Peter Greenspun, the lead lawyer for accused sniper John Muhammed took the police to task for their leaks Wednesday. Greenspun earned high praise from Miami lawyer Roy Black, who selected Greenspun as co-counsel in the Marv Albert biting case a few years back.

"His highest-profile case, though, was representing Marv Albert on charges of forcible sodomy after a woman claimed Albert bit her on the back and forced her to perform oral sex in a hotel room. Albert pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, spent no time in jail and eventually had the conviction wiped from his record. "

"Albert's lead attorney in that case, Roy Black, said he was impressed by Greenspun's work. "We selected him because he was clearly the best criminal defense lawyer in that area of Virginia," Black said. "He's very good thinking on his feet; he's great with a jury."

Black said Greenspun's experience with that trial should prove helpful.

"I wish Greenspun good luck," Black said. "The only thing standing between Muhammad and a lynch mob is Peter Greenspun."

The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners has revoked the license of former prison doctor John J. Napolean who was accused by inmates of sadistic behavior.

The complaints against Napoleon included charges that he doubted a prisoner's chest pains the day before the man suffered a fatal heart attack; suggested in records that an inmate was ''faking'' shortly before he died of a brain tumor; and delayed a prisoner's diagnosis of throat cancer.

An administrative law judge found Napolean had shown "contempt" for inmates in nine instances. The 13 member medical board unanimously agreed in seven of the nine cases, saying "Napoleon saw inmates as a ''sub-class'' undeserving of equal care. "

The Washington Post reports today that Democrats are ready to leave the centrism of the Clinton days behind them and take a turn to the left.

"A decade after Bill Clinton pushed his party toward the center of American politics, inspiring a vibrant movement of "New Democrat" followers in Congress, a liberal resurgence is sweeping the party, threatening to brush centrists to the side. There's little doubt that on issues of trade, gun control and tax cuts, House Democrats are about to take a left turn."

Al Gore, Howard Dean and Bob Kerry are said to be going along for the ride. The lack of support for Frost and Ford in their bids for the House leadership post "shows the strong grip liberals have on the party, especially at the congressional level."

Tom Daschle, described as "left of center" (news to us) in the article, was re-elected as minority leader yesterday.

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on the constitutionality of Megan's laws. Most of the justices appeared largely untroubled by the laws, which vary from state to state but generally publicize names, addresses and photos of convicted sex offenders on the Internet.

At issue are laws in Connecticut and Alaska, neither of which " make individualized determinations before posting names. The cases are Connecticut Department of Public Safety v. John Doe, No. 01-1231, and Otte v. Doe, 01-729. Signaling the Bush administration's interest in defending the laws, Solicitor General Theodore Olson argued as amicus curiae in support of both state laws."

Law Professor Glenn Reynolds ( Instapundit), writing for TechCentral Station today, has some constructive ideas for how we citizens can help prevent and best respond to future terrorist attacks.

We compliment the Professor on coming up with concrete suggestions that can be implemented fairly easily. Too often, we all opine on what's wrong without providing constructive and do-able alternatives. Among his suggestions:

Training and arming citizens in what to be alert for "could be a very valuable last line of defense against terrorism. In almost every instance of terrorism, the true first responders will be the people already on the scene."

Training people in "first aid (especially the specific skills likely to be useful in the aftermath of a terrorist attack), in recognizing the signs of chemical or biological attack, and in various other disaster-recovery skills."

Encouraging people "to carry cameras, or video cameras, and use them in the immediate moments after an attack, when they might gather valuable data."

Prof. Reynolds concludes:

"One of the lessons that we should take from the D.C. sniper attacks is that even a massive law-enforcement presence can't prevent terror attacks, even when it knows they're about to happen. But an informed and prepared citizenry - which, after all, is what stopped "shoebomber" Richard Reid, helped stop Mohammad Hadayet, and kept Flight 93 from smashing into the Capitol, as well as being what actually caught Muhammad and Malvo - can be everywhere. "

If you have some other ideas, feel free to use the comments section below.

Political Wire noted yesterday that Gary Hart has not excluded himself from the 2004 presidential race. It seems newspapers have interpreted his remarks differently.

Here are Hart's comments on FoxWire this past Sunday in response to an inquiry by Host Rita Cosby (Available on Lexis ):

"COSBY: And Senator Hart himself was in the news earlier this week, when one newspaper reported that he was considering running for president in 2004. And one report said that he was not.

Well, I asked him about the two reports, and this is what he had to say.

HART: I think both reports are wrong.

COSBY: The press is wrong? Wait a minute.

HART: Well, the contradictory reports are wrong. I think it's much too early for anyone, particularly including myself, to be talking about presidential races.

I think the voters have, frankly, had enough with the recent election and all the negative campaigning, and all the money that was spent.

