The law and the jungle

Indiana, having solved all other crime problems, has let its attorney general, Steve Carter, assume the duties of gasoline czar. If you think you are being overcharged for gas, just turn the dealer in. Not everyone is impressed:

Before we again tackle the controversial issue that failed in the General Assembly this year, we should have some hard facts, The Indianapolis Star says in an editorial:

Are bank robbers a drain on the state's economy, or a boon? Are public hospitals, as supporters' of Delph's bill asserted, overburdened by treating bank robbers? What is the net cost of bank robbing for taxpayers?  

It's silly season in Carmel:

The Carmel City Council considers a controversial resolution Monday night supporting a child-safe community standard for the city. The resolution would ask businesses to put away anything from magazine covers to lingerie out of the view of children. Proponents say it would make the city more wholesome, but critics charge it legislates morality.

There are the people on the front lines who have to make snap judgments. Sometimes, they overreact, and it's up to someone else to put on the brakes. When the police are too zealous, it's up to the prosecutor's office to be the voice of reason and restraint. Here's a case where it worked the way it was supposed to:

The Mob continues to strong-arm the competition:

If you ever find yourself in a friendly game of poker that involves betting at any type of bar or other establishment in Indiana, it might be time to fold. That's because the Indiana Gaming Commission is taking a tough stance against illegal gambling. And one bar owner in Scott County, Indiana has already been busted. WAVE 3 Investigator Lindsay English has the details.

Don't let your kids or your cats read over your shoulder on this one:

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A man surrendered Thursday to face allegations he forced his 7-year-old daughter to kill the family cat by holding a knife in her hand and making her stab the feline.

Danield J. Collins, 39, was taken to the Delaware County Jail, where he was being held on one count each of animal cruelty and battery and two counts of neglect of a dependent.

The end of the world as we know it must be near:

For the first time ever the Dayton Police Department conducted a beer sales sting and didn't sting anybody. On Friday afternoon Investigator Darrell Bell drove a 20-year-old male around to all 15 stores in Dayton where beer can be purchased for off-premises consumption.

Good riddance to bad rubbish:

Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York state embroiled in a scandal of his use of prostitutes over many years, was poised to hand in his resignation as the political, media and public pressure for him to stand down became irresistible.

I feel for this guy:

ELLETTSVILLE, Ind. -- Town Marshal Gary Darland dropped 24 pounds training for the rigorous physical tests he needed to pass to keep his job.

But after less than a year on the job, Darland resigned Monday about five weeks before he would have faced a 300-meter sprint, a 1.5-mile run and other physical challenges.

OK, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer got caught on a wire tap being "involved in a prostitution ring." Hardly shocking these days. And he oozes the usual biolerplate contrition, saying he acted  "in a way that violates" his obligations to his family: "I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family." Fine. Dandy.

But this part of the story stopped me: