Halloween is the favorite holiday for all torts professors and personal injury lawyers. (Indeed, I am convinced it was invented by a personal injury lawyer). Common carrier hay rides, lighting vegetables on fire, handing out foodstuffs without a permit . . . It’s the most litigious day of the year. So, with no further ado, here is this year’s annual Spooky Torts and Crimes list of actual cases from Halloween. Happy Halloween everyone (except those avoiding the holiday due to demon-inspired soul-sucking candy or papal prohibitions).
Continue reading ‘HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! THE 2009 LIST OF SPOOKY TORTS AND SCARY CRIMES’
Archive for October, 2009
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! THE 2009 LIST OF SPOOKY TORTS AND SCARY CRIMES
Published 1, October 31, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society , Torts 26 CommentsIllinois Teacher Suspended For Assigning an Article on Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom
Published 1, October 31, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society 11 Comments
Dan Delong, an English teacher at Southwestern High School in Piasa, Illinois has been suspended for allegedly allowing students in his English classes to read an article about homosexuality in the animal kingdom. The article that Delong allegedly had his class read was published in a 2006 edition of “The Gay Animal Kingdom” and is available at http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_gay_animal_kingdom.
Continue reading ‘Illinois Teacher Suspended For Assigning an Article on Homosexuality in the Animal Kingdom’
Hold the Rap: Utah Police Charge Teens For Rapping a McDonald’s
Published 1, October 31, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 7 Comments
While police officers are being fired for ticketing protected progeny in Stockton, Utah, teenagers are being arrested in American Fork, Utah for rapping at McDonald’s drive-through. They insist that they are innocent, but the police insist that it was indeed a bad rap, but a good collar.
Continue reading ‘Hold the Rap: Utah Police Charge Teens For Rapping a McDonald’s’
City Father: Utah Mayor Fires Officer For Giving Son Ticket
Published 1, October 31, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 5 Comments
Officer Joshua Rowell in Stockton, Utah (population 443) has been reinstated this week after being fired by Mayor Dan Rydalch. It appears that Rowell had the audacity to ticket the mayor’s son and was fired on the spot by an anger father. He was out of a job until the Top Kopp — Police Chief Heinz Kopp — and others objected.
Continue reading ‘City Father: Utah Mayor Fires Officer For Giving Son Ticket’
The Trouble With Ewoks: Al Roker Assaulted on Today Show
Published 1, October 31, 2009 Academics , Society 1 CommentThe dangers of drunk Ewoks is a little known danger for costume parties. However, the Today Show became the unwitting focus of inebriated Ewoks, including Al Roker who appears have a claim for sexual assault.
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The Abused Devout Woman Defense? New York Muslim Woman Tries to Kill Husband For Forcing Her To Eat Pork and Wear Short Skirts
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Religion , Society 11 Comments
New York prosecutors are dealing with an attempted honor killing of a different sort. We have been following such cases on this blog, but Rabia Sarwar, 37, may be category unto herself after she allegedly slit her husband’s throat after he forced by her to eat pork, wear short skirts and drink alcohol slashed.
Continue reading ‘The Abused Devout Woman Defense? New York Muslim Woman Tries to Kill Husband For Forcing Her To Eat Pork and Wear Short Skirts’
Strike Out: Montana Jury Rules Against Manufacturer of Louisville Slugger in Aluminum Bat Death
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Society , Torts 20 Comments
A Montana jury has rendered a surprising verdict. The jury ruled against the manufacturer of the Louisville Slugger bat, Hillerich and Bradsby. Notably, the jury rejected design defect claims but found a warning defect in the death of 18-year-old Brandon Patch who was hit in the head with a ball hit by a aluminum bat.
Pope Nixes Halloween
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Religion , Society 48 Comments
Note to self: have kids skip the Vatican this Halloween. Pope Benedict XVI has joined Kimberly Daniels at the Christian Broadcasting Network in issuing his own warning against Christians participating in Halloween. The Pope wants Catholics to know that the holiday is dangerous to not just their waistline but their eternal souls.
Christian Columnist Warns of Demon Conspiracy To Invade the Souls of Children Through The Candy
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Bizarre , Religion , Society 34 Comments
With many of us preparing for Halloween on Saturday, we have a disturbing warning from Kimberly Daniels on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Web site: demons (real demons) have contaminated Halloween candy to invade the souls of our children (and presumably late-night candy stealing parents).
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Eight Years For Al-Marri: Sleeper Agent Given Low Sentence by Judge Outraged by Abuses of the United States
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , International , Lawyering , Military , Politics , Society 11 Comments
In a potentially important ruling for detainees held by the United States, Illinois U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm rejected prosecution demands and sentenced Qatar native Ali al-Marri to just eight years in jail — with a possible release in less than six years. The reduction from 15 years was expressly tied to the abusive conditions and treatment of al-Marri by the United States while held as an enemy combatant in South Carolina.
Continue reading ‘Eight Years For Al-Marri: Sleeper Agent Given Low Sentence by Judge Outraged by Abuses of the United States’
Just Getting Worse and Worcestershire: Baker Eats Steak and Goes to Jail in Wisconsin
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 4 Comments
Culinary crimes and misdemeanors are becoming the rage. In Illinois, it is Jamaican-Chicken that proved the undoing of a judge. In Wisconsin, the culprit is a Jack Daniels steak that trapped Ian Baker, 23, in his fourth drunk driving charge.
