager that the majority of drug cases make up the bulk of the solved rates.

Just think....if we removed drugs from oversight by the criminal justice system, why they could focus at least 25% more resources on real crimes with actual victims and dangerous criminals who need to be removed from society.

I'd really love to be in Judge Hall's courtroom on the 23rd to document how she sentences the defendants coming before her on drug charges. There are also a few cases involving sexual abuse and rape. I'd really like to see how she handles those as compared to how she handled the Jerry Wayne Love case.

To make the trip myself I need to raise money to rent a car. One day rentals usually come to around $52. Gas will be another $40-50. I have a relative I can probably stay with there in Madison Co. so I won't need a hotel room. If you would like to help me raise the money to go hang out in Judge Hall's courtroom next week then CLICK HERE.

Additionally, if there is anyone in Madison Co. or the surrounding area who would like to sit in on this docket and document what happens then please email me. If I can't raise the money then at least I will still be able to get someone in that courtroom with a pen and a piece of paper to write down what is being done. If I can make it I would still like to have anyone interested in this case there with me. Two or more pairs of eyes and ears are always better than one.

How to file a complaint with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission

This morning I have been pouring over the Alabama Canon of Judicial Ethics looking for any violations by Judge Karen Hall in the case of Jerry Wayne Love.

First let me say it is an incredible long shot that the Judicial Inquiry Commission will take any action against Judge Hall. In the complaint I filed four years ago the infractions of the judge were much clearer and I had the evidence and witnesses to back it up. This case is somewhat different. Having said that I still think it is important to file complaints against this judge. Even if they lead to nothing she will be informed that she is being complained about. The more complaints the more she understands that we are most unhappy with her decision to allow a child sodomizer to walk free after tapping his wrist. She did not have to accept this plea deal. So, if you are as angry as I am about this then file a complaint.

Seems to me like the first two Canons may apply in the area of Judge Hall taking contributions from a defenese attorney arguing this case.

CANON 1.
A JUDGE SHOULD UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY.

An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our
society. A judge should participate in establishing, maintaining, and enforcing,
and should himself observe, high standards of conduct so that the integrity and
independence of the judiciary may be preserved. The provisions of this Code
should be construed and applied to further that objective.

Commentary
Deference to the judgments and rulings of courts depends upon public confidence in the integrity and independence of judges. The integrity and independence of judges depends in turn upon their acting without fear or favor. A judiciary of integrity is one in which judges are known for their probity, fairness, honesty, uprightness, and soundness of character. An independent judiciary is one free of inappropriate outside
influences when deciding cases. Although judges should be independent, they must comply with the law, including the provisions of these Canons. Public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary is maintained by the adherence of each judge to this responsibility. Conversely, violation of the Canons diminishes public
confidence in the judiciary and thereby does injury to the system of government under the law. (Commentary adopted 8-25-2004.)

CANON 2.
A JUDGE SHOULD AVOID IMPROPRIETY AND THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY IN ALL HIS ACTIVITIES.

A. A judge should respect and comply with the law and should conduct himself at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

B. A judge should at all times maintain the decorum and temperance befitting his office and should avoid conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the judicial office into disrepute.

C. A judge should not allow his family, social, political, or other relationships to influence his judicial conduct or judgment. He should not lend the prestige of his office to advance the private interests of others; nor should he convey or permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence him.

Commentary

Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges.A judge must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. He must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny. He must, therefore, accept restrictions on his conduct that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen and should do so freely and willingly.

I'd say that even if it is legal for Judges to take money from attorneys that regularly argue cases before them that judges should not do so because it could be inferred that the outcome of a case was based on a political contribution. There is no way to prove it and that leads to erosion of public trust because we can never know.

I also want people to pay attention to the comments on this post over at FlashPoint. Those who have chimed in to defend the actions of the DA's office are beyond the pale. They seem to be stating that a worthless, toothless conviction, via plea deal, was more important for a notch in the Asst. DA's belt than actually getting justice in this case. They are also saying there wasn't enough evidence to convict, which raises the question of why then did they pursue charges? Is this man innocent or guilty? If he is innocent, or they thought he might be, then why pursue him in court? If, on the other hand, he is guilty, as the DA and the judge had to believe he was before accepting the plea then why did they accept it? Is this routine in Madison Co.? This case just doesn't add up no matter how you stack it and I want to get to the bottom of it.

In this post on my blog they go so far as to imply that since I do not reside in Madison Co. then I have no cause to be angry or say anything. What absolute nonsense.

I want to again encourage Alabama citizens to file a complaint with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission, a complaint with Attorney General Troy King and a complaint with The Alabama Bar Association.

There needs to be a very big investigation into just what exactly happened in this case so that we can prevent it from ever happening again.

Snoot and the Birthday Cake

My son turned 15 on the 18th of this month. I can't believe I have a 15 year-old. It really blows my mind.

While I was baking my sons cake Snoot decided to help out. As I was flouring the cake pan he came over and dug out a greasy paper towel I had just deposited in the trash and started to make off with it towards the carpet. I had to run him down, hands covered in flour and forcibly remove it from his jaws. The picture below is the result of that adventure.



