We previously discussed the case of Fire Chief Don Payne in Jericho, Arkansas where he went to court for a second time in one day to complain about the police use of abusive speed traps in the small town. An argument erupted in front of Judge Tonya Alexander and Payne was shot from behind by one of the officers. Now, a local prosecutor has decided that Payne should be criminally charged but no officer will face a charge in the case. West Memphis City Prosecutor Lindsey Fairley appears to believe that shooting an unarmed man surrounded by officers is an appropriate use of force.
Continue reading ‘Fairley Certain: Prosecutor Decides that No Charges Are Appropriate for Officer Who Shot an Unarmed Fire Chief in Courtroom — But Fire Chief Should be Charged’
Archive for September, 2009
Fairley Certain: Prosecutor Decides that No Charges Are Appropriate for Officer Who Shot an Unarmed Fire Chief in Courtroom — But Fire Chief Should be Charged
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 23 CommentsLegal Question of the Day: Can Kanye West Face Legal Action For His MTV Conduct?
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Society , Torts 23 Comments
The video below shows what would be considered rude and brutish conduct in every culture from the American society to the Klingon society. But was it actionable?
Continue reading ‘Legal Question of the Day: Can Kanye West Face Legal Action For His MTV Conduct?’
ACORN Threatens Legal Action Against Filmmaker Over Investigative Film
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Criminal law , Media , Politics , Society , Torts 40 Comments
ACORN has fired the two employees shown in the recent undercover video by filmmaker James O’Keefe of Veritas Visuals– showing the staffers advising a faux pimp and prostitute (here) on how to get federal assistance and lie on federal forms. Now, however, it is threatening legal action in what would be part of a trend of cases involving companies and organizations suing investigative reporters and filmmakers.
Continue reading ‘ACORN Threatens Legal Action Against Filmmaker Over Investigative Film’
Danish Viral Video of Mother Seeking the Father of Her Son is a Fake — and Possible Pitch for Tourism
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Bizarre , International , Media , Society 14 CommentsThis is an amazing story. This video went viral and shows an attractive Danish woman who used YouTube (and other sites) to look for the father of her baby boy (“August”) after a drunken one-night stand in Denmark. It now appears that she is actually an actress named Ditte Arnth Jorgensen and the video was a publicity stunt to get people to come to Denmark – apparently by highlighting the availability of drunken one-night stands with beautiful blond Danish girls.
Insurance With the Works: Indiana Board Latest to Rule That Employers Must Pay For Weight Loss of Workers
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Society , Torts 20 Comments
There is an interesting decision out of Indianapolis where a board has ruled that Boston’s Gourmet Pizza must pay for weigh-loss surgery of a 340-pound employee, Adam Childers, after he suffered a back injury at work.
Federal Judge Blasts Lenient Treatment of Blogger Andrew M. Sullivan in Drug Case
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Society 25 Comments
In a rare rebuke to prosecutors, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Collings has criticized the decision of the United States Attorneys office to drop charges against well-known blogger Andrew M. Sullivan, who was arrested by park rangers on a Cape Cod national beach for possession of marijuana on July 13th. A conviction would have caused problems for Sullivan — a British citizen — in remaining in the United States.
Continue reading ‘Federal Judge Blasts Lenient Treatment of Blogger Andrew M. Sullivan in Drug Case’
Waste Not Want Not: Green Bike Shop Owner Given Citation for Not Having Enough Trash
Published 1, September 14, 2009 Bizarre , Environment , International , Society 8 Comments
Bike shop owner Mark Howard prides himself on running a green business with virtually no trash. It is a bit too green for English authorities, who hit him with a citation. The reason? Not enough trash.
Continue reading ‘Waste Not Want Not: Green Bike Shop Owner Given Citation for Not Having Enough Trash’
THE PERILS OF ALL YOU CAN EAT RESTAURANTS
Published 1, September 13, 2009 Environment , Society 9 Comments
There is nothing sadder than binge eating.
Continue reading ‘THE PERILS OF ALL YOU CAN EAT RESTAURANTS’
Police Officer Finds Missing Cat, Takes It To a Field, Shoots It In the Head, and Throws It In the Trash
Published 1, September 13, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Environment , Society 27 Comments
Police in Raymore, Missouri have a curious way to recovering missing pets. When 19-year-old Tobey disappeared on Labor Day, she was eventually found by a police officer. However, since it did not have a tag, the dispatcher ordered the officer to take the cat directly to a field and “put him down.”
Continue reading ‘Police Officer Finds Missing Cat, Takes It To a Field, Shoots It In the Head, and Throws It In the Trash’
Minnesota Man Shoots Himself While Trying to Loosen Lug Nut on Tire With Shotgun
Published 1, September 13, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 17 Comments
Most of us when faced with a stuck lug nut on a flat tire will look for some leverage. A man in South Kitsap, Washington, however, looked for something with a bit more firepower. He was injured when he tried to loosen the nut with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Continue reading ‘Minnesota Man Shoots Himself While Trying to Loosen Lug Nut on Tire With Shotgun’
Twelve-Year-Old “Child-Bride” in Yemen Dies in Labor
Published 1, September 13, 2009 Bizarre , Courts , Criminal law , Politics , Religion , Society 7 Comments
Fawziya Abdullah Youssef, 12, is the latest victim of the tradition of child-bride under Sharia law in some Muslim countries. She died after three-days of labor trying to give birth to a child that was the result of her marriage to a 24-year-old man in Yemen. She was eleven at the time. The baby also reportedly died.
