Diane Dimond

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Hit the High Seas on Vacation But Be Careful

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Summer time. Vacation Time. But no time to let your guard down. Traditionally, crime goes up during warmer weather with property crimes and aggravated assaults on the rise. In some locations murder rates increase too.  When temperatures get hotter there are more windows left open, more sweaty and irritated people seeking relief outside and more alcoholic beverages consumed in public – all of which can prompt bad behavior.

So maybe you and your family have decided to take an ocean cruise to get away from it all this summer? Well, beware because there is crime on the high seas too, sometimes violent crimes. [Read more…]

The Psychopath or Sociopath Next Door

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Upon passing two people in the street the other day I heard one say, “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He’s a psychopath or a sociopath – or both!”

I’m no expert but from what I’ve learned studying crime and personality disorders I don’t think one person can have both of those qualities. So, how can you tell if that certain someone in your life is just annoying or has a diagnosable condition? Here’s a quick primer. [Read more…]

Frequent Payouts on Complaints Against Police Compound ‘Ferguson Effect’

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The parents of Michael Brown, who was killed by Ferguson (Mo.) police Officer Darren Wilson in 2014, have just gotten a financial windfall. The city’s insurance company has agreed to pay them $1.5 million to settle their wrongful death lawsuit against the city, the former police chief and Wilson.

In other words, Ferguson folded, probably on the advice of their insurance company’s lawyers.

While I cannot imagine the grief of those parents, losing their son the way they did, I can’t shake the feeling that they are being rewarded for their 18-year-old’s bad behavior. [Read more…]

Born in the USA Means Automatic Citizenship – But Is That Smart?

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A reader from New Hampshire wrote to ask, “Why, just because you are born here, are you an American citizen? I know the history of this law but it is out of date and just encourages more illegal immigration.” Well, I cannot argue with that.

The reader, who goes by the handle Rocheleau, expressed displeasure with the practice that automatically awards all babies born on American soil a certificate of U.S. citizenship. “Just because you are born in a garage,” Rocheleau wrote, “does not make you a car.” That may be an odd analogy but I take the reader’s point. [Read more…]

America’s Child Brides

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Sherry Johnson gave birth when she was 10 years old. When she turned 11, her parents, members of a conservative Pentecostal church, decided she should marry the 20-year-old man who had raped her. Their reasoning? Marriage would deflect a criminal case and help protect the reputation of the church. Amazingly, a clerk in Pinellas County, Florida, issued a marriage license (which noted Sherry’s birthdate), and the deed was done. [Read more…]

Guns + Kids = Potential Tragedy

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Summertime is upon us, the season when out-of-school kids are frequently left alone in the house. Here’s a question for all parents and grandparents out there: Do you have guns in your home?

According to a new report from the Children’s National Hospital, 20,000 American children — yes, 20,000 — will be rushed to the emergency room this year with a gunshot wound. [Read more…]

About Diane

I was raised in the great American Southwest by parents who stressed personal responsibility, integrity, compassion for others and the ability to tell a good story. Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico I absorbed the moral and ethical values I would carry with me throughout life and use daily as a journalist.
After a humble beginning in Albuquerque radio (covering the cops and courts beat) I moved east. First, radio in Washington, DC where politics was the name of the game and then to New York where I got my first taste of television. It was to be a long draw at the TV trough, from New York to Hollywood and back again. And always my most fulfilling work was done in the crime and justice genre. My long running syndicated column allows me to deep dive into the human stories behind the headlines on a weekly basis. Writing books about crime and how society reacts to it still fascinates me.

Email Diane at Diane@DianeDimond.com

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