Prosecutor Found in South Carolina Cemetery with Teenaged Stripper
Published 1, October 30, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 10 Comments
South Carolina appears to have finally moved beyond the Sanford affair. Deputy assistant attorney general Roland Corning, 66, has been fired after he was stopped in his SUV by police during his lunch break. The problem was that he was found with a stripper, Viagra, and sex toys in a cemetery.
Continue reading ‘Prosecutor Found in South Carolina Cemetery with Teenaged Stripper’
La Livas Loca: Judge Accepts Jerk Chicken in Lieu of Community Service
Published 1, October 29, 2009 Bizarre , Courts , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 9 Comments
Associate Judge Robert Livas may be put on a vegan diet. The former prosecutor and former police officer is in hot water over a curious order that he placed for Jamaican-style chicken as part of a plea agreement with Darrius Logan. Logan, 24, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass charges and was sentenced to 100 hours community service. Then things got funky . . . Jamaican-chicken funky . . .
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Ponzi Pampers: Lawyer Accused of Pyramid Scheme Involving Adoptions
Published 1, October 29, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 8 Comments
With Bernie Madoff and other crooks, we have become used to Ponzi schemes. However, lawyer Kevin Cohen of Roslyn, New York is accused of a rather unique variation on this criminal theme: a baby Ponzi scheme.
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I give you a cat in zero gravity.
Continue reading ‘Cats in Space’
Disgraced Ex-Detroit Mayor Sues Lawyer Who Disclosed Evidence that Led to His Criminal Conviction
Published 1, October 29, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Politics , Society 4 Comments
Now this is a novel case. Disgraced former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (and current Compuware worker in Texas) has sued lawyer Mike Stefani who leaked steamy text messages to a newspaper — ultimately ensnaring Kilpatrick in the scandal that led to his criminal conviction.
Continue reading ‘Disgraced Ex-Detroit Mayor Sues Lawyer Who Disclosed Evidence that Led to His Criminal Conviction’
Big Brothers? Tennessee Judge Strips Blogger of Anonymity in Defamation Case
Published 1, October 29, 2009 Constitutional Law , Courts , Media , Society 4 Comments
In yet another blow to confidentiality on the Internet, Tennessee Judge Thomas Brothers has ruled a married couple that runs a real estate business and a halfway house for recovering drug abusers may confirm the identity an anonymous blogger critic. The critic used a blog called Stop Swartz to accuse Donald and Terry Keller Swartz of Old Hickory, of committing arson, evading taxes and being drug addicts themselves.
Continue reading ‘Big Brothers? Tennessee Judge Strips Blogger of Anonymity in Defamation Case’
Somali Man Marries Sixth Wife — He is 112 and She is 17
Published 1, October 29, 2009 Bizarre , International , Religion , Society 17 Comments
Ahmed Muhamed Dore is 112 and has 18 children by five wives. However, this week he added a sixth wife, Safia Abdulleh, 17. The marriage was blessed under the Islamic traditions of the area. It is part of a disturbing trend of cases where young girls are married off to older men under Sharia law.
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Not So Sharpie: Iowa Men Arrested After Allegedly Trying to Burglarize Apartment with Poor Man’s Mask
Published 1, October 29, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 8 Comments
Matthew McNelly, 23, and Joey Miller, 20, have discovered that, since the days of highwaymen, the purpose of a mask in crime is not just to conceal your identity but to take off the mask when rejoining society. The two Iowa men used Sharpie markers to draw disguises on their faces — making them rather easy for the police to identify after allegedly trying to break into an apartment.
Nanny State Bans Nannies: English Town Bars Parents and Nannies from Playgrounds
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society 7 Comments
We previously discussed whether England was becoming a “Nanny State.” Now, it turns out that even the nanny is not welcomed. The city fathers (and mothers) of Watford has solved the danger of strangers bothering children by banning parents from playground areas. Mayor Dorothy Thornhill observes simply, “Sadly, in today’s climate, you can’t have adults walking around unchecked in a children’s playground.”
Continue reading ‘Nanny State Bans Nannies: English Town Bars Parents and Nannies from Playgrounds’
Wisconsin Legislator Falls During Sobriety Check in Third Arrest for DUI in One Year
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 15 Comments
Rep. Jeffrey Wood has achieved a degree of unwanted national fame after being shown in a police dashcam falling down during a sobriety test. From both a legal and political standpoint, falling down is never good during such tests. It does not make it better when this is Wood’s third arrest in less than a year on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Continue reading ‘Wisconsin Legislator Falls During Sobriety Check in Third Arrest for DUI in One Year’
Corpus Delicti: Rhode Island Man Flees Hit-and-Run With One of Three Victims Lodged on Windshield
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 4 Comments
When Christopher Swiridowsky, 30, decided to flee the scene after mowing down three pedestrians he had a one problem: one of the victims was lodged in his windshield.
Continue reading ‘Corpus Delicti: Rhode Island Man Flees Hit-and-Run With One of Three Victims Lodged on Windshield’
Woman in Australia Succeeds in Killing Two Men in the Identical Way at the Same Intersection — Seven Years Apart
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , International , Society 3 Comments
A woman in South Australia has achieved a certain infamy among drivers: she has succeeded in killing two people seven years apart in the same intersection in the same way. Michelle Thiele’s driving skills (or the lack thereof) are the subject of a rather understated response by the coroner.