Continue reading ‘Twelve-Year-Old “Child-Bride” in Yemen Dies in Labor’
Movie Selection of the Fittest: Creationists Block Internationally Acclaimed Movie on Darwin From Being Shown in U.S.
Published 1, September 13, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Media , Religion , Society 33 Comments
In an act of utter cowardice, United States distributors appear to be caving into a creationist campaign to bar the movie Creation on the life of Charles Darwin. The film explores his loss of faith following the death of his beloved 10-year-old daughter, Annie.
Continue reading ‘Movie Selection of the Fittest: Creationists Block Internationally Acclaimed Movie on Darwin From Being Shown in U.S.’
Pressing the Flesh: Newt Gingrich’s Group Awards Porn Executive with “Entrepreneur of the Year Award”
Published 1, September 12, 2009 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 9 Comments
Newt Gingrich’s selection for “Entrepreneur of the Year” came not only as a surprise to executive Allison Vivas but Gingrich’s supporters. You see, Vivas is the president of adult entertainment studio Pink Visual, a porn operation. It has now turned out to be little more than a one-night stand, as the group rushed to rescind the award.
Continue reading ‘Pressing the Flesh: Newt Gingrich’s Group Awards Porn Executive with “Entrepreneur of the Year Award”’
Media Report: Caster Semenya is a Hermaphrodite
Published 1, September 12, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society , Torts 20 Comments
Now, here’s a novel legal question. If someone is a hermaphrodite, can they choose to run in either male or female races? That is a question that may face international sporting events after a report that an examination of Caster Semenya, 18, discovered that she has both male and female sexual organs. This one may be a slightly tougher question than our bicycle debate.
Continue reading ‘Media Report: Caster Semenya is a Hermaphrodite’
Homeowner Convicted for Beating Armed Robber — Faces Tort Liability
Published 1, September 12, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Society , Torts 12 Comments
There is an interesting case out of England on the limits of self-defense, a question that we often discuss in class. Munir Hussain, 52, has been convicted for attacking an armed robber who broke into his house and held him and his family hostage — while reportedly promising to kill them all. They were eventually able to free themselves and turn the tables on the three robbers. Walid Salem, 56, was beaten in the aftermath with bats. He can only sue the family for tort damages for the assault and battery. Hussain’s brother Tokeer was also convicted.
Continue reading ‘Homeowner Convicted for Beating Armed Robber — Faces Tort Liability’
Pawlenty Suggests Minnesota May Join Tenth Amendment Challenge to the Federal Health Bill
Published 1, September 12, 2009 Academics , Congress , Constitutional Law , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 35 Comments
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) appears to have joined those governors threatening constitutional challenges under the Tenth Amendment to any federal health care bill. I discussed these arguments last night on this segment of Countdown and earlier on this segment of the Rachel Maddow show.
Monkey Business: Arizona Man Hit with Dozens of Tickets as Mysterious Speeding Monkey
Published 1, September 12, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 14 Comments
Dave VonTesmar of Phoenix has a novel defense to a series of speeding tickets: I am not the monkey in that picture and you cannot prove that I am.
Continue reading ‘Monkey Business: Arizona Man Hit with Dozens of Tickets as Mysterious Speeding Monkey’
Cats Frame Another Biped: Florida Man Arrested in Confrontation with Feline Fifth Column
Published 1, September 11, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 17 Comments
When will this country wake up to the cat menace? After following cases of cats framing humans (here and here), we have yet another example of the feline Fifth Column. Robert Taylor fell victim to a classic cat trap. He returned home to find that his cat had used his bed as a litter box. When he took the cat to the barage to fire a gun to scare it, he was promptly arrested and the cat given the run of the house.
A Heckle Becomes a Rallying Cry: Joe Wilson Calls for Donations to Keep From “Being Muzzled”
Published 1, September 11, 2009 Bizarre , Congress , Politics , Society 12 CommentsRep. Joe Wilson has gone on the offensive with the release of this fund-raising video calling for contributions to prevent critics from “muzzling” him. This follows a \flood of contributions to his opponent Rob Miller in the immediate aftermath of his outburst on the floor of the House of Representatives during the President’s address — when he called President Obama a liar. For the original video, click here.
Texas Teenager Arrested in Wendy’s Prank Posted on YouTube
Published 1, September 11, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts 7 Comments
James Tyler Markle, 19, has been arrested in another prank case. In this case, his prank at a Wendy’s in Texas cost over $20,000 and resulted in charges of one count of terrorizing and one count of felony criminal damage to property.
