Drug trafficking is the most common federal crime in Alabama
According to data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the most sentenced federal crime in Alabama is drug trafficking. Alabama has 6.37 federal sentences per 100,000. Drug trafficking crimes involve knowingly manufacturing, dispensing, or distributing controlled substances or counterfeit controlled substances meant to be passed off as the real thing. This does not count all the drug trafficking cases handled by the state courts. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall explained, “Due to our state’s proximity to Atlanta, a major distribution point for drugs, and to Texas, a border state, Alabama has become a prime transit point for drug trafficking. “We see marijuana, cocaine, meth, and now illicit fentanyl coming into our state as a result. The drug trade brings dangerous and violent illegal aliens into Alabama.” Firearms offenses, ranked second, are sentenced at a rate of 5.81 federal sentences per 100,000. Firearms offenses are committed when a defendant illegally possesses or uses a firearm. Under federal law, if you have been sentenced to a felony or have been convicted of a domestic violence crime, you lose your gun rights. In most cases, law enforcement stopped the defendant for some other reason and found that they were illegally in possession of a gun. There is some concern on the part of law enforcement that Alabama’s permitless carry law will mean fewer felons with a gun will be detected moving forward. Crimes involving fraud, theft, or embezzlement are the third most sentenced category of federal crimes in Alabama, with a rate of 2.01 federal sentences per 100,000. Fraud is when any deception or misrepresentation is used to benefit someone. Theft is the unlawful taking of someone else’s property, while embezzlement is theft while in a position of trust over stolen funds or items. Again, this does not count all the fraud, theft, or embezzlement cases handled in state circuit court. Fourth is immigration law violations. Alabama has a rate of 0.51 federal sentences per 100,000. Immigration crime relates to the illegal entry of the United States by a foreign national or committing a felony offense as an immigrant to the United States. The fifth most common federal sentence in Alabama is robbery, with a rate of 0.41 federal sentences per 100,000. Robbery is when someone takes or attempts to take an item of value from another while using force, the threat of force, or making the victim fearful that force will be used against them. Robbery differs from theft because of the violence or threat of violence aspect of it. Most robbery cases would be handled by state courts, so the actual robbery rate is much higher than these statistics would show, as this deals only with the federal court system. A spokesperson for Criminal Defense commented on the study’s findings, “It is interesting to see which categories of crime receive the most federal sentences in each state, and it is even more fascinating to see some states having the highest rates in multiple categories. At a state level, it is vital that the right resources are utilized to discover how each state can be supported in improving how frequently they have to hand out these sentences.” Criminal Defense is defense lawyers specializing in providing legal defense in criminal cases exclusively through experienced attorneys, many of whom have previous experience in senior roles in the Department of Justice. Data on the number of federal sentences given in each state in the fiscal year 2022 (October 1st, 2021, to September 30th, 2022) was obtained from the United States Sentencing Commission. This data was used to find the rate per 100,000 each state was being sentenced for federal crimes in various categories. Alabama is divided into three districts in the federal court system. 441 defendants were sentenced in Alabama’s Northern District in 2021. 306 defendants were sentenced in Alabama’s Southern District in 2021. 164 defendants were sentenced in Alabama’s Middle District in 2021. By comparison, the District of Arizona sentenced 4,454 defendants in 2021. In Arizona, like the rest of the Southern border districts, immigration offenses are the most sentenced federal crime. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama Gulf Coast residents watch Tropical Storm Idalia
On Sunday, a tropical storm, Idalia, entered the Gulf of Mexico. It is not expected to have a significant impact on the state of Alabama, but given the extremely high water temperatures that we have experienced this year and the propensity for tropical weather systems to not be unpredictable, Gulf Coast residents are keeping an eye on Idalia’s movements. U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) warned Gulf Coast residents in Mobile and Baldwin counties to be weather aware. “While Tropical Storm Idalia is currently projected to have very minimal impacts in our state, I want to encourage Alabamians to keep a close eye on the forecasts and review their severe weather plan to keep their home, family, and business safe,” Sen. Britt said on Twitter. Sen. Britt shared a post by Birmingham meteorologist James Spann. Based on the current forecast, Alabama residents who have plans for a Panama City trip this week should reschedule their beach excursion. Be aware that tropical storms can and do change paths, and a Cat 1 hurricane that seems to be of minimal consequence can gain strength quickly as it moves inland. Have a hurricane plan for preparing your property and an evacuation plan to implement if that should become necessary. A four-day excursion to Birmingham to visit the zoo and the art and motorcycle museums is a preferable option to being trapped in a coastal or low-lying area facing severe weather. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Mike Rogers remembers the 13 service members killed during the retreat from Afghanistan