Crazy dog! Looks like the dog on Family Guy after he became a drug dog and got addicted to cocaine.

So, Where's Troy King on this one?

Those of you that keep up with Alabama politics will remember that during the 2005 legislative special session Attorney General Troy King pushed and helped to pass "Tough Sex Offender Laws". He dramatically wore an electronic bracelet around while the legislation was being debated and even has a nifty picture of himself getting his tracking bracelet removed in front of the state house surrounded by children of different races.



And the following is from an official AG Office Press Release about the bill.

July 27, 2005

(MONTGOMERY)—Attorney General Troy King thanked the Alabama Legislature today for unanimously approving a strong new Community Notification Act to provide true protection of Alabama families and children from dangerous sex offenders. Yesterday, the Legislature passed the bill drafted and advocated by Attorney General King with the support of law enforcement officers throughout the state. The bill passed 101 to 0 in the House of Representatives and 33 to 0 in the Senate.

"With the passage of this legislation, we have made true our promise to protect the children of Alabama from sex predators," said Attorney General King. "We have taken the old, inadequate law that lulled families into a false sense of security, and we have replaced it with a tough and effective new Community Notification Act that will punish sex offenders and give law enforcement the procedures and tools to track sex offenders and to truly keep Alabama's children safe from these vicious predators."

Among the significant changes in the new law are mandatory minimum sentences of 20 years in prison for sex offenders convicted of class A felonies and 10 years for class B felonies. These criminals would also be ineligible for probation, split sentences, correctional incentive time for early release, or parole.

Other substantive changes under the new Community Notification Act are as follows:

• The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center would be empowered to establish a system of electronic monitoring for sex offenders.

• Sexually violent predators and those who commit class A felony sex offenses against children younger than 12 would be subject to at least 10 years of electronic monitoring after their release.

• Those who commit sex offenses against children under age 12 would be prohibited from working or loitering at or near schools, parks or other areas where children gather.

• All penalties in the Community Notification Act would become class C felonies.

• The new law would extend and clarify those who are covered. Offenders who pleaded "nolo contendere"—not contesting their guilt—to criminal sex offenses in other states would be subject to community notification requirements. It also would cover most offenders convicted under federal laws and in other states without preliminary procedural hearings

• Reporting time periods would be tightened. Sex offenders would have to report to local law enforcement after their release from prison or change of residence within seven days instead of the 30 now allowed. They would have to declare their intended place of residence 45 days before their release from prison, instead of 30. For those who refuse to provide information or give false addresses before their release from prison, the proposed law clarifies the process for re-arresting and criminally charging them.

• In addition to their residence, sex offenders would also have to register to inform local law enforcement of their workplace. They would bear the obligation to biannually verify their residence.

• Sex offenders would be required to possess either a driver's license or identification card that would be marked by the Department of Public Safety to identity them as sex offenders.

If I am reading this press release correctly then it says there are now mandatory minimums and under them Jerry Wayne Love should have been sentenced to a minimum of 60 years on the three Class A sodomy counts, which he plead guilty to, and also be ineligible for probation, split sentences, correctional incentive time for early release, or parole.

Yet he is walking around a free man. I am no lawyer so I won't speculate on what twisted grounds by which this unreality has come about.
But, so much for protecting the children, eh?

I wonder why Troy King's office hasn't commented on this case? Why isn't he all over it? Surely he knows about a case in his state that has been receiving national media attention for over a week....surely!

I'll be contacting Attorney General Kings office today and asking that question and others...Like how could a DA's office offer such an absolute sweetheart of a deal to someone who plead guilty to these horrific crimes against children, especially since we have these new laws he was so gung-ho about during the session? How could a Judge accept such a plea deal? Will he please open an investigation into this case? Surely he will. After all he stepped in and filed an appeal when Judge Bush in Autauga Co. freed a man convicted of possessing child pornography to live in his home where his minor daughter also resides. I'd find it real disappointing if he never made a peep in a far worse case where the child sodomizer will never see jail time at all. That cannot be.

I encourage all of you angry Alabama citizens to write as well and ask him whatever questions you may also have.

Another thing you can do is to file a complaint with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission. The first thing that must be determined is which part of the Canon of Judicial Ethics Judge Hall may have violated. If there are any legal minds out there who would like to help with this project please feel free to chime in. I filed one of these back in 2004 and will post it here as sort of a guide.

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Loretta Nall on The Attack Machine

Yesterday morning Dale Jackson at WVNN Huntsville was kind enough to invite me to be a guest on .

This morning Dale and his staff were generous enough to provide me with a copy of the interview so that those of you who missed it yesterday won't be deprived.

Click here to listen to Loretta Nall on The Attack Machine

Hannity & Colmes Video

Now that I've finally gotten to watch this video I have to say that I am disappointed to some degree. Not in anything I said or did, I feel I did fine in the sliver of time I was given. I will never understand a show format where there is not enough time alloted for a complicated subject. Of course, if you are a guest on to talk about 'rasslin' then they seem to be more than willing to give you half the show. I am not sure if that reflects worse on the American people for watching and wanting that kind of crap or on the networks who feed it to them in the name of profits and ratings.