Continue reading ‘Texas Teenager Arrested in Wendy’s Prank Posted on YouTube’
Eight Angry Men: Jury Sent Home After Alleged Brawl During Deliberations
Published 1, September 11, 2009 Bizarre , Lawyering , Society , Torts 3 Comments
It is not clear what is more interesting the legal problems in the trial over Merck’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax or the alleged assaults occurring in the jury room during deliberations. United States District Judge John Keenan in Manhattan was forced to issue the novel “time out” order this week and send home the eight men and women on the jury after lawyers heard yelling from the jury room and a juror alleged that she had been physically threatened and had a chair thrown at her.
Continue reading ‘Eight Angry Men: Jury Sent Home After Alleged Brawl During Deliberations’
Madonna Accused of Sinking Bulgarian Ship and Killing 15 People
Published 1, September 11, 2009 Bizarre , International , Religion , Society 12 Comments
The Bulgarian Church has announced that it has found the culprit in the sinking of a boat this week that killed 15 people: Madonna. This may not come as a surprise to some, but it appears that Madonna’s show was such an affront to God that he decided to kill a bunch of Bulgarians on a boat in Macedonia’s Lake Ohrid. Makes perfect sense.
Continue reading ‘Madonna Accused of Sinking Bulgarian Ship and Killing 15 People’
Georgia Accused of Killing Hundreds of Turtles To Protect Them From Their Owner
Published 1, September 11, 2009 Bizarre , Environment , Society , Torts 8 Comments
The State of Georgia has a curious way of protecting animals. In 2005, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources raided the home of amateur herpetologist Steve Santhuff and seized 500 turtles. Santhuff was ultimately able to prove that he was not guilty of criminal charges when a jury acquitted him of all charges. He then learned that the state had killed as many as 362 of the turtles during the interim.
Continue reading ‘Georgia Accused of Killing Hundreds of Turtles To Protect Them From Their Owner’
I give you the space butterfly.
Continue reading ‘SPACE BUTTERFLY’
British Express Anger Over Deaths in Rescue of New York Times Reporter Who Ignored Repeated Warnings Not to Go Into Taliban Stronghold
Published 1, September 10, 2009 International , Media , Society 5 Comments
New York Times reporter and blogger Stephen Farrell is being criticized in the wake of his rescue by British commandos, a rescue that claimed the lives of a woman, child, and a British soldier, Corporal John Harrison, 29. Commanders are expressing anger that Farrell not only ignored repeated warnings not to go to the site in hostile territory, but was specifically told by a local man that the Taliban was coming.
ACORNs in the Fire: Video Allegedly Shows Employees Advising a (Faux) Pimp and Prostitute on How To Lie to the Government and Seek Support
Published 1, September 10, 2009 Bizarre , Congress , Politics , Society 20 CommentsACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) has long been a target for conservative organizations and one such organization has released this video purportedly shown ACORN’s Baltimore office assisting two investigators posing as a prostitute and a pimp in getting federal assistance for a brothel.
Assault with a Slimey Weapon: Florida Man Accused of Attacking People With Jellyfish
Published 1, September 10, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Environment 12 Comments
I am pretty sure that this is a unique crime. Keith Edward Marriott, 41, is charged with repeatedly pretending to drown in Madeira Beach, Florida and then throwing jellyfish at people who came to help him.
Law Professor Charged With Tax Violations and Claims an A.D.D. Defense
Published 1, September 10, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 14 Comments
Minnesota prosecutors have charged Hamline University professor Robin Magee with 11 felony counts for failing to file tax returns and filing false returns. In addition to criminal law, tax law is one of Magee’s specialties and she also practices as a tax lawyer.
Continue reading ‘Law Professor Charged With Tax Violations and Claims an A.D.D. Defense’
Getting Scratch For Crack: Florida Man Arrested in Alleged Flea-to-Crack Scheme
Published 1, September 10, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 8 Comments
Jeffie Dewitt Morris, 36, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida is not your typical addict looking for a fix. Morris came up with the idea of shoplifting flea and tick medication to pay for crack.
Continue reading ‘Getting Scratch For Crack: Florida Man Arrested in Alleged Flea-to-Crack Scheme’
California Assemblyman Michael Duvall Resigns After Boasting of How He Sleeps With Lobbyists
Published 1, September 10, 2009 Bizarre , Politics , Society 25 Comments
Republican California Assemblyman Michael D. Duvall has resigned shortly after the release of the video below where he brags in disgusting and graphic detail about sleeping with lobbyists in his office. The conservative politician who was known for campaigning on family and Christian values may now return to selling insurance with his partner . . . his wife.
GOP Rep. Joe Wilson Calls the President a Liar During Address to Congress
Published 1, September 10, 2009 Bizarre , Congress , Politics , Society 98 Comments
In one of the most extraordinary breaches of congressional etiquette in the history of presidential addresses to Congress, Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.) screamed at President Barack Obama last night “You lie” during his speech on health care. In this video, you can see the surprise on Pelosi’s face who appears honestly and legitimately shocked.
