I have done multiple media appearances this week including the nationally syndicated Mike Gallagher Show, the Lou Desmond Show and the national syndicated Amanda Suffecool Show discussing criminal justice issues. Visit my Substack channel at drcurriemyers.substack.com to view my work!
I release yesterday my new forensic assessment on the Memphis Police Case called the Understanding the Morphology of the Memphis Police Murder, the tragic case of Memphis Police abuse and the casual effects on why it has happened. As a criminologist with years of actual field experience as a law enforcement officer, I have seen the worst of man, and often the best of man. However, the last few decades have been a quick descent into the worst of man. I call this current phenomenon, the Advent of the Feral Man, which I opined on in 2022. Research has shown that mankind can be cruel, but the cruelty must have some sort of root within a person’s own psychopathy, often influence by cruelty, the influence of anti-social authority figures, peer pressure, and other social interactions. The most fundamental reason criminogenic behavior occurs is a lack of faith, family, and formation. Five Memphis police officers have been charged with second-degree murder, among other charges, in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, who died three days after being stopped by the officers for reckless driving. According to the most recent data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the total crime rate in Memphis is 237% higher than the national rate and the violent crime rate in Memphis is 506% higher than the national rate. Memphis was in the Top 13 in Murders by Number Across the United States. Memphis has had a long history of black-on-black crime, going back as far in 2006. Eighty-eight percent of all homicide victims are black. Of those, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) classifies 64 percent of them as “black-on-black” crimes. However, except in cases in which the attackers are unknown, all African American homicides were committed by African Americans. Memphis Police Recruiting is Down. Memphis Police Lowers Police Officer Qualifications. Mob mentality is a large and disorderly crowd of people, especially one bent on riotous or destructive action. American criminals got their first taste of mob violence during the pandemic of 2020 and have developed a new thirst for it. Left unchecked and unsupervised all humans groups can develop mob mentality. The police is no different, especially in specialized units that hare understaff and under duress. It is also apparent that Memphis PD did not have good command and control and direct oversight over their newly formed Scorpion unit, that was design to have an impact on violent crime in the city. And finally police training standards are poor and most often not designed to enhance conflict resolution skills. Law enforcement is a mirror reflection of the society in which it serves, and Memphis is a dangerous place in America with a community out of control, to include their police. And that’s the criminal justice memo for the week.
As a follow up to the Memphis police case, The Memphis Police Department is currently investigating rumors regarding a possible connection between Tyre Nichols and the ex-wife or ex-girlfriend of one of the Memphis cops arrested and charged in Nichols’ death. On Wednesday morning, Newsweek asked the Shelby County district attorney’s office if it is investigating possible rumors connecting Nichols to the ex-girlfriend or ex-wife of former Memphis cop Demetrius Haley. Additionally, Newsweek asked about rumors that Haley sent photos of Nichols to his ex-wife following the violent arrest of the 29-year-old Black man. “All of this is still under investigation. Those are the things, along with the participation of others, that [are] now the subject of our investigation,” a spokesperson for the Shelby County district attorney told Newsweek in response.
A high-profile former lawyer and top Democrat donor who hosted a fundraiser for President Joe Biden is facing prison after being indicted by federal grand juries for allegedly embezzling over $18 million from suffering clients. Tom Girardi, 83, was charged in Los Angeles with five counts of wire fraud and faces a maximum 20-year federal prison sentence, The Justice Department announced. The charges were part of an indictment that accused Girardi of embezzling more than $15 million from clients and using funds to cover his law firm’s payroll and personal expenses. The suspect also stole more than $3 million in settlement funds meant for family members of those who died in a Boeing plane crash off the coast of Indonesia, prosecutors alleged.
California’s Public Carry Laws are about to get a revision with new legislation announced Feb. 1 by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Senator Anthony Portantino. The catalysts for change came after California experienced multiple mass shootings last week and follows the June decision of the US Supreme Court on the license requirement in New York for concealed carry of arms, which mirrored aspects of California’s public carry laws and put them at risk. Senate Bill (SB) 2, updates the processes for obtaining a concealed carry weapon (CCW) license which allows an individual to carry a firearm in public. The new minimum age for getting a CCW license is 21 years. The legislation seeks to ensure only law abiding and responsible individuals are allowed to carry firearms in public. SB 2 will tighten training requirements for firearms. Perhaps the most potent aspect of the legislation is the proposed restrictions on where individuals with CCW licenses would be allowed to carry. The state will determine “sensitive public spaces” as gun-free zones.
Josh Sills, a backup guard for the Philadelphia Eagles, has been charged with one count of rape and an additional count of kidnapping according to Ohio’s state attorney general’s office. The charges stem from a 2019 incident that supposedly occurred when he was a student athlete at West Virginia University. It is not known publicly at this time who the alleged victim is. The NFL placed Sills on the Commissioner Exempt List. A statement from the league read, “Sills may not participate in practices and games or travel with the team while on the Commissioner Exempt List. The matter will be reviewed under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.”
Nearly 300 sexual assaults that were reported to Louisiana State University between October 2021 and September 2022 were closed without disciplinary action, according to the university's latest reports reviewed by Fox News Digital. The university's handling of sexual assault accusations is under a microscope after sophomore Madison Brooks was fatally hit by a car after an alleged rape on Jan. 15, less than two years after a bombshell report by USA Today about LSU's mishandling of sexual assault cases. The newspaper's report, titled "LSU mishandled sexual misconduct complaints against students, including top athletes," was published in November 2020 and forced internal changes, including a voluminous report in 2021.
A hospice care facility has been fined $10,000 after healthcare workers mistakenly declared a woman in their care dead. The woman, according to a report from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, was discovered alive more than two hours later inside a body bag at a funeral home. The 66-year-old woman was admitted to the hospice care unit of Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Urbandale on Dec. 28 “due to senile degeneration of the brain,” the report filed on Wednesday, Feb. 1, states.
Georgia's elected prosecutors could face disciplinary sanctions, removals or easier voter recalls for declining to bring charges for misdemeanors under two bills introduced Thursday. Although one of the bills, which would set up an oversight commission, has failed before, Republicans have reintroduced it as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp criticizes prosecutors for not doing enough to prosecute all crimes — which sets the stage for GOP majorities to take action in 2023. Both House Bill 229 and House Bill 231 are aimed at district attorneys or county solicitor’s general who refuse to prosecute entire categories of crimes. "Voters across the state are begging legislators to address corrupt prosecutors," Rep Joseph Gullett said in a statement Thursday, adding that his motives are not partisan. "While most district attorneys and solicitor generals are hard-working public servants seeking justice for victims, others have sullied and called into question the integrity of our criminal justice system through their unethical behavior."
I am pleased to announce that I am a signatory for Public Safety Solutions for America. Collectively, we have developed four core principles 1) Properly fund the police 2) Focus time and resources on preventing and solving serious crime 3) Focus on evidence-based policies that reduce violent crime, and 4) Enact smart on crime policies like specialty courts and work and educational opportunities for former offenders. You can view more information on endviolentcrime.com.
This is Dr. Currie Myers, America’s Criminologist. Please check out my work on Substack at drcurriemyers.substack.com – Stay safe and have a great week!
Crime, Criminal Justice, and Criminology Update for Feb 3, 2023.