U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that the Justice Department will avoid charging certain low-level and nonviolent drug offenders with crimes that carry mandatory minimums. The policy shift will enable certain defendants who do have ties to large scale gangs or cartels, to avoid "draconian mandatory minimum sentences."
A federal judge ruled that the New York City Police Department's controversial stop-and-frisk policy violates individuals' constitutional rights because it intentionally discriminates based on race. This marks a significant rebuke to the New York mayor's defense that it is a crime -fighting tool used by police department.
James DiMaggio, the kidnapping and murder suspect sought in a national manhunt, may be armed with improvised or may have rigged his car with them.