Continue reading ‘GOP Rep. Joe Wilson Calls the President a Liar During Address to Congress’
Video: Ohio Congresswoman Tells Supporter that Obama is Not a Citizen and Can’t Be President
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Politics , Society 131 CommentsRepublicans may want to just keep away from open mikes for a while. After a ranking Republican in California was caught describing in disgusting detail sex with a lobbyist, Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) was caught whispering to a constituent that she agrees that President Obama is not a legitimate president due to his birth.
Continue reading ‘Video: Ohio Congresswoman Tells Supporter that Obama is Not a Citizen and Can’t Be President’
Shock Video: California Legislator Caught on Tape Graphically Describing Sex With Lobbyist in Office
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Bizarre , Politics , Society 23 CommentsRepublican California Assemblyman Michael D. Duvall appears to like to brag about his sexual conquests. The problem is that he did so next to a live mike, in a state legislative room . . . and the woman was a lobbyist who he said had sex with him in his office.
Ninth Circuit: California Judge Improperly Influenced Jury to Convict Defendant
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 5 Comments
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Virga improperly influenced a jury to find a defendant guilty in a sexual assault case. The actions of the former prosecutor have resulted in a new trial being ordered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Continue reading ‘Ninth Circuit: California Judge Improperly Influenced Jury to Convict Defendant’
Former Prosecutor Suspended for Shoplifting
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 3 Comments
Former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney Dennis Fisher has been barred from practicing law for another year as punishment for stealing two knives. He was accused of not only stealing the knives but resisting employees who tried to stop him.
Continue reading ‘Former Prosecutor Suspended for Shoplifting’
The Ultimate Pick Up Line: Robber Allegedly Returns to Ask Victim Out on a Date
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 8 Comments
If Stephfon Bennett, 20, thought that “Hey, I’m the guy who robbed you, wanna go out?” is a good pick up line, he was right. The Columbia police picked him up after Bennett allegedly returned to the home of a woman he robbed to ask her on a date.
Continue reading ‘The Ultimate Pick Up Line: Robber Allegedly Returns to Ask Victim Out on a Date’
Putting Customers in the Big Box: Wal-Mart Employees Beat Shoplifter to Death
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 8 Comments
Wal-Mart in China appears to take shoplifting pretty seriously. Wal-Mart employees found a woman shoplifting and, despite efforts of witnesses to stop them, beat her to death. The matter is now being handled as a murder rather than shoplifting case.
Continue reading ‘Putting Customers in the Big Box: Wal-Mart Employees Beat Shoplifter to Death’
Now Playing at the Supremes: Hillary the Movie (The Sequel)
Published 1, September 9, 2009 Constitutional Law , Media , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 18 Comments
Most of us despise sequels, but the Supreme Court has a hankering to rehear the case of Hillary: the Movie. Today, the Supreme Court will be taking up the case for a second time — and its ultimate reviews could hold great significance for campaign financing. We have been following the case involving “Hillary: The Movie” since it first came out during the last presidential campaign. The legal dispute over the film was always more interesting than the film itself — whether this is a film or a 90-minute campaign ad. I will be discussing the case this morning on the CNN Morning show.
Continue reading ‘Now Playing at the Supremes: Hillary the Movie (The Sequel)’
You be the judge . . .
Bad Hair Day: Florida Prisoner Escapes in Boxers and Eludes Police
Published 1, September 8, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 2 Comments
Reed Ashton Hair, 20, has achieved something of a feat. He escaped in handcuffs wearing only boxer shorts. Yet, he remains at large.
Continue reading ‘Bad Hair Day: Florida Prisoner Escapes in Boxers and Eludes Police’
Constitutional Illiteracy: Texas Orders All Schools To Teach “Bible Literacy”
Published 1, September 8, 2009 Academics , Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 48 Comments
Texas legislators have continued their battle to add religious training in public schools. The state has a new law that requires that Texas public schools incorporate Bible literacy into the curriculum — though it offers no guidelines or instructions in how to do so.
Continue reading ‘Constitutional Illiteracy: Texas Orders All Schools To Teach “Bible Literacy”’
Be Prepared, But No Packing: English Scouts Told Not To Carry Penknives to End “Knife Culture”
Published 1, September 8, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society 14 Comments
Scouts in England have been told that they are no longer allowed to carry their classic penknives in a move against a “knife culture” by English officials. Both scouts and their parents are asked not to carry knives so not to foster criminal images.
Continue reading ‘Be Prepared, But No Packing: English Scouts Told Not To Carry Penknives to End “Knife Culture”’
Taliban Call For An Investigation of a Bombing — By Someone Else
Published 1, September 8, 2009 Bizarre , International , Media , Military , Politics , Religion , Society 18 Comments
There must have been a bit of confusion in the German military headquarters. The Taliban has called for an investigation into a bombing ordered by the German commander in Afghanistan. That’s right, the Taliban who routinely bomb civilians, throw acid on little girls, and commit acts of terrorism as a matter of religion. That Taliban.