On the whole I feel it was a successful attempt to point out the outrageous hypocrisy of the drug war by comparing the sentences between child sodomizers and pot smokers and the fact that convicted/admitted child sodomizers can get money for college whereas convicted pot smoker cannot. Also in how the state prioritizes the cases. I am very grateful though for the opportunity to compare these crimes and sentences to a national audience.

When I did the spot on WVNN w/Dale Jackson (which by the way was GREAT...Hannity & Colmes should take a page from his book) this morning Dale asked me why non-violent substance users are so much more highly sought after and prized as opposed to dangerous people like Jerry Wayne Love.

The answer to that question is that the system is financially rewarded for rounding up non-violent drug offenders. It literally depends on non-violent drug offenders to even exist. Without us the whole thing would crash. See, cops get Fed money for drug task forces (BYRNE Grants)...free or reduced cost military gear, they confiscate cars and possessions of drug offenders and prisons get Fed (RSAT) money for drug treatment in prisons. They also get to extort money from offenders through drug courts, court referral, drug education classes, piss tests and probation and parole costs. They do not get any money for imprisoning child sodomizers and the number of people who sodomize children as compared to the number of peaceful citizens who like to smoke a joint once in a while, are extremely low, so there is little chance they can extort them to the same astronomical proportions.

Because of this failed war on drugs, assistant DA's waste enormous amounts of time tracking toxicology reports on pot cases and taking pleas and revoking people on dirty urines or inability to pay court costs. ( these people make up 35% of Birmingham's arrestees) ,when instead , they could be preparing the essential evidence that really makes a solid case against the really dangerous people, so they don't have to plea cases down to get a conviction . In short....there is no real incentive to go after child sodomizers...there's no money in it for the system and it involves actual work to prove a case like that.

So, you see, it isn't about public safety at all. That should give everyone who reads this post pause. Is this really how we want our justice system to operate?

A couple more things. I want to share some of the email I received from a Huntsville attorney yesterday who has argued cases before Judge Karen Hall. I will not reveal my source on the condition on anonymity. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the statements made, but feel it gives a great deal more insight into how this outcome may have come about. I asked specifically about how Judge Hall handles drug cases and here is what my contact had to say.

I believe Judge Hall to be an outstanding Judge, and honestly, one of the strictest on crimes against children, as well as drug crimes.

Her common practice on drug cases is to drug test the defendant just prior to taking a plea and if they are positive, then making a decision based on their prior contact with the system as to whether she will take the deal worked out with the District Attorney. For the most part, she allows a sincere effort at rehabilitation (treatment) on a first time drug offender. But she has little patience for repeat offenders.

These are some of the more important points that this contact thought the public should be aware of in this case.

Some points that I think are important:

* If these young men are in the foster care system, then who made the decision on their behalf to accept this deal? The policy of the DA's Office here is that on violent or sexual crimes, the victim or the guardian of the victim must agree to any plea offers made by a prosecutor. Even if the young men were consulted, they are not in a position to make such a serious decision. Perhaps their Guardian Ad Litem should have been consulted.

* Judge Hall is a very strict judge. That is why it is so out of character for her to have approved this plea agreement. The only explanation is that there were representations made to her by the DA's Office that would lead her to believe that the Defendant may have walked out with no conviction. This is a fault of the prosecutor, and goes back to her preparedness on this case.

* While Judge Hall did have the final decision, the blame rests primarily on the shoulders of the DA's Office. There is no check and balance system in place for Tim Morgan to make sure this doesn't happen.

I agree with everything except the judge being less complicit than the DA. The final decision whether to accept that plea agreement rested with the Judge. She was the final hope for justice for these kids and she failed in her duty in a way so big that I cannot think of a word that adaquately sums it up.

Dale from WVNN asked me this morning what I was going to do about this case since I have something of a high public profile. The first thing I am going to do is file a complaint with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission. I'll be working on that today and will post it when I am done so that others who have never done that before will have a sort of guide. I have a 1-0 track record for getting judges held accountable for their actions....and that is a better track record than most. If people file complaints then an investigation will ensue into this judge and this case.

I will also file a complaint with the Alabama Bar Association and I do not think it unreasonable to also file a formal complaint with Attorney General Troy King's office asking him to investigate why the DA's in this case offered such a sweetheart deal to a child sodomizer. It seems to me that with King all hot after the death penalty for child molesters that he would jump all over this case and rectify this horrible miscarrage of justice. I think it would certainly earn him points with the people of Alabama.

That's my rant. What do you think?

Nall to be a Guest on WVNN Wednesday 7:30 AM

The feedback from the Hannity and Colmes appearance tonight has been very good so far. I haven't seen the piece yet and therefore will reserve any in-depth analysis. My general feeling is that is was good overall.

