Police: September 2007 Archives

BY MIKE CETERA

Are we supposed to feel sorry for Randy Visor because he made a "bad decision?" Visor should feel lucky that he'll only have to spend about six more months in jail.

If you'll recall, Visor drove drunk in 1997 and killed four people in the process, including three Waubsonsie Valley High School students. He was released from prison in late 2002 after serving about a third of his 13-year prison sentence on reckless homicide charges.

BY MIKE CETERA

UPDATE: 1:30 p.m. -- A jury has convicted Tenney on the murder charges. Let the appeals begin.

It's safe to say Ed Tenney is a bad man. Convicted on one murder, charged with a second, on trial for a third (for the second time) after years of delay.

To say this man has been a drain on the taxpayers is an understatement. And now jurors are debating his fate once again.

No, that's too strong. The jury isn't debating Tenney's fate. That's already been decided. He's going to spend the rest of his life in prison for a different murder. So why are we continuing the dance?

BY MIKE CETERA

Violent crime increased last year more than law enforcement experts anticipated, new data shows.

Overall, violent crime was up 1.9 percent last year.

The rising crime rates have been a concern for the Justice Department, which earlier this year blamed the increases on gangs, guns and youth violence. The Bush administration has pledged to spend $50 million this year to combat gangs and guns, and is pushing Congress for new laws to let the federal government better investigate and prosecute violent crime.

In Illinois, the new FBI data is broken down only for the biggest communities, including Aurora and Naperville. Go here for the full 2006 Crime in the United States report and here for the local data.

BY MIKE CETERA

Defense attorneys aren't likely to garner any sympathy over cries that cops are reading their clients' mail. But Kathleen Colton's objection during the first cold-case murder trial about revelations the Kane County Jail has been opening mail for years raises some interesting questions.

Is it legal for jail guards to pilfer inmates' letters? Is there an expectation of privacy among inmates? Should law-abiding citizens care either way?

Here's what Colton had to say about her client, Jose Salinas: "I don't know how much more obvious this could be that this violates Mr. Salinas' rights. You don't give up your rights when you're incarcerated."

Here's what Kane County Sheriff's Office Lt. Pat Gengler said: "By virtue of being in custody they give up certain things. If they don't want to have their phone calls listened to, their mail opened, their visits monitored, they should make a different choice in life."