Continue reading ‘Woman in Australia Succeeds in Killing Two Men in the Identical Way at the Same Intersection — Seven Years Apart’
Hankering for a Better Husband: Minnesota Mother of Four Shoots Husband and Then Blames Her 3-Year-Old Child
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 9 Comments
Betsy M. Hanks, 25, is a real catch looking for a new husband. The Minnesota woman first shot her common-law husband in the head and then tried to blame the killing on her 3-year-old son.
Continue reading ‘Hankering for a Better Husband: Minnesota Mother of Four Shoots Husband and Then Blames Her 3-Year-Old Child’
A Bit Too Scary: Maryland Officer Arrested For Pulling Gun on Character in Haunted House
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts 5 Comments
Maryland police Sgt. Eric Janik, 37, may not get the thrust of trick of treat traditions. The Baltimore police officer went to a haunted house called the House of Screams with friends and when confronted by a character dressed as Leatherface with a chainsaw (sans the chain, of course), Janik pulled out his service weapon and pointed it at the man, who immediately dropped character, dropped the chainsaw, and ran like a bat out of Halloween Hell.
Continue reading ‘A Bit Too Scary: Maryland Officer Arrested For Pulling Gun on Character in Haunted House’
Perils of the Press VI: BBC Reporter Attacked By Thugs on Video
Published 1, October 28, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Media , Society 7 CommentsWe have previously followed the perils of the press (here), but this videotape shows how reporters can be attacked for simply walking around with a cameraman. Paresh Patel was attacked by drunken thugs in Manchester. What is astonishing is that neither John Nugent, 22, nor David Neville McKenna, 27, will spend time in jail for the unprovoked attack.
Continue reading ‘Perils of the Press VI: BBC Reporter Attacked By Thugs on Video’
Is New York Facing a Financial China Syndrome?
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Politics , Society 19 Comments
We have previously discussed the dangers of increasing taxation in places like New York city. Now it appears that the city is facing a tax-version of the China Syndrome where over-taxation may be causing wealthier families to flee, which increases the need for higher taxes on those remaining.
Continue reading ‘Is New York Facing a Financial China Syndrome?’
Church of Scientology Accused of Hampering Criminal Inquiry in Australia
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Religion , Society 11 Comments
In light of today’s conviction of the Church of Scientology in France, this story from Australia may be of interest. The Church is being accused of actively subverting an investigation into the death of Australian private Edward Alexander McBride. The Church allegedly ordered that McBride’s “auditing file” be sent to the United States before the arrival of a warrant from coroner John Lock.
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Church of Scientology and Six Leaders Found Guilty of Fraud in France
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Religion , Society 5 CommentsGiven the recent refusal of a Scientology spokesman to discuss the basis of Church’s beliefs, we are unlikely to get much of a response on the conviction this week of the Church for fraud in Paris. The court convicted the Church and fined it more than 600,000 euros ($900,000). However, the court stopped short in banning the group entirely as demanded by the government.
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Disability Claim Found Bananas: Federal Judge Rules Bonnet Macaque Not A Service Animal
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Society 7 Comments
There is an interesting decision out of Springfield, Missouri where federal judge Richard Dorr has ruled that a Bonnet Macaque named Richard is not a “service animal” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and his owner Debby Rose is not disabled.
Continue reading ‘Disability Claim Found Bananas: Federal Judge Rules Bonnet Macaque Not A Service Animal’
This Too Shall Pass: Man Refuses To Go To Bathroom For 16 Days After Swallowing Heroin Bags
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 9 Comments
It is very common for “mules” to swallow balloons of heroin or other narcotics — only to be put under observation until they “produce” the evidence. It is one of the least glamorous jobs for police officers. However, Damien Ankrah, 28, showed remarkable tenacity in a case in England where he refused to go to the bathroom for 16 days — clearly hoping that the police could not hold him indefinitely without evidence.
Judge Herman Thomas Acquitted
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Courts , Criminal law , Lawyering 46 Comments
In a surprise verdict, a jury acquitted former judge Herman Thomas of sexual abuse, attempted sodomy, and assault related to allegations that he brought inmates to his chambers for sex and spankings. The judge insisted that he brought the men to his office to “mentor” them, but prosecutors put forward evidence of semen on the carpet and testimony of numerous former inmates that they had sex with him or allowed him to spank them for lenient treatment.
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Snakes on a Ferry: Norwegian Man Found with Tarantula, 14 Pythons, and 10 Lizards Taped to His Body
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Environment , International , Society 8 Comments
Norwegian police had a bit of a surprise when they noticed something moving on the body of a 22-year-old man getting off a ferry. They found a tarantula in a bag during a routine stop and then in a strip search discovered 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos taped to his body. This was without the use of baggy pants, here.
Continue reading ‘Snakes on a Ferry: Norwegian Man Found with Tarantula, 14 Pythons, and 10 Lizards Taped to His Body’
Officer Races Car at 104 mph on Personal Errand With Lights and Sirens — Kills Woman Crossing Street with Husband
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Society 1 Comment
Sandra Simpson, 61, probably thought of a myriad of dangers in London but never saw this one coming. Simpson was killed by officer Malcolm Searles, who was driving his patrol car as fast as 104 mph in a 40 mph zone with his sirens and lights on — to deliver a birthday card to a friend.
