Criminal Sentencing and Punishment

Warrant Issued for Chad Johnson's Arrest

Last time we checked in with Chad Johnson, he was hanging out with a homeless guy in South Beach. Next time we check in he could be hanging out with prisoners behind bars. The Broward Sheriff's Office has issued a warrant for Johnson's arrest stemming from a possible violation of his probation.

Franken-Artist Enrique Gomez De Molina Sentenced to 20 Months for Wildlife Smuggling

​Enrique Gomez De Molina, the local artist who specializes in surrealist objects assembled from the taxidermied parts of different animals, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for smuggling endangered wildlife. De Molina was first arrested in late November just before Art Basel, and plead gu ... More >>

Coral Gables High Teen Killer Gets 40 Years

​After being convicted of second-degree murder for stabbing a classmate during school at Coral Gables High School, Andy Rodriguez, 19, has avoided life in prison, but was sentenced to 40 years in jail this morning. Following his release, at the age of 59 if he serves his full term, he will also se ... More >>

Mos Def Challenges BET, Oprah, and Obama to Pay Tribute to Executed Prisoner Troy Davis

Photo by Marta Xochilt Perez​On September 21, 2011, at 11:08 p.m. in Jackson, Georgia, a death row inmate named Troy Davis, convicted 20 years ago for the murder of off-duty Savannah policeman Mark MacPhail, was executed by lethal injection. For decades, though, Davis, his supporters, and many j ... More >>

Miami Heat's Mike Miller Scammed by Ponzi Schemer John Johnson

​Poor Mike Miller. He sat out a good chunk of last season with a thumb injury, only to return to not win the NBA Finals. Now it turns out he was taken for a financial ride by Ponzi schemer John Johnson. Guy just can't catch a break. Of course, maybe Miller should have done his homework before inve ... More >>

Elroy Phillips sits in prison despite proof of his innocence

Efraim Diveroli Earns Four Years In Prison For Fraudulent Arms Deal To Afghanistan

​Efraim Diveroli, the young Miami Beach gun runner who stirred national outrage two years ago with a fraudulent a $300 million Pentagon ammunition deal, listened with downcast eyes yesterday as a federal judge read aloud his sentence: four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and $149,000 in restituti ... More >>

Hack Pack

The biggest identity theft case ever. Right here in Miami.

"Dolphins Suck" Comment Leads to Death of an Inmate

Dept. of CorrectionsVincent Lee​Defending the pride of the Miami Dolphins to the death is something the current roster hardly seems interested in, but one fan is accused of killing a Dolphins detractor. Though, both the assailant and the victim were already behind bars at the time.The incident too ... More >>

Feds Bust Dade Correctional Institute Guards on Civil Rights Violations

​No matter how cynical you've grown about the American justice system -- let's say, from watching a few too many episodes of The Wire -- there are still stories coming out of Miami's prison system that will make your jaw drop. Today, through a federal indictment, comes a tale of casual civil right ... More >>

Madoff Gets 150 Years in Jail

Bernie Madoff, the West Palm Beach financial demon who ripped off thousands of investors, many in South Florida, has been sentenced to the maximum 150 years behind bars.  "I'm responsible for a great deal of suffering and pain, I understand that. I live in a tormented state now, knowing all of the ... More >>

The Robes of Justice

Death row inmate wants seat on state supreme court.

OJ Simpson Gets 15 Years

OJ Simpson faced anywhere from six years to life for his conviction for armed robbery last month. He ended up with 15 years (though other reports are claiming he may serve up to 18, I guess the legal experts are still working out the math), and will not be eligible for parole for at least six, possi ... More >>

Letters from the Issue of May 3, 2007

"I thought there was no place I couldn’t handle … but I sure as hell won’t set foot in ‘Baghdad West,’ that’s fo sho!"

Pearl of the Antilles

The elephant in Guantanamo's living room gets 4200 calories a day and a Koran

BEST CRIMINAL CONVICTION IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS

Willie and Sal trial jurors

The Snake Pit

The county jail is one of the largest psychiatric facilities in Florida

Mother Knows Best

And that goes for mothers of convicted Cuban spies, too

Jailed Birds

Stranger Inside

My Name Is Victor, and I'm a Jailbird

Too bad the county makes it so hard for me to get into a recovery program

Justice, Bloody Justice

A violent thug may lead investigators to a public-corruption bonanza

In Prison and Online

The techno revolution has spawned a new program that unites incarcerated moms and their kids in cyberspace

Cash Cargo

Despite recent deaths and a federal crackdown, smugglers continue the dangerous business of transporting Cubans to Miami

Con Kid

Jimmy Sabatino, self-described child of the Mafia, displayed a prodigious talent for confidence games even as a teenager. If he hadn't threatened to kill President Clinton, he'd probably be scamming today.

Inside Job

For years people have been alleging that Miami bail-bond king Jim Viola bribes county corrections officers. For years the FBI and the State Attorney's Office have been investigating. And for years nothing has happened.

Tales from the Big House

My Life in Jail

There are plenty of wonderful places to spend the holiday season in South Florida. As the author explains, the Stockade isn't one of them.

Cleaning Up Krome

Lawyers Tina Fassnacht and Stacy Taeuber are all-purpose advocates at the West Dade immigrant camp

Caged Birds Sing

Prison librarian Rolando Valdes and his band of libretto-loving inmates stage an opera

A Shock to the System

Ouch! INS prisoners claim they were tortured with electroshock riot shields.

Jail Cells Are Forever

At least they are for Cuban immigrants who are not U.S. citizens

Bye-Bye, Baba

The Last Dance

A Prisoner of Circumstance

Rachel Better never worried about her stateless status until the INS locked her up. Then it was too late.

News of the Weird

Bud Men

Despite the risks, local pot farmers have taken homegrown high-tech

Jailhouse Rumble

If racial strife and political bickering were crimes, the entire staff of Dade County's corrections department would be locked up

Executioner's Song

Sal Speaks

The Boulder Boys Must Die

When federal prosecutors seek the death penalty in drug-related murders, the defendants are almost always black. Why should Miami's first "kingpin" case be any exception?

Trip to the Big House

Need to visit a loved one doing time in one of the many state prisons up near the Georgia line? Who you gonna call? Right. Prison Connection.

Prose and Cons

The Amazing Crespo!

Whether agitating on behalf of Florida's film industry or aiming cruel barbs at state officials, ex-con activist Al Crespo is a gadfly with an attitude

The Further Adventures of Willy and Sal

Being thrown in jail was supposed to bring down the curtain on Miami drug lords Willy Falc and Sal Magluta. But there was an encore: Death threats, clandestine cameras, illegal searches, and major security violations.

Junkies

It alters perceptions and skews the ability to tell right from wrong. Ultimately, it results in a dysfunctional society. But it's not a drug. It's the War on Drugs.

Her Brother's Keeper: Part 2

It wasn't quite the resolution he or his sister had hoped for, but John Popejoy's child-molestation case is finally closed

Killer Instinct

Triggerlock

Falcon and Magluta

Phoney Baloney

60 Minutes closes the book on the legacy of jailhouse phone-scam artist Danny Faries. You don't say!