Finally, an upside to DUI? A judge with the U.S. tax court has ruled that a man who drove drunk and totaled his truck could claim the damage as a write off.
Continue reading “Friends Don’t Let Friends Deduct: Drunk Driver Allowed to Deduct Cost of Truck Damaged in DUI Violation”
Month: December 2009
There is an interesting ruling out of England’s highest court, which found that a Jewish school was guilty of race discrimination by refusing to admit pupils who are not considered ethnically Jewish. The ruling is the latest example of the collision course between anti-discrimination laws and free exercise of religion (and free association). For a prior paper on that conflict, click here.
Continue reading “Separation Anxiety: English High Court Rules Jewish School Violated Anti-Discrimination Laws By Excluding Students on Basis of Religion”
American student Lily Sussman, 21, likely has a new appreciation for our TSA personnel after encountering the Israel Border Police. Israeli officers allegedly interrogated her after she entered Israel via Taba, Egypt two weeks ago and ended up shooting her Apple laptop computer. It appears that the Border Police are PC people.
Continue reading “Megabyte: Israeli Border Police Shoot Laptop of American Student”
We often struggle with speedy trials in the United States, arguing over whether the Sixth Amendment can be honored in 160 days or less. The standard in Turkey appears a bit more flexible where they appear to measure speed in years rather than days. A panel of judges have found 39 people guilty in a trial that began on March 15, 1982 — roughly 28 years ago.
Continue reading “The Not-So-Speedy Trial: Turkish Trial Ends After 28 Years”
Italian student Simona Bonomo has become the latest tourist to be nabbed in England for taking pictures of historic or “iconic” landmarks. Police community support officers (PCSOs) stopped Bonomo under anti-terrorism after she took pictures of buildings and arrested her under anti-terrorism laws. She was held in a jail cell and later released after paying a fine.
Continue reading “The Accidental Tourist: Art Student Arrested in London for Photographing “Iconic Sites” as Terrorist Threat”
According to the government, Chen Lusheng, 38, in Shenzhen, China “died in the line of duty” as a “martyr” according to the government. If you are thinking of a shoot-out with drug dealers or a police chase gone bad, think again. Chen literally drank himself to death at an official dinner.
Continue reading “Shots in the Line of Duty: Chinese Officer Declared As Martyr of the Force After Drinking Himself to Death”
This is the effect of drinking unlimited quantities of Moosehead beer and haddock.
Continue reading “The Perils of Canadian Ice Fishing”
I would love to see this lineup. Larry Ticey of Tyler, Texas was arrested while taking a bath at 3:30 am on Sunday. The problem was that it was not his house.
A first-grade teacher has been charged with disorderly conduct after she cut off the braids of 7-year-old Lamya Cammon after the girl continued to play with them in class. However, she might not face criminal charges.
Continue reading “Milwaukee Teacher Fined After Cutting Off Seven-Year-Old’s Braids As Punishment”
A Florida man died after he tried to swallow a baggie with marijuana and was then hit with a taser by police for what they believe was resisting arrest. Andrew Grande, 23, it seen on the video below struggling to breathe as officers try to help him and determine whether he is having an overdose.
The application of Sharia law in countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran has supplied this blog with a steady stream of cases involving stonings and censorship. Now, Israel’s Justice Minister Yaacov Neeman wants the country to adopt its own religious book, the Torah, as the basis for the country’s laws.
Continue reading “Justice Minister Calls For Israel to Adopt Torah Law As The Governing Rules for the Nation”
Oregon is preparing to try yet another child death case related to the Followers of Christ in Oregon City, a group of faith healers with a long record of dead children. The group was part of the focus of a recent column on the prosecution of parents for faith-based neglect. Jeff and Marci Beagley are mentioned in the column and are now challenging the criminal neglect statute as vague and raising free exercise of religion claims to block their prosecution for the death of Neil Beagley, 15.
Continue reading “Suffer Not The Children: Faith-Healing Parents Charged in Death of Teenager”
The Bush Administration repeatedly denied that there were missing emails and later insisted that any emails that were missing could not be found. Now, 22 million missing White House e-mails have been found, according to two public interest groups who reached a settlement over the records. I discussed the issue on this segment of MSNBC Countdown.
Continue reading “You’ve Got Mail . . . A Lot of Mail: 22 Million Missing E-Mails From Bush Administration Found”
This video is simply incredible. During a television debate on global warming, Henrik Svensmark was hit by a heart attack.
Russell Vanderwerf, 44, has presented the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with a bit of dilemma. He is charged with disabling the fire alarm system and damaging property at a Residence Inn in Metairie, Louisiana. However, the case could lead to litigation over what is an employee’s personal affairs and what is a basis for personal action.
Continue reading “High-Ranking ATF Officer Arrested in Bizarre Hotel Damage Case”