Alabama Congressional members remember the 13 U.S. soldiers killed at the Kabul Airport two years ago at the end of America’s combat operations in Afghanistan. Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement Saturday on the two-year anniversary of the terrorist attack that took place at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and over 100 innocent Afghan civilians. “U.S. Servicemembers have never hesitated to answer the call to defend freedom in the face of evil,” said Rogers. “Two years ago, an ISIS-K terrorist killed 13 U.S. service members who were protecting civilians fleeing Afghanistan. These young men and women embodied the very best of our nation – we must never forget their selfless bravery.” “It is unfathomable that two years after this horrific attack no one in the Biden administration has been held accountable for the botched withdrawal that led to the deaths of 13 Americans,” Rep. Rogers continued. “I will continue to investigate the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and seek the accountability the American people deserve.” Congressman Jerry Carl (R-AL01) also shared his condolences for the slain servicemembers. “Two years ago today, we lost 13 brave servicemen who were working to get Americans out of Afghanistan,” Rep. Carl wrote on Twitter. “We are forever grateful for their sacrifice and their service to our country. I pray for continued healing for their family members and loved ones.” U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) also commented on the sad anniversary. “Two years ago, @JoeBiden‘s incompetence got 13 Americans killed in Afghanistan. “It was the deadliest day in our military in a decade,” Sen. Tuberville said on Twitter. “Since then, thousands of Afghans have died and the Taliban controls more territory than they did before 9/11.” Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) said on Twitter, “May we never forget the heroes we lost in Afghanistan two years ago today. David Espinoza Nicole Gee Taylor Hoover Ryan Knauss Hunter Lopez Dylan Merola Rylee McCollum Kareem Nikoui Daegan Page Johanny Pichardo Humberto Sanchez Jared Schmitz Maxton Soviak” Afghanistan was the longest war in the history of the United States, lasting just 11 days short of 20 years. In April, the Whitehouse released documents defending President Joe Biden’s decision-making in the withdrawal. “This was the biggest national embarrassment in at least 40 years,” Tuberville added. “Since then, @JoeBiden has only continued to inject his left-wing politics into our military. It needs to stop and it needs to stop now.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville says some military nominees need to be thoroughly vetted
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has continued to draw criticism from the Biden Administration and the mainstream media for his refusal to give unanimous consent to over a hundred senior military promotions. Tuberville’s stand protests a Pentagon directive allowing service members to provide abortion services to soldiers even in states like Alabama that have banned abortions. Now, Tuberville has suggested that some of these nominees need to be more thoroughly vetted. “I warned the Pentagon that I would hold their most senior nominees if they broke the law. They did it anyway, and forced my hand. Since then, [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer and the Biden Administration have refused any serious negotiations, and so this situation has dragged on,” Tuberville said in a statement to Breitbart News on Friday. “This has given me more time to look more closely into the background of some of these nominees, and I have deep concerns about some of them,” Tuberville said. “I will continue this process of oversight, and I will announce my opposition to specific nominees in the weeks ahead.” Tuberville has been denounced by President Joe Biden, congressional Democrats, senior leaders at the Department of Defense (DoD), and the mainstream media for his refusal to give unanimous consent to senior military and DoD civilian promotions over his objection to Biden-era rules on ensuring abortion access. Tuberville claims he is receiving strong veteran support for his standoff with President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the department’s decision to pay for abortion-related expenses for service members using taxpayer dollars. Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl defended Tuberville after President Biden denounced the Alabama Senator’s position. “President Biden needs to get his house in order before attacking other people!” Chairman Wahl said. “This situation started because he ignored the will of the people and the U.S. Congress by circumventing the Hyde Amendment. As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden needs to take responsibility for his administration’s actions and reverse this flawed policy. He single-handedly has the power to end the Pentagon’s violation of the Hyde Amendment and stop the holds coming from the Senate floor. Coach Tuberville is not just representing the interests of his constituents here in Alabama but also the majority of Americans who have repeatedly expressed that they do not want taxpayer funds being used for abortion-related expenses. Senator Tuberville’s stance also upholds the constitutional understanding that spending decisions must originate with the legislative branch. I call on the President to end this standoff now, by reversing this unlawful policy.” The Alabama Republican Executive Committee overwhelmingly endorsed Tuberville’s position earlier this month. Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 after a long career in football coaching and sports broadcasting. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama teen charged with capital murder after newborn infant found in trash bin
