The Secret Life Of Teens Online

"The majority of this Internet-savvy generation of teenagers is confident in their safety online, but more than one-fourth have inadvertently infected their home computers with malware, and 14 percent share passwords with friends.

A new report by McAfee reveals how teens' perception of safe online behavior doesn't exactly match the risky ways they operate on the Net: Ninety-five percent say they are confident they can remain safe online, but in the meantime nearly one-third of them have downloaded a program without their parents' knowledge, and one-fourth of teenage girls say they chat online with strangers."  
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California court index wildcard searches

The Open Access system used in some California court case lookups supports wildcards and word stemming in queries.

For a business name variation:
amer% medical

For any words that precede or follow the word "medical":
%medical

For letters that follow "a" with words between the "a" word and "center":
a% %center

For any letters that precede the suffix "son" in a personal name:
%son

Some courts using the Open Access system:

Superior Court of Riverside County
Superior Court of San Bernardino County
Superior Court of Contra Costa County
Superior Court of San Mateo County
Superior Court of Santa Cruz County 
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

California medical marijuana resources

California State Associations of Counties Medical Marijuana - White Papers, legal issues, city and county ordinances 

California Department of Public Health, Medical Marijuana Program, County Programs and Business Hours

Verification of California Medical Marijuana Identification Card
Medical marijuana doctors and dispensaries (A limited directory.)
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Oregon concealed handgun licenses are public records, court rules

"Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters must release the names of concealed handgun licensees from 2006 and 2007 to the Mail Tribune, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled today.

The appeals court has upheld a Jackson County Circuit Court ruling which determined that concealed handgun licenses are public records and are not exempt from disclosure unless the sheriff can prove each individual licensee is exempt from disclosure."

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California parole field files are public records

California Department of Corrections parole field files are a public record.

CDCR Petition for a Writ of Mandate.

California: Decision in favor of disclosure in kidnapping case adds starch to publics’ right to government records "A Superior Court judge strengthened the Public Records Act by ruling that the press and the public had the right to access government records to answer questions about why parole officers did not check on registered sex offender Philip Garrido who had kidnapped a 12-year-old girl and held her captive for 18 years."

California Appellate Court, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation v. The Superior Court of Sacramento County

Case Number C064183 Petition summarily denied by order
Status:Final Docket (Register of Actions)

Case Number C064183 mandate with request for immediate stay of 02/12/10 record production.
Petitioner California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's request for immediate stay is denied.
Case complete. Trial Court Case: 34200980000390

Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

Food & Drug Administration will create a searchable database of recall data

"The Food & Drug Administration plans to make recall data for medical devices, food and drugs available on a searchable public database that will also host downloadable XML data files.

The Food & Drug Administration plans to launch a public database of recall data this fall, another element in the agency's quest to become more transparent.

The data, on recalls of medical devices, food products and drugs, will be compiled in a searchable, online database. The data will also be made available in a downloadable XML format."

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Kentucky non-profit company is a public agency, Attorney General rules

"The contractor running the Medicaid managed-care program in the Jefferson County region is a public agency whose records are covered by the Kentucky Open Records Act, the attorney general's office ruled Wednesday.

The 12-page opinion said that, although Passport Health Plan is a non-profit health maintenance organization, it is a "public agency" under the Open Records Act. That's because its money comes from the state to carry out a state function -- delivery of Medicaid services in Jefferson and 15 surrounding counties.

The opinion stems from an Open Records Act request made earlier this year by The Courier-Journal seeking records relating to employee compensation and board action at Passport."
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Road Safety Update - Older Drivers, DUI Offenders, Alcohol-related Crashes

"Older drivers aren’t causing more crashes than they used to, and they aren’t dying more often when they do crash

Ignition interlocks prove more attractive to DWI offenders than house arrest

Raising alcohol prices and taxes reduces excessive drinking, alcohol-related crashes, and other harm, task force finds"

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Connecticut Checkbook and employee salaries to go online

"With Gov. M. Jodi Rell's signature over the weekend, a new law will put a searchable database of the state's checkbook and employee payroll online for public review next year.

But some lawmakers are asking, why stop there? Why not put everything online: applications, payments for services, regulations, anything the public needs?

