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Jail Stats

February 10, 2010

Total Johnson County inmates: 127

Number of African Americans
in jail: 54

% of African Americans in
jail: 43%

% of African Americans in
Johnson county: 3.65% (most recent census 05)

In Alabama, 26% of the population is African American. Nearly 63% of the Alabama prison population is African American. -Equal Justice Initiative

Read the Governor's Taskforce Report on African Americans in our Prisons

Johnson County Jail

Read the Bureau of Justice Prison Statistics

"Aren't the police the protective force that maintains the status quo for the wealthy elite. Don't you think we ought to attack the roots of social problems instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?"

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We are a group of criminal defense attorneys who have banded together to share knowledge, experience, stories, research, helpful tools, forms, briefs and insightful analysis of current Iowa criminal law issues. Our goal is to improve the practice of criminal law in Iowa. Please register (left) with this website. You will not receive any annoying emails or ads; we simply request registration so we can monitor the website's activity and adjust the content to meet the needs of the practioner. By registering, you will be allowed to explore the entire website. Guests have a limited view of the site's contents. Everyone is welcome to register. Thank you and feel free to contact us if you have any materials that you believe are suited for dissemination. This website is not affiliated with the Iowa State Public Defender Office. The information contained in this website is not guaranteed to be reliable or accurate.

Some New Shameless Self-Promotion

By B John Burns
June 25, 2010

It’s been almost two months since I’ve contributed to my blog. A number of people have actually commented about that to me. I’ve had two opportunities in the past week to catch up with many of my old friends in the state public defender system. Last Friday, of course, I had the privilege of doing the case law update at the PDA seminar at Tama. That was a good day all around. From what I saw, it was an excellent seminar, and well-attended.

And then, on Wednesday of this week, I stopped by the Lucas Building to say goodbye to my old secretary, Sue Dillon, one of the thousands of state employees to make their way to lifeboats as the state struggles to overcome the damage of the iceberg of the recession. Sue started out in 1986 as my secretary and, like all my secretaries of the past 25 years, escaped to another position within the system. She was a good worker, easy to deal with (you all know this), and she laughed at most of my jokes.

It’s not that there has been absolutely nothing to write about. The Iowa Supreme Court, although not terribly prolific in recent months, has published a number of interesting decisions, including the trio of cases two weeks ago dealing with the loss of good time for failure to complete sex offender treatment while incarcerated. At least two were victories for the defendants – but all apparently have long since completed their prison sentences. Congratulations to Phil Mears for his persistence.

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CCR Critical of Elena Kagan’s Nomination

In response to President Barack Obama’s nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the United States Supreme Court, Center for Constitutional Rights Executive Director Vincent Warren issued the following statement:

“When the president nominates a woman or man to sit for life on the highest court of the land, we must look seriously at the broadest and most long-term implications seating that person will have for our country. At the Center for Constitutional Rights, we have fought at the forefront to hold back presidential overreach and the dangerous growth of executive power, particularly as it concerns torture, detention, surveillance and racial profiling, areas where the government has flouted the law most blatantly over the last decade. I am sad to say that Solicitor General Elena Kagan’s record indicates a troubling support for expanding presidential powers, something we must be vigilant about at this time. President Obama would appear to be seeking to appoint a Supreme Court Judge who will endorse his policies and appease conservatives. This is not the way to make a decision that will affect our nation for decades to come.”

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Protestants, Prostitutes, Prosecutors and the Honorable Mary Tabor

By B John Burns
May 7, 2010

I was no more than six or seven years old and living in Massachusetts when an uncle sat me down and told me a story:

“Sister Janice was teaching her second-grade class. She began asking her pupils what they wanted to be when they grew up. Not surprisingly, most of the kids’ aspirations matched the career paths of their parents.

“‘Paulie, what do you want to be when you grow up?’

“‘I’m going to be a pharmacist.’

“‘And Mikey, what are you going to be?’

“‘I’m going to be a mail man.’

“Sister Janice then turned her attention to Sandy, a quiet girl who was seven going on twenty.

“‘And Sandy, what do you want to do when you grow up?’

“Sandy looked Sister Janice in the eye, and spit out her answer.

“‘A prostitute.’

“Hearing that, Sister Janice turned beet red and passed out cold, collapsing on the floor like a downed redwood. Sister Cornelius, the principal, and a half dozen other penquins rushed in to revive her. It was probably ten minutes before she was back. Her eyes flickered open, and then focused on Sandy, who was standing right at her side.

“‘Sandy, what did you tell me you were going to be when you grow up?’

“‘A prostitute,’ Sandy repeated defiantly.

“‘Oh, glory be,’ Sister Janice bellowed cheerfully. ‘I thought you said you were going to be a PROTESTANT!!’”