Corporate Competition and Crime: The News Corp Scandal

by Gina Simmons, Ph.D.In the recent News Corp scandal, Emperor Rupert Murdoch's imperial warrior reporters allegedly hacked into and erased messages on the phone of a murdered girl, Milly Dowler, giving false hope to her family, and corrupting the police investigation. Allegations still stand that a Murdoch company attempted to hack into the voice mail messages of 9-11 victims.  News reports suggest that for over a decade, many of Murdoch's...

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Mystified and Miffed

by Susan Filan I cannot for the life of me figure out why certain cases capture the media’s attention, and thus the public’s attention, while others do not. Why aren’t all of the murdered and missing children, and all of the mothers and fathers accused of killing their children, covered by the press? Why isn’t each case newsworthy, a cause in and of itself, a cry for justice? How do the powers that be choose among the murdered and the missing...

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We Tell Our Children There Are No Monsters

by Donna PendergastWe tell our children there are no monsters.They don't come out at night, they don't hide in the dark.They don't torture and kill little girls.This trial will prove beyond any doubt that we delude ourselves...Those were the words that began my opening statement in a horrific murder trial where two 12-year-old girls were sexually assaulted and stabbed in a park. Their broken bodies were later found stuffed in a hidden culvert, a...

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From Hope Spring Drive to Pear Tree Lane

by Holly HughesGoogle the name Jadon Higganbothan and you might get ten hits or so.  Google Pear Tree Lane in Durham, North Carolina and you’ll probably get even less.  On the other hand, Google Caylee Anthony or Hope Spring Drive and you’ll never be able to read all that has been written concerning those two subjects.  Now, don’t get me wrong, it was a horrible tragedy what happened to Caylee and we were all right to be indignant...

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Rushing to Judgment from Coast to Coast

by Robin Sax The dust is just beginning to settle from three of the most explosive legal cases since O.J. rode in the Bronco on the 405, long before we knew anything about “Carmageddon.”First, there is Casey Anthony, where once again our jury system has left people outside the deliberation room scratching their heads.Then there’s the DSK debacle. Dominque Strauss-Kahn’s accuser told her story publicly, and while I find it compelling and convincing,...

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My Truth and My Challenge – Amanda Knox

by Anne Bremner The following piece was originally written in March, 2010, and still holds true today, as the Italian appeals court hears DNA evidence that may set Amanda Knox free.One year after the murder of Meredith Kercher, a man has been convicted and two other suspects await trial. Public interest in the case remains strong, and the truth about what happened is emerging, gradually and inexorably. But the truth is not without staunch foes who...

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eBook or Print? WCI Contributors Weigh In.

by Women in Crime InkMany contributors here at Women in Crime Ink are multi-published authors, so we were sad to see the remaining Borders stores close this week. This brought us to the discussion of whether or not the eBook would truly be the demise of the print book, or publishing industry as we know it. Could it really be the end of the modern reading era or is it simply the beginning of a new one? Our contributors offered their thoughts on their...

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WCI Welcomes Susan Filan

by Women in Crime InkWomen in Crime Ink would like to welcome our newest contributor, Susan Filan.Susan is Senior Legal Analyst for MSNBC, former prosecutor for the State of Connecticut, and a trial lawyer.In 1991, she began her career as a criminal defense attorney for a legal aid clinic, in New Haven, CT, representing indigent defendants charged with crimes. She then went into private practice where she specialized in criminal defense and matrimonial...

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2 Deaths in 2 Days of Billionaire's Girlfriend & Son on Coronado Island Baffle Police

by Cathy ScottA real mystery–and a true tragedy–is unfolding on Coronado Island, a wealthy seaside enclave across the bay from San Diego. And it's gripped this typically quiet tourist town.On July 13, Rebecca Zaha's nude body was found hanging from a rope tied to a second-floor balcony at the Spreckels 27-room mansion on Ocean Boulevard. Her hands were tied behind her back, her feet bound with orange electrical cord.At first, suicide was suspected....

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Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

by Katherine Scardino Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a tough burden for the State to meet. The article written by Andrea Campbell and published on Women in Crime last Friday, which discussed the many different types of evidence that may be presented in a criminal trial in the United States, within the context of the Casey Anthony trial. The State may obtain a conviction based solely on circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence points...

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Why We Dislike Lawyers

by Diane DimondQuestion: What’s the difference between a lawyer and a shark? Answer: Nothing.Okay, look, right off the bat I want to say that I work with a lot of lawyers and I count many of them as good friends. But we’ve all heard the old jokes, and, let’s face it, the public’s general perception of lawyer’s honesty and integrity is pretty rotten. The latest Harris poll on the subject puts attorneys way down at the bottom of the list with members...

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Sniffing the Air

by Andrea CampbellMost everyone I talk to is upset or depressed over the Casey Anthony case, which just recently found her not guilty in the death of her child. Since you would have had to been living in a cave to not know about the case, I will assume you are upset as well.There is a lot to talk about the forensic evidence in this case, and what for me seems like quite a lot of evidence for a case of this type. But almost all of it seems to be controversial...

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