Crime and Punishment Weekly Polls

A Virginia man, Eric Williamson, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure for being nude in his home.

According to Williamson, he was in was in his home, packing and going back and forth to his kitchen at 5:30 a.m., in the nude. During that time a woman with her son cut through his lawn and spotted him in the house.

The woman, who was allegedly trespassing on his property, told police she thought Williamson purposely exposed himself to her and her son. Williamson said he never saw the woman and the entire incident took him by surprise.

Should the police drop the charges?

1) Yes. She was trespassing.
2) No. You shouldn't walk around nude if there is a chance you can be seen.
3) I don't know.

Five Florida teenage boys are accused of setting 15-year-old Michael Brewer on fire over a dispute about a video game and a bike. According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, one 13-year-old and four 15-year-old boys allegedly doused Brewer with rubbing alcohol and then one boy flicked a lighter, setting him on fire.

Four of the accused have been charged with aggravated battery and the one teen that flicked the lighter is facing second-degree attempted murder charges.

Poll: Should the 15-year-old boys be tried as adults?

1) Yes
2) No
3) Undecided

The tragic death of Chicago high-school honors student Derrion Albert, 16, clearly demonstrates the violence which exists in and around schools across the nation.

Albert, who had never been involved in gang activity, was on his way to the bus stop after school when he was attacked by rival gangs made up of Chicago Fenger High School students.

Poll: Is there enough being done to make school zones safe for our children?

1) Yes. The authorities and school officials are doing their best.
2) No. If they were, this kind of incident wouldn't have happened.
3) Undecided

Oscar-winning movie director Roman Polanski is being held for extradition to the United States to face charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

Poll: Should Roman Polanski be prosecuted?

1) Yes, he raped and sodomized a child.
2) No, the victim doesn't want to go through a possible trial.
3) Undecided

Last week a 20-year-old man known to some as horrocore rap singer Syko Sam was arrested and accused of killing a Virginia pastor and possibly three others in a Farmville, Virginia home.

Much of the lyrics of horrocore music focuses on such topics as Satanism, cannibalism, suicide, mutilation, murder and rape as can be seen in a song recorded by McCroskey called "My Dark Site" which goes, "You're not the first, just to let you know. I've killed many people and I kill them real slow. It's the best feeling, watching their last breath. Stabbing and stabbing till there's nothing left."

Poll: Does music with violent lyrics promote actual violence?

1)Yes
2)No
3)Undecided

A 64-year-old ex-convict plead no contest and served one year in prison for the sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl. Prosecutors said they agreed to the plea bargain because of a lack of evidence in the case and the judge approved it.

Poll: Should plea bargains like this be permitted in cases involving the sexual assault of a child?

1) Yes. It's better than nothing.
2) No. It serves no purpose.
3) Undecided

Case Background

The Tulsa World filed a lawsuit in Sept. 2009 against the U.S. Marshals Service seeking the release of jailhouse photos of federal inmates. The federal government protects the mug shots of its inmates, citing privacy rights. Oklahoma's Open Records Act, however, considers jail mug shots to be public documents.

Poll: Do you agree or disagree that jailhouse photos of federal inmates should be released?

1) Agree
2) Disagree
4) Undecided

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, the Charles Manson follower who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford to gain publicity for a new trial for Manson was released on Aug. 14, 2009, from federal prison after serving 34 years behind bars.

Poll: Are you surprised Squeaky Fromme got paroled?

1) Yes.
2) No.
3) Undecided

Almost all states now offer websites where the photos and last known home addresses of sex offenders is on file for citizen review.

Poll: Have you looked at your state's database of sex offenders in the last six months?

1) Yes.
2) No.
3) I don't know if my state has one.

Two dozen federal agents and detectives from the Los Angeles Police Dept. raided the Houston offices of a doctor who was with Michael Jackson when he died. Attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray told reporters that it was apparent investigators were trying to build a case for manslaughter.

Poll: If Dr. Murray prescribed the drugs thought responsible for Michael Jackson's death, should he be charged with manslaughter?

1) Yes
2) No
3) Undecided

Case Background