In The Dark…For Three Days!
Due to the particularly harsh storm that passed through our area last Friday, we, along with 25,000 other residents of our little county near Mayberry, were without power until last night. We were also out of water for quite a while. And, no power meant no internet service.
Fortunately, we have a generator so we didn’t suffer as badly as many people in the area. Well, other than the ten trees that came crashing down in our back yard. But, two of our neighbors fared far worse—trees landed on their homes and cars.
With the generator, we managed to watch TV, cook meals, heat hot water, etc. The only things I couldn’t make work were the heat (our gas fireplace heated the home nicely) and the internet, meaning no new Graveyard Shift posts and a total of 1226 emails in my inbox.
Thankfully, the last remaining utility—internet service—finally came on sometime during the night last night.
So, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll be back on schedule tomorrow, hopefully. There’s another winter storm heading our way, so who knows.
It could’ve been worse…I guess…
I did hear at least once on a news broadcast an explanation of why Miranda didn’t apply. I wish more people could understand it from the other person’s point of view. It is really simple to see that if they stop and think about what if they like the 9/11 terrorists had more bombs spread around the area or even more buddies set to blow something up then LEO’s need to know. Thanks for explaining it so plain.
Thanks so much for this! Excellent post, I totally agree. And thanks for your great “coverage” all last week explaining things.
Excellent post. I totally agree.
Excellent explanation and one I wish media would convey to the public — and, in fact, to many politicians who are calling for “enemy combatant” status, waterboarding, Guantanamo, etc. on the assumption that our criminal justice system cannot handle this crime. The excellent response of the police, state and federal authorities, and now the federal court system demonstrates that our system works and we will get to the bottom of this situation without abandoning the Constitution.
As you note, there frankly is no need for prosecutors to obtain statements for the purpose of prosecution. This is a slam-dunk. Miranda has in mind law enforcement coercing confessions and the like to obtain convictions. Here the purpose of questioning is to protect the public without concern for admissibility in court.
BTW, I am an attorney which makes so much of the media handling of these questions so frustrating. Thank you for your excellent summary.
Laura – People need to realize that TV cop shows are for our entertainment, and the scenes featured, no matter how realistic looking, are designed to provide action and drama, neither of which is guaranteed to be what happens in real life. Real world law enforcement is sometimes far different than what we see on the screen while seated in our easy chairs snacking on popcorn.
The law enforcement community definitely went above and beyond in their handling of the Boston bombings. Textbook procedure, patience, and a ton of bravery. Also, the citizen who provided the tip that led to the capture of #2 was also an important part of bringing the matter to a rapid close. Tips such as that one are an important part everyday policing. Often, it is a citizen’s phone call that starts a ball rolling. Cops and citizens make a great team! Of course, having 10,000 highly-skilled police officers on the scene didn’t hurt.
Lee, Thanks for the great explanation and background of the public safety exception. Thanks also for pointing out that law enforcement is not the villain here; the villains are the Tsarnaev brothers and whoever taught them that killing innocent people is okay.
I think people fear that what is always done on TV shows is not done immediately in a case where they so badly want a prosecution. Good explanation.
I love your picture, Lee. Those poor deer look like they don’t know what to do next.
Lee – if that’s what it takes to get rid of my buns, I should have moved to Colorado years ago! And when the group I was working for had it’s conference in Greensboro, our site visit was the day after a major ice storm.
It could have been Boston! 🙂
We’ve been amazing lucky during our storms. Hey, don’t laugh, we had tornado warnings one day! Friends got the top of a redwood tree through their skylights. So we’re okay with losing internet off and on. Hopefully, this’ll be the last big snowy winter you guys get.
Sue Ann. We’ve had more snow here in North Carolina this year than our former neighbors in Ma. That’s my luck! I believe it was pretty cold and snowy when I met you for your book signing in Ma. last year, right? Do yourself a favor, stay in Ca.
Yes, there’s not much you can do with ice. I’ll take snow over freezing rain any day!
My family would love to see me move back to MA from CA. HA HA HA HA HA HA
Glad you’re back with us, Lee!
“Sorry for the inconvenience” ? Sounds like you were the one inconvenienced !
Terry – Just remember those temps next year. You can join me in a chorus of Winter Wonderland while you’re freezing your buns off. Well, the first year is kind of refreshing, but the second is like living between the pages of Stephen King’s The Shining.
Joyce – Our problem was more with ice, not snow. After seeing the extremely efficient snow removal process in Boston, I’ve been quite amazed at the great job the workers have done here in North Carolina with the white stuff, an area that goes for years without seeing so much as a single snowflake. However, all the preparation in the world couldn’t handle what hit our area last Friday – super wet snow, ice, and sleet all at once. After all was said and done, it looked like several tornadoes had ripped their way throughout our county, between the Piedmont Triad region near Greensboro, and Mayberry and Mt. Pilot. Trees were down everywhere, hundreds of them.
Dave – Our daughter lives just a few miles from you. She called last week to laugh at us because of the snow we were receiving that day. She wasn’t laughing this time.
We’re already looking toward Florida, or maybe back to California… 🙂
We had to survive temperatures in the 40’s this weekend! Florida winter at its finest.
Hi, Lee.
I thought your power was probably out. We got just under a foot of snow here in Ohio, but we’re used to that, although you wouldn’t know it, listening to the weather forecasters. They talk as though the world is coming to an end. Ratings.
I believe you’ve gotten more snow than we have this year. Go figure.
Welcome back!
We spent the weekend shoveling snow. We got a little less than 2 feet here in the Pittsburgh area. My older son, who lives outside DC, got about the same. The difference is that we know what to do with it!