Guess Jeans: Video Shows Arsenal Hidden in Baggy Jeans
Published 1, October 27, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 10 CommentsWhile this site often explores police abuse allegations related to overreactions or excessive force by officers (as well as members of the legal community), this video shows the type of hidden dangers that officers face.
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Shooting the Messenger: Prosecutors Subpoena Grades and Emails of Students of Innocence Project
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Society , Supreme Court 31 Comments
There is an incredible story out of Chicago and my alma mater Northwestern University. The Cook County District Attorney has issued a sweeping subpoena to the Innocence Project at the acclaimed Medill School of Journalism — demanding such things as the grades and emails of students who worked on an investigation of the case of Anthony McKinney. The students found compelling evidence of innocence and the prosecutors are now pounding them with demands for personal information and communications. I just completed doing NPR’s Talk of the Nation on the case with Professor Barry Scheck.
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Ice Man Cometh: San Bernadino Police Accused of Beating Suspect and Then Keeping Him “On Ice” Without Booking, Charges, or Access to Counsel
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Society , Torts 28 CommentsSan Bernadino police are under criticism today after the release of this video from a cellphone appears to show officers beating a suspect with a baton without cause. The man, Darren Johnson, 43, is a barber shop owner who was allegedly held without charge for two days and was never booked in the jail system. He says that he was also denied a telephone call to counsel. The department has been previously sued for keeping suspects “on ice” but holding them without booking or access to counsel.
Twelve Ambivalent Men: Washington Jury Polled After Not Guilty Verdict Only To Be Sent Back and Then Reaches Guilty Verdict
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 125 Comments
Patricia Sylvester may have learned the ultimate lesson of “never ask a question in trial that you do not know the answer to.” Sylvester, 49, was overjoyed when a jury came back with a “not guilty” to vehicular assault in Island County Superior Court in Washington. While she cried with joy, Judge Alan Hancock polled the jury only to have one woman say that she didn’t agree with the “not guilty” verdict. He sent the jury back to voted again. By the time they had returned, they had convicted Sylvester.
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A Puggle Pup Named Pip: Man Charged After Giving Puppy Alcohol
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Environment , Society 6 Comments
In Iowa City, Jared Colony, 28, has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after giving a puggle puppy named Pip vodka in its bowl as a joke with friends.
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Video: How Not to Park Your BMW
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , International , Society 13 CommentsThis video outside workout place in Thornhill, Ontario is simply astonishing.
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Iranians Round Up Satanists (aka Westernized Teens)
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , International , Politics , Religion , Society , Uncategorized 4 Comments
I guess Black Sabbath will skip that tour in Iran. The Iranian government has arrested a dozen people for “promoting satanism” through underground music and “blasphemous video clips.” Fortunately, the Obama Administration recently supported a resolution supporting Muslim countries in establishing a “balancing” of free speech and respect for religion, here.
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Hooked on Automatics: Somalia Islamic Militants Force Children to Watch Executions and Learn to Use Weapons
Published 1, October 26, 2009 Bizarre , International , Military , Politics , Religion , Society 42 Comments
The Islamic al-Shabaab militia is well known for its harsh application of Sharia law in Somalia. However, it turns out that they have the same concerns about the children growing up with the wrong priorities and values as do people in the West. In the case of the al-Shabaab, the problem is a failure of parents to teach children to use weapons and their insistence on educating them on such things as reading and writing. The militia group is now forcing children to watch executions and giving away prizes of automatic weapons and grenades at children events. It is the Somali version of Hooked on Phonics.
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This has to be one of the most bizarre videos floating around the Internet, but in the spirit of Halloween I have to share it with you. It is a person who scares the daylights out of people in a giant bat costume.
Continue reading ‘Video: Beware the Bat’
Video: Police Beat and Taser Foreign Student In San Jose
Published 1, October 25, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts 16 CommentsThis video is the focus of an investigation into the beating of a San Jose State student Phoung Ho by officers. Police reportedly had difficulty communicating with Ho and the encounter with the math major ended in beating Ho with batons and using a taser on him.
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On this Sunday, let us not forget the simple pleasures.
Continue reading ‘A Cat and a Teddy’
Saudi Journalist To Be Flogged for Airing Interview Involving Sexual Boasts
Published 1, October 25, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , International , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Religion , Society 5 Comments
In an attack both on free speech and the free press, Saudia Arabia has ordered a female journalist to be flogged 60 times for airing an interview with a man who bragged about his sex life. Rosanna Al-Yami was also given a two-year travel ban for her role in the episode of “A Thick Red Line,” a popular show on social taboos.
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Putting the Fun Back Into DWI: Allegedly Intoxicated Mother Crashes Car and Kills One Child After Asking Girls to Vote on the Likelihood of a Crash
Published 1, October 25, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts 8 Comments
Carmen Huertas, 31, had a fun game to play with a car packed with girls going to a slumber party at her house. No it wasn’t counting VW bugs or out-of-state license plates. She asked which of the seven girls thought that she would crash. Since at least one girl was begging her to slow down, it was clear that some of the kids thought the answer was yes. It is not clear how Leandra Rosado, 11, voted: she died when the allegedly intoxicated Huertas crashed. Huertas notably was sober enough to pull her own daughter from the wreck but left the rest of the kids to fend for themselves, including Leandra who died on the side of the road.