I wish there had been more time to discuss some other things that I found out about this case today....but the Hannity and Colmes format doesn't really allow for that.....unless of course you are talking about 'rasslin'.....then thre seems to be plenty of time.

I came by some new information today via a Huntsville attorney who regularly tries cases before Judge Hall. I'll be on talk radio at 7:30 A.M. CST in the morning at WVNN Huntsville on the Dale Jackson show talking in much more detail about this case and the new information. You can listen live HERE.

.

Hannity and Holmes Confirmed for Tonight!

My appearance on the Hannity & Colmes show for tonight to discuss the Jerry Wayne Love case has been confirmed. My segment will air around 8:30 PM central time. Please tune into Fox News Channel (cable) to watch the show.

Curiouser and Curiouser

Did a $500 contribution from one of Jerry Wayne Love's defense attorney's to Judge Karen Hall during her 2006 campaign buy a child raper's freedom?

Brian over at FlashPoint is reporting that Judge Karen Hall who released admitted child raper Jerry Wayne Love accepted a $500 campaign contribution from one of Love's defense attorneys in the last election.

If this turns out to be true, then Judge Hall should have recused herself from the case. And from the looks of things Brian has posted on his blog it is true. The SoS campaign contribution forms indicate that it is true, although it looks as if the attorney's name is mis-spelled.

I wonder if there is some way to get the plea deal overturned and re-try Mr. Love on these charges. Seeing as how the prosecution was all in favor of letting this scum go free to rape another child I doubt a second trial would come out much differently.

Loretta Nall to Be on Hannity & Colmes

I got an email from one of the producers at The Hannity & Colmes Show asking me to be a guest on their segment covering the Jerry Wayne Love case.

Some of you will remember last week an unordained preacher in Madison County named Jerry Wayne love pleaded guilty to First Degree Sodomy of his three adopted sons, over the course of years, and was set free to molest again. Apparently, the folks at Hannity and Colmes came across my blog post on this story and asked me to be a guest. I think the discussion will be about sentences for non-violent drug offenders vs. sentences for child rapers. A fascinating and enthralling topic for national public debate.

It was originally scheduled for tonight, but the logistics weren't doable so it has been tentatively rescheduled for tomorrow night, July 17, at 9 pm on FOX. That could change at any time. The news moves fast and sometimes these things get bumped at the last minute. I'll keep everyone posted.

In the meantime I thought we would look at the laws that pertain to this case and compare them with laws that pertain to drug offenses.

First, though, I'd like to thank Brian at FlashPoint for directing us to the Judge in this case's bio which reads:

Prior to serving as circuit judge, she was a Madison County District Judge and an Assistant District Attorney. She served as the Division Chief in the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Unit from 1989 to 1993 and prosecuted only violent crimes from 1994 to 1996.

How bout that friends and neighors? And, as if that weren't bad enough, the child raper and his wife were named "Adoptive Parents of the Year" shortly after adopting the boys in the 1990's.

Let's have a gander at the laws, shall we?

Child Rapists vs. Pot Smokers in the Alabama Judicial System

Section 13A-6-63 of the Alabama Criminal Code

Sodomy in the first degree.

(a) A person commits the crime of sodomy in the first degree if:

(1) He engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another person by forcible compulsion; or

(2) He engages in deviate sexual intercourse with a person who is incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated; or

(3) He, being 16 years old or older, engages in deviate sexual intercourse with a person who is less than 12 years old.

(b) Sodomy in the first degree is a Class A felony.

Section 13A-6-66 of the Alabama Code

Sexual abuse in the first degree.
(a) A person commits the crime of sexual abuse in the first degree if:

(1) He subjects another person to sexual contact by forcible compulsion; or

(2) He subjects another person to sexual contact who is incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated.

(b) Sexual abuse in the first degree is a Class C felony.

First degree possession of marijuana is also a Class C felony in Alabama and is defined by Section 13A-12-213 of the Alabama Code as follows:

Unlawful possession of marihuana in the first degree.

(a) A person commits the crime of unlawful possession of marihuana in the first degree if, except as otherwise authorized:

(1) He possesses marihuana for other than personal use; or

(2) He possesses marihuana for his personal use only after having been previously convicted of unlawful possession of marihuana in the second degree or unlawful possession of marihuana for his personal use only.

(b) Unlawful possession of marihuana in the first degree is a Class C felony.

Alabama Code states:

A Class A felony is punishable for life or not more than 99 years or less than 10 years

A Class C felony is according to Alabama Code punishable by

(3)Not more than 10 years or less than 1 year and 1 day.
------------------

One of my major issues with this case is that First Degree Sodomy and Sexual Abuse of a child should be at the very least both be Class A felonies and not Class C felonies. If you are convicted or plead guilty to either of those crimes you should never be let out of prison. Not ever. In some cases, I think the death penalty should apply although, the vindictive side of me thinks to impose general population on child rapers is a much more just sentence. Death is not near enough suffering for them. It's too easy and too quick. In the case of Jerry Wayne Love I wonder if he would still believe in the "Do Unto Others" mantra after he found himself being done unto by others as he had done unto his adopted sons? That, my friends, would be justice.

