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  • Monday, June 03, 2013 2:13 PM | Anonymous

    The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court sit for their official photograph on October 8, 2010, at the Supreme Court. Front row, from left: Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Anthony M. Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Back row, from left: Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito Jr. and Elena Kagan.

    In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court held that collecting DNA evidence as part of the booking process by taking a swab from inside the defendant's mouth is not a violation of the 4th Amendment.  Here are two stories on the decision: 

    Justices Allow Police to Take DNA Samples After Arrests

    Adam Liptak

    New York Times; June 3, 2013

    Article attached, or link online here

    Supreme Court: DNA swab after arrest is legitimate search

    Bill Mears

    CNN; June 3, 2013

    Article attached, or link online here

     

  • Friday, May 31, 2013 7:32 AM | Anonymous

    GHSA News Release Header

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 30, 2013

    Contact:  Barbara Harsha

                  202-789-0942 x120

                  202-669-9750 (cell)

    New Study a Reminder of Importance of Motorcycle Helmet Use

    Statement for Attribution to Barbara Harsha, Executive Director,
    Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

     

    WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today's study from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) is a reminder of something we have long known -- the repeal of state motorcycle helmet laws is a bad and dangerous idea. HLDI's study shows that since Michigan's repeal of its universal helmet law in 2012, the medical costs of injured motorcyclists increased substantially, while motorcycle injury crashes also increased. This is consistent with many previous studies showing that repealing a law requiring all riders to wear helmets inevitably and quickly increases motorcyclist fatalities.

    Michigan is one of six states that have repealed their universal helmet law since 1997. Only 19 states currently have universal helmet laws, and no state has enacted a law since 2004. This is despite the fact the helmet use has been cited by researchers as the single most effective countermeasure in reducing motorcyclist injuries and deaths.

    The new data from HLDI adds to the evidence that motorcycle safety is going in the wrong direction. Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), reported that helmet use declined six percentage points in 2012, to 60 percent.

    Last month, GHSA projected that motorcyclist deaths increased nine percent in 2012. This would mark the 14th of the last 15 years in which motorcyclist deaths increased. During a period of remarkable progress in other aspects of highway safety, the increases in motorcycle fatalities have been an aberration.

    While the news about motorcyclist safety continues to be disheartening, there is no mystery about what should be done to keep riders safe. As noted in GHSA's recent report, states should address six issues: 

    • Increase helmet use
    • Work to reduce alcohol impairment among motorcyclists
    • Work to address speeding among motorcyclists
    • Increase operator training opportunities
    • Ensure operators are properly licensed
    • Encourage all drivers to share the road with motorcyclists

     # # # 

     

    The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)® is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GHSAhq. Follow us on Twitter at @GHSAHQ.

     

  • Thursday, May 30, 2013 7:31 AM | Anonymous

    Register by June 1st for September 15 Magnuson Park Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Seattle to receive discounted registration!

    Why register now? By registering in advance of the event you are helping us plan for your attendance. We are excited to have some fun giveaways provided by our sponsors and we want to make sure you have an opportunity to receive them. Plus, every time someone registers for the event that puts a smile on our face and reminds us that we belong to a community that cares about keeping our friends and families safe! 

    Meet MADD National President, Jan Withers

    Jan Withers is scheduled to attend this year's Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Seattle event. Come meet Jan and learn why she is passionate about eliminating drunk driving and preventing underage drinking. Show Jan that we are a community that cares and won't stop until we eliminate drunk driving!

    Register Now!

    To form a new team and register as a team captain click here. To join an existing team click here. To register as an individual walker or runner click here. 

  • Monday, May 20, 2013 8:41 AM | Anonymous

    Sporting its new logo, the Washington State Liquor Control Board issued its proposed 46 page rules for overseeing the seed-to-sale oversight of legal marijuana in Washington.  The rules cover all aspects for regulating the growing, warehousing, labeling, marketing, distribution, and sale of Washington marijuana.  The rules may be seen here: Draft-Rules-05-16-13.pdf 

    An example of proposed labeling for dry marijuana: 

    WS marijuana label

  • Tuesday, May 14, 2013 9:22 AM | Anonymous

    At a meeting in Washington, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that all 50 states lower the threshold to reduce the nation's drunk driving death toll, which has plateaued at about 10,000 deaths a year. A vote on the recommendation is expected to take place immediately.

