Susan McDougal is on Geraldo At Large tonight on Fox.

We'll be on at the end of the show, 9:40 EST discussing Laci Peterson. Geraldo suspects the husband. We think people ought to be slower at rushing to judgment.

Update: Don't miss Media Horse and it's scathing attack on the NY Times Book Reviewer who reviewed Susan's book--they see a libel action coming on behalf of the Clintons and McDougal. You can order her book here.

Two new studies are questioning the viability of a proposal for Gun 'Fingerprinting' . The first study, by the California Department of Justice, concluded that "recording every firearm made and sold in the nation's most populous state could be overwhelming....the number of potential computer matches in the state will be so large as to be impractical," and further, that "a large proportion" of weapons couldn't be recorded, and that each gun's markings change with routine use and can be easily altered.

The report was submitted to the ATF which, not suprisingly, disagreed with it. But it was also submitted to an independent ballistics expert at the National Institute for Forensic Science in Belgium--and their expert agreed with the California study. The Belgian expert concluded that "the system tested was ineffective in a third to two-thirds of test firings," and "the situation worsens as the number of firearms in the database is increased."

Based on the California study and findings of the Belgian expert, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer is expected to tell state lawmakers that "a statewide database for large-scale ballistics comparisons is not currently practical and to recommend more research and development."

Say hello to Balloon Juice who just got a bloglift. He's considered right-wing by most liberals, as he is somewhat hawkish, does not view Bush in an evil light and generally favors international intervention.

But he also matches up with us on a number of issues. Balloon Juice's author, John Cole, tells us,

"I am pro-choice, against the war on drugs and pro-legalization, against the death penalty and mandatory minimums as well as in favor of prison reform and increased rehabilitation, against faith-based initiatives, generally pro-environment while despising most of the environmental groups, and an avowed civil and individual rights supporter (I really appreciate the work you did on the Racine Rave issue). I hate guns but I support the right to own them, and against almost every tax ever proposed."

You can't get too much better than that if you are a liberal crime-related political blog. So you'll find a link to Balloon Juice on the right under "Best of the Other Side."

For anyone not watching football festivities at 5:35 EST, stop by Fox News where we'll be opining about recent events in the Houston trial of dentist Clara Harris, on trial for murder after running over and killing her orthodontist husband in a hotel parking lot (after a physical altercation with his lover in the hotel lobby)-- and in the disappearance of Laci Peterson, who has been missing since December 24 - turns out her husband Scott had been having an affair which the "other woman" has now come forward and acknowledged on national tv. Amber (the "other woman") also said Scott lied to to her and told her he wasn't married.

"Sen. Frank Lautenberg underwent brain surgery Sunday morning related to a skiing accident in Aspen, Colo., a month earlier. Lautenberg, who turned 79 on Thursday, had fallen and hit his head while skiing on Ajax Mountain, said Tim Yehl, a spokesman for the senator. The New Jersey Democrat had had a low-grade headache since then."

He should be back in Washington two days after the procedure. We're impressed that a 79 year old is still skiing --Ajax no less--and glad that his recovery will be so speedy.

Disabled and civil rights groups in Ohio are organizing their protest of Bush judicial nominee Jeffrey Sutton:

The disabled community and civil rights groups are furious that President Bush has nominated to the federal bench a man who they say has worked to weaken federal protections for them. Hundreds of protesters plan a march on Washington followed by an e-mail and phone campaign against Columbus, Ohio lawyer Jeffrey Sutton, who has been named to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati."

For more on why these groups oppose Sutton, see our prior posts here and here.

Singer Billy Joel was flown to a hospital following a car crash on Long Island. He is in stable condition. He was alone in his car and hit a tree.

A news conference will be held in the morning to discuss his condition.

We wish him well.

Update: Joel was released this morning with no comments about his condition. No summonses were issued as a result of the crash and Joel was not given a Breathalyzer test.

Don't miss reading Freedom Row in the New York Times Magazine section today.

"In recent years, DNA evidence has exonerated 123 people in the United States convicted of violent crimes, including 12 who had been on death row. In most of those cases, as with the men photographed on the following pages, the cause of their wrongful conviction was mistaken identification by a victim or eyewitness." "Standard police procedure encourages witnesses to identify suspects through the use of photographs and lineups. This process relies on the assumption of precise visual memory. But through exposure to composite sketches, mug shots, Polaroids and lineups, eyewitness memory can change; victims may think they recognize a face, but it will not necessarily be the face they saw during the commission of the crime."

There are also video clips from "The Innocents," a documentary directed and produced by Taryn Simon, in collaboration with the Innocence Project, featuring interviews with the exonerated prisoners profiled in the magazine.

We wrote an article for non-lawyers explaining wrongful convictions and eyewitness testimony a few years ago that is still available here.

Here's our weekend reading list:

The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk
by Susan McDougal

Buy the Book Today!

Whitewater figure Susan McDougal tells about about her experiences being grilled, then jailed for contempt for refusing to give Ken Starr his smoking gun-and she lays on the horrific details with righteous fury.

Down By the River:
Drugs, Drugs, Money, Murder, and Family
by Charles Bowden

Buy the Book Today!

Acclaimed author and journalist Charles Bowden offers a gripping, very disturbing look at the drug trade and international relations between Mexico and the U.S., seen through the tragic killing of the younger brother of a DEA agent and the subsequent investigation. A dramatic detective story and a biting critique of the U.S. war on drugs.

And, due out Feb. 4, but you can order it now:

What Liberal Media
by Eric Alterman

Buy the Book Today!

Acclaimed author and journalist Eric Alterman's scathing and witty investigation into who really controls the media. Armed with data and in brisk, light-hearted prose, Alterman exposes the fallacy of the vast left-wing conspiracy that never was.

The Hartford Advocate has a spirited attack on what writer Alan Bisbort calls the witch hunt against Peter Townsend[link via Hamster]

"Colin Powell sent strong signals Saturday that the United States would wait until after U.N. arms inspectors in Iraq submitted their report to the U.N. Security Council on Monday before making any decision on whether or not to lead a military coalition against Saddam Hussein."

Is this Bush's way of saving face in light of the paucity of international support for his war plan? In light of his declining approval ratings? In light of the growing opposition to the war by the American public?

We don't really care why he stalls--we just don't want to go to war.

The Sunday Los Angeles Times runs a long and favorable article on Nancy Pelosi, calling her California's Most Powerful Politician.