That was the question posed by our Crimes of the Century co-hosts and their guests as part of the Black Talk Radio network on February 12, 2015. Guests were former Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Mark P. Lipton and Dr. Richard Olivito, Director of the Midwest Center for Constitutional Rights. 

The discussion suggests that the “Haves” and the “Have Nots” in America can be sorted into four different Americas . . . one comprised of people struggling to overcome brush-offs and run-arounds by U.S. government officials.

 Tune-in to determine if you detect four distinct America’s from this riveting COC broadcast.

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November 14, 2013 marks the second in our “Crimes of the Century” series on flawed forensics. Spotlighted was the high profile murder and attempted murder conviction of Diane Downs, portrayed by the late Farrah Fawcett in the movie “Small Sacrifices”.

Diane Downs was convicted in 1984 of killing her 6 year old daughter and attempting to kill her 3 year old son and 8 year old daughter to woo a lover who reportedly did not want children. However, life appears to have imitated art for Diane in that the prosecutor’s case against her seems almost as fictionalized as the corresponding book and referenced Farrah Fawcett movie.

Tracking COC listeners through the Diane Downs case facts and circumstances is Diane’s brother, Mr. James Frederickson,and COC’s own Dr. Andrew D. Jackson. Does their presentation leave you with reasonable doubt that Diane killed one and attempted to kill two of her children?

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For their October 24, 2013 broadcast, your “Crimes of the Century” co-hosts talk with Dr. Paul Leighton from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminology at Eastern Michigan University as he describes the dynamics of private prisons in America. The for-profit business model of this industry threatens to turn the U.S. into a predator nation, steadily feeding inmates to wealthy corporate interests and everyone looking to these private prison fat cats for income and/or profit. 

And who is the prey for the predator known as America’s private prison industrial complex? Answer: the poor; the poorly educated; minorities; any and everyone caught up by America’s criminal justice system without enough money or clout to wiggle free. 

Do those most likely to be unfairly snared by America’s prison industrial complex have much of a chance to avoid or loosen its grip? Unless they find the resolve within themselves to help resist the corresponding forces of injustice, their prospects look grim according to Dr. Leighton and your COC co-hosts.