Some state agencies do provide online services, but availability isn't consistent and quality is spotty, said Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield.

"I'm not saying Connecticut doesn't have a lot of this already. I am saying though, it's not sufficient and it's a roll of the dice what is available from agency to agency," he said. "Rather than doing this piecemeal, let's do it right."

He's proposing establishment of a uniform statewide online "e-government" plan that will give residents access to state government over the Internet."  
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MySpace Photo and Internet Gang Roster Evidence Improperly Admitted -- Authenticating Internet Photos

"People v. Beckley, Case No. B212529 (Cal. Ct. App. June 9, 2010) Two defendants were convicted of a gang-related homicide in this case.

MySpace Photos: The girlfriend of one of the defendants offered an alibi that one of the defendants was babysitting her child at the time of the shooting. She also testified that the defendant ceased gang involvement (at her request) after the two became involved. In order to rebut the gang affiliation testimony, the prosecution offered a photograph of the girlfriend flashing a gang sign - the photograph was downloaded from the MySpace page of one of the defendants. The prosecution relied on the testimony of the detective who downloaded the photograph.

The court of appeals held that admission of the photograph was error (unfortunately for the defendants, the court held that this error was harmless). The court noted that there are two methods for authenticating a photograph: (1) testimony of a person who was present when the photograph was taken and (2) expert testimony that the photograph is not "a composite and had not been faked," along with foundational testimony. Here, neither method of authentication was used. The court urged particular caution when it came to digital photos and photos found on the internet:"

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Cell phone and texting driver laws

"A jurisdiction-wide ban on driving while talking on a hand-held cellphone is in place in 8 states (California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia. Utah has named the offense careless driving. Under the Utah law, no one commits an offense when speaking on a cellphone unless they are also committing some other moving violation other than speeding.

Local jurisdictions may or may not need specific state statutory authority to ban cellphones. Localities that have enacted restrictions on cellphone use include: Oahu, HI; Chicago, IL; Brookline, MA; Detroit, MI; Santa Fe, NM; Brooklyn, North Olmstead, and Walton Hills, OH; Conshohocken, Lebanon, and West Conshohocken, PA; Waupaca County, WI; and Cheyenne, WY.

The use of all cellphones while driving a school bus is prohibited in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The use of all cellphones by novice drivers is restricted in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 28 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, novice drivers are banned from texting in 9 states (Alabama, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia) and school bus drivers are banned from text messaging in 2 states (Oklahoma, and Texas).

The table below shows the states that have cellphone laws, whether they specifically ban text messaging, and whether they are enforced as primary or secondary laws. Under secondary laws, an officer must have some other reason to stop a vehicle before citing a driver for using a cellphone. Laws without this restriction are called primary."

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Who Owns Public Crime Data?

"We were recently tipped off to a case in the federal courts that raises all sorts of legal issues about some questionable interpretations of the law -- many of which we've discussed here recently. It involves a Utah company, named Public Engines, suing a competitor, named Report See. Public Engines, it appears, contracts with various police departments around the country to get crime data from them, and then they put that data online in various formats. Its main business tends to be working with law enforcement and providing them software and services around that data. But, it also presents the data publicly on the site CrimeReports.com. Apparently, law enforcement agencies pay Public Engines to provide data to the site. Public Engines claims it does work on that data, to "de-identify" it and make it appear in a more user-friendly format. As the company notes, it does not add any editorial on the site and does not include any advertising or seek any additional business from users. The service is basically provided totally free of all that -- but the company makes money from the law enforcement agencies, who pay to take part and to use Public Engines' software. "

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Dangers of the Online Juror: A world wired for instant information can create problems in court.

"I was called for jury duty recently, and as I waited for the selection process to begin, I marveled at the number of people thumbing away at their BlackBerrys, iPhones, and other web-enabled wireless devices. Although most of them were probably checking in with work or sending mundane messages about having a spouse pick up the kids from soccer practice, it struck me that if any of my fellow panelists were actually picked, precious little could be done to prevent them from accessing the wealth of information laying just a few clicks away.