The Watchers: The LAPD Releases IWatch in a Rather Orwellian Video
Published 1, October 25, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Media , Politics , Society 22 CommentsOk, it may be early in the morning before sufficient caffeine, but this video is a little creepy, right?
Continue reading ‘The Watchers: The LAPD Releases IWatch in a Rather Orwellian Video’
Video: Scientology Spokesman Walks Out of Nightline Interview When Asked About His Beliefs
Published 1, October 25, 2009 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Religion 26 CommentsNightline has been running a fascinating investigation into the Church of Scientology. This investigation includes this video of a walk-out of the spokesman for Scientology when asked simply about the beliefs of the church. According to the spokesman, it is “offensive” to be asked about what Scientologists specifically believe about the origins of man.
This is either a mysterious lighter than air helicopter or a photographer who was able to synchronize his cameras shutter speed with the helicopters rotors.
New York Mayor Bloomberg Sets Dubious Record of the Most Any Individual Has Spent on Himself for Public Office
Published 1, October 24, 2009 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 8 Comments
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has achieved a national record and perhaps a world record. Unfortunately, it is not for track or field, but the most any individual has spent of his own money in the pursuit of public office. He has already spent $85 million on his own reelection and will likely reach $140 million by November 3rd. That will bring his own spending to $250 million — that’s right a quarter of billion dollars. Do you love me now?
Continue reading ‘New York Mayor Bloomberg Sets Dubious Record of the Most Any Individual Has Spent on Himself for Public Office’
Potty Mouth Police: Kansas Man Arrested for Using Bad Language With Another Driver
Published 1, October 24, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 6 Comments
Mike Shahrokhi, 43, of Leawood, Kansas has been charged with disorderly conduct after using the word f— in an argument with another driver. He may now spend 30 days for his potty mouth.
Parking in Pink: Korea Experiments With Women-Only Parking Spots
Published 1, October 24, 2009 Bizarre , International , Society 29 Comments
This may be a benefit that women want to pass by. It appears that in some parts of South Korea women are being given special pink painted parking spots. That might not be so bad except for the reason: the space are wider to give extra assistance to female drivers.
Continue reading ‘Parking in Pink: Korea Experiments With Women-Only Parking Spots’
No Comprendo La Constitución: Dallas Police Ticketed Dozens of Drivers for Not Speaking English
Published 1, October 24, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Politics 6 Comments
Dallas police officers have cited drivers for not being able to speak English after least 38 times in the past three years. After these citations were disclosed by the media, Chief David Kunkle insisted that it was a big mistake and that such citations are only appropriate for non-English drivers of commercial vehicles.
Strange Bedfellows: Guam Archdiocese Reportedly Cites Islamic Terrorists For Moral Support in Fight Against Same-Sex Marriage
Published 1, October 24, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , International , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court 30 Comments
As Guam debates legislation recognizing same-sex marriage, the Catholic Church appears to have reached out to some strange sources of support in its opposition: Islamic terrorists. In a letter being circulated from the Archdiocese of Agaña, Catholics are told that Islamic extremists may engage in suicide bombings but that they at least “value self sacrifice” and punish homosexuals with death. In a second letter without the Al Qaeda angle, Guam Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron still insists that homosexuality is dangerous, unhealthy, and immoral. He further adds a constitutional point of interest: saying that “the first amendment of the United States does no more than simply forbid the establishment of the state religion.”
You Scream, I Scream . . . Kansas City Man Charged With Luring Girls with Ice Cream Laced With Sedatives for Pornographic Pictures
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 11 Comments
Police say this cheerful mug shot is dangerously deceptive. James Phillips Edwards, 60, has been charged by Kansas City police with allegedly luring children with sedative-laced ice cream and then filming them in pornographic poses after they lost consciousness.
Continue reading ‘You Scream, I Scream . . . Kansas City Man Charged With Luring Girls with Ice Cream Laced With Sedatives for Pornographic Pictures’
Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink and Recline: Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to DUI For Motorized Comfy Chair
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 7 Comments
Dennis Anderson, 62, of Proctor, Minnesota is not exactly your typical DUI defendant. He pleaded guilty after being arrested while “driving” drunk. The vehicle in question was his modified La-Z-Boy recliner.
Continue reading ‘Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink and Recline: Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to DUI For Motorized Comfy Chair’
Victim in Notorious Rape Case Recants Her Story
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Media , Society 19 Comments
The woman at the center of one of the most shocking rape cases of the last decade has recanted her story. Megan Williams has now admitted that she made up the story of being raped and abused in a trailer in West Virginia in 2007 that sent six people to prison. However, various leaders who protested the case at the time are now calling her a liar in her recantation.
Continue reading ‘Victim in Notorious Rape Case Recants Her Story’
Japanese Man Sues After Doctors Unnecessarily Remove His Rectum
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , International , Torts 11 Comments
As years of teaching torts, I cannot quite recall anything quite this bad for a medical malpractice case. A Japanese man is suing after discovering that doctors removed his rectum and implanted an artificial rectum unnecessarily.
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Former New York Police Chief Bernard Kerik Jailed
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Society 5 Comments
Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik has been sent to jail to await his corruption trial next week. I am not sure which is worse, the jailing or the view of Judge Stephen Robinson of the defendant, who he described as “a toxic combination of self-minded focus and arrogance.” That is not a particularly promising start to a criminal trial.
