In the midst of his stabbing spree across the city, Maksim Gelman forced his way into a livery cab and allegedly stabbed the driver in an attempt to gain control of the car. Driver Fitz Fullerton was taken to the hospital early Saturday to be treated for gashes to his face and hands, where police arrived to question him about the stabbings. However, he also claims they questioned him about his personal history, and soon had him in cuffs for an "unpaid ticket" from 2001. Of course, that's not quite how police see it. more ›

A Bronx man is suing the city because he says cops conducted an illegal body cavity search on him last fall. Shawn Schenck said he was on his way to buy cigarettes at a deli and pizza place in the Bronx when he and four other men were arrested by police, and forcibly searched for drugs as Schenck yelled, "You're violating me." His mistake was in assuming that he wouldn't be cavity searched while trying to purchase cigarettes; he's actually lucky they didn't forcibly send him for a psych evaluation. more ›

Last week NJ was host to its third "Safe Surrender" program, which allows fugitives with open warrants for non-violent crimes "favorable consideration" for turning themselves in. Almost 4,000 people turned themselves in over four days in Franklin, NJ, including a woman with 90 traffic tickets. But it seems that a considerable amount of people haven't kept very good track of their petty crimes: About 550 people showed up only to discover they weren’t wanted on any kind of warrant. more ›

Yesterday, police arrested over 50 of the taxi drivers who are accused of massively overcharging passengers in an out-of-town rate fraud scheme. But it turns out that four of the top ten worst perpetrators are still on the loose! more ›

It's been a mixed week for Lindsay Lohan. Though there's a warrant out for her arrest after she failed two drug tests, one for amphetamines and the other for cocaine, she settled her $100 million suit against E-Trade. Lohan claimed the company insulted her when a baby named Lindsay was called a "milkaholic" in one of their commercials. Because if an addict of any sort is named Lindsay, it's obviously Lindsay Lohan. more ›

The NYPD just got a fancy new gizmo that will take all that waiting and anxiety out of getting your fingerprints taken. Used mainly by the crime scene unit and warrant division, the new mobile device takes fingerprints right at the scene of the crime, cutting down time to find names and outstanding warrants. Of course, they ask permission before taking any prints. They wouldn't want to be rude or anything. more ›

The New York Court of Appeals ruled 7-to-0 yesterday that general warrants cannot be used to search every person at the location unless there is reason to believe each person is involved in criminal activity. The ruling came out of a 2006 drug raid in Syracuse, where the police were issued an all-persons-present warrant after informants bought cocaine at the location on two separate occasions. more ›

The 78-year-old ex-con who's been arrested some 37 times over the past three decades is in trouble again, this time for missing her final court date two weeks ago. You may recall that Katherine Kelly was famously busted in October 2008, after a pickpocket sting at the Upper West Side Fairway turned up a wallet in her bra. (An NYPD source called her a "pickpocket terrorist.") Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justice Ronald Zweibel signed an arrest warrant for Kelly, despite being informed she was stuck in a car outside court. more ›

An ongoing dispute over surveillance warrants between the F.B.I.’s New York office and the NYPD "has brought the relationship to a new low," according to the Times, which is reporting on "a highly unusual exchange of letters" between commissioner Ray Kelly and attorney general Michael Mukasey. The acrimony stems from the feds' reluctance to press the FISA court to issue broad warrants for the NYPD, which wants to eavesdrop on "numerous communications facilities," including subway pay phones. Each side is now blaming the other for mishandling terrorism investigations. Responding to a letter from Kelly in which he accused the FBI of making "the city less safe," Mukasey wrote: "Not only would your approach violate the law, it would also in short order make New York City and the rest of the country less safe." Mukasey added that he was "unable to have a meaningful conversation" on the phone because "you were not versed on the facts." Next: Mukasey will get upset with Kelly for staggering home drunk with lipstick on his collar. more ›

In a decision that sets a new standard for what constitutes a legal search by police, as well as serving to remind why doing crack is a terrible idea, The New York Court of Appeals ruled that "reasonableness" should remain the touchstone for searches in order to not violate the 4th Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. Defining reasonableness was the basis of the case in question, which involved the searches of body cavities. The NY Times summarizes:

The case before the court involved Azim Hall of New York, who was arrested on Feb. 8, 2005, on charges that he sold two pieces of crack cocaine outside a grocery store. After his conviction, Mr. Hall filed an appeal, arguing that the police had conducted an illegal search by pulling a string, attached to a plastic bag containing crack cocaine, that was dangling from his rectum. A State Supreme Court judge dismissed the indictment, but the Appellate Division reversed that.

Open water can be a good way to test one's mettle, but is equally as good for running from one's problems. Reid Stowe is about a third of the way through his epic thousand day journey on the open seas without making landfall. Stowe is continuing on his epic voyage, while back at home the courts await his return so he can pay up on unpaid child support. more ›