The jury in the Anthony Caravella civil lawsuit decided two of the four officers are liable for framing the mentally challenged 15-year-old for the 1983 rape and murder of a Miramar woman, condemning him to maximum security prisons for close to 26 years until DNA set him free in 2009.

Eight jurors unanimously found former Miramar officers George Pierson and William Mantesta liable and awarded Caravella a total of $7 million in damages against them after a five-week trial in federal court in Fort Lauderdale.

Both men acted with malice or reckless indifference to Caravella, violated his constitutional right against malicious prosecution and coerced him into confessing, the jurors decided.

Former Miramar officer Bill Guess and retired Broward Sheriff's deputy Tony Fantigrassi were found not liable.

"I feel good that it's over with,"said Caravella, now 44. "I feel like it took a long time but I'm just glad that everybody knows what happened -- that's what I feel good about."

"I have to say I finally believe in the system," Caravella added. "I was worried. I was afraid they were going to get away with it."

His lawyer in the federal civil rights lawsuit, Barbara Heyer said: "The system really does work. Truth actually does prevail."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-anthony-caravella-jury-finds-two-officer-liable-20130326,0,7821815.story

When you see flashing lights in your rearview mirror, take a deep breath. The next few minutes could make all the difference when your next insurance bill arrives.

State troopers and police officers have 100% discretion. They can write you a ticket, or they can give you a warning. They can write down exactly what their radar gun shows, or they can write down a number that will lower your fine and reduce the number of points on your license.

If you have been pulled over, your immediate fate is in the officer's hands -- and so are your future insurance premiums.

A speeding ticket that qualifies as reckless driving in your state is the single worst traffic violation you can inflict on your insurance bill, according to data gathered by Insurance.com, with premiums rising an average of 22%. But knocked down to 14 mph or less over the limit, that hit falls to 11%.

Of course, the best way to keep your insurance from going up at all is to keep the ticket off your record in the first place.

To increase your chances of a receiving a warning rather than a ticket:

http://money.msn.com/auto-insurance/how-to-get-a-warning-not-a-ticket

Conservatives are throwing a hissy fit about a few hundred thousand dollars spent on a scientific study about duck sex, but over at the Pentagon, Congress is spending $380 million on a missile program that has no funding authorization, doesn't work, and the Department of Defense doesn't plan on buying. So why are we still paying for it? Because Germany and Italy are making the US feel awkward, and when you back out of a defense contract, you have to sell your first-born child. Also, jobs.

The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), contracted to Lockheed Martin, is a joint project with Italy and Germany intended to produce a weapon that will intercept ballistic missiles. If you read Lockheed Martin's website, MEADS sounds really cool. This "hit-to-kill" missile will "defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft, [and provide] full 360-degree engagement." Woah! (Shhh, forget about the fact that Lockheed Martin's program is basically a duplicate of the "Patriot" missile program that the US is already paying for. This one sounds cooler, okay?)

Unfortunately, according to the Office of Secretary of Defense, MEADS has had serious technical, management, schedule, and cost problems since it was introduced in the mid-1990's" and has been unable to "meet schedule and cost targets." The Department of Defense decided in 2011 it didn't want the system because it couldn't afford to pay for two missile programs, and it was not helping US national security. For once, Congress actually agrees: Last week, an amendment proposed by Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) that stripped funding from this "missile to nowhere" passed 94-5 with blinding bipartisan support.

That didn't last long: Congress then passed a "stop-gap spending measure" that said that the $380 million needed to be used to complete the project, not pay termination fees. (According to Politico Pro, Sen. Ayotte has placed a hold on a top Pentagon acquisitions nominee until the Pentagon explains why it isn't scrapping the program.)

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/03/pentagon-paying-380-million-useless-missile-everyone-hates