I've been watching the last season of the Sopranos and am curious about the mob in NYC and NJ today. Can you recommend a book or website that details the modern day Mafia? Or, if power has changed hands to a group other than the Italian one, a book about that group? Thanks.
posted by Sully on Dec 13, 2009 - 5 answers

How can I find out why a person went to jail? Looking for the specific crime that sent him there. It's from the 1930s; is there an online resource? [more inside]
posted by bunny hugger on Dec 11, 2009 - 9 answers

I live in a semi-rural area. After a rash of recent home invasions in my area (which is something new for here), I'm wondering whether to invest in an alarm system, a gun, or more motion detector lights and just keep locking the doors and windows as I have always done? I have 4 dogs that range from a beagle sized one that is mean to a 95 pound lab that barks like hell but is very loving. My wife is home alone (well, with the dogs) for a couple of hours in the morning after I go to work. Our house is set back from the road a fair distance, and we don't have neighbors that are within visual distance. What do you recommend? I've called the Sherrif's office to ask for advice and they were no help, saying just to use deadbolts etc. [more inside]
posted by dukes909 on Nov 25, 2009 - 36 answers

Our house was broken into yesterday. I'd like to prevent this from happening again. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 17, 2009 - 40 answers

How do criminals convince other criminals they aren't (undercover) police?
posted by stinkycheese on Nov 4, 2009 - 35 answers

Does social security have to notify BF if his check is being withheld? [more inside]
posted by LaurieC on Nov 3, 2009 - 1 answer

My girlfriend is being stalked by a fugitive, what can I do to try and keep her safe, and where can I turn for help. [more inside]
posted by digividal on Nov 1, 2009 - 77 answers

Is an underage drinking ticket a crime, for application purposes? I am afraid I might have answered it wrong and now I have an interview. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 28, 2009 - 20 answers

I want to read investigative reports exposing corruption or scandal on a local or national level. Please provide me with links. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Oct 20, 2009 - 5 answers

How does an adult find a lawyer to sue an abusive step-parent more than a decade after the fact? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 15, 2009 - 7 answers

Seeking books or articles on corruption in large building projects, ancient to modern. [more inside]
posted by IndigoJones on Sep 23, 2009 - 12 answers

How do I combat my knee-jerk racist responses? Recently, I moved from an all-white area to a diverse neighborhood. I am having trouble dealing with my reaction to the many young black males who live in the area. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 28, 2009 - 46 answers

Help me figure out the strange call I had asking if I was related to my brother-in-law. I has me feeling a little unsettled. The caller refused to identify herself. [more inside]
posted by caroljean63 on Aug 17, 2009 - 19 answers

MovieFilter: The name of the movie made in the early 1940s that had this "make the twerps want to be the bad guy" scene: the bad guy is traveling down a country road at night, riding in the back seat of his "powerful black car." He touches something on the floor in front of him that reveals a panel with a speedometer and an accelerator pedal. He presses hard on the pedal, and we watch the needle go up and up and his driver desperately struggling to keep the careening car from going off the road.
posted by RichardS on Aug 5, 2009 - 9 answers

What's the best way to search distant local newspaper archives for information on a crime that occurred almost 30 years ago in Birmingham, Alabama? [more inside]
posted by Doug on Jun 23, 2009 - 6 answers

I read a true crime book some years back, I don't remember anything about the book except one story. My memory is hazy, but this is what I remember: some people were abducted in the USA. My memory tells me it was a mother and child/ren. I'm 99% certain it was an adult woman and at least one child even if they may not have been related. Now the very creepy part. Photos of these people were found in a public bathroom sometime later. In the photos the woman was tied up, perhaps a child was also in the photo I'm not sure. I'd like to verify if this story was indeed true or just made up by the author and I've tried googling many times without luck. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Harvey Glatman.
posted by selton on Jun 18, 2009 - 2 answers

My girlfriend is having a crisis following a burglary at her apartment in Austin, TX. What can I do for her, and more importantly, what can she do for herself? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 11, 2009 - 11 answers

Phil Spector received a "19 years to life" sentence. Does this mean that (a) he must serve 19 years without exception and possibly more, or (b) he will be eligible for parole based on various factors before he serves 19 years? Can you explain the "to life" part? His sentence might be extended? I've always wondered how it works when you hear of someone getting "5 to 10 years," and reading of Spector's sentencing today reminded me to ask. Thanks!
posted by jackypaper on May 29, 2009 - 7 answers

How safe is it to walk around in London compared to major American cities? What are good sources of comparison for violent crime rates in international cities?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 on May 6, 2009 - 26 answers

Screenplay filter: Legal ramifications regarding "based on a true story" or "ripped from the headlines" films. [more inside]
posted by Oriole Adams on Apr 17, 2009 - 4 answers

I received a FB message from someone I don't know who is a member of the US military. The message contained a death threat he wanted me to pass on to someone else, also unknown to me. Who, besides Facebook, should I contact about this?
posted by ausernamenooneelsehas on Apr 17, 2009 - 21 answers

"Natural person" / "This court has no jurisdiction over me" in depth article? [more inside]
posted by yesno on Apr 3, 2009 - 5 answers

Why do urban black males wear all-black when committing criminal/violent acts? Is this just a stereotype? [more inside]
posted by the NATURAL on Mar 23, 2009 - 34 answers

I'd like some suggestions of good true crime books to read. I'm particularly interested in books about crimes committed in the US that occurred or were solved relatively recently (preferably within the last ten years, but no more than twenty years ago). [more inside]
posted by spockette on Mar 19, 2009 - 15 answers

