Free Republic

The federal sentencing of three ex-Atlanta police officers for the illegal drug raid that left a 92-year-old woman dead closes only one chapter in the tragic case, the Atlanta Police Department said Wednesday. ... Carnes imposed the most severe sentence — 10 years — on Smith, 36, who obtained the illegal, no-knock search warrant allowing officers to batter down Johnston’s door. A terrified Johnston, thinking she was victimized by a home invasion, fired a warning shot through the door. Narcotics officers responded with a hail of gunfire, killing her. ...

The "SAFETEA-LU" federal transportation funding measure signed into law last Wednesday provides millions of dollars for controversial enforcement measures including sobriety checkpoint roadblocks and now automobile seizures. The law adds automobile impoundment and seizure to the list of acceptable "alcohol-impaired driving countermeasures" eligible for federal grant money, which amounted to $40 million in 2003. This allows states to fund driving under the influence (DUI)-related confiscation efforts entirely with federal tax dollars. The DUI grant program began in 1988 as a result of lobbying by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The money is used to entice states to enact tough laws...