Month: February 2009

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Military, Politics, Society

Active Duty Soldier Joins Lawsuit Challenging Obama’s Right to Serve as President

lieuttwoLt. Scott Easterling has entered a novel fight while serving in Iraq: he is suing President Barack Obama. Easterling is calling the President an “impostor” and challenging his right to issue commands while his birth status is in question. It is one of a series of lawsuit challenging the right of the President to serve on the basis of his birth status. It appears that he could be joined by Senator Richard Shelby in the litigation. Shelby has refused to accept Obama citizenship until he sees a birth certificate.

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Academia, Society, Torts

C is for Contingency: Wisconsin Parents Sue Over Time-Out Given Middle School Student

slideshow5859_1Brookfield, Wisconsin attorney William Rettko has filed a $50,000 calim against the Greenfield Middle School for false imprisonment and battery after giving a girl a “time out.” The lawsuit claims that the teacher allowed other students to commit battery on the girl during the time-out.

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Criminal law, Lawyering, Society, Supreme Court

Supreme Court Takes “Smell of Death” Case

spisak-1The Supreme Court has decided to take up the criminal case of Frank Spisak for a second time. Spisak is a neo-Nazi who was convicted of murdering three men in Ohio and sentenced to death twenty-five years ago. However, the Sixth Circuit threw out the conviction after two sentencing hearings, one demanded by the Supreme Court after reviewing the case in October 2007. The Court has previously reinstated the sentence in disagreeing with the Sixth Circuit, but the appellate court proceeded on remand to again throw out the sentence. The case involved a bizarre argument by the defense counsel that encouraged the jury to consider damaging non-aggravating factors in sentencing, including a rambling and dark description of the “smell of death” surrounding the crimes.

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Academia, Courts, Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Society

New York State Supreme Court Justice and Law Professor Lose Jobs in Scandal

up-p293m41hlko8mnamA bizarre case in New York has snared the careers of New York State Supreme Court Joseph G. Makowski, 55, and former prosecutor and Buffalo Law School professor Anne E. Adams. Adams pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors: drunken driving, offering a false instrument for filing and attempted tampering with physical evidence. Makowski resigned on the same day that Adams was fired by the law school. Makowski was accused of falsely attesting that Adams was not drunk when she left a bar.

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Courts, Lawyering, Society

Judge Kent Pleads Guilty to Obstruction; Faces Maximum of 20 Years in Prison

gavel2U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice today and retired from the bench. In exchange, the prosecution will drop sexual assault charges. He will also avoid impeachment with the plea, though the status of his pension remains unclear.

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Academia, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Separate But Equal: Massachusetts Moves Toward Segregated Math Classes

chct rege.JPGMassachusetts has joined the movement toward re-segregating our public schools by race or gender or sexual orientation. Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. in Chicopee is reportedly in favor of a new proposal to segregate students by gender for math classes. It is part of a trend that threatens the advances that we have made in the last six decades in desegregating our school system. Now, there will be “girl math” and “boy math” classes.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Wisconsin Inmate Accused for Impersonating Police Officer While Serving Time for Impersonating a Police Officer

thumb_policeman_cartoonIf Joshua D. Kay wanted to be in law enforcement, he certainly has gotten his wish. Kay, 30, has been charged in Wisconsin for a second time for impersonating an officer. What makes this charge somewhat unique is that Kay was serving time on the first offense when he was charged for the second time.

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Constitutional Law, Politics, Religion, Society

San Diego Priest Triggers Controversy Over Criticism of Obama and Church Control of Publications

070925abbottSan Diego Catholics are protesting a decision by San Diego Bishop Robert Brom to ask Pastor Richard Perozich to tone it down after he ran a rabid article entitled “100 Days or End of Days?” in the parish bulletin of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Escondido. Fr. Perozich appears to believe that Obama will be unleashing such things as “homogenital sex.”

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Constitutional Law, International, Media, Politics, Society

Dubai Moves To Criminalize Publishing Anything That Would “Harm the Economy”

125px-flag_of_the_united_arab_emiratessvgThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considering legislation that would criminalize publication of anything that would “harm the economy.” Such an offense would be punishable by fines of up to 1 million dirhams (roughly $272,000).
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Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Society

Amnesty International Accuses Israel of War Crimes and Calls on Obama To Suspend Military Shipments

6a010536038d7b970c011168911b31970c-120wi660px-flag_of_israelsvg1The Nobel Prize winning organization Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes during its attack on the Gaza Strip. The allegations largely center on the use of white phosphorous that was dropped by IDF aircraft. The group is now calling on President Obama to suspend military shipments and sales to Israel.

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Bizarre, Congress, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Dr. Bunning’s Court Call: Senator Predicts Justice Ginsburg Will Be Dead Within the Year

160px-jim_bunning_official_photoSen. Jim Bunning (R., Ky) used the annual Hardin County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner to announce his diagnosis that Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, will be dead from pancreatic cancer within nine months. While Bunning only holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Xavier University and had a baseball career with the Detroit Tigers, he felt comfortable with the medical prediction and even more comfortable discussing Ginsburg’s imminent demise at a political dinner.

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Criminal law, Lawyering, Society

Chicago Lawyer Arrested for Murder of Former Girlfriend and Baby of New York Knicks Player Eddy Curry

1_61_022209_nicks2009_02_21_henryChicago Lawyer, Frederick Goings, 36, has been arrested for murder of 24-year-old Nova Henry and her 9-month-old daughter, Ava. Henry is the former girlfriend New York Knicks player Eddy Curry and mother of his 3-year-old son and daughter, Ava.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Eleven-Year-Old Boy Allegely Uses “Kiddie Shotgun” To Shoot Father’s Pregnant Girlfriend — and Then Goes to School

jordan-brown-11-year-old-001Marie Houk, a pregnant mother, was found dead by her four-year-old daughter. The killer appears to be the son of her boyfriend who will reportedly face adult murder charges — despite the fact that Jordon Brown is 11 years old. He reportedly went to school after killing Houk in a farmhouse in western Pennsylvania.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Vatican Filed Complaint Over Blasphemous Program and Israel Moves to Censor Show

660px-flag_of_israelsvg100px-logoisrael10svgvatican flag The Vatican has filed a formal complaint with the Israeli government about a private Israeli TV show that it claims blasphemed Jesus and Mary. On the program, the host challenges the idea that Mary was a virgin and Jesus walked on water as a “lesson” for Christians who deny the Holocaust. The host was upset about the Pope lifting the excommunication of a bishop who denied the holocaust. The Israeli government’s response, however, is worse than both the program and the objection.

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