Why we continue to let people like this guy and Joseph Duncan who kidnapped and sexually tortured two Idaho children, (later killing one of them) after shooting their family walk free while we keep people like Douglas Lamar Gray a Vietnam vet with an artifical leg in prison for life for buying a pound of pot from an undercover cop is one thing I will never understand.

This case also highlights the fact that, in Alabama at least, there is no mandatory minimum sentence for raping a child, but there is a mandatory minimum sentence for all felony drug convictions. We as a society have designated non-violent drug offenses that do not involve hurting children in any way as more important and more deserving of harsh punishment than people who sexually prey on our children. How much sense does that make? Why did we do it? How do we change it?

Another interesting thing the compariosn of these two topics brings up is, the fact that a child raper can get out of prison (if indeed they are ever sent at all) and still be eligible for federal student financial aid in the form of a pell grant whereas someone convicted of simple possession of marijuana cannot. So, we'll educate an evil child molester (bet he studies elementary/special education) but not someone convicted of having anything to do with a plant. Hmmmmmm.....

I'll be posting more on this later on as I research and prepare for tomorrow's Hannity and Colmes appearance. I invite my readers to leave commentary on this topic as it will help me flesh out my remarks and please tune in to FOX News tomorrow night at 9 pm Central time to watch the show.

Tell Congress to Support Medical Marijuana

Friends,

For the past five years I have been actively engaged in supporting medical marijuana, doing both grassroots organizing on the state level and supporting other national efforts to get our elected officials to pass laws that will protect patients and their caregivers from arrest and prosecution under state and federal law for recommending and using marijuana as medicine.

The pro-medical marijuana Hinchey amendment is expected to happen this week. With the 2005 Supreme Court ruling having placed the issue squarely back in Congress's court -- and with the next opportunity for such a vote likely not to be until next year -- it is crucial that positive progress in the number of members of Congress voting for medical marijuana be shown. This means that your help is needed.

Please visit Stop the Drug War today to contact Congress in support of the Hinchey amendment, and please forward this appeal as widely as you can -- this is one of the most important votes on drug policy reform taking place in 2007.

If you wish to send your own personal letter instead of the pre-written at the above link or wish to call your elected official there here is that information. Phone calls are vitally important.


Residents of Alabama are represented in Congress by 7 Representatives.

Representative Jo Bonner (R - 01)
202-225-4931 202-225-0562
http://bonner.house.gov/HoR/AL01/Contact+Jo/Email+Jo/

Representative Terry Everett (R - 02)
202-225-2901 202-225-8913
http://www.house.gov/formeverett/IMA/zipauth.html

Representative Mike Rogers (R - 03)
202-225-3261 202-226-8485
http://www.house.gov/mike-rogers/contact/index.shtml

Representative Robert B. Aderholt (R - 04)
202-225-4876 202-225-5587
http://aderholt.house.gov/?sectionid=59§iontree=559

Representative Bud Cramer, Jr. (D - 05)
202-225-4801 202-225-4392
http://cramer.house.gov/NR/exeres/3AFBDAAF-1015-4C72-95FC-474743BC67C2.htm

Representative Spencer Bachus (R - 06)
202-225-4921 202-225-2082
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Representative Artur Davis (D - 07)
202-225-2665 202-226-9567
http://www.house.gov/arturdavis/zipauth.shtml

Here are some shots of me engaged in past efforts to get Congress to pass this amendment. These are from a rally held on the steps of the Cannon House Bldg. in DC in 2005.



Congressman Ron Paul is in attendance in this shot. First head on the left. Congressman Paul has co-sponsored this bill every year that it has been brought before the US House.


I believe in the following photo we were all on our way to FORMER Congressman Mark Souder's office to tell him what we thought of him.


This one is of me lobbying Congressman Mike Rogers for suport of this amendment in 2004. He has so far refused to support this bill while giving no real reason for his NO vote.


And finally, this is one of me protesting Judge Judith Retchin after she sentenced quadrepelgic/ventilator dependant Jonathan Magbie to 10 days in jail for medical marijuana. Mr. Magbie drowned in his own fluid over a periof of ten days while being denied medical care. Please take the time to do a Google search on Jonathan Magbie to better understand why we need medical marijuana laws in this country.

Alabama Invests in Treatment

An article in today's Birmingham News says that, Alabama will nearly double spending for drug and alcohol treatment over the next year.

I rejoice to see this change in attitude from our elected officials. Taxpayers across the state should rejoice as well, because spending money on treatment instead of incarceration pays off in the long run. Here are some statistics from other states that have taken a treatment approach.

Arizona

In 1996, Arizonans voted in favor of Proposition 200, the Drug Medicalization Prevention and Control Act of 1996, which sends first and second time non-violent drug offenders to treatment rather than incarceration. According to a recent report conducted by the Supreme Court of Arizona, Proposition 200 saved Arizona taxpayers $6.7 million in 1999. In addition, 62% of probationers successfully completed the drug treatment ordered by the court.

