Somalia Amputations Spread Fear Within

(MOGADISHU-Somalia)A court controlled by Islamic extremists in Mogadishu on Monday sentenced four teens to amputation as punishment for robbery. The verdict said the four young men would lose both an arm and a leg as penalty for the crime. The decision came from al-Shabaab, one of the most powerful insurgent groups in Somalia.

“We have convicted them of theft, so they deserve to have their arms and legs amputated,” said Sheik Abdul Haq, the al-Shabaab judge in Mogadishu.

The young men were convicted of stealing cell phones and guns, but the judge has not set a date for the sentence to be carried out.

Amputations under al-Shabaab are not uncommon, as they follow a strict Sharia law, but are considered rare in the moderate Muslim capital. Many humanitarian groups are reacting to the punishment, considering it to be too cruel for the crime.

A video from NTV Kenya:

Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Program said: “These sentences were ordered by a sham al-Shabab court with no due process or guarantee of fairness.”

Citizens worry that the extremist group is using harsh action to show power and eventually control Somalia, installing a strict Islamic state. A recent surge of violence in the country has sparked the president to declare a state of emergency, hoping it will bring necessary change.

“We are asking the world community to rescue Somali people…We have been trying to solve everything with talks but we realized that they (the rebels) don’t want peace but violence,” said President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.

It is not clear what difference the declaration will make in bringing peace. Somalia has also requested immediate international intervention, but there has not been any indication of help yet.

www.somaliawatch.org

www.religioustolerance.org/islsharia.htm

www.amnestyinternationalusa.org

Reported by Caitlin Tierney caity@eden.rutgers.edu

Strip Search Violates Child’s Rights

WASHINGTON-The United States Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, that a strip search of a 13-year-old female violated the Constitution, in an 8-1 decision.  The student, Savana Redding, was accused of giving prescription strength Ibuprofen to another female student in a Safford, Ariz. public middle school.

The school enforced a zero tolerance drug policy.
Justice David Souter said the search did not violate the fourth amendment. But, the strength of the pills was the equivalent of two Advils and did not justify an embarrassing and frightening search.
School officials ordered Redding to strip to her undergarments. She was ordered to move her undergarments away from her body, exposing herself. The officials did not find any drugs.
The case set off debate about the amount of leeway school officials

should posses regarding enforcing zero tolerance drug policies. Parents were appalled at the intrusive search. Other parents were concerned about the safety of their children.

The decision did not offer schools clear guidance. School officials were told to look at the extent of danger and whether there is good reason to think students concealed drugs in intimate places.
Justice Souter said, “A number of communities have decided that strip searches in schools are never reasonable and have banned them no matter what the facts may be.” New York has completely banned strip searches from their schools.

Justice Clarence Thomas was the only justice that deemed the strip search constitutional. Thomas said, “Redding would not have been the first person to conceal pills in her undergarments,” he wrote. “Nor will she be the last after today’s decision, which announced the safest places to secrete contraband in school.”
Now Redding is 19 years old, and said she is “pretty excited” by the decision. “It makes me feel good,” she said, “that they recognized that it was against my rights and that it most likely won’t happen to anyone else.”
Justice Souter wrote that a search like that undergone by Redding must be supported by more than another student’s accusation. Justice Souter wrote, ““The content of the suspicion failed to match the degree of the intrusion,” particularly given “the nature and limited threat of the specific drugs” at issue.

Reported by Amml Hussein

amml@eden.rutgers.edu

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/savana-redding-strip-sear_n_220717.html

http://www.childrensdefense.org/

https://egov.azdes.gov/CMSInternet/main.aspx?menu=154&id=2030

http://www.city-data.com/city/Safford-Arizona.html

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml

https://egov.azdes.gov/CMSInternet/main.aspx?menu=154&id=2030

Father’s Day Killing

(PENNSYLVANIA, June 22) —62-year-old Monroe County resident fatally shot his son on Father’s Day. Bernard Uckele surrendered and was arrested after a short car pursuit, Sunday morning.

Uckele Family's Jackson Township home

Lieutenant Robert Bartal said Pennsylvania State police received a report of a domestic dispute at the Uckele home at 12:45 a.m. Sunday.

Outside garage where Justin Uckele was found dead

Authorities believe that a family argument led to the death of Justin Uckele. Police believe Justin’s girlfriend had fought with his sister earlier Sunday afternoon and the father had become involved.

“He [Bernard Uckele] had a hot temper. They [Uckele family] definitely fought a lot,” Ben Davis, a neighbor of the family, said after hearing of the incident.

As the fight between the women escalated and the father intervened, Justin returned home from work. Bernard Uckele shot his son with a .44 caliber gun from 3 feet away. When police arrived, they found Justin dead in the garage. His father had fled the scene.

Lieutenant Louis Damelio said, “A description of Bernard Uckele’s vehicle was broadcast over police radios, and state police from Fern Ridge and Swiftwater located him on Route 115. They were able to stop him after a short pursuit wherein he surrendered.”

Bernard Uckele is charged with criminal homicide and fleeing and eluding police. He is being held in Monroe County Correctional Facility without bail.

www.nra.com

www.pacounseling.com

Reported by Eliana Larramendia for elarramenews.com

JAYSON WILLIAMS RETRIAL

(Newark, NJ June 22)  Today in Hunterdon County prosecutors asked for the immediate sentencing of Former New Jersey Nets Center Jayson Williams.  They cite his recent behavior in North Carolina and New York as the reason for this request.  Williams is currently free on bail as he awaits a retrial of his 2004 reckless manslaughter charges.

Hunterdon County Assistant Prosecutor Bennett Barlyn said, “Defendant’s escalating acts of unlawful and aberrant behavior must incur consequences that he has thus far evaded as the clear result of never having been sentenced on his convictions.”

Williams was charged with reckless manslaughter for shooting 55-year old Costas Christofi in 2002 during a party at his mansion.  Additional charges were brought up when witnesses thought they saw Williams wiping his gun and placing it on Christofi’s body.

“I’m ready to close the door on my past and put this horrible chapter behind me,” Williams said.

The trial has been pushed back to January 2010.  It has already been pushed back several times, most notibly in 2007 when an investigator on the prosecution used a racial slur to describe Williams in 2002.

Lead Defense Attorney Joseph Hayden Jr. said, “Mr. Williams is in a good state of mind.  We are confident that the truth in this case will get us the results that we want.”

Williams defense team will maintain that the shooting was an accident in the hopes of setting Williams free.  The prosecution want to see him jailed as he awaits retrial in this case because of his behavior in New York and North Carolina.

 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/the_retrial_of_former_new.html

www.nba.com

 http://jayson-williams-news.newslib.com/story/475-2783903/

http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp

http://depts.washington.edu/lokitup/

Reported by Evan Fitzpatrick  fitz@fitznews.com