13 Year Old Killer Sentenced In Detroit

Demarco Harris was handed a blended sentence today by Wayne County Judge Sheila Gibson for the murder of Trisha Babcock during a robbery on August 1st, 2009. She was shot to death inside her parked car by then 12 year old Demarco Harris. If Demarco is convicted of a felony while serving his sentence he will automatically be sent to prison as an adult for a life sentence.

Trisha Babcock's father Steven Babcock told reporters with CNN, "I feel he should definitely spend the rest of his life in prison." As well as, "For him to have a chance or opportunity to be set free when he is 21 is not justice for my daughter." As he criticized the sentence as being unfair, adding, "Just because you're 12, 13, 14 doesn't mean you can murder somebody and be set free when you are 21."

Demarcus Harris will be held in a secure juvenile facility for violent offenders until he turns 21. According to Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Harris will be heavily monitored in this facility.

12 years old when he committed the crime? Have times really changed that much, or is Detroit really that bad today?

BP Has Agreed To $20 Billion Escrow

Apparently BP has agreed to set up a $20 billion fund for compensation for the current oil disaster, as reported by CNN. This comes after repeated attempts to plug the massive oil leak in the Gulf Coast. There is also a $100 million fund put in place for the oil workers that are out of work due to the disaster.

This announcement came after President Obama met with his personal response team and BP chairmen. According to President Obama he told BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg that for the people involved it wasn't a matter of money, it was a matter of accountability. Which is very true, and in some ways a welcomed view from President Obama; BP is to be held accountable for their actions which caused this disaster.

The fund will not be controlled by BP but by an independent third-party. The process for the claims will be handled by attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who oversaw the claims for victims in the September 11th, 2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.

Thief Of Military Equipment Arrested For Possible Explosives

Military police at Fort Gordon, Georgia arrested a man for impersonating a soldier with possible grenades in his vehicle on the base today. Fort Gordon and Richmond county bomb squads were in to the location after officials searched the vehicle the man was driving and found possible explosives. Among the possible explosives there were apparently other "militarylike" items in the vehicle and I would imagine on the person.

Police believe that the man was possible involved in other thefts of military items in Fort Gordon according to base spokesman Buz Yarnell. A call of a suspicious person in Fort Gordon was what lead to the eventual discovery of possible explosives and other items of the like.

This is all coming after repeated terrorist attack attempts on domestic ground, along with the BP dillema off the Gulf Coast. President Obama has a full plate ahead of him and obviously something needs to be done about securing domestic bases or the next "possible" can become the next "attack."

I used to love my country.

Ronnie Lee Gardner - Death By Firing Squad

Ronnie Lee Gardner, 49, is going to recieve a death sentence by way of a firing squad. Only a handful of states actually practice this type of death sentence, Utah being one of them which is where Gardner will be executed. I knew Utah was a state that still used this method having lived there for most of my life before moving away a few years ago, it is still interesting to hear that it is going to actually be used.

Gardner who is charged with multiple murders stemming from 1985 when he went on a shooting rampage through Salt Lake City, Utah. April 2nd as he entered a courthouse he grabbed a gun that was left by an accomplice and shot and killed an attorney and wounded a guard but not before taking a round into his lung. He was to be in court over a robbery and murder charge a year before. He recieved the death penalty in November of 1985.

The interesting thing is that he has attempted to appeal the death sentence multiple times, almost out of a fear of sorts, but a death sentence handed out by firing squad has to be requested or performed only if lethal injection is seen as unfit. Really interesting read though.