So, let's put all that off at least till next year.

COSBY: But does that mean that you would consider running again? That you're not excluding it?

HART: It doesn't - no, it doesn't mean anything. It just means, let's discuss the issues that are on people's minds."

The day before, November 8, Hart answered the question during a national security lecture to college students in Boulder, Colorado, this way: "I don't want to run for office, but I want to make a contribution," he said during a lecture on national security to University of Colorado students.

"I don't have any great need to be in public office, but I don't want to sit on the sidelines either," said Hart"

Some, like the Associated Press, reported "Former Democratic Sen. Gary Hart, whose 1988 presidential campaign was derailed in a sex scandal, has ruled out another run for the White House in 2004," while others took only as meaning he wasn't excluding himself. Seems the latter view is correct. (AP article available on Lexis.)

And on a war with Iraq, Hart is critical of plans to invade Iraq. Here's another q and a session from the same interview with Rita Cosby:

"And in the op-ed you said, "War in Iraq should be initiated only when the United States is fully prepared to deal with the potential serious domestic consequences of undertaking that war."

What do you see as the potential domestic consequences? And do you think we are ready? Are we prepared to go to war?

HART: Well, of course we're not. And the Council on Foreign Relations task force, which issued its report about 10 days to two weeks ago, said this nation is not much better prepared a year after the first attack than we were then.

So we are not prepared for the inevitable retaliatory attacks on this country that will occur when we invade Iraq. It is not possible, it is almost inevitable.

And so, any prudent commander-in-chief or president would not commit forces to Iraq until this country is fully prepared to deal with the consequences of that attack. And I think they will be consequential. "

There's been a lot of discussion this week about financial contributions to bloggers, starting with small-l Libertarian William Quick of Daily Pundit threatening to quit if he doesn't get donations, and Instapundit's agreement with Arthur Silber's article encouraging readers to contribute to bloggers they read regularly.

We agree that when you find a blog that you check in with frequently, either to see what's new or what they are saying, or because you appreciate their point of view and like the way they express it, donations are appropriate.

Our "tip jar" on the left asks for donations. We encourage them. We also really do need a new, lightweight laptop for the road so we can continue to blog and update our newsfeed when we're traveling, which we do quite frequently. So if you're a regular reader or browser of TalkLeft, we hope you will throw in a few bucks. [Or, if you are with IBM or Sony or other computer company, we'll be happy to accept a new laptop and in exchange, we will proudly display your company logo with a hotlink, here and on CrimeLynx.]

Democratic incumbent Tim Johnson, has won the South Dakota senate race by 524 votes. His opponent, Republican Rep. John Thune, will not seek a recount.

We just came across a magazine called JD Jungle. It has an article today by Ted Rose called Road to an Execution, "One hundred and sixty miles and one day stand between you and your client’s death. Now what?". Written like a novel, the article chronicles the day in Florida capital defender Peter Cannon's life that his client was scheduled to be executed.

The magazine also features an interview with Stephen Bright of the Southern Center for Human Rights titled Voice of the Dammed, in which Stephen says you have to be out of your mind to represent death row prisoners--not that he is going to stop. Stephen is a hero to defense lawyers, as he has been defending death row inmates for over two decades.

Stephen's reasons for opposing capital punishment:

"It's morally wrong for people to kill, whether it's the state killing people or whether it's people killing each other. When the United States was a frontier society, we had few alternatives with regard to punishment. If somebody stole your horse, you could shoot them, you could hang them, you could put them in the stocks, you could whip them. Basically, we didn't have the prisons that we have today. And it's interesting that of all those rather primitive forms of punishment, the only one we still have is the death penalty. But even if one didn't have moral objections to the death penalty, consider the fact that so many people get death because of the poor quality of their court-appointed lawyer. Consider the fact that race plays such a role in who's sentenced to death. Or the fact that so many of those sentenced to death are mentally ill, some mentally retarded. Those factors, and the fact that we are surely killing innocent people—all of those are reasons we shouldn't have an irrevocable punishment."

Stephen on George Bush's statement as Governor that he was confident no innocent people had been killed in Texas on his watch:

"Governor Bush—now President Bush—has no idea. I mean, he's been totally disengaged from the criminal justice process. He said that he spent 15 minutes to half an hour thinking about clemency or reprieves and the people who were executed—more than 150 people—over his six years as governor. George Bush has no more idea about the guilt or innocence of the people on death row than the average person reading this magazine does."

JD Jungle is not a death penalty or criminal defense magazine. Aimed mostly at younger lawyers, "our mission is to inform, entertain, and provide our audience with the tools they need to master the art of success."