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FOP FLOP: Chicago Police Throw Benefit for Officer Who Allegedly Drove Drunk, Killed Two People, and Fled the Scene of the Accident
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 7 Comments
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police union is being hit with complaints over a benefit planned this week at the police union headquarters for officer Joseph Frugoli, who is accused of crashing into a car while driving drunk on the Dan Ryan in April, killing two people. Officers are throwing the bash with invitations marked “10-1,” the radio call for an officer in need of assistance. It is not clear if it is BYOB.
Continue reading ‘FOP FLOP: Chicago Police Throw Benefit for Officer Who Allegedly Drove Drunk, Killed Two People, and Fled the Scene of the Accident’
Appeal in Aisle 3: Albertsons Loses Bathroom Break Case
Published 1, October 23, 2009 Bizarre , Lawyering , Society , Torts 3 Comments
An unnamed Albertsons cashier has won an appeal in a disability case (and $200,000) where her store manager refused to allow her to take a bathroom break — leading to an embarrassing accident at the checkout counter. Once again, I wonder at the legal judgment in taking this case to adjudication and appeal.
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North Dakota Woman Arrested For Broadcasting Porn Near School
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Society 10 Comments
In light of our recent posting on the man arrested for making coffee in the nude in his own home, this case out of Grand Forks is interesting. Nicole Altendorf, 37, is accused of watching pornography in her own home but allowing the images and noises to be seen and heard from Lake Agassiz Elementary School.
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Things That Tick Me Off: Apple
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Things That Tick Me Off 44 Comments
I wanted to ask the people on this blog if they have had the same bizarre experience that I have just had with Apple. I have been a lifelong Apple user and have literally owned every major model since the first Apple computer. I also use the iPhone. That is, until this week when I encountered the imMACulate submersion defense — a claim by Apple that my dead iPhone had been submerged in water when it has never been wet, let alone submerged.
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The Marquis de Sade Defense: Former Judge Claims To Have Been Schooling Inmates Allegedly Raped and Spanked in His Chambers
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Courts , Criminal law , Lawyering , Politics , Society 12 Comments
Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman is offering a defense in his criminal case that may strike some as more appropriate for the Marquis de Sade than an Alabama jurist. Accused of having inmates brought to his chamber for sex and spanking, Herman insists that he was trying to rehabilitate and educate the men.
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The Last Samurai: Man Attacks Police With Swastika-Covered Samurai Sword and Survives
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 9 Comments
While (like today) we often chronicle cases of police abuse or controversies, we do have on occasion the opportunity to recognize extraordinary police work and commendable restraint. Such is the case with the apprehension of George Rogers, 36, who attacked Philadelphia police with a samurai sword covered with swastikas and a skull. Police did not simply shoot him and call it justifiable force. He was instead subdued and is now charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses.
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Arizona Muslim Runs Over 20-Year-Old Daughter and Friend for Allegedly Being “Too Westernized”
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Religion 15 Comments
Police in Peoria, Arizona believe that they have another attempted honor killing. Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, ran over his 20-year-old daughter, Noor Faleh Almaleki, and her friend Amal Edan Khalaf because he allegedly viewed her as “too Westernized.” She has life threatening injuries and he is on the lam.
Too Much Focus, Too Little Family: Focus on the Family Employee Pleads Guilty to Attempted Sexual Assault on a Child
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Religion , Society 4 Comments
A Former Focus on the Family employee in Colorado Springs, Juan Ovalle, appears a bit too focused on the kinder. He has been sentenced to five years probation for attempting to lure an underage teen into having sex with him. He founded Spanish Christian Audio in 2001 to help Christian organizations with their audio needs.
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George Bush: Motivational Speaker
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 28 Comments
George Bush appears to have finally found his calling. According to this report, he will start his new career this month as a motivational speaker with “Get Motivated!” (the exclamation point is part of the official name) in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Video: British Columbia Police Officer Stomps and Kicks Suspect Without Cause
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Media , Society 5 CommentsThis video out of British Columbia is instructive on the use of gratuitous force. Most abuse video that we see often involves serious injuries that lead to litigation. However, most cases of abuse are small acts of physical harm that rarely result in complaints let alone lawsuits. This arrest occurred in Abbotsford, B.C., on October 9th.
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The Turley Trebuchet
Published 1, October 22, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 27 Comments
I give you (as promised) the Turley Trebuchet.
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Expresso Machoato: Virginia Man Charged After Making Coffee in the Nude
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 23 Comments
Eric Williamson, a 29-year-old Springfield man has been charged in Fairfax County with the crime of making coffee in the nude — in his own home. A neighbor called the police after she walked by Williamson’s house with her seven-year-old son and saw him making espresso exposo.
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Mukasey: Our Laws Brought About 9-11 Attacks
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , International , Media , Military , Politics , Society 31 Comments
Former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey now appears to be blaming our legal system for the 9-11 attacks as opposed to documented failures by the FBI and the failure of the Bush Administration to heed direct warnings of an imminent attack. In an op-ed piece this week, Mukasey puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of our rights-infested legal system.
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Israel To Seek Change in Law of War to Block War Crimes Investigation
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Military , Politics , Society 12 Comments
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be morphing into George W. Bush. Faced with findings of a respected former war crimes prosecutor that Israel may have committed war crimes in its Gaza offensive, the prime minister instructed his government to seek changes to the international laws of war to retroactively justify any actions taken in Gaza.
