In a victory for the free speech and privacy rights of Amazon.com customers, a federal judge ruled today that the company would not have to turn over detailed records on nearly 50 million purchases to North Carolina tax collectors. The state had demanded sensitive information including names and addresses of North Carolina customers -- and information about exactly what they had purchased between 2003 and 2010. U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman in Washington state said that request went too far and "runs afoul of the First Amendment." She granted Amazon summary judgment. CNET
Electric Scooters on Patrol in Subway
Police officers have begun patrolling select NYC subway stations on electric scooters, and visibility is their main selling point. The vehicles, made by the California company T3 Motion, are used across the country in stadiums, airports, convention centers, department store parking lots, college campuses and other settings that require security personnel to cover a large area. New York Times
Bad Jurors List Can be Kept Private
County Judge Shortage: Criminal Cases Dismissed
In a unanimous ruling, the California Supreme Court on Monday upheld the dismissal of 18 criminal cases, two of them felonies, in Riverside County because there were not enough judges to hear them. Los Angeles Times
County Closes in on Fraud Ring
Recently, Los Angeles County has been challenged by an increase in fraud related to child care services. The county estimates that fraud has grown by about 40 percent and, in many cases, is perpetrated by highly organized fraud rings. FutureGov
Sheriff's Office Changes Carry License Policies
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Calguns Foundation have dismissed their case against Sacramento County, Calif., after the Sheriff modified his handgun carry permitting policy. Law-abiding Sacramento County residents may now successfully apply for permits to carry handguns by asserting self-defense as a basis for carry permit issuance. A one-year residency requirement has been eliminated, as has policy language that tied self-defense to arbitrary geographic factors, according to CalGuns. CalGuns Foundation
Police Using Database to Watch Pawned Items
The Cost of Justice
A recent article in The New York Times notes that Missouri judges will now be informed of the costs associated with the sentences they issue. According to the article, A second-degree robber, a judge could be told, would carry a price tag of less than $9,000 for five years of intensive probation, but more than $50,000 for a comparable prison sentence and parole afterward. The bill for a murderer's 30-year prison term: $504,690. Governing
Surgery Software Helps Defuse Bombs
Software technology developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham that allows doctors using a Web camera, monitors and the Internet to guide the hands of a surgeon in remote locations could also help law enforcement officials prevent injuries by dismantling bombs. Birmingham News
Access to Public Safety Codes a $10 Billion Business (Video)
Public domain activist Carl Malamud explains in this brief talk why he believes building, fire and safety codes should be taken out of the hands of the private companies that distribute them and made publicly accessible. Planetizen
NYPD Cops Learn Skills Of Observation — In Museum Art Class
Law enforcement officials are taking a field trip to the museum to sharpen their skills, and it’s not your typical art class, reports CBS 2's Seth Doane. They’re never given much time to evaluate a scene. “We were taught in the academy how to observe and how to look a little deeper than what meets the eye,” Inspector Kenneth Mekeel said. CBS New York
