Month: May 2020 Archives

While the country is in lockdown, many states are reporting a rise in mail theft. As more people stay at home and shop online (and wait for their stimulus checks), thieves are targeting packages and mail from the government. Porch pirates, in particular, are a common problem in San Diego and the state of California. In fact, The Mercury News reported that the Golden State is in the top 3 states for “most packages stolen from homes.” Porch pirating is a specific type of mail theft in which offenders follow Amazon, UPS, USPS, and FedEx trucks around town to steal packages left at people’s doorsteps or on their porches. San Diego legislators are attempting to fight porch pirating by pressing…

The coronavirus pandemic has swept the nation and has had a devastating impact on prisons and jails. As the virus spread through the California state prison system, the state government decided to grant early release to 3,500 inmates to reduce crowding and limit the spread of the virus.  Lawyers for Gov. Gavin Newsom assured federal judges that the state is taking “extraordinary and unprecedented protective measures” to limit the virus’s reach and keep the thousands of people who are incarcerated or employed in prisons safe. However, some lawyers representing California prisoners have requested more protective measures, particularly for prisoners who face a higher risk of death if they contract the virus, like older prisoners and those who are medically compromised. …