Continue reading ‘Taliban Call For An Investigation of a Bombing — By Someone Else’
Making Sarkozy’s Short List: French President Seeks Citizens Who Can Measure Up
Published 1, September 8, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society 14 Comments
It is well-known that French President Nicolas Sarkozy is a bit sensitive about being 5′ 5” tall. He often stands on his toes for pictures or uses a box. He has, however, come up with a new idea. If you can make yourself taller, you can make the world smaller. Reporters have learned that for a recent speech at the Faurecia motor technology plant near Caen in Normandy, Sarkozy’s people rounded up any workers shorter than the president (no easy task) to stand behind him. The result was the new towering Sarkozy — a giant among his Lilliputian workers.
Continue reading ‘Making Sarkozy’s Short List: French President Seeks Citizens Who Can Measure Up’
Off Key: Piper Calls on City Employees To Oppose Obama’s “Muslim” Stamp
Published 1, September 8, 2009 Bizarre , Politics , Religion 14 Comments
Clarksville 
Tennessee Mayor Johnny Piper has achieved his own degree of infamy for himself and his town. Piper forwarded an email to every City Council member, department head, many city employees, friends and family to raise the alarm over President Barack Obama’s decision to release a stamp to honor Muslims. The only problem is that the man whose Administration ordered the stamps was not Obama but George W. Bush and the stamp merely celebrates the Muslim holiday of Eid.
Continue reading ‘Off Key: Piper Calls on City Employees To Oppose Obama’s “Muslim” Stamp’
Things That Tick Me Off: The History Channel
Published 1, September 7, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Media , Society , Things That Tick Me Off 54 Comments
As a history nut, one of the most annoying contradictions in life is the fact that the History Channel continues to use history in its title after abandoning such programming in a mindless rush for ratings. Just as you rarely hear music on MTV, you rarely see history on the History Channel.
Continue reading ‘Things That Tick Me Off: The History Channel’
Happy Labor Day to everyone.
Faithful Rally Around Paster Anderson as “Caring Human Being” as Anderson Reaffirms His Desire to See Obama Die
Published 1, September 7, 2009 Academics , Constitutional Law , Religion , Society 62 Comments
The members of the Faithful Word Baptist Church have gathered to affirm their support for their pastor, Steven L. Anderson, who has called for the death of President Barack Obama and “melted like a snail.” Anderson went out of his way to reaffirm his desire to see Obama die.
Continue reading ‘Faithful Rally Around Paster Anderson as “Caring Human Being” as Anderson Reaffirms His Desire to See Obama Die’
Really, Really Cold Case: New York Detectives Re-Open the 400-Year-Old Unsolved Murder of John Colman
Published 1, September 7, 2009 Academics , Criminal law , International , Lawyering , Society 4 Comments
The murder of John Colman is not exactly a cold case, it is positively glacial. New York detectives have taken up the case 400 years after the English seaman was found murdered and buried in a shallow grave. No weapon, no motive. The culprit, however, is believed to be out of the New York jurisdiction and even Interpol.
Iowa School Accused of Strip Searching Teenage Girls in Search of Stolen Money
Published 1, September 7, 2009 Academics , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 23 Comments
School officials in at Atlantic High School (“Home of the Trojans & Trojanns“) in Des Moines, Iowa are facing questions of why five teenage girls were forced to take off their clothing for a search after a classmate reported $100 missing from her purse. No money was found. The Supreme Court just ruled in June 2009 that strip searches were unconstitutional in Safford Unified School District v. Redding. As in the Iowa search for money, no drugs were found in the Arizona middle school search.
Continue reading ‘Iowa School Accused of Strip Searching Teenage Girls in Search of Stolen Money’
Parents Unite Against Obama’s “Brainwashing” Speech to Students
Published 1, September 6, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Society 120 CommentsOK this is getting bizarre. This mother breaks into tears when she thinks of the President of the United States speaking to her children in school. We are less than two days away from Obama’s brain-washing, soul-crushing, communist-loving subliminal-laced speech to our children. By Wednesday, our schools will be little more than communes with kids calling for redistribution of wealth and reeducation of parents.
Continue reading ‘Parents Unite Against Obama’s “Brainwashing” Speech to Students’
In light of our recent reaffirmation of the civility rule on this blog, I give you evidence that species with generations of “difficulties” can overcome such instincts and impulses to achieve harmony.
Evolution Claims Another Victim: Christian Motorcyclist Injured While Jumping Giant Creationist Crab
Published 1, September 6, 2009 Bizarre , Environment , Religion , Society 16 Comments
Freedom Worship Baptist Church in Blanchester, Ohio wanted to demonstrate the fallacy of evolution of the human species and appears to have succeeded. The Church arranged for stunt driver Louis Re of New York to jump in a motocycle over a giant horseshoe crab — an example often cited by creationists to show creatures have not evolved since they were spontaneously created a few thousand years ago.
