Adult businesses and anyone else with a vested interest in law enforcement will likely be watching, now that the Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether to overturn its controversial Miranda decision of the 1960s. One prominent law enforcement spokesman, though, urges the court to leave the decision alone. Former New York police commissioner William Bratton says all fears that the original ruling hampers proper law enforcement are groundless. "Miranda presents a simple and direct guideline for police," he writes in a syndicated column. "It is a necessary control on the possible excesses of police actions. Officers generally perform better when the rules are clear and the expectations are unambiguous. The criminals did not win by the implementation of Miranda; society won as the delicate balance between the needs of law enforcement and the constitutional rights of those accused of crime were respected." Bratton says that even after Miranda warnings are given, eighty percent of those in custody still agree to talk to police officers. He says well-trained officers, detectives, and supervisors can work with the ruling's mandates and "stay in conformity" with decisions on its usage. "The law is supposed to be predictable for all people. It is critical that the law is also predictable for those who are charged with its enforcement." Miranda was first thrown into doubt in 1999, when the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Congress had all but overturned the ruling with a 1968 law. The Clinton Administration is arguing to leave Miranda alone, but opponents argue the ruling actually lets a few too many criminals off.
SEATTLE - She was convicted of child rape for a relationship with a former student who fathered two of her children, but Mary Kay Letourneau may earn royalties from books, films, and interviews, according to a ruling from the state Court of Appeals. The court overturned sentencing criteria imposed by a judge and ruled Letourneau can't be barred from selling her story as part of her sentence. The appellate court also said Letourneau could visit her six children without supervision. The 38-year-old teacher is serving 7.5 years for second-degree child rape. She's said to be writing her autobiography, describing her affair with Vili Fualaau - an affair that started when he was twelve years old and she a married mother of four children. Fualaau had been a grade school student of Letourneau's prior to the affair. The appellate ruling didn't address Washington state's version of the so-called Son of Sam Law - named for the notorious New York City serial killer - which bans convicts from profiting from their crimes, though the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the original New York law. That ruling might keep prosecutors in the Letourneau case from trying to push for the Washington law's enforcement in this case.
SPOKANE, Wash. - An eight-block area around Robert Yates's home has been cordoned off since the 47-year-old military retiree was arrested in the murder of a prostitute - because law enforcement here have also been probing the apparent serial killings of at least ten prostitutes in the last three years. Yates was brought into Spokane County Jail April 19, but police won't say yet whether Yates or his alleged victim are actually connected to the serial killings. Most of the slain prostitutes suspected as victims of the serial killings were shot to death and left in remote locations near heavily-traveled roads. Two were found near Tacoma, on the other side of the state from Spokane, according to published reports. Local, state and federal law enforcement are searching the Yates home, where he lives with his wife and four children, and questioning neighbors. Only those who live in the eight-block area are being allowed in or out for the next two days.
--- Compiled by Philo Levin
