Updates

1) Death-faker dude is in custody. Well, he's in the hospital. They found him with a slashed wrist, estimating that if they had found him even an hour later, he would have died from blood loss. He's now been charged with financial crimes in Indiana, he's probably facing charges somewhere for the plane ditch (some kind of reckless endangerment?), and his wife has filed for divorce. This has not been his best week. I find it interesting that he was apparently well-supplied to stay on the run for a while, but once feeling the pressure of actually being on the run, he didn't last very long.

2) The former BART officer who shot and killed the unarmed man in the back has been charged with murder. I don't know enough about California murder statutes to make a good guess about what the exact charge is, but from what little is in this story, it sounds like perhaps it's what we in Kansas would call 2nd degree murder: an intentional murder. (First degree is an intentional murder done with premeditation). Of course I will keep track of this case to see how it all pans out.

Lest you think I'm overjoyed about this charge and will gleefully root for this cop to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law because all cops are evil, let me assure you my defender hat is firmly in place as I read the article. The defendant has invoked his right to silence and so has not met with officers or prosecutors. Of course he has because he's already represented by counsel and any defense attorney worth his/her salt will tell you no defendant ever did him/herself any good by talking to the police. The Alameda County District Attorney seems to lament the fact that the officer received sound legal advice. "In terms of an interview at this point in time, our hands are tied," he said. Gee, I'm so sorry a defendant's invocation of his Constitutional right makes your job so tough.