Law enforcement officials say arresting people who are unhoused for minor crimes like trespassing and vandalism will not help reduce homelessness. Experts say it will cost a lot of tax dollars and actually makes homelessness worse.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
A local family was recently scammed out of $90,000. That’s just one example of a loss Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister is hoping to help people avoid by informing the community about common scams.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister will give a presentation this week to help folks learn how to avoid phone and online scams that can be devastating.
Two of Douglas County’s top law enforcement officials have reached an agreement following a long dispute over access to information contained in deputies’ personnel files.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
A judge has ruled that prosecutors did not withhold information that should have been turned over to a defense attorney regarding an ex-deputy accused of violating law and policy. This case, the latest to highlight an ongoing conflict between the DA and the sheriff, leaves some questions lingering.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
A Lawrence defense attorney is arguing that his client’s case should be dismissed because prosecutors failed to disclose Brady/Giglio information, or information that raises questions about an officer’s credibility and character.
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister is “Giglio-impaired” because he mishandled evidence, according to the district attorney’s office. The sheriff disputes the characterization.
No judge reviewed Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister’s personnel file and cleared him of untruthful behavior, as the sheriff wrote in response to questions last month.
Tricia Masenthin/Lawrence Times
Douglas County suffers from an elder care crisis, according to members of the nonprofit organization Justice Matters. Senior care service providers can’t recruit and retain enough qualified staff to provide quality care to seniors in Douglas County who need it.
Contributed photo
The Douglas County DA’s office has dropped an estimated 50 cases because of officer integrity issues — including one homicide case. And dueling policies about officer truthfulness and bias are straining the relationship between police and prosecutors.
