JONATHAN TURLEY

Scientology is again under criticism over the alleged pressure to remove the video below of Jason Beghe explaining why he left the church and how actors like Tom Cruise and John Travolta allegedly believe that they are now a new species. At the same time, the Internet has seen an explosion of videos alleging highly abusive uses of copyright laws by Scientology lawyers to harass and search leading critics. Continue reading ‘Scientology Accused of Pressuring Removal of YouTube Video and Abusive Searches of the Homes of Critics’

Despite the recent litigation over the abusive use of police dogs, there appear a few dogs that may be too playful. In this video a police dog is having a great time with multiple people running — too much fun to stop the fleeing suspect.

Yale Art major Aliza Shvarts has become a national sensation with her claim to use blood and pictures from self-induced miscarriages for art works. The only problem is that it appears to be untrue. Continue reading ‘Yale Denies Performance Artist Story of Use of Miscarriage’

Gregory Floyd has a curious way to establishing that he would never have threatened to shoot and kill his neighbor: he starting swinging his cane and swearing at everyone in a New Hampshire courthouse. Floyd recently was cleared of wrongdoing in killing a man who shoot a police officer. Continue reading ‘Nothing Says You’re Non-Violent like a Good Caning: Video Shows Man in Court Attacking Police and Prosecutors After Conviction for Criminal Threat’

This week a Yemeni court granted a divorce to an eight-year-old girl who was given an arranged marriage with 28-year-old Faez Ali Thameur. Nojud Mohammed Ali just wants to go to school, but the husband admits that he consummated the marriage. In an civilized court of law, he would have walked out with a criminal charge of child rape and abuse. Instead, he left with an uncontested divorce. As shown below, this is not unique in this area of the world. Continue reading ‘Yemeni Court Grants Divorce of 28-Year-old Husband and 8-Year-Old Wife’

Sidney Blumenthal, a top aide to Hillary Clinton and a past aide to Bill Clinton, has pleaded guilty in New Hampshire to drunk driving. The video below shows a polite and sober Blumenthal at booking. Such tapes are now routinely made available despite private information that is sometimes revealed, as here. Continue reading ‘After Clinton Aide Blumenthal Pleads Guilty to DUI, Police Release Video of Booking’

A store has demonstrated a concept that I try to teach in class.

Continue reading ‘Brilliant Demonstration of Deterrence Theory’

It seems that police In Camden, Maine have a slightly different idea of a bachelor party, including shooting the groom with a taser and then having him handcuffed, hog-tied, oiled and feathered — and paraded around town on the back of a truck. The video below is now being treated as evidence of a possible crime. Continue reading ‘You Have a Right to Remain Single: Police Bachelor Party Under Investigation’

For many, State District Judge Bill Harmon made a mockery of the murder trial of Carl Wayne Buntion, who was convicted of killed a motorcycle officer. Harmon was disciplined for his conduct in the trial and found to have a “deep-seated and vocal bias” against Buntion. Yet, that was not enough for overturn the conviction and call for a new trial with a competent judge. The Fifth Circuit has issued an order returning him to death row. Continue reading ‘Fifth Circuit Returns Man to Death Row Despite Biased Trial Judge’

There is a growing controversy involving an alleged statement by Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, director of the Tsomet Institute in Israel. According to various sites, Rosen stated “All of the Palestinians must be killed; men, women, infants, and even their beasts.” Here. This article is attributed to a publication in Haaretz on March 26, 2008. I cannot find references where Rosen called for such a crime. Instead, Rosen seems to engage in some inflammatory biblical illusions. Rosen may argue that he was merely making a biblical reference to the Amalekites that did not directly call for the killing of Palestinians. Yet, if so, it was a uniquely provocative choice of biblical references. Continue reading ‘Leading Rabbi Accused of Suggesting that All Palestinians Should Be Killed’

As previously discussed, my students and I hosted three classes of elementary students in groups of 150-160 kids at the law school. These second, third, and sixth graders from Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean, Virginia were hilarious. They sat through a trial of the three little pigs and a class on forensics led by a detective, our own Inspector Jeffrey Braden. We just finished reading the thank you notes from the sixth graders and they are worth sharing. Continue reading ‘Kidside View of Court: Its All About The Chairs!’

An interesting lawsuit has been filed in Connecticut at a federal prison for women in Denbury. Prison officials suddenly reduced the number of items that Jewish prisoners can purchase for Passover, which inmate Agnes Kole says was in direct retaliation of her successful challenge to an earlier discriminatory action taken by the prison. Continue reading ‘Prison Passover Lawsuit: Jewish Inmate Claims Retaliation for Demanding Equal Treatment’