California

In November 2000, 61 percent of California voters passed Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000 (SACPA), an initiative aimed at rehabilitating rather than incarcerating non-violent drug possession offenders. Under SACPA, certain persons convicted of non-violent drug possession offenses are given an opportunity to receive community-based drug treatment in lieu of incarceration.

In 2000, the independent Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) predicted that by treating rather than incarcerating low level drug offenders, SACPA would save California taxpayers approximately $1.5 billion over the next five years and prevent the need for a new prison slated for construction, avoiding an expenditure of approximately $500 million. LAO estimated that SACPA would annually divert as many as 36,000 probationers and parolees from incarceration into community-based treatment.

Already, progress reports show that tens of thousands of offenders have been placed in community-based treatment instead of jail thereby improving public health and saving the state hundreds of thousands of dollars. Regulation of treatment facilities has resulted in increased quality and accountability for hundreds of treatment programs, and the overall capacity of these facilities has increased.

To access the full text of the initiative, as well as media coverage and a progress report on the initiative, please see the prop36.org.

Maryland

Maryland's new treatment law immediately diverts several thousand prisoners into drug treatment, saving the state's taxpayers millions of dollars a year in the process. It also provides $3 million in additional funding for treatment and gives judges new discretion in sentencing.

Washington DC

In November 2002, an overwhelming 78 percent of DC voters passed the drug treatment initiative, Measure 62. Under Measure 62 the city will provide substance abuse treatment instead of conviction or imprisonment to non-violent defendants charged with illegal possession or use of drugs (except those drugs classified as Schedule I); provide a plan for rehabilitation to individuals accepted for substance abuse treatment; and provide for dismissal of legal proceedings for defendants upon successful completion of the treatment program.

Additional Resources
"Poor Prescription: The Costs of Imprisoning Drug Offenders in the United States," The Justice Policy Institute, 2000.

"Drug Use and Justice: An Examination of California Drug Policy Enforcement," The Justice Policy Institute, 2002.

"Cutting Correctly: New Prison Policies for Times of Fiscal Crisis," The Justice Policy Institute, 2003.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study, 1997.

Everything with Treatment vs. Incarceration is not roses, however. What is likely to happen here in Alabama is that forced government treatment becomes more focused on extorting money from poor people by dangling the threat of imprisonment over their heads. Treatment beds will be filled with non-violent marijuana offenders, who in the majority of cases have no signs of addiction and do not need treatment. These marijuana offenders will take up beds for people with real drug problems, like those addicted to pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, meth, and cocaine/crack cocaine.

Why will this happen? Because, marijuana consumers are more plentiful than all other illicit drug users combined. If we removed harmless pot smokers from the drug war equation, why then, there'd be no drug war.

The Garden and the Girls

Got a few shots of the garden and the girls this morning and thought I would share.

The Girls




Some weird fungus growing in my yard.


Canteloupe


Watermelon


Zinnias

Granny meets Snoot

My mom and brother came down this morning so that I could take my brother to a VA appointment in Tuscaloosa. Mom doesn't like to drive on anything but two lane roads and would gladly stick to dirt roads if she could figure out a way to get from point A to point B in her daily traveling requirements. Since my older sister is the same way and my other older brother is in prison, it generally falls to me to do the driving in 'big cities' when someone in my family has business in one. I don't mind if I have the time to do it.

It was the first time either of them had been down since I got Saul back before Christmas last year. They have heard me talk about him a great deal though and I was anxiously anticipating the introduction.

Now, my mom is a tiny woman. I know that may be difficult for you to believe, considering my massive girth, but my mama don't weight 110 pounds soaking wet. Unfortunately, she failed to pass that gene on to any of her children. We all came out built like a dumptruck, which is the shape and mentality of my biological father. Mom is also a scaredy cat, who did pass on her fear of large unknown dogs and water to me.

When they beeped the horn this morning to let me know they were here I put Snoot in his kennel. I have only had a few other strange people in the house since he came to live with us and the last introduction did not go all that well. Snoot is incredibly protective of me and strangers drive him nuts. He is very standoffish and jumpy. I have to put a drop cloth over his kennel, like he is a bird, and even then he sits in his cage and woofs quietly and growls low. The last time it took him half an hour to quit pretending he was going to eat my guests up, and even then he would not go near her and wanted to gnosh down on her adult son who was with her. Snoot likes the ladies but says to hell with the men. He eventually came around to my friend Penny and after a couple of hours he allowed her to pet him and come in and out of the house without threatening to gobble her up.

So, this morning I was determined to introduce the dog I talk about so much to my family. Mom was sitting on the couch looking like a bunny ready to bolt. Snoot was growling and barking and snarling and just putting on a big show. He is such an attention whore. I gave him the drop cloth treatment until everyone got in and settled down.

