Category Archives: Freedom

AP/October 27, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) California Gov. Jerry Brown has decided to allow freedom to a woman who received a life sentence when she was a teenager for killing her former pimp.

Brown decided late Friday not to take action on a state parole boards decision to grant parole to Sara Kruzan, thereby allowing the decision to go into effect, his spokesman Evan Westrup said Saturday.

Kruzan was 17 when she was sentenced to die in prison for the 1994 shooting death of George Gilbert Howard in a Riverside motel room. She contended that he sexually abused her and had groomed her since she was 11 to work for him as a child prostitute.

Her case became a high-profile example used by state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, who sought to soften harsh life sentences for juveniles.

It is justice long overdue, Yee told the Los Angeles Times. He called Kruzans case the perfect example of adults who failed her, of society failing her. You had a predator who stalked her, raped her, forced her into prostitution, and there was no one around.

Kruzans case garnered widespread publicity in 2010 after Human Rights Watch posted a six-minute interview with her on YouTube.

The year culminated with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger commuting her sentence to 25-years-to-life with the possibility of parole on his last full day in office. Schwarzenegger said he still considered her guilty of first-degree murder, but he sympathized with her defense that the man she killed had sexually abused her and served as her pimp for years.

Given Ms. Kruzans age at the time of the murder, and considering the significant abuse she suffered at his hands, I believe Ms. Kruzans sentence is excessive, the governor wrote in his commutation message, it is apparent that Ms. Kruzan suffered significant abuse starting at a vulnerable age.

This January, a Riverside judge further reduced her first-degree murder conviction to second degree, making her immediately eligible for release.

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Brown allows freedom to CA woman who killed pimp

SACRAMENTO Gov. Jerry Brown has decided to allow freedom for a woman whose punishment for killing her pimp became a call to arms against the practice of locking up juveniles for life.

Sara Kruzan, 35, was incarcerated at 16 after she killed the man she contended had groomed her since age 11 to work for him as a child prostitute. She was sentenced to life without parole for her crime, and her case became a high-profile example used by lawmakers and advocates for juvenile offenders seeking to soften such harsh sentences.

"It is justice long overdue," said Sen. Leland Yee, a San Francisco Democrat who began championing Kruzan's case a decade ago.

Yee called Kruzan's case the "perfect example of adults who failed her, of society failing her. You had a predator who stalked her, raped her, forced her into prostitution, and there was no one around."

In a video on Yee's website, Kruzan said, "I definitely know I deserve punishment. You don't just take somebody's life and think that it's OK. How much [punishment], I don't know."

After years of debate among state lawmakers, Yee's legislation to allow new sentencing hearings for juveniles sent to prison for life without parole became law in January. In September, Brown signed a second bill requiring parole boards to give special consideration to juveniles tried as adults who have served at least 15 years of lengthy sentences. Advocates estimate there are more than 1,000 prisoners already eligible for parole hearings under that new law.

Even before passage of those bills, advocates convinced Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2011 to change Kruzan's sentence to allow for parole. A Riverside judge in January further reduced her first-degree murder conviction to second degree, making her immediately eligible for release.

The state Board of Parole Hearings in June forwarded to Brown's office its recommendation that she be released. A spokesman for the governor's office said Brown has decided to allow the order to go into effect without his signature, almost two weeks before the deadline for his action.

Kruzan is housed at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla.

paige.stjohn@latimes.com

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Jerry Brown OKs freedom for woman imprisoned at 16 for killing pimp

Project Shield - Using Google #39;s infrastructure to protect freedom of expression
Project Shield is an initiative to use Google #39;s infrastructure to protect free expression online. The service currently combines Google #39;s DDoS mitigation tec...

By: Google Ideas

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Project Shield - Using Google's infrastructure to protect freedom of expression - Video

Crash Can - Freedom in Flight
I am taking the lead in Crash Can now. Here #39;s my version of Spread your wings. A bunch of hell-0 from De Nachtmerrie Vereld.

By: Ness Rocha

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Crash Can - Freedom in Flight - Video

New Study Targets Obama Admin #39;s Track Record On Religious Freedom Religious Hostility Doubled
Religious Hostility Doubled In Just One Year!! New Study Targets Obama Admin #39;s Track Record On Religious Freedom - Religious Hostility Doubled.

By: Mass Tea Party

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New Study Targets Obama Admin's Track Record On Religious Freedom Religious Hostility Doubled - Video

Freedom Film Pimentell Interview

By: TheAutoChannel

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Freedom Film Pimentell Interview - Video

Topics: aged care, care services, freedom aged care, toowoomba

ALL it takes is a quick walk through the new $15million wing of Toowoomba retirement village Freedom Aged Care to see just how much the industry has changed in recent years.

Hundreds of prospective residents and their families got their first glimpse of the new 53-home extension at its official opening today.

The new addition brings the complex's total number of homes to 161, equating to a $44million investment by Freedom in Toowoomba since 2011.

Spokesman Patrick Smith said something "went wrong" with aged care about 30 years ago - nursing homes became more like hospitals and residents like patients.

New developments like Freedom's Village Ct complex have sought to right those wrongs.

"Freedom is full-care, but what makes it different is that all our residents have their own homes," Mr Smith said.

"They have their front door, their partner living with them and a few even have pet dogs.

