CORRUPTION SUCKS BLOG

  Michael Madigan resigns, amid federal corruption investigation, from Illinois House after being ousted as speaker CHICAGO — A half-century after he was first sworn into the Illinois House from Chicago’s Southwest Side, Michael Madigan announced Thursday he would resign at the end of February, a little more than a month after he was deposed by fellow Democrats as the nation’s longest-serving statehouse speaker. In a statement, the embattled 78-year-old lawmaker, ensnarled in a federal corruption investigation, lashed out at his critics as he sought to defend his actions during his 36-year reign as House speaker. “It’s no secret that I have been the target of vicious attacks by people who sought to diminish my many achievements lifting up the working people of Illinois. The fact is, my motivation for holding elected office has never wavered. I have been resolute in my dedication to public serve and integrity, always acting in the interest of the people of Illinois,” he said. Madigan wa

  Chicago police showed ‘confusion and lack of coordination’ that endangered protesters, officers last May, city watchdog concludes in scathing report Facebook witter Email Former Dallas Police Chief David Brown, right speaks to reporters after Mayor Lori Lightfoot, left, nominated him to be Chicago's next police superintendent Thursday, April 2, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP Facebook Twitter Email Print Save CHICAGO – Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago police Superintendent David Brown led a response to protests and looting last spring plagued by “confusion and lack of coordination” that risked the safety of both police and citizens, the city’s watchdog found in a report released Thursday. Inspector General Joseph Ferguson’s lengthy findings listed a litany of shortcomings and inconsistencies at the Chicago Police Department’s command level that manifested themselves in chaos on the street. Police brass lacked plans for mass arrests, leading to people facing charges

ARKANSAS ANTI-SLAPP LAWS: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation ARKANSAS ANTI-SLAPP LAW: Arkansas Code Sections 16-501 - 16-508 A  strategic lawsuit against public participation  ( SLAPP ) is a  lawsuit  intended to  censor ,  intimidate , and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a  legal defense  until they abandon their criticism or opposition. In the typical SLAPP, the  plaintiff  does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. The plaintiff's goals are accomplished if the  defendant  succumbs to fear, intimidation, mounting  legal costs , or simple exhaustion and abandons the criticism. In some cases, repeated frivolous litigation against a defendant may raise the cost of  directors and officers liability insurance  for that party, interfering with an organization's ability to operate. A SLAPP may also intimidate others from participating in the debate. A SLAPP is often preceded by a  legal threat . SLAPPs bring about freedom of speech concerns due to t

Dallas police officer who faces 2 capital murder charges ordered pair of hits in 2017, authorities allege  DALLAS — A Dallas police officer was arrested Thursday on two counts of capital murder after authorities say he ordered the killings of two people in 2017: a 30-year-old woman whose body was recovered in the Trinity River and a 60-year-old man whose remains were never found. The Dallas Morning News obtained an internal memo from police Chief Eddie García, who told the department that Officer Bryan Riser, 36, was in custody. He had not yet been booked in to the Dallas County jail Thursday afternoon, according to a Sheriff’s Department spokesman. It was unclear whether he had an attorney. “This officer’s actions not only tarnished the badge, but it hinders the efforts of those who go out every day to inspire the public confidence and create respect for the law enforcement profession,” García said. Riser, who joined the department in August 2008, is assigned to the South Central patr