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Passing the Cups: California Pageant Seeks Reimbursement for Prejean’s Augmentation Surgery
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , Lawyering , Society 28 Comments
Now, this is some pretty vicious litigation. Miss California USA officials want Carrie Prejean to give back the $5,200 that they say she borrowed to have her breasts augmented last year. Prejean is suing the pageant in a lawsuit that includes a privacy violation related to the disclosure of the augmentation.
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If Arrested, Keep Your Mouth Shut: Nashville Police Auction Off Drug Dealer’s Gold Teeth
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 6 Comments
It is often said that the government would take the gold out of your teeth if allowed. Well, the Metro Police of Nashville is doing precisely that — putting the gem encrusted “grills” of a drug dealer out for bids.
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California Sex Crimes Prosecutor Accused of Raping Another Prosecutor
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering , Media , Society 11 Comments
Former Contra Costa County sex crimes prosecutor Michael Gressett has been accused of a sex crime in the raping of a colleague. The California lawyer is free on bail after being indicted on the charges, which he denies through counsel. While Deputy District Attorney, Gressett has run three times for district attorney.
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Losing the Old Ball and Chain: Saudi Wife Files for Divorce After Learning Her Nickname in Husband’s Cellphone is “Guantanamo”
Published 1, October 21, 2009 Bizarre , International , Media , Society 5 Comments
There’s the “old ball and chain,” “the old lady,” and my personal favorite “she who must be obeyed.” However, a Saudi Arabian woman has filed for divorce after discovering the nickname that her husband gave her on his cellphone: “Guantanamo.”
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Police Officer Gets Caught in “Compromising Position” in Bar, Gets Thrown Out, Returns to Destroy the Evidence . . . And Receives Just a Five Day Suspension
Published 1, October 20, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 5 Comments
The Norfolk Constabulary has a curious notion of discipline for its officers. Acting Specials Chief Inspector Dean Saxton, 30, is accused of first causing a ruckus in a bar (or “public house”) and then returning a few days later to destroy the evidence of the controversy. The punishment for using official authority to destroy evidence of misconduct? Five days suspension.
We often discuss the meaning of judicial restraint, but this dog shows the meaning of restraint that judges and agencies could learn from.
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Report: ATF Bans French Wine Over Saucy Poem on Label
Published 1, October 20, 2009 Bizarre , International , Media , Politics , Society 30 Comments
When I first read this story, I was sure it was a hoax, but now I am not sure. According to wine sites, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has denied a permit to import Château Haut Gay (AOC Bordeaux Supérieur) because the label is “an incentive to debauchery.” The wine’s bright orange label featured two verses of the poem “L’Ame du Vin” (“The Soul of Wine”) by 19th-century poet Charles Baudelaire. While I have few remaining illusions as to government work, this one remains unbelievable. If this is a hoax, it is brilliant. If it is true, it is a national disgrace.
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Wanted: Single Good, Democratically Elected African Leader to Collect $5 Million
Published 1, October 20, 2009 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society 3 Comments
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is famous for handing out $5 million each year as a prize for African good governance. This year it is keeping its money and prize for lack of anyone who could claim both democratic election and good government on the continent of Africa.
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Suicidal Speech: Minnesota Case Raises Difficult Questions Over Assisted Suicide and Free Speech
Published 1, October 20, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , International , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Society 5 Comments
Prosecutors in Minneapolis have a fascinating case involving assisted suicide and free speech. Nurse William Melchert-Dinkel, 47, is accused of using Internet chat rooms to convince people to commit suicide, giving them step-by-step instructions on how to kill themselves — preferably so he could watch. At least two people are believed to have fed Melchert-Dinkel’s fetish with their deaths: Nadia Kajouji, 18, and Mark Drybrough, 32 (shown here).
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Video: Russians Show How Its Buses Have The World’s Best On-Time Record
Published 1, October 20, 2009 Bizarre , International , Society 3 CommentsNext time you think of running across the street before the light changes, think of this Russian . . . who may be the luckiest man in the world.
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Throwing in the Towel: FAA Fines US Airways $5.4 Million for Such Violations As Using A Towel Instead of an Oil Cap in Engine
Published 1, October 20, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts 6 Comments
US Airways is facing a major fine over a wide range of safety and maintenance violations on its airplanes. The one that caught my eye was a plane in December 2007 that returned to Denver with a low oil-pressure warning. Mechanics appear to have lost the caps for the oil sump so they just stuffed towels in the openings.
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Rights of the Rubenesque: London Considers Making Fatism a Form of Hate Speech
Published 1, October 19, 2009 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Courts , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Society , Torts 17 Comments
Today’s column on blasphemy laws may be too narrow. In San Francisco and London, activists are demanding that denigrating someone as fat should be treated as a hate crime like race, age, or faith. “Fatism” is already banned in San Franscisco in housing and workplaces.
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From the Mouths of Babes: Balloon Boy’s Statement May Lead to Charges For Parents
Published 1, October 19, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Society 25 Comments 
Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County appears on the verge of charging Richard and Mayumi Heene with a criminal hoax after their six-year-old son Falcon made a revealing statement during an interview on CNN. In the meantime, Falcon is saying a bit too much in another forum: the video below where he raps about “killing the faggot.”