Dutch Prosecutors Charge Arab Group With Hate Speech Over Cartoon
Published 1, September 6, 2009 Academics , Constitutional Law , International , Media , Politics , Religion , Society 6 Comments
We have been following the trend among Western countries in rolling back on free speech with different forms of blasphemy laws, here. Much of this attack on free speech began after the controversy over the publication of cartoons depicting Muhammad. Now, Dutch prosecutors are charging an Arab group for publishing cartoons questioning the Holocaust.
Continue reading ‘Dutch Prosecutors Charge Arab Group With Hate Speech Over Cartoon’
Former Business Dean at Illinois College of Law Charged With Theft and Forgery
Published 1, September 6, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Criminal law 4 Comments
The University of Illinois College of Law has already had a bad year with allegations of less qualified students being given entrance into the school as favors for politicians. Now, Dean Ming Liu Bengtsson, 38, the assistant business dean at the law school has been arrested for allegedly stealing $20,000 at her previous job working for Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs. She recently resigned her position.
Continue reading ‘Former Business Dean at Illinois College of Law Charged With Theft and Forgery’
Arizona Man Arrested After Video Shows Him Trying to Feed Kitten to Python and Then Kicking It to Death
Published 1, September 6, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Environment , Society 13 Comments
Jeremy Tuffly, 28, may be the leading contender for the worst human being of the week. The Mesa, Arizona man is shown in the videotape below trying to feed a 6-week-old kitten to a python snake. After repeatedly throwing the kitten at the snake (only to have the kitten run back to him), he drop-kicks the kitten — killing it.
Continue reading ‘Arizona Man Arrested After Video Shows Him Trying to Feed Kitten to Python and Then Kicking It to Death’
Super Sizing the Body of Christ
Published 1, September 6, 2009 Bizarre , Religion , Society 9 Comments
Jesus is now not just available everywhere, but he is even more beefy.
Continue reading ‘Super Sizing the Body of Christ’
Have You Seen His Man Sweating Near You?
Published 1, September 5, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 11 Comments
​The FBI is seeking a man who it calls the “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” Robber in a new wanted poster. He is rather easy to spot and possibly to smell.
Sheriff Under Investigation After Allegedly Giving Taser to Man Who Appears on Video to Shock Son as Joke
Published 1, September 5, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 3 Comments This video is the subject of an investigation into Hallwood Chief of Police Wilson Glenn, who is accused of giving his taser to a father who then appears to tase his son as a joke.
Continue reading ‘Sheriff Under Investigation After Allegedly Giving Taser to Man Who Appears on Video to Shock Son as Joke’
Wichita Police Officer Orders Grandmother to Stop CPR on Drowned Boy Despite Alleged Signs of Recovery — The Boy Dies
Published 1, September 5, 2009 Bizarre , Society 14 Comments
Pam Jordan says that she was hopeful when she began CPR on her three-year-old grandson Isaiah Jones after he drowned in the family’s pool. He was allegedly regaining color and coughing. That stopped, she claims, when a Wichita police officer arrived and inexplicably ordered her to stop and move away from the child. However, he did not continue the CPR and the boy died.
Continue reading ‘Wichita Police Officer Orders Grandmother to Stop CPR on Drowned Boy Despite Alleged Signs of Recovery — The Boy Dies’
Secessionists and Separatists Discover the Tenth Amendment
Published 1, September 5, 2009 Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Politics , Society 96 CommentsSuddenly, it appears that most extreme elements of our political debate have discovered the Tenth Amendment in arguing for either secession or a type of state independence that borders on separatism. This video of a Texas secessionist rally is shocking given the chants of “we hate the United States” but it is most telling in recognition that “legal secession” it no longer a serious claim. Others do not want to secede but rather to use the Tenth Amendment to bar such things as the national health bill from closing their borders. I discussed this story last night on this segment of the Rachel Maddow show.
Continue reading ‘Secessionists and Separatists Discover the Tenth Amendment’
Indiana Officer Not Satisfied When Breathalyzer Clears Man, So They Use of a Catheter and Then Charge Him With Obstruction When He Is Shown Again to Be Sober
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Politics , Society 18 Comments
In Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Officer Brian Miller was not happy when Jamie Lockard, 53, agreed to a Breathalyzer that showed that he was not driving drunk. So, Miller and his colleagues arrested Lockard anyway, strapped him to a gurney and took blood as well as allegedly using a catheter against his will to extract urine. It also proved that he was below the limit . . . so they charged him with obstruction.
Reich Message All Wrong? German AIDS Awareness Video Under Attack
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Bizarre , International , Media , Society 12 Comments
There is an interesting controversy brewing internationally over the use of the advert (shown below) entitled “Aids is Mass Murder” featuring Adolph Hitler as engaged in unprotected sex. It is a PETA-like shock video that has many activists complaining that it vilifies HIV-positive people here.
Continue reading ‘Reich Message All Wrong? German AIDS Awareness Video Under Attack’
Hi, I’m Amy Gdala: Doctors Isolate Part of the Brain that Recognizes Appropriate Distance Between People
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Society , Torts 11 Comments
It turns out that your “personal space” is all in your head. There is a fascinating story in the current issue of Nature involving the ability of human to sense and maintain proper “personal space.” Researchers at Caltech found a woman who had extensive damage to her amygdala, the part of the brain known to help process strong negative emotions. They discovered that she not only had difficult in recognizing fear in the faces of others but had no less of a sense of “personal space.”