As it turns out, jurors engaging in such digital digging is a growing problem nationwide, and the explosive growth in popularity of social networking sites like MySpace (more than 125 million users); Facebook (which has surpassed the 300 million mark worldwide); and Twitter (roughly 55 million users and counting) makes it more likely than ever that jurors will leave the privacy of the jury room for cyberspace. The problem with that is that unfiltered “facts” turned up by jurors—facts the other side has no opportunity to examine or rebut—could unfairly taint the trial process.

Consider the following recent examples:" 

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Los Angeles Sheriff collecting fewer fingerprints because of budget cuts

"The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is collecting less fingerprint evidence because of budget cuts.

The belt-tightening undermined his agency's ability to collect and analyze fingerprint evidence, causing delays for more than 65 homicide investigations and resulting in the destruction of potential leads in scores of other crimes.

Sheriff Lee Baca cut overtime expenses for 59 fingerprint specialists in an effort to help make a $128-million budget cut. The move has delayed the collection of evidence in crimes such as burglaries by as much as a week or more."  
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California: Appellate Decision Strikes Down Red Light Camera Evidence

"California: Appellate Decision Strikes Down Red Light Camera Evidence Three-judge appellate panel finds a total lack of evidence from Santa Ana, California red light camera program.

Appellate courts in California are becoming increasingly upset at the conduct of cities and photo enforcement vendors. On May 21, a three-judge panel of the California Superior Court, Appellate Division, in Orange County tossed out a red light camera citation in the city of Santa Ana in a way that calls into question the legitimacy of the way red light camera trials are conducted statewide. Previously, a string of brief, unpublished decisions struck at illegal contracts, insufficient notice and other deficiencies. This time, however, the appellate division produced a ten-page ruling and certified it for publication, setting a precedent that applies to the county's three million residents.

"This appeal involves an issue far too often presented to this court, namely the admissibility of evidence and the statutory compliance with the procedures employed by several municipalities in this county in what have come to be known as 'photo enforcement' citations," the unanimous ruling stated."

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California Bill Prevents Social Networking Sites from Displaying Home Address & Telephone # – How can this be…bad? http://ping.fm/kssnu

Sherman Library & Gardens - Repository for Polk City Directories http://ping.fm/ZJcgL

Outlook Plugin to Search People, Email, and Attachments Instantly http://www.xobni.com

Facebook Integration Now Live in Bing Social Search Results http://ping.fm/6xmtM

Facebook Integration Now Live in Bing Social Search Results

"Microsoft search engine Bing has just launched a new social sub-site (http://www.bing.com/social), allowing users to search through Facebook Page updates and links publicly posted to personal profiles. These results are posted alongside tweets on the Social home page, which Microsoft hopes will become the new destination for social search."
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California Bill Prevents Social Networking Sites from Displaying Home Address & Telephone # – How can this be…bad?

"There’s a bill moving in California (SB 1361) that restricts how social networking sites display the personal information of 13 to 17 yr olds. It’s billed as a privacy bill and at first glance seems relatively harmless — after all, kids don’t need to be broadcasting their contact information, right? Maybe. It all depends.

It depends on the situation, obviously. We teach our kids to recognize risky situations and to react appropriately.

But whether or not teens are at risk by publishing their telephone numbers is not the threshold question here. The law presumes such and I’m not aware of any specific findings offered in testimony about the bill.

Instead, the issue at hand is whether we need a law to restrict social networking websites from publishing certain information from teenagers. And with any law, there’s always the corresponding principle of unintended consequences."  
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Vermont homestead property tax adjustment can reveal income

"A local attorney has filed a complaint with Bennington Superior Court which asks the court to compel Manchester to release information that town officials say could lead to sensitive information being revealed, not just about Manchester residents but about people across Vermont.

The lawsuit seeks to make the town reveal the specific amount supplied by the state for homestead property tax adjustment. Manchester Town Manager John O'Keefe said the town doesn't want to release that information because it could be used to very accurately calculate a person's income.

The Vermont attorney general's office and the Department of Taxes say the information is public, but Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz said last year that she was advising towns the information should be confidential. Even after the attorney general's office weighed in, Markowitz said recently she thought the "language of the law is still vague."

The lawsuit filed against Manchester came as no surprise. O'Keefe said last month he expected it was coming. But now that it's been filed and with O'Keefe saying the town intends to stick to its position, the question may soon get a definitive answer." 