"We try to maintain that sense of independence."

The nightly two-free-drink happy hour at the aptly-named Wrinkles Bar has proven a hit.

Originally posted here:
GALLERY: Freedom by name, freedom by nature

Wolverhampton. Click here to bet.

The five year old had had just two previous starts on the all-weather, winning once and the market spoke strongly in his favour in the seven-furlong Ladbrokes Handicap.

The 2/1 favourite scored by a length and a half from two horses trained by Marco Botti, Solar Deity (7/2) and Grey Mirage (6/1), who were separated by a half-length.

The winning jockey Silvestre de Sousa said: "He has done it well enough from a wide draw. He was spot on."

De Sousa doubled his tally for the evening in the Download The Ladbrokes App Claiming Stakes as the Ian Williams-trained Alakhan (2/1 favourite) held off all challengers to score by half a length.

The third race on the card, the Class Two 32Red Handicap, was also worth over 12,000 to the winner and saw the James Tate-trained Bin Singspiel (7/2) win in excellent style.

The three year old took over the lead from Expert Fighter (3/1 Fav) entering the straight and ran on strongly under Luke Morris to score by four lengths with Kiama Bay another four and a half lengths back in third.

The winning rider said: "He has done it very well. He is an impressive horse and I would like to think he can go on to better things. He travelled through the race very smoothly and showed a good turn of foot.

"It has been a great year for me (this was his 141st winner) and hopefully there will be a few more to come."

Referring to the All-Weather Championships, the jockey added: "This is the boost that All-Weather racing needed."

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Freedom of Wolverhampton

By:Shylynne D. Castillo

More than being a motivation for health and fitness, running has become a trend in the Philippines. Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Philippines (FNF), a German political organization, took advantage of this interest to advance a cause and create public awareness about being free from corruption.

Now on its third year, Freedom Run 2013 is a part of FNFs Its All About Freedom campaign that hopes to translate the complex concept of freedom into everyday language. With the theme I am free from corruption, the run aims to brace and uphold Filipinos call for a corrupt-free country. It is expected to engage at least 4,000 freedom runners on Nov. 10 at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The three to 10-kilometer advocacy run will be from 5:30 to 8 a.m. The runners shall assemble at the Quezon Memorial Circle Promenade at 5 a.m. for a brief orientation and warm-up exercises. The post-race program and awarding ceremony will follow after the race. Registration is until Nov. 3.

FNF country director Jules Maaten said, After the pistol is fired, runners not only run as runners who aim to finish the race, but more importantly, they run as proactive Filipinos who carry with them the solutions to curb the systematic problems of corruption. At the finish line, thats when they will proudly say, I am free from corruption.

Joining the race are Senator Bam Aquino, Camarines Sur Third District Representative Leni Robredo, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, actor and YesPinoy Foundation founder Dingdong Dantes, singer-songwriter Noel Cabangon, and Lea Navarro, among others. It will also be participated in by private organizations, civil society and the youth.

Freedom Run project head Pauline Sanchez said the event has already encouraged more than 15,000 runners all over the country to race for good governance, environmental responsibility, and for honest and clean elections. It has been brought to provinces such as Agusan del Norte, Quezon, and Leyte.

In 2011 and 2012, about 30 government offices, including the Office of the President, Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Health brought 50 to 100 runners from their respective organizations. This year, the foundation expects it to be bigger.

Witnessing a great number of people joining the Freedom Run both in Metro Manila and in the provinces is a proof that Filipinos have always that burning desire to be free from corruption. It is an honor for FNF to create that opportunity, that space, for Filipinos to express their freedom and to create a new culture where they are free from corruption and poverty, shared Maaten.

Moreover, former Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan, chairman of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, hopes that the run will give ordinary Filipinos the opportunity to show that they are one with the governments fight against graft and corruption.

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Freedom Run fights against corruption

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, right, is expected to introduce a bipartisan Freedom Act Tuesday aimed at ending the NSA's invasive data collection.

Patriot Act author Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., will likely introduce his bipartisan Freedom Act on Tuesday, which aims to end the NSA's bulk collection of Internet and phone records, and could set off a showdown in Congress between privacy rights and national security needs.

The specific date for the bill to be introduced will be Tuesday, Breitbart News reports.

[READ: Germany Joins Brazil Seeking U.N. Action Against Spying]

"The bill will be introduced sometime next week," says Ben Miller, a spokesperson for Sensenbrenner's office.

Sensenbrenner is preparing to a submit a bill called "The USA Freedom Act" with help from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich.

The Freedom Act would end the NSA's bulk collection of Americans' communications records by amending Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Sensenbrenner was the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, and was one of the original authors of the Patriot Act.

[READ: Surveillance Creates Rift Between U.S. and Europe]

The bill would also amend Title 4 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and section 702 of FISA to restrict surveillance to authorized international terrorism investigations. A privacy advocate to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court would also be created in the bill to argue civil liberties concerns and appeal court decisions. The bill would also require the government to disclose FISC decisions that contain a significant construction or interpretation of the law. It would also increase the ability of Internet and telecom companies to disclose information about government requests.

The House defeated a proposed amendment to the defense appropriations bill by seven votes in July that would have restricted the NSA's collection of phone records and metadata, which portends a heated battle for the Freedom Act.

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Freedom Act to End NSA Data Collection Coming on Tuesday