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Father Kills 22-Year-Old Pregnant Daughter in Honor Killing
Published 1, October 19, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Media , Politics , Religion , Society 6 Comments
We have yet another “honor killing” in the Middle East. An unnamed Jordanian man was charged on Sunday with murdering his 22-year-old daughter after finding out that she was pregnant. He killed her and her unborn child with a sword to preserve the honor of his family.
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Polar Attraction: Sharpton Threatens Limbaugh With Lawsuit
Published 1, October 19, 2009 Bizarre , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Society , Torts 27 Comments
In American politics there are few more polarizing figures than Al Sharpton and Rush Limbaugh. Now, in what will be a spasmodic moment of euphoria for many, Sharpton and Limbaugh may be going to court with the former suing the latter for defamation. Putting aside the sheer joy of the moment for many, the case could present some interesting questions over whether Limbaugh defamed Sharpton in a Wall Street Journal Op-ed.
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Ivy League Clipping: Harvard Loses Half a Billion Dollars in Bad Investment Gamble
Published 1, October 19, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Society 9 Comments
Harvard University is reeling from a uniquely bad business gamble. The school lost at least $500 million when it bet that interest rates would rise. The money went to investment banks this year due to $1.1 billion of interest-rate swaps intended to hedge variable-rate debt for capital projects. The loss will likely grow considerably. It also agreed to pay $425 million over 30 to 40 years to offset an additional $764 million in swaps.
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Just Say No To Blasphemy: U.S. Supports Egypt in Limiting Anti-Religious Speech
Published 1, October 19, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , International , Justice , Lawyering , Media , Politics , Religion , Society , Supreme Court 47 Comments
Here is today’s column in USA Today on the Obama Administration’s decision to join the U.N. Human Rights Council and support Egypt in recognizing limits on free speech for those who insult or denigrate religion. While the exception was included in a resolution heralding free speech, it was viewed as a major victory for Muslim countries seeking to establish an international blasphemy law.
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How Obama Can Earn the Nobel Prize
Published 1, October 18, 2009 Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , International , Media , Military , Politics , Society 56 Comments
Below is today’s brief column in the Los Angeles Times where I joined other writers on how each of us believes President Obama can earn the Nobel Prize, here. For civil libertarians, Obama’s selection is the ultimate triumph of hope over experience. My suggestion is probably predictable for people on this blog.
There are some who remind us of the virtue of restraint.
Sacrificial Study: New Research Finds Pain in Religious Live Sacrifices
Published 1, October 18, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , Environment , Religion , Society 6 Comments
There has long been tension between animal activists and religious adherents over the sacrificing of live animals. Jewish and Muslim leaders have long argued that the sacrifices are not any more painful than what occurs in slaughter houses. Now a study is challenging that assumption and leading to calls in England for a ban on live sacrifices.
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Creationism to Be Renamed Separatism After New Interpretation Released of Genesis
Published 1, October 18, 2009 Academics , Bizarre , International , Media , Religion , Society 13 Comments
Professor Ellen van Wolde, a world acclaimed Old Testament scholar, may have introduced a considerable problem for creationists. What if the Bible never actually said God “created the Heaven and the Earth”? Van Wolde has issued an intriguing paper suggesting that a mistranslation is responsible for an error in the first sentence of Genesis and that in reality the Bible says that God merely rearranged things on the pre-existing Earth. Much of this turns on the Hebrew verb “bara”, which she says did not mean “to create” but to “spatially separate.” That would require Creationists to rename themselves as “separatists.” “Baristas” may cause trademark issues with Starbucks.
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Somalia Extremists Crackdown on “UnIslamic” Use of Bras
Published 1, October 18, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Politics , Religion , Society 6 Comments
Muslim extremists in Somalia are taking to the streets to address the latest threat to Islam under Sharia law: bras. The men from Al Shabaab have been whipping women found to be wearing the “deceptive” garments.
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My Way or the Yahweh: Rabbis Ground Shabbos Elevators With New Religious Interpretation
Published 1, October 18, 2009 Bizarre , International , Religion , Society 14 Comments
There is an interesting potential contract case brewing in New York and other cities with large Orthodox Jewish populations. Various buildings in New York cater to Orthodox residents in offering such things as Shabbos elevators, which stop on every floor from Friday evening to Saturday evening so that residents do not have to push floor buttons. Talmudic rules prohibit the use of electrical devices. However, a group of powerful rabbis have now issued a new judgment on the use of Shabbos elevators that they may indeed be a prohibited practice — even if you simply step into one.
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Off Target: Store Under Attack of Illegal Alien Costume
Published 1, October 17, 2009 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 15 Comments
Target is under attack for one of its new Halloween costumes: the illegal alien. The space alien is dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit with “illegal alien” blazoned across its front and holds a large card reading “green card.”
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Letter Leporidae: Rabbits Are Not Just For Fuel Anymore . . .
Published 1, October 17, 2009 Bizarre , Environment , Media , Society 4 Comments In light of our disturbing Bunny Briquettes story, this video shows that rabbits are useful for many things beyond combustible fuel. Indeed, Sweden may want to consider dispersing its excess rabbits to offices as letter openers.
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Dead Man Left for Days on Balcony After Neighbors Assumed Body Was Halloween Decoration
Published 1, October 17, 2009 Bizarre , Criminal law , Media , Society 7 Comments
The Halloween-related crime and tort stories have begun early this year. A 75-year-old man, Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed, was left decomposing on a balcony in Los Angeles for days because neighbors thought he was a Halloween display.
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