What would happen to a suspect who was seriously injured while being arrested? Would they be treated in a regular hospital while under guard? [more inside]
posted by Bobby Bittman on Feb 24, 2009 - 10 answers

In the early 80s, HBO aired a short TV series called "Whodunit?" and one of the 20 minute segments was about the Zodiac killer. It was done in an interesting fashion with a Monty Python-esque cutout design style..It was quite creepy. I cannot find this anywhere nor mentioned anywhere online. Does anybody have any information where I might find this? Or even information? I am just short of calling HBO. It is a segment that has haunted me since I watched it as a child and I kinda want to watch it again. If it matters they also did bits on Lizzie Borden and Richard Speck.
posted by snap_dragon on Feb 23, 2009 - 17 answers

Looking for stats on Cesarean birth vs. Vaginal birth and the effects on our society... [more inside]
posted by querty on Feb 8, 2009 - 9 answers

Landlady's domestic dispute leaves my window broken - help! [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Feb 5, 2009 - 9 answers

Where can I find out more about the investigation techniques used by private investigators? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Jan 19, 2009 - 9 answers

Is there a process to have a misdemeanor expunged from someone's record in Pennsylvania? [more inside]
posted by 26.2 on Dec 24, 2008 - 3 answers

LawFilter: You're a criminal defense attorney defending a murder suspect. Your client is guilty. What now? [more inside]
posted by DWRoelands on Dec 22, 2008 - 50 answers

Help me not descend into extreme paranoia. Last night a male intruder approached me in my back yard. Police came and "caught" him. I have always been on the fairly cautious/paranoid side of personal security so I am afraid this incident may spiral downward to a place I do not want it to go. Any thoughts? (Longer story below) [more inside]
posted by murrey on Dec 21, 2008 - 31 answers

I want to read more about financial crimes, real and fictitious. Any recommendations? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Nov 25, 2008 - 12 answers

I need help dealing with my mother's anxiety over my going to Chicago alone for a few hours. [more inside]
posted by IndigoRain on Nov 22, 2008 - 50 answers

Movies about Britain's Lower Class children and the society they live in? [more inside]
posted by watercarrier on Nov 17, 2008 - 21 answers

I'd like to learn more about "fixers". [more inside]
posted by arimathea on Nov 13, 2008 - 5 answers

Positive quotations or aphorisms about crime and/or criminals? [more inside]
posted by paradoxflow on Nov 11, 2008 - 23 answers

I will be traveling through Toronto (from Detroit area) on the way to Muskoka soon and I am looking for some good bookstores in the region. I am interested in everything, but I really have a yen for good mystery and crime fiction. Any ideas?
posted by cows of industry on Oct 1, 2008 - 10 answers

Where can I find antebellum white-on-black rape statistics? [more inside]
posted by billtron on Sep 29, 2008 - 8 answers

Help me research dog fights and the illegal subculture around them. [more inside]
posted by Bookhouse on Sep 25, 2008 - 7 answers

Recommend me some crime fiction. [more inside]
posted by vraxoin on Sep 13, 2008 - 20 answers

My lovely bike was stolen from a pretty large apartment complex this weekend, most likely by a neighbor who shares our small courtyard. Other than moving out promptly, is there anything I can do to assuage my anger about this? [more inside]
posted by halogen on Sep 10, 2008 - 16 answers

Is it possible to take out huge sums of money as cash advances and then flee the country? Don't worry, I have zero interest in actually doing this, but I was talking to a friend who claimed that one could apply for a bunch of credit cards at once, max them all out, and then skip out to Thailand or somewhere and live off the $150,000 or however much you got. Is this true? And if so, why aren't more people doing it? [more inside]
posted by allen8219 on Sep 3, 2008 - 21 answers

How can I best help a friend get out of jail? He accidentally missed his community service gig. [more inside]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints on Aug 26, 2008 - 11 answers

is volvo liable for my car alarm not going off during a break in? [more inside]
posted by violetk on Aug 21, 2008 - 14 answers

Ex-criminal thinking of committing new crimes. [more inside]
posted by TooSlick on Aug 19, 2008 - 27 answers

I'd like to get a copy EC (or similar publisher) comic about a comic book letterer who murders an inker. I haven't had any response from any of the of forums I've asked in. Ghoulish story synopsis ahead... [more inside]
posted by bonobothegreat on Aug 18, 2008 - 6 answers

How do I guard myself against purse snatchers? I've lived in the suburbs all my life, and am used to strolling down the sidewalk in oblivion, my purse strung loosely over my shoulder. Now, it looks like I will be moving to either the DC area or San Francisco for my job. For those of you that live in a big city, what tips and tricks do you use to protect your belongings? Are some styles of purses less attractive to thieves than others? Should I use a messenger bag instead? When it's raining/snowing, how do you handle the challenge of protecting yourself from both the elements and purse snatchers?
posted by invisible ink on Jul 30, 2008 - 35 answers

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Very recently, this week or so, a crackhouse moved in next door to my apartment. My neighbourhood is otherwise quite nice. I have nice neighbours. All the houses are well-kept. It's a lower-middle class neighbourhood. We live in an apartment in the top floor of a two-story home. What should we do? [more inside]
posted by radgardener on Jul 8, 2008 - 22 answers

Should we press charges against a neighborhood kid? [more inside]
posted by Biblio on Jul 3, 2008 - 66 answers