News stories tagged with "crime"

(03/05/12) There's a new effort in Albany to pass a bill that would bring about a major expansion to the New York's DNA databank.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that having more DNA can help solve more crimes, but not everyone agrees that this bill does enough to ensure justice. WMHT's Marie Cusick reports for the Innovation Trail. more

(02/02/12) The state Senate has emphatically passed legislation that would expand New York's criminal DNA database. The bill would require people convicted of all crimes, including misdemeanors, to submit DNA samples to the state's DNA databank. Currently, only someone convicted of a felony, or certain types of misdemeanors, is required to submit a DNA sample.

Senators voted 50-10 Tuesday to pass the DNA Databank Expansion Bill. As Chris Morris reports, the bill has a lot support, but it could be tested in the Assembly. more

(02/01/12) Synthetic marijuana, packaged under names like "herbal incense" and "potpourri," gives users a high similar to cannabis, and the side effects can be dangerous.

Law enforcement officials, politicians and substance-abuse specialists say this kind of drug is quickly becoming a serious problem in the North Country. Chris Morris reports. more

(01/31/12) Potsdam's chief of police is retiring at the end of March. In a letter to the village clerk Friday, Ed Tischler said he is leaving to work in the private sector. Village officials say they hope to have a new chief in office by the time Tischler leaves.

The 21-year police department veteran's announcement comes as police are continuing to investigate the murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips, in late October. more

(01/30/12) Potsdam's chief of police is leaving the force. In a letter to the village clerk Friday, Ed Tischler said he's taking retirement at the end of March, to work in the private sector. Tischler's announcement comes as police are continuing to investigate the murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips, in late October. more

(01/23/12) A mistrial was declared Friday in a high profile rape case in Franklin County. Michael Scaringe was arrested in January 2010 on charges of raping a then 13-year-old girl while he was director of the Saranac Lake Youth Center. As Chris Knight reports, the mistrial was declared after Scaringe dismissed one of his defense attorneys. more

(01/13/12) This weekend in Blue Mountain Lake, the Adirondack Museum will host a lecture on the Chester Gillette murder trial. The 1906 murder of Grace Brown on Big Moose Lake was one of the biggest national scandals of its day. The case inspired "American Tragedy," one of the great novels of the 20th century. In the decades since, the story of Grace Brown and Chester Gillette has sparked more novels, operas, folk songs, Hollywood films and documentaries. In 2005, Brian Mann set out to travel from the Adirondacks to New York City, to trace why this particular murder case continues to hold such a grip on our imagination.

(01/04/12) Officials in Essex County say an arson attack over the weekend could have destroyed much of the downtown business district in Port Henry. They also say that the man accused of setting at least four fires, 43-year-old Joseph King, attacked firefighters while they were battling the dangerous blaze. Brian Mann has our story. more

(12/30/11) Yesterday we reported on an alarming trend across the North Country, the rise of prescription drug abuse. Today we hear a first-hand account of one woman's 20-year-struggle with addiction to these powerful narcotics.

Jennifer Smith's addiction severely strained her relationship with her family, forced her to quit her job as a nurse, lead to several stints in drug rehabilitation programs and eventually landed her in jail.

Smith, who lives in Port Henry, recently sat down with Chris Knight to talk about her addiction and how she eventually came clean. Jennifer Smith is not her real name. The interview took place at the St. Joseph's Addiction Treatment and Recovery Center outpatient clinic in Elizabethtown. more

(12/29/11) "Spiraling out of control." And, "Almost an epidemic." That's how police, prosecutors, doctors, pharmacists and drug counselors describe the rise of prescription drug abuse in communities across the North Country.

While increased narcotic drug trafficking across the border with Canada is partly to blame, the relative ease of getting these drugs from doctor's offices and emergency rooms is also part of the problem. As Chris Knight reports, experts say solving the problem won't be simple, and the key is heightened vigilance of both law enforcement and the medical community. more