Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Massachusetts Justice: Smoking Gun Red Hot

"the high-tech world of thermal imaging.... was designed for the military"

Related: Massachusetts Justice: The Guns of Massachusetts

"Jury cites camera tool in conviction; Case is first time thermal imaging is used in court" by Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff | December 1, 2009

It may not yet compete with the detective work found in a television crime drama, but it is getting there.

Prosecutors and police detectives delved into the high-tech world of thermal imaging in convicting a Dorchester man of carrying a gun, the first time a Massachusetts jury has found a person guilty based on the technology.

“When it comes to making our streets safer, we’re going to use every single tool at our disposal,’’ Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement. “Science and technology are advancing every day. Bringing those advances into the courtroom is part of our mission and our responsibility.’’

Related:

Yeah, remember when they told you the tyranny was needed to "protect against "terrorists" only? Remember all the people warning about expansion?

And here we are.

The case involved a Bullard T1 Commander, a thermal imaging camera that records heat output the way a conventional camera records light. The technology was designed for the military and has become commonly used in firefighting. In this case, it was used by officers who chased Jose R. Rodriguez in January, after he allegedly fled when officers tried to question him. According to police, officers saw him walking down Whittemore Street clutching his waistband, and they grew suspicious. At one point, the officers saw Rodriguez stretch out his arm as if he had thrown something. He was taken into custody.

Not that I want to defend a gangster, but he was just walking, huh?

While retracing his path, police recovered a 9mm semiautomatic Smith & Wesson handgun from the snow. That is when officers used the Bullard camera, allowing them to determine that the firearm had just been discarded; the gun had retained the heat of the person carrying it, making it appear lighter than its surroundings. The technology has existed for some time, but Massachusetts courts had in the past refused to allow it as evidence.

In a legal maneuver, Assistant District Attorney Tonya Platt used an expert witness to testify about the accuracy of thermal imaging technology and the discovery with the gun. The witness, Priam Pillai, a graduate student who holds a master’s degree from and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testified in a similar case last year that also led to a conviction. That case was decided by a judge, not a jury, however. Conley said the judge noted the thermal imaging evidence in making a guilty finding. Conley said that if it were not for the testimony, the jury would never have seen the evidence.

“Television and movies can contribute to unrealistic or even impossible expectations when it comes to scientific evidence and testimony,’’ Conley said. “This case allowed us to go beyond the conventional and bring the cutting edge to bear.’’

You know, if they were actually trying to find the TRUTH and not caring about their conviction percentages, I would cut 'em some slack; however, the official lying has gotten to me.

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Also see:
I'm just wondering why all those guns can't keep my personal information safe:

"Data breaches affect million state residents; Credit cards, health records compromised" by Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff | January 3, 2010

One million Massachusetts residents - or 1 in 6 people - have had their credit card numbers, medical records, or other personal information leaked or stolen over the past two years, according to records provided to the Globe by state officials.

By the autistic informant?

Many thousands of the leaks were first reported between June and November - including confidential data on customers of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Eastern Bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, and other major institutions, documents released by state regulators revealed. The breaches occurred in a variety of forms, including theft of laptop computers and the loss of a computer data tape. But most involved successful hacker attacks on computer centers, where large amounts of personal data are stored.

And they can't find the terrorists, either!

WTF is this POLICE STATE TYRANNY FOR anyway?

It is unclear whether any of the incidents of leaked or stolen data resulted in any instances of identity theft. The state’s records reflect only that the information was exposed.

Barbara Anthony, undersecretary of consumer affairs and business regulation, said that businesses, schools, and government agencies must cultivate “a culture of security’’ to protect the millions of sensitive personal documents under their control....

I am SO TIRED of that AGENDA-PUSHING CRAP!

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In many ways, readers, I am glad I'm a nobody.
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