On the Search
Online readers comment on "Ramiro C. Lozano, World's Dumbest Child Pornographer, Gets 20 Years," Hair Balls blog, by Richard Connelly, July 13:
Not right: So being drunk entitles the cops to boot up your computer and look at everything on it? Sounds like the guy had some pretty lousy lawyers.
Flexo
More to tell? I'll start by saying I wish this POS had passed out on a busy set of train tracks. But why isn't this considered an illegal search? Was there a picture out in the open displaying child porn? What gave the officers the probable cause needed in order to conduct the search of this a-hole's vehicle?
Even an incompetent public defender should be able to get all charges dropped except for the public intoxication one. I seriously hope there is more to this story that the article isn't telling us.
UDTSEealCap
So what? Regarding whether it's legal to go thru his personal computer or not, who cares? The point is that this bastard got caught, and because of that, he will be somebody's little bitch in jail.
Predator Hater
Seems illegal: It's only legal for a cop to search the vehicle if the suspect has access to it (if he's already arrested, then that doesn't seem likely) or if there's probable cause that there is evidence related to the crime. (It's possible that there might have been alcohol in the car, but I doubt that justifies accessing a camera or flipping on a laptop.)
Now sure, if this suspect had DVDs labeled "child porn" in his car in plain sight, then yeah, he's fucked, but otherwise there's a decent chance that the officer crossed the line and performed an illegal search (and yes, we should be pissed off about the government overstepping its bounds, no matter how detestable the crime).
Anonymous
One more: Just another reason not to bring kids into this sick world.
jmo33
The implications: Regardless of how sick the acts were, this is something to be concerned about. I would seriously question the biased nature of articles like these, where there's no question regarding the actions of the police department, which may have illegally searched the guy's laptop. More and more shit seems to keep slipping by, and police officers and government officials are becoming more and more willing to act without any regard to the law.
So what does this mean? If you're pulled over for speeding, is a police officer allowed to look through the camera you have in the car? Are they allowed to grab your cell phone and read text messages? Are they allowed to go to your home and rummage through your belongings as the result of you speeding? Where does it end? And if they find something, anything at all, are they able to charge you with it legally?
Jeremy Boutin
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Varsity Blues
Online readers comment on "DeBakey PTA Takes Over Uniform Sales; Students Cry Excuse Me But Foul!" Hair Balls blog, by Margaret Downing, July 12:
Gone to waste: The school's new policy is completely unfair. Why shouldn't I be able to wear the school clothes I purchased last year? I have to buy school supplies and other clothes articles just to make it through the year, and I have three other people in my family who have to do the same. There are perfectly good polo shirts hanging up in my closet (none of which are royal blue or white) that I wore last year, and now they'll go to waste.
Teddy Wilson
Vague dress code: This is not simply a PTA fund-raising stunt. The new uniform policy was put in place to replace the old, seldom-followed dress code. The old dress code also listed "navy blue" as a color, but a large portion of the student body still found ways around that, wearing shirts that resembled turquoise more than dark blue, causing problems for teachers and the administration in terms of enforcing the policy. It was impossible to determine who was in dress code and who wasn't, and this was further complicated by the vagueness of the old dress code. The main issue lies in the fact that few students followed the old dress code (this article conveniently fails to mention that).
Gustavo P
What's the point? As a parent of a DeBakey student, I think it is outrageous the school should not only enforce a very strict uniform, but sell them at ridiculous prices. Why should my child buy a nearly $20 shirt when she can go to the mall and find an equally acceptable shirt for half the price?
It's not like our students have behavioral issues where uniforms are a must. In truth, I don't see the point of the uniforms at all.
Jenna Mickson
More violations: Apparently, this is a punishment to the students for not following the dress code properly last year. But instituting a stricter form of the previous dress code will only render an increased amount of incidents of dress code violations. I completely understand that the uniform shirts should contain the DeBakey logo, and I really don't mind. However, it is entirely illogical for students to be required to purchase the new shirt next year (2011-2012 school year) if they already own a uniform shirt issued by DeBakey. Many students also believe that the new uniform shirts are not only unnecessary, but overpriced. Different shirts do not equal increased grades.