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Lenders Turn to Facebook, Twitter to Identify Risky Customers

"We already know that debt collectors are turning to social networks to gather information about financial delinquents. Now lending institutions are trying to stop customers from even getting to the point of having to be trailed by a debt collector by turning to Facebook and Twitter for clues.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that officers at the Lending Club and other financial institutions are looking at people's activities and friends on social networks; not just to verify identity and income, but as a way to enhance lending decisions that would otherwise be based entirely on credit score. Credit scores only rate a person's history of payment, they don't necessarily predict a person's ability to pay in the future. Things such as status updates referencing a job search or being fired might discourage an otherwise willing lender, regardless of credit score."
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Undelivered tax refunds, county check warrants

Nationwide searchable database of undelivered tax refunds: Search by name, city, state, county, zip code.

El Dorado County, California, 2009, by parcel number (select "attachments" link)

Orange and Ventura Counties, California, 2008

San Bernardino, California Unclaimed Property Tax Refunds

Wisconsin Undelivered Tax Refunds - Search by name, zip code, city or county.  
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator

New York law to seal voter registration addresses of domestic violence victims

 "The new law will allow victims to request a court order that requires the board of elections to keep their registration records confidential. Victims addresses will be sealed and will provide protection from being contacted by their abusers.

“We can never do enough to protect victims of domestic violence,” New York State Sen. Brian X. Foley (D- Blue Point), a sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

The law addresses a flaw in the election law that gives the boards of elections the right to disclose a voter’s address.

Previously, domestic violence victims were faced with the choice of voting and revealing their identity or not voting at all to protect themselves."
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Florida law strengthens background screening for caregivers

"People who care for children, the elderly and disabled in Florida will undergo stricter background screening requirements under a new law that takes effect Aug. 1.

Caregivers will have to pass a nationwide background check before they can begin working under the law, which was passed unanimously by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Charlie Crist last week. It applies to employees of day care centers, assisted living facilities, home health care agencies, and others working with children and vulnerable adults.

The law came after a Sun Sentinel series exposed flaws and gaps in Florida's screening system.

A six-month investigation by the newspaper found that convicted felons and career criminals with records for rape, child abuse and murder had been hired as caregivers. Outdated laws allowed employees to start working before a background check was made, and people with criminal histories could still work by obtaining an exemption stating they were rehabilitated."  
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Registry law doesn't apply to all sex offenders, Supreme Court rules

"A sex offender who moved from Alabama to Indiana in 2004 does not have to register with authorities because his move predates the registry law Congress enacted in 2006, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

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California legislation would destroy FasTrack toll data

"State senators are moving to bar California transportation agencies from selling details about travelers' commuting habits and other personal information.

Sen. Joe Simitian says under current law, the state transportation department, Bay Area Toll Authority and others can keep and sell information they collect through automatic vehicle identification systems such as FasTrack."

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Our Love-Hate Relationship With Facebook

"One final speculative comment-let me know what you think of this. Is it possible that social networks like Facebook will become mostly tools for organizations (public and private)-useful for public relations, marketing services, and eliciting and enabling easy customer feedback-while individuals concerned about privacy retreat to some other (maybe even not yet available) technology that allows them more control over their contacts and personal information? Will sites like Facebook really be just about social media broadcasting, personal endorsements, and influence?

To show the broad appeal of social networking sites, even the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) recently jumped into the social media craze. On May 20, 2010, the PTO unveiled its official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USPTO.gov. The PTO intends to engage the public and the intellectual property community directly and provide real-time updates including press releases, information on upcoming events, and posts from the PTO's Director's Forum blog. The PTO's Facebook page allows Facebook users to provide comments, discuss, and offer feedback to the PTO directly on a wide range of issues and initiatives. The new Facebook page, however, does not replace the PTO's website, www.USPTO.gov, as the official source of information but, rather, provides a new channel for the public to connect with the agency."  
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College Alumni Directories

Columbia University: Search by name only to get year of graduation and program name.
Duke: Enter full last name.
Penn State: Registered alumni
Rice University: Select "new user"
Yale: Select "Register Now". Then search by partial or full name to get degree conferred.  
Location Oakland, Ca - Private Investigator