We liked this article too: Java Justice about "Legal Grind, America’s cutting-edge purveyor of strong caffeinated beverages and storefront legal advice. Founded in 1996 by local attorney Jeff Hughes, Grind provides legal counsel to L.A. residents who might not otherwise have access to such help."

"A chalkboard behind the counter advertises “L.A. Law’ttes” and “Cop’accinos.” Another board offers $200 bankruptcies and $125 wills. The first patron orders black coffee. The next wants a latte and a notarized document. The third is jittery enough without caffeine: She’s here because of a child custody case."

"Visitors to daily “Coffee & Counsel” sessions pay $25 for the chance to ask a lawyer questions and quaff all the free coffee they can (the sessions last 15 minutes). Customers seeking more extensive advice can hire a Legal Grind attorney or seek a referral through the shop. "

The magazine has great graphics, and articles on a wide variety of topics, all conveyed with a spunky attitude. We highly recommend it, and if you are interested in clothes, don't forget to check out their fall "lineup" of suits. We'd wear number four.

The Bush Homeland Security Bill gained support in the Senate today "with GOP leaders embracing the deal and Democrats not standing in the way, the House could approve the legislation as soon as today. The Senate, under Democratic control for several more days, could grant final approval later this week or early next week."

"The agreement would give Bush nearly all the flexibility he sought to bypass civil service rules in hiring, firing and promoting the 170,000 workers from 22 agencies that would be combined into the new department. The president also could waive collective bargaining rights when national security was deemed to be at stake."

"The proposal drew a sharp dissent from the American Federation of Government Employees, the large union of federal workers. "The American public needs to know that the president's so-called compromise . . . is a Trojan horse," said union President Bobby L. Harnage. "It has nothing to do with improving security. All it does is strip federal workers of the right to defend themselves in the workplace."

Sen. John Breaux of Lousiana summed up the centrist's attitude: "the new proposal recognizes political realities while improving earlier White House positions. "This was the best we could get, knowing it would pass" anyway, Breaux said."

Is this resigned attitude what we have to look forward to for the next two years? Once again we say the Dems need to move to the left and get off center field. We are going to become a one-party nation.

This is not from the National Enquirer, but the London Times:

80 Miss World contestants arrived in Nigeria today while Amina Lawal, a 31 year old illiterate woman continued to wait out her fate of death by stoning, imposed by the Nigerian Goverment after finding her guilty of adultery.

Ms. Lawal's baby, the product of the alleged adultery, is now 10 months old. Ms. Lawal is stoic about her fate, being buried up to her neck and then stoned to death, but she worries about her child's future. “I appreciate the sympathy,” she told The London Times, but her immediate concerns are finding medical care for her daughter and wondering whether she will live to see Wasila walk. Unless her second appeal succeeds she will be executed as soon as Wasila is weaned or by 2004, whichever is sooner."

"There are four other cases of women sentenced to be stoned for adultery. There are also 11 children in Sokoto state awaiting amputation for stealing. Ms Lawal’s lawyer, Hauwa Ibrahim, said: “We have heard they are waiting for the amputation machine to arrive.” (our emphasis)

"Ms Ibrahim is a human rights activist who works pro bono defending victims of Sharia. Her first case involved pleading unsuccessfully against a woman’s sentence of 180 lashes for lying and having sex outside marriage."

"The victims have one thing in common: they are poor. They have all, according to aid workers, been used as examples by the court to frighten others into submission. “The rich do exactly the same thing but they are not punished,” said one worker. “One of the judges who tried these women got his girlfriend pregnant. Other members of the Sharia court had daughters who got pregnant. Nothing ever happens to them.”

"The Miss World contest has brought the plight of these victims to the world’s attention, but as Ms Ibrahim, says: “When the contest is finished everyone will go home and we will still be here.”

Dubem Onyiam, Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told the Miss World contestants that no one would be stoned in Nigeria. “Relax and enjoy yourselves,” he said.

Post-script: For those who have the stomach for it, The Times provides another article with a description of the stoning process and it's history. We stopped reading after learning that victim's families are made to watch.

Bill Moyers today on Republican Politics, Then and Now:

For the first time in the memory of anyone alive, the entire federal government -- the Congress, the Executive, the Judiciary -- is united behind a right-wing agenda for which George W. Bush believes he now has a mandate.

That mandate includes the power of the state to force pregnant women to give up control over their own lives.

It includes using the taxing power to transfer wealth from working people to the rich.

It includes giving corporations a free hand to eviscerate the environment and control the regulatory agencies meant to hold them accountable. And it includes secrecy on a scale you cannot imagine. Above all, it means judges with a political agenda appointed for life. If you liked the Supreme Court that put George W. Bush in the White House, you will swoon over what's coming."

Moyers doesn't offer any solutions, but we'd do well to pay attention to the headlights flashing at us.