A survey of more than 100 retired NY police officials say they were pressured into fudging stats to make it appear crime was going down.

The totals for those seven so-called major index crimes are provided to the F.B.I., whose reports on crime trends have been used by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and his predecessor, Rudolph W. Giuliani, to favorably compare New York to other cities and to portray it as a profoundly safer place, an assessment that the summary does not contradict.

In Georgia, criminal defense attorney Mark Shelnutt, who was acquitted of 40 counts of money laundering, aiding a drug conspiracy, bribery and false statements, is suing the Government, using the Hyde Act, to recover his attorneys fees. What a nightmare the feds put this lawyer through, the article is just chilling.

The Third Circuit, which will be the first in the country to decide whether the Government must show probable cause before getting an order to obtain cell-site locator records, is finally going to hear oral arguments on Thursday. This is a really big deal, and not just for criminal defendants. Among those in the case: the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy & Technology and the American Civil Liberties Union.[More...]

Andrew Young has been held in contempt for not turning over the Edwards-Hunter video of a personal nature....no punishment, he gets a few more days to "purge" himself. A copy of the tape has been turned over to the FBI. Court orders here.

Charlie Sheen's Mercedes was stolen from his garage in LA and found wrecked at the bottom of a canyon. Same thing happened to a Bentley and two other luxury cars last night. Sheen quips, "It was nice to have police come to my house and for once I didn't have to leave with them." He and his wife will appear in court in Aspen Monday. Sheen will be charged and the judge will address the modification of the protective order.

The stand-off between the LAPD and the LA District Attorneys' office over the perp walk police were insisting on when Dr. Conrad Murray appears in court for the expected involuntary manslaughter charge in Michael Jackson's death is over. Conrad will get to voluntarily surrender Monday. More from the New York Times.

Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell on American Idol? I sure hope not.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Although Seantrel Henderson's commitment to USC may be up in the air, Lane Kiffin is not stopping in the recruiting wars. He just got a verbal commit from a 13 year old.

The latest unemployment news. At this point, it is hard to figure out what it all means. Meteor Blades tries to explain it.

The Super Bowl is Sunday. The Colts are 4 1/2 point favorites (Over/Under is 56.5.). The fun betting propositions in the Super Bowl are the prop bets. For example, I like Heads in the coin toss. We'll be posting a full rundown of the game this weekend.

This is an Open Thread.

It's dinner night with the TL kid. I'm cooking red chili made with buffalo instead of ground beef, and cornbread. Paired with an arugula and strawberry salad and guacamole and pita chips. I should have thought of making margaritas, but I didn't, so it's gin and tonics. Does anyone else drink Hendricks gin? When I was the TL kid's age, Beefeater's just was fine. Somehow he found Hendrick's and I have to agree, it tastes better. (Can't do Bombay Saphire-- I start sneezing within five minutes, maybe it has too much juniper, which I'm allergic to?)

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

The big story of the day - the Florida Gators college football recruiting class. Florida got the #1 class. Texas and Alabama followed.

The premiere of the final season of Lost did a great number. (American Idol of course is the #1 show on TV. I have not even watched an episode in years personally.) As for the Lost episodes themselves, I am intrigued but thought there was a lot of filler in the episode. I think now that the set up is taken care of for Season 6, it should be great.

BTW, I have stopped writing about the health bill because there is nothing left to say. IF the bill is to be passed, for better or worse, the Senate Dems have to deliver a reconciliation fix, especially of the excise tax. Everyone knows it. Do the Dems n the Senate want to do it? If they do, it will pass. If they don't, it won't. It is the Senate's call. And only their call.

This is an Open Thread.

It's a jail day for me. At least it's a beautiful day for the hour's drive through the foothills to get there.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Jeralyn noted this morning that President Obama submits a proposed budget to the Congress tomorrow.

Here's my question - who the hell does Obama think he is submitting proposals to the Congress? Doesn't he know he is infringing the separation of powers? Everyone knows a President has no power over the Congress. Right?

This is an Open Thread.

The results of the ABA 2009 top 100 legal blog awards are in. Thanks to everyone who voted for us, we are the winner in the criminal justice category.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Tonight is the final night of the X Games . ESPN will have live coverage at 7pm MT (as soon as the basketball game ends.) The schedule:

• 7:00 pm: Snowboard Big Air Elimination
• 7:30 pm: Snowboard SuperPipe Women's Final
• 8:30 pm: Snowboard Big Air Final

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

At Sports Left, Jeralyn is writing about the X-Games, and I am writing about the Senior Bowl (a/k/a the Time Tebow Bowl) and the Australian Open.

Coming up, a riff on Bill Simmons' latest colum and his newly refined Levels of Losing.

This is an Open Thread.

The Winter X Games continue in Aspen tonight. You can watch on ESPN, starting at 9pm ET.

Today's events: Skiing SuperPipe Women's Final, Snowmobile Best Trick, Skiing Big Air, Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Final. More here.

For those of you following other things, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

BTD is on a plane this afternoon, and I'm busy at work. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Update: From the Feb. 2010 issue of Reason Magazine: Radley Balko on The Forfeiture Racket: "Police and prosecutors won't give up their license to steal."