Ohio Police Officer Holds Knife to Neck of Girlfriend and Kicks Her in the Stomach — Gets a $150 Fine and an Anger Management Class
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 11 Comments
A Willard police officer Joshua Dorsey, 28, received what is being criticized as a remarkably light sentence after allegedly pressing a knife to the chin or neck of his girlfriend and kicking her in the stomach. He was ordered to undergo anger management and fined $150.
Men Lining Up for Admission into John School
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Academics , Criminal law , Politics , Society 13 Comments
Well, there are mandatory parenting and driving schools. Now, there are “John schools” for men caught soliciting prostitutes. Cities are turning to John schools to curb prostitution. They might have to teach some old dogs new tricks. This week, an octogenarian was arrested in a sting targeting johns outside of Washington.
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Shooting Payne: Fire Chief Argues with Police Officers About Speed Traps — Police Officer Shoots Fire Chief
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 10 CommentsThere was a bizarre scene in Ericho, Arkansas where Fire Chief Don Payne went to court for a second time in one day to complain about the police use of abusive speed traps in the small town. An argument erupted in front of Judge Tonya Alexander and Payne was shot from behind by one of the officers. It appears that there is widespread complaints against the local police who are accused of doing little else but ticketing citizens for driving a couple miles over the speed limit to sustain their small department.
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One Orr in the Water: Defendant Stops Trial After Eating Own Waste in Court
Published 1, September 4, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 8 Comments
OK, this is incredibly disgusting but it is another example of what lawyers sometimes have to deal with in court. James Orr, 66, stopped his trial for robbery and kidnapping when he removed his colostomy bag and began to consume the contents. While this particular act is thankfully uncommon, the courts have to grapple with such acts to terminate trials. Judges are reluctant to reward such conduct with a mistrial, but there are not many good options for the judge. In this case, however, Common Pleas Court Judge Ethna Cooper appears intent upon continuing the trial and prosecutors have argued the act was nothing more than a tactic to stop the trial.
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Bridal Moments II: Weddings Are [Usually] No Laughing Matter
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Bizarre , Religion , Society 13 CommentsMelissa and Andrew Engstrom’s wedding was not halted by anyone objecting to the union, but rather . . .
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Former Attorney General Arrested After Allegedly Killing Bicyclist in Road Rage Incident
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Criminal law , International , Justice , Lawyering , Society 9 Comments
When he served as the attorney general for Ontario, Michael Bryant argued for harsh punishment for criminals, including a crackdown traffic crimes such a speeders. He is now accused in a shocking act of road rage that killed a bicyclist who Bryant allegedly rammed into a mailbox.
Till Prison Do Us Part: Man Claims Private Necessity in Robbing Bank to Escape Wife
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 9 Comments
Anthony Miller, 39, does not appear to have heard of a no-fault divorce. Caught in a joyless marriage, Miller says that he did the only thing that he could of to escape his wife: he robbed a bank and waited to be arrested.
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Judge Recuses Himself After Denouncing Latte Drinking, Cigar-Smoking Lawyer
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Bizarre , Courts , Lawyering , Society 14 Comments
Judge John Doyle is facing accusations that he is a latte-hating, cigar-smoker baiting jurist or worse. Doyle recused himself after losing his patience with a bank lawyer, Farzad Milani, and telling him that he could not allow the lawyer to sit in his office “smoking his Cohiba cigars and drinking his lattes” while the court does all the work. He should be less worried about playing around with judicial ethics as ticking off those jackbooted, over-caffeinated thugs at Starbucks.
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Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Under Fire For Master’s Thesis
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Academics , Politics , Religion , Society 15 Comments
Who says no one will read your college or university thesis? Robert F. McDonnell, Republican candidate for Governor in Virginia, is now wishing that he had chosen a simple paper on the life and times of Thomas Jefferson. Instead, as a masters student at Regents University, he wrote a thesis against government policies favoring “cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.” He also denounced as “illogical” a 1972 Supreme Court decision legalizing the use of contraception by unmarried couples.
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Australian Man Faces Twenty Years for Sharing Baby-Swinging Video
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Media , Politics , Society 11 Comments
There is an extraordinary case out of Queensland, Australia. Chris Illingworth, 61, is charged for merely copying and watching a viral video of a man swinging a baby. Prosecutors have charged that he distributed a child abuse video –even though the government itself rated the video as MA15+ (appropriate for anyone over 15). It is part of an ongoing trend in the West in rolling back on free speech rights.