An Alabama teenager has been charged with capital murder after police said she disposed of her newborn infant by placing it an apartment complex’s trash bin and trash compactor, authorities said. “I’ve never even heard of something so horrific as this. It shocks the mind. It shocks the soul,” Dothan Police Chief Will Benny said at a press conference Thursday. Jakayla Ashanti Williams, 18, of Dothan is being held without bond on a capital murder charge, court records show. Police found the baby’s remains Thursday after sifting through the contents in the trash bin, which has a compaction mechanism that periodically crushes trash, Benny said. Clay Wadsworth, a court-appointed attorney for Williams, told The Associated Press that while he just received the case, his initial opinion is that postpartum mental health issues are a factor. “There is going to be an issue there with that,” Wadsworth said. He said he will be seeking a psychological evaluation of Williams. Court records indicate Williams had her first court appearance Friday morning. Williams said there will be a bond hearing in the coming weeks. The grisly discovery was made after family members became suspicious of Williams’ claims that she dropped the baby off at a hospital and had given it to a “red-headed nurse,” Benny said. The family went to the hospital on Thursday because they wanted to bring the baby home, he said. “The medical center called us because there was no evidence she had ever been at the hospital and dropped any baby off,” Benny said. Police believe she had given birth in her room on the morning of Aug. 13 and placed the infant in the trash the same day. “She went to an apartment complex on the west side of Dothan and placed a live newborn in a trash compactor,” Benny said. Benny said the teen admitted placing the infant in the bin, which was at the back of an apartment complex in Dothan. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama wants to be the 1st state to execute a prisoner by making him breathe only nitrogen
Alabama is seeking to become the first state to execute a prisoner by making him breathe pure nitrogen. The Alabama attorney general’s office on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to set an execution date for death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58. The court filing indicated Alabama plans to put him to death by nitrogen hypoxia, an execution method that is authorized in three states but has never been used. Nitrogen hypoxia is caused by forcing the inmate to breathe only nitrogen, depriving them of oxygen and causing them to die. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air inhaled by humans and is harmless when inhaled with oxygen. While proponents of the new method have theorized it would be painless, opponents have likened it to human experimentation. Alabama authorized nitrogen hypoxia in 2018 amid a shortage of drugs used to carry out lethal injections, but the state has not attempted to use it until now to carry out a death sentence. Oklahoma and Mississippi have also authorized nitrogen hypoxia but have not used it. The disclosure that Alabama is ready to use nitrogen hypoxia is expected to set off a new round of legal battles over the constitutionality of the method. The Equal Justice Initiative, a legal advocacy group that has worked on death penalty issues, said Alabama has a history of “failed and flawed executions and execution attempts” and “experimenting with a never before used method is a terrible idea.” “No state in the country has executed a person using nitrogen hypoxia, and Alabama is in no position to experiment with a completely unproven and unused method for executing someone,” Angie Setzer, a senior attorney with the Equal Justice Initiative, said. Alabama attempted to execute Smith by lethal injection last year, but called off the execution because of problems inserting an IV into his veins. It was the state’s second such instance within two months of being unable to put an inmate to death and its third since 2018. The day after Smith’s aborted execution, Gov. Kay Ivey announced a pause on executions to conduct an internal review of lethal injection procedures. The state resumed lethal injections last month. Smith was one of two men convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher’s wife. The Alabama attorney general argued it is time to carry out the death sentence. “It is a travesty that Kenneth Smith has been able to avoid his death sentence for nearly 35 years after being convicted of the heinous murder-for-hire slaying of an innocent woman, Elizabeth Sennett,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said Friday in a statement. Alabama has been working for several years to develop the nitrogen hypoxia execution method but has disclosed little about its plans. The attorney general’s court filing did not describe the details of how the execution would be carried out. Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told reporters last month that a protocol was nearly complete. A number of Alabama inmates seeking to block their executions by lethal injection, including Smith, have argued they should be allowed to die by nitrogen hypoxia. Robert Grass, an attorney representing Smith, declined to comment Friday. Sennett was found dead on March 18, 1988, in the home she shared with her husband on Coon Dog Cemetery Road in Alabama’s Colbert County. Prosecutors said Smith was one of two men who were each paid $1,000 to kill Sennett on behalf of her husband, who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance. The slaying, and the revelations over who was behind it, rocked the small north Alabama community. The other man convicted in the killing was executed in 2010. Charles Sennett, the victim’s husband and a Church of Christ pastor, killed himself when the investigation began to focus on him as a possible suspect, according to court documents. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Thousands converge on National Mall to mark the March on Washington’s 60th anniversary
Thousands converged Saturday on the National Mall for the 60th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfill his dream. “We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr. King led the March on Washington,” said Alphonso David, president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. “Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot.” The event was convened by the Kings’ Drum Major Institute and the Rev. Al Sharpton‘s National Action Network. A host of Black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in U.S. history. Inevitably, Saturday’s event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women, after only one was given the microphone in 1963. Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. “I was 8 years old at the original March, and only one woman was allowed to speak — she was from Arkansas where I’m from — now look at how many women are on the podium today,” she said. For some, the contrasts between the size of the original demonstration and the more modest turnout Saturday were bittersweet. “I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument, and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now,” said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. “It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today.” As speakers delivered messages, they were overshadowed by the sounds of passenger planes taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Rugby games were underway along the Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial while joggers and bikers went about their routines. Yolanda King, the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., roused marchers with remarks delivered from the same spot her grandfather gave the “I Have A Dream” speech sixty years ago. “If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say I’m sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realizing your dream,” she said. “Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools, and our shopping centers.” From the podium, Sharpton promised more demonstrations to push back against injustices, new and old. “Sixty years ago, Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later, we’re the dreamers. The problem is we’re facing the schemers,” Sharpton said. “The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for women’s right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks.” After the speeches, the crowd marched to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Several leaders from groups organizing the march met Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining. Saturday’s gathering was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary on Monday by meeting with organizers of the 1963 gathering. All of King’s children have been invited to meet with Biden, White House officials said. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Washington remarks have resounded through decades of push and pull toward progress in civil and human rights. But dark moments followed his speech, too. Two weeks later, in 1963, four Black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi, the following year. The tragedies spurred passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The voting rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, in which marchers were brutally beaten while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what became known as “Bloody Sunday,” forced Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Speakers warned that King’s unfinished dream was in danger of being further whittled away. “I’m very concerned about the direction our country is going in,” Martin Luther King III said. “And it is because instead of moving forward, it feels as if we’re moving back. The question is, what are we going to do?” Rosetta Manns-Baugh knew the answer: Keep fighting. “I think we have accomplished a lot, but I also think we lost.” said Manns-Baugh, who was a Trailways bus counter worker in 1963 when she left her seven children and husband at home in Virginia to come to D.C. Now she’s so disillusioned she’s stopped singing “We Shall Overcome,” the anthem of the civil rights movement. But even at age 92, she returned to Washington for the 60th anniversary, bringing three generations of her family, all the way down to her 18-month-old grandchild. “I think that’s why we all are here because we do expect the world to get better,” Manns-Baugh said. “We can’t stop working at it that’s for sure.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
