Maricopa County, AZ -- Internationally known for unorthodox practices, such as forcing inmates serving jail terms for drunk driving to perform public burials of alcoholics in pink attire, Sheriff Joe Arpaio attempted to trim $900,000 from the correctional system budget by reducing attorney's visitation time to hours between 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
Deciding on a motion filed in County Superior Court by lawyers, psychologists, and other legal advocates, Judge Anna Baca ruled that the new visiting hours interfere with an inmate's constitutional right to legal consul and appeals, further noting that the unusually early hours would force hurried and shortened visits, violating an equality clause provided within the United States' and Arizona's State Constitution.
Due to take effect today, Mr. Arpaio has commented that he will not comply with Baca's ruling--despite denial of an earlier attempt to have a stay placed on the ruling until the case can be heard by the Arizona Court of Appeals
In the interim, Baca has issued a temporary order mandating the hours be restored and that both parties mediate while the appeal pends.
Judge Baca has not commented on actions her court will take if the Sheriff's office does not comply.
American Gangster is the latest film to join the ranks of infamous titles such as The Godfather and The Sopranos, directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner), the film explores the heroin drug lord Frank Lucas who, like his predecessor, ensares his community with drug addiction, but at the same time provides protection to blacks at a time before civil rights were fully respected by corrupt policemen.
I myself have always been amazed at the complexity and sincerity of Organized Crime, all the way from L.A. to Hong Kong.
And I'm not alone.
But what is it about gangsters--ruthless men who often kill in cold blood without hesitation--that draws audiences across generations; the same people who will quickly condemn connivence store robbers to twenty five years in prison?
Perhaps no character is more known and admired than Tony Soprano, an italian kingpin of New Jersey that brought HBO its highest ratings ever. Soprano is a family man--in more ways than one. After taking control of the family business, we see glimpses into his daily life, his past, and sometimes, his future.
Like much of his viewing audience, Tony Soprano came from a less-than-perfect home (what would you expect with parents in the mafia?) and is haunted by his past. Like half of Los Angeles, he sees a therapist.
His love for his wife, Carmela, and their two children lays the groundwork for the paradox. Often in one evening Soprano would pull the trigger on an enemy or rival, then come home to kiss his wife and hug his children.
Other times, after similarly violent or criminal acts, Soprano would come home to the stresses of everyday life in America.
Depressed and rebellious teenagers, nagging wives, and even simple frustrations such as unexpectedly running out of orange juice when juice is needed most.
In the case of Frank Lucas (American Gangster), we are shown a variant of the American Dream: A man can start from nothing, come from nothing, and become something; as Lucas says "You are what you are in this world: That's either one of two things. Either you're somebody--Or you ain't nobody."
At one point in the film, Lucas buys his mother a mansion--what son wouldn't love to tell his mother that she's no longer going to work a day in her life and will live in a home she once only dreamt of?
In the end, however, murder is murder, and crime is crime. But then again, if a murder puts food on the table and gives a man the status that is so often denied by honest, hardworking men, and he truly loves his family--what are we supposed to believe?