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The Supremes: Picking the Top Nine Justices of All Time
Published 1, September 3, 2009 Academics , Columns , Constitutional Law , Courts , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 14 Comments
Last night I discussed the growing speculation that Justice John Paul Stevens, an icon of the Court with over three decades of service, may be preparing to retire (here). On both a personal and jurisprudential level, Stevens remains one of my favorite judicial figures. He is a man who had a transformative impact on his country. His place in history will likely be discussed for years to come. With this news and the justices returning to the city for the new term, this story may be of interest. Below is my cover article in the American History Magazine on my choices for the top nine justices — as well as my list of the Supreme failures on the Court.
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Mommy’s Little Helper: Georgia Man Charged With Slapping Toddler to Stop Her From Crying at Wal-Mart
Published 1, September 2, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts 83 Comments
There is an interesting criminal and torts case out of Georgia. Roger Stephens, 61, is accused of slapping a 2-year-old child across the face when she would not stop crying. That is bad enough, but the child was not his.
Maryland College President Under Fire For Lavish Spending
Published 1, September 2, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Society 2 Comments
Public schools are cutting back deeply during this economic downturn but you would not know it from reading the credit card bill for Brian Keith Johnson, the Montgomery College president. Johnson appears to have personally taken on the cause of stimulating the economy with his state-funded spending. Unfortunately, he has a global reach, including a $4,051 hotel bill in Delhi. To make matters worse, last year an Arizona court issued a warrant for Johnson for failure to pay $12,000 in unpaid child support.
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Stevens: Speculation Grows Over Stevens Resignation
Published 1, September 2, 2009 Courts , Justice , Media , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 15 Comments
Due to its cultural insularity and secrecy, legal commentators often have to act like old Sovietologists who would predict shifts in power by who in the Politburo was standing where on top of Lenin’s tomb. For Supremologists, there are other common indicators: the most prominent is the reduction of judicial clerks. Speculation over Stevens’ retirement is now at its peak with news that he has selected only one clerk for next year. I will be discussing this story on tonight’s Rachel Maddow.
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Out on a Limb: Bank of American Refuses to Cash Check Unless Man Can Grow New Thumb
Published 1, September 2, 2009 Bizarre , Society , Torts 16 Comments
Bank of America may have given out money like a drunken sailor before the federal bailout, but it held the line with Steve Valdez. The bank refused to allow Valdez to cash a check after he stubbornly refused to give them his thumbprint to confirm his identification. His feeble excuse is that he has no arms, let alone thumbs.
Top 500: Vote For Your Favorite Lawyers
Published 1, September 2, 2009 Lawyering , Society 242 Comments
The annual selection of the top 500 lawyers in America has begun at LawDragon. You can vote for your favorite colleagues, teachers, or counsel.
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Hatchery Horror: Video Shows Live Chicks Being Discharged By Being Thrown Live Into Grinder
Published 1, September 2, 2009 Bizarre , Environment , Society 25 Comments
An undercover video by Mercy for Animals purportedly reveals a shocking treatment of baby chicks at the Hy-Line North America’s hatchery in Spencer, Iowa. The video below shows workers discarding unwanted chicks by tossing them alive into a grinder while others are left to die on the factory floor.
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Is Moody Not Just Messy But Mad? Man Arrested for Repeatedly Climbing Into Outhouse Toilet
Published 1, September 1, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 17 Comments
Gary Moody appears to have a problem. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to trespass in a pit toilet in White Mountain National Forest property in New Hampshire. He was ordered to seek help. However, he has now been arrested again for climbing down into a pit toilet at the park. It turns out that it is a crime to climb into a public pit toilet.
New York Settles Mass Arrest Case — Drops Charges
Published 1, September 1, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Media , Politics , Society 3 Comments
There is a mass arrest story. As has been discussed earlier, we have an ongoing arrest case in Washington, D.C., here. In May 2007 police arrested dozens of young people who police alleged were basically rioting through the streets. The students insisted that they were on their way to a funeral for a murdered friend. Now, there has been a settlement of the case with all charges dropped and the payment of damages.
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The First Thing We Do Kill All The Lawyer Blogs
Published 1, September 1, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Media , Society 121 Comments
When Dick the Butcher declared in Shakespeare’s Henry VI “The first thing we do let’s kill all the lawyers,” he may have been prophetic. Jones Day partner Mark Herrmann has written on his blog that his unscientific survey shows that legal blogs tend to have a lifespan of less than a year.
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WORKERS OF THE WORD UNITE! WOMAN FIRED FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPS
Published 1, September 1, 2009 Bizarre , International , Society 5 Comments
Vicki Walker was fired because she was a habitual user of all caps on emails. She was reinstated after a New Zealand board found in her favor and ordered payment of lost wages.
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Miss California Superior Court: Carrier Prejean Sues Pageant Over Termination
Published 1, September 1, 2009 Media , Politics , Religion , Society , Torts 15 Comments
Former Miss California Carrie Prejean, 22, has sued Miss California USA for libel, public disclosure of private facts, religious discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress stemming from the controversy over her position on gay marriage. She was stripped of her title earlier this year, but the officials insist it was due to her breaking her contract and failing to perform her duties as Miss California, including the missing of appearances. The complaint also named Miss California USA officials Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler and publicist Roger Neal.
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