I told my mom I wanted her and John to meet the newest member of the Nall family and she got pale and said, "Oh Lord Loretta I don't know...what if he bites me?"
I said, "Mom I would never let my dog bite you, he has never bitten anyone on purpose and he even loves to lick the little kitties out back when he is out on his walks. He only looks and sounds mean...unless you actually try to hurt me or one of the kids and then he would eat you alive." Mom said, "No, I don't want you to let him out I'm scared of big ol mean dogs like that. Law me, just look at them teeth on that dog!"

I want to say here that I love the old timey saying my mom has used all her life like , "Law me", "Heavens to Betsy", "I'll swunney" (which I take to mean I'll be damned") and "Good Gravy". Mom also say "rurnt" for ruined and many other very colorful, almost forgotten Southern expressions that, in my book, are absolutely pricless and need desperately to be preserved. They are part of our heritage.

It was the kids that convinced her to finally allow me to open the kennel door. I sat down beside her and Snoot walked out calmly, came right over to mom, sniffed her hand and gave her the most gentle lick you ever saw.

She fell in love with him instantly. In a matter of minutes she was feeding him cheese. She was scared to do that at first. She broke off a small piece and held it out, but as soon as she saw that huge mouth full of razor sharp teeth coming at her she jerked her hand back. I told her to just hold steady and she would never even feel his teeth when he took the cheese. She followed my instructions and Snoot very obligingly took the cheese from her fingers with a simple tounge swipe. My Mom said, "Why, Loretta, he's as gentle as a lamb!" She immediately said she how much she wanted one. "Oh he's so purty Loretta. Me and John need us one of these."

I promised her the pick of the litter when I breed him in a few years. I would dearly love for my mother to have such a loyal and devoted companion as a German Shepherd. I would feel safer knowing one was residing in her house. I can just see her tiny self with a huge, spoiled, dog willing to eat up anyone who threatened her, attached to a leash in her hand. I can also see how having one would benefit my ailing brother by getting him out of the house every day for brief periods, providing loyal companionship, loads of wholesome entertainment and just plain company. That, in fact, is exactly what they need. I know my mom would never be able to shoot a gun at another person should that situation ever arise...but, with a dog like mine she would never have to make that decision in that situation.

Snoot was also very gentle with my brother John, who is in extremely poor health. He even allowed John to pet him and love on him some, which is unheard of for him and strange males. He sensed that John was very sick and was completely submissive around him.

I was shocked! Really shocked.

I wanted to see how far I could take this new side of my dog so I told Snoot, "Give Granny a kiss." And he promptly proceeded to lick her glasses clean off her face, which elicited school-girl giggles from my mom. "Oh Loretta, I love him!"

That, my friends, is something I never thought I would see or hear from my mama.

German Shepherds RULE!!! And so does my mama!

Help Send an Alabama Blogger to Yearly Kos

I am reposting this from Left in Alabama, not because I am a devoted leftee, although I am sometimes accused of it, but because I think it is important to help anyone who wants to get rid of Jeff Sessions. Help this kid out if you can.

Most of y'all know Trent Thompson from his posts and comments here at Left In Alabama. He is also the founder and proprietor of Sack Sessions, and no doubt Jeff Sessions knows him as a sharp pain in the rear end. Through his blogging, Trent has already contributed a lot to progressive politics in Alabama, and, no doubt about it, he'll contribute even more in the future. But right now, Trent needs some support from the rest of us.

From August 2nd-5th, Democratic bloggers and politicos from across the country will be meeting in Chicago for the 2nd Annual Yearly Kos Convention. This is "the" political gathering of the year. The only thing keeping Trent Thompson from attending is a shortage of funds.
I'm asking you, will you please contribute toward our goal of $1000 to send Trent to Chicago and put a roof over his head while he's there? There is no doubt in my mind that we will see a big return on the investment in this talented young blogger. Donate via this link or click ChipIn! at the right. These are secure links for processing your credit card donation.

At YearlyKos Trent will hear the latest on key issues like global warming, rural organizing, the military, faith in American politics and more. Your support will help him build relationships with bloggers from across the country and find out how they are working with other groups, candidates, and mainstream media outlets. He wll bring that knowledge back and put it to use in improving Alabama.

I know we aren't all flush, and I'm not asking you to send the money for the baby's milk or the rent money. But any amount you can chip in will help Trent, and he will return the favor by writing more wonderful things and doing wonderful things for Alabama next year and in the future. Who knows, we may still be able to Sack Sessions in the 2008 cycle.
Thank you for your willingness to chip in and fund this investment in progressive politics in Alabama. Don't give 'til it hurts, but please give 'til it feels good. This is an investment in the future.

Moulton Man says Lawrence County Inmates Being Starved

Associated Press

MOULTON, Ala. (AP) -- A Moulton man who has brought meals to Lawrence County Jail inmates on holidays in recent years says they are being starved with a calorie-deficient diet.

"When we treat a three-legged dog in Decatur better than a human being, we need to take a look at ourselves," said Wallace Graham.

Sheriff Gene Mitchell, who feeds the jail population on an allowance of $1.75 a day per inmate, disputed Graham's claims, saying he began offering a healthy diet after taking office in January.

