Publicity-Hound Pedophile May Walk Free

Crackdown in California violates 10th Amendment, they say

(NEWSER) - Here's one new thing the backers of legal pot have in common with the Tea Party: love of the 10th Amendment. A group that backs medical marijuana has sued the US attorney general, arguing that the recent crackdown by the feds in California infringes on states' rights outlined in the Constitution, reports the Los Angeles Times . It's the latest front in the battle over a thorny problem: California and other states sanction medical marijuana, but it remains illegal under federal law. More»

To be run by pedophile cops, judges, firefighters

(NEWSER) - A fringe candidate for California governor wading into deep waters is pitching a plan to ship pedophiles to an an island unless they either promise to leave California forever or spend the rest of their lives in prison. Under the plan, they'd be shipped to Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park, which is currently appreciated only by "park rangers and environmentalists" and a "waste of taxpayer money" to maintain, claims candidate Douglas Hughes. More»

Man charged in teen's death listed as 'Jason Stud'

(NEWSER) - Turns out a MySpace user with a sexy profile is a registered sex offender who has been charged with the rape and murder of California teenager Chelsea King. MySpace has now removed the profile of John Albert Gardner, who used a fake name, email and hometown to register his account. The profile lists his name as "Jason Stud" and "Energizer Bunny," names the Playboy Mansion as his hometown, and lists CSI and Bones among his favorite TV shows, AP notes. More»

(NEWSER) - Family and friends of Melissa Huckaby can’t believe the Sunday school teacher might have killed and raped 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "She was actually really mellow and a good friend, and she loved her daughter so much,” a college friend says. And with police still working the case, some observers suspect that another arrest is on the way—and that Huckaby is just covering up for a man. More»

(NEWSER) - Law enforcement officers from across the country descended on Oakland today for the funerals of four cops gunned down by a fugitive last weekend, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. All 815 members of the Oakland force attended while officers from other jurisdictions patrolled the streets in their stead. An overflow crowd that included 19,000 officers from as far as New York and Boston filled two stadiums. More»