    Lowering the rate to 0.05 would save about 500 to 800 lives every year, NTSB staff members said, and is a crucial part of the board's attempt to eliminate drunken driving in the United States

    See the full CNN story at: http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/14/us/ntsb-blood-alcohol/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

  • Tuesday, May 14, 2013 9:18 AM | Anonymous

       KYhead.png

    On May 14, 1988, 25 years ago today, a school bus carrying 67 people, nearly all of them children, was returning from a church youth group field trip to an amusement park. While they were driving through Carroll County, KY, a drunk driver driving on the wrong side of the road crashed into the bus head-on. The fiery crash killed 27 people – 24 children, the bus driver and two adult chaperones – and injured 34 others.

    With your support, we’ve come a long way in drunk driving awareness, education and prevention in the past 25 years. But we have so much left to do. Still today, 27 people die each day as a result of drunk driving -- the equivalent of one Kentucky bus crash every day. 

    As a part of the crash anniversary, MADD is partnering with the filmmakers behind a new feature documentary film, IMPACT: AFTER THE CRASH, which tells some of the powerful stories of loss and healing through interviews with many of the crash survivors and victims’ family members. MADD, the filmmakers, crash survivors, victims’ families and local residents will hold a public memorial honoring the victims and survivors of the crash. There will also be a private screening of IMPACT, as well as the first public screening of the film.

    This week, we honor and remember those impacted by the tragic Kentucky bus crash, and hope that their stories of survivorship will inspire others in their healing journey.

    Warmly,

    Jan-Signature.png
    Jan Withers
    MADD National President

    Survivors of the Worst Drunk Driving Crash in History Look Back

    http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20700091,00.html

  • Wednesday, April 17, 2013 6:56 PM | Anonymous

    The US Supreme court held that an officer forceably taking blood evidence from a DUI suspect after probable cause but without any exigent circumstances, is an unreasonble search in violation of the 4th Amendment.   The court narrowed the interpretation of prior cases on this point (Schmerber), concluding that the dissipation of alcohol was only one factor to consider in the evaluation of exigent circumstances.  The opinion rejects a per se approach to warrantless blood testing and compels a case-by-case evaluation of the totality of the facts.  

    The full case is available here: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-1425_cb8e.pdf

  • Thursday, March 14, 2013 11:05 AM | Anonymous

    NTSB Recommends Ignition Interlocks for All First-Time DWI Offenders and Endorses Development of Passive Alcohol-Detection Technology

    In its study on wrong-way driving crashes adopted today, the National Transportation Safety Board cited alcohol-impaired driving as the leading cause of these collisions and recommended that all first-offender alcohol-impaired drivers be required to have ignition interlocks installed on their personal vehicles.

    The text of the press release can be found here

    A list of the report’s conclusions can be found here

    A fact sheet summarizing the key findings can be found here

    National media:

    Washington Post article can be found here

    Los Angeles Times article can be found here

  • Friday, February 15, 2013 11:14 AM | Anonymous

    DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF NATIONAL COMMISSION ON FORENSIC SCIENCE

     

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today the establishment of a National Commission on Forensic Science as part of a new initiative to strengthen and enhance the practice of forensic science. The National Commission on Forensic Science will be composed of approximately 30 members, bringing together forensic science service practitioners, academic researchers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and other relevant stakeholders to develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General. The commission will consider guidance on practices for federal, state and local forensic science laboratories developed by groups of forensic science practitioners and academic researchers administered by NIST. 

     

    “Forensic science is an essential tool in the administration of justice and needs to be continually evaluated as science progresses,” said Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole. “Forensic science helps identify perpetrators, convict the guilty, exonerate the innocent, and protect public safety. This initiative is led by the principle that scientifically valid and accurate forensic analysis strengthens all aspects of our justice system.” 

     

    The full Press Release is here. 

     

  • Monday, January 28, 2013 10:05 AM | Anonymous

    In ASA vs. DEA, the DC Circuit was asked to decide whether the DEA properly classified Marijuana as a Schedule1 drug--a drug having no accepted medical use.  The court concluded that the DEA did not abuse its discretion in concluding that as of 2011-the scientific studies do not support a conclusion that marijuana has an accepted medical use.  The court supported the DEA assessment that simply because States are making marijuana legal under state law does not affect scientific acceptance.  In the absence of scientific studies, DEA can continue to keep marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug. 

    The full Opinion may be found here:ASA vs. DEA (2012) 

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