But a menu Mitchell provided for county commissioners included pinto beans and mashed potatoes for both lunch and supper and a fried wiener as the day's only meat. The Decatur Daily reported Tuesday that it provides only about 1,600 calories, excluding beverages, and would be low for a dieting woman.

----------------------

Now, before any of you say, "Well they're in jail what do you want a seven course meal?" let me just say...Shut Up!

Yes, they are in jail for whatever reason, but that is no reason to give them bad nutrition. Bad nutrition leads to major health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bad dental problems, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and so on. And guess what....when these people are in jail, WE the TAXPAYERS have to foot the bill for their healthcare. It would make much more sense to feed them a balanced diet on the front end and reduce healthcare costs on the back end.

Also, who the hell can eat on $1.75 a day? Can you eat a balanced diet on that kind of stipend? I can't. We have a prison farm or two in Alabama....how come none of the vegetables being grown are being utilized in the prison kitchens? We have a cattle farm...how come these folks aren't getting beef once in a while? A friend weiner? Cholesterol bomb, acid bomb, fat bomb. My god I would be an anorexic if I ever got sent to prison.

I hope this one goes to general population

Montgomery School Cop Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Offenses

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A former Montgomery police corporal has pleaded to sex-related crimes that involved four junior high school students. 46-year-old Billy Doss, a former school resource officer at Capitol Heights Junior High School, entered a plea deal Monday in circuit court. He pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges of enticing a child, attempted sodomy and sex abuse.

Doss was originally charged with 11 counts involving sexual activity or attempted sex activity with the four students. He was an 18 year police veteran who resigned in January.

A judge set a July 20th sentencing date for Doss.
---------------

I'm close to advocating the death penalty for this scum....but I think a much more fitting punishment would be to turn him out in general population of any of Alabama's fine penal institutions. Prisoners hate child molesters and they hate cops. I'm not sure which one they hate worse....they're probably about equal, no?

If I were the judge and had the power to decide which fine prison he would be sent to then he'd be packing his bags for Holman. He'd also have a one-way, non-refundable ticket. I'd never let him out.

Unfortunately, Alabama's prison's are stuffed full of non-violent offenders ranging from harmless pot smokers to worthless check writers so, there probably isn't any room at the inn. I bet he gets probation and counseling.

Alabama Child Molester WALKS FREE!

A Madison County preacher has plead guilty to sodomizing his adopted sons but will serve NO TIME according to NewsFlash.

An unordained preacher who pleaded guilty today to three felony charges of first-degree sodomy in the repeated sexual abuse of three of his adopted children will not serve any time in prison.

Circuit Judge Karen Hall sentenced Jerry Wayne Love to 15 years on each charge to be served one after the other. But she accepted prosecutors' recommendation and ordered Love to spend five years on probation and undergo treatment in a sex offender program.

Love, 51, of 3202 Overhill St., pleaded guilty to charges of sodomizing three young boys he and his wife adopted. In exchange, the prosecution dropped 10 counts of sodomy and three counts of sexual abuse against Love.

The boys were adopted in the 1990s shortly before Love and his wife were named as adoptive parents of the year by the Madison County Department of Human of Resources, officials said.

The boys now are 13, 14 and 16.

Assistant District Attorney Allison Palmer told Circuit Judge Karen Hall that Love had abused the boys multiple times over several years.

Fred Sharp, an investigator with the Huntsville Police Department, said he was contacted by school officials in 2003 after one of the boys told a counselor Love had molested him. Two younger boys came forward in 2006, Sharp said.

Palmer said Love molested one of the boys after DHR had removed the child from Love's home.

I've got a very serious problem with a sick mother fucker like this getting off with NO PRISON TIME! The state of Alabama tried for 5 years to imprison me for writing a letter to the editor for expressing an opinion about the failure of the drug war. If he had given the kids a joint he would be serving years and years. But, hey, he can fuck the daylights out of these underage boys and WALK FREE? What gives? What kind of society punishes people with major prison time for enjoying a plant in the privacy of their own home....without ever forcing anyone to partake in said plant against their will....but lets a goddamn ADMITTED CHILD MOLESTER WALK FREE? In my perfect world he would never again see the light of day.

Think I am kidding about how things work out in Alabama when it comes to child molesters vs. pot smokers/sellers? In the great state of Alabama a person cinvicted of a first degree marijuana possession offense on average serves 6 years and one month in prison while a person convicted of molesting a child only serves 5 on average. Look it up.

Metallica Singer Detained for "Taliban Beard"

These people seriously need to get a grip.

Yahoo Music News

Metallica singer James Hetfield was investigated by UK airport officials who believed he was a terrorist this week, it has been claimed. The star was barred entry to Luton airport on Thursday and questioned by staff who were concerned about his appearance. Fears that Hetfield might be involved in terrorism were apparently founded on his "Taliban-like beard", according to The Times. He was allowed to leave the airport after a brief interrogation, when he persuaded officials that he was a rock star. Metallica play Live Earth at Wembley Stadium in London tomorrow, before headlining the venue for their own show on Sunday evening