Month: January 2011

Lawyering, Religion

Florida Bar Files Complaint

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

The Florida Bar has filed a complaint with the Florida Supreme Court against attorney John Stemberger, accusing him of violating legal rules of conduct regarding his handling of the Rifqa Bary case. Rifqa Bary was the Muslim girl who converted to Christianity and then ran away from her Ohio home claiming that she was an intended victim of an honor killing. She was returned to Ohio and placed into the custody of Franklin County Children Services, until her 18th birthday on 10 August 2010.

She became a cause célèbre for right wing evangelicals.

Continue reading “Florida Bar Files Complaint” →

Media, Science, Society

Star Angers Astrologers

-Submitted by David Durmm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Professor Brian Cox, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester and host of Wonders of the Solar System on the Science Channel, has brought the wrath of the Astrological Association of Great Britain upon himself. Professor Cox, on BBC2’s “Stargazing Live” show, said that “astrology is nonsense” and the Association wants the BBC to commit to “making a fair and balanced representation of astrology in the future.”

There’s a lot of money at stake.

Continue reading “Star Angers Astrologers” →

Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law, Environment, Society

“Grizzly” Death Averted: Bear-icide Stopped by Divine Intervention

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

For years, the policy reason behind the law’s prohibition against assisted suicide has eluded me. Eureka! I have found the answer —  it’s to prevent bear indigestion.

Fugitive and convicted Arizona killer, Tracy Province, had a novel means to accomplish his own demise. Escaping from a Kingman jail with a trio of other desperadoes, Province hatched a plan to drive to Yellowstone Park, shoot up a gram of heroin, and lie down in the national park in an effort to become food for the famous Yellowstone grizzlies.

Continue reading ““Grizzly” Death Averted: Bear-icide Stopped by Divine Intervention” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Society

Pot-N-Chunkin!

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Mexican drug smugglers are becoming quite creative in their efforts to get marijuana into the U.S.  No more low altitude drops from sleek planes in the Florida Everglades a’ la Miami Vice. Today’s smuggler is more into the “throwback” mode of delivery, so to speak. Invoking the tried and true philosophy of the Middle Ages, catapults have become the air mail vehicle of choice to launch packages of the intoxicating plant into Arizona.

Continue reading “Pot-N-Chunkin!” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law

Prosecution Rests in Hassan Beheading Case — Was It Appropriate To Use His Silence Against Him at Trial?

The prosecution has rested in the trial of former New York television executive Muzzammil Hassan, 46, for the beheading of his wife at a television studio. Hassan recently asserted his right to self-representation in the case after having open disagreements with his counsel. We will now see if he actually puts on a case in chief in his own defense. Short of an insanity defense, it is difficult to see a viable defense argument in the case. As discussed below, I am also unsure why some damaging evidence was allowed in the case.
Continue reading “Prosecution Rests in Hassan Beheading Case — Was It Appropriate To Use His Silence Against Him at Trial?” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Colorado Police Officer Reinstated With Back Pay After Being Fired For Using Excessive Force and Breaking Six Department Policies

Aurora police officer James Waselkow has been reinstated with back pay after being fired for excessive use of force. Waselkow broke the orbital bone near the right eye of Carla Meza during an arrest and then failed to give her medical treatment. He was later fired after the Chief concluded he had used excessive force and did not have probable cause for an arrest after the domestic violence call.
Continue reading “Colorado Police Officer Reinstated With Back Pay After Being Fired For Using Excessive Force and Breaking Six Department Policies” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics

Taliban Stones Couple to Death As Adulterers

The world has been given another atrocity committed in the name of Islam and Sharia law. The video below (warning graphic content) shows a young couple being stoned to death by a crowd of men. The woman, Siddqa, 25, had been sold into an arranged marriage for $9000. That is perfectly fine under Sharia law. After she ran away with her lover, she and the man were sentenced to be stoned to death as adulterers.
Continue reading “Taliban Stones Couple to Death As Adulterers” →

Courts, Politics, Society

llinois Supreme Court Puts Emanuel Back on Chicago Ballot

The Illinois Supreme Court today reversed the decision (below) of the appellate court and reinstated former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to the mayoral ballot in Chicago. As discussed earlier, the Supreme Court hit on the burden in overturning a factual finding of the lower court.

Continue reading “llinois Supreme Court Puts Emanuel Back on Chicago Ballot” →

Bizarre, Politics, Society

Fade to Black: Government Plans To Phase Out Color Threat Alert System

The government is on the verge of doing away with one of its moronic ideas: the color-coded terror alert system. From the outset, many of us objected that this was a system without logic or use — part of an effort to incorporate every American into a terror-obsessed society. Not only did no one know the meaning of the individual colors, few understood what they were supposed to do differently when it moved from blue (guarded) to yellow (elevated). Yet, the government continually informed us as to the color of the day — spending millions on a nonsensical system.
Continue reading “Fade to Black: Government Plans To Phase Out Color Threat Alert System” →

Criminal law, International, Military

Investigators Find No Direct Link Between Bradley Manning and Julian Assange

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

Jim Miklaszewski, Chief Pentagon Correspondent for NBC News, reported on Monday that investigators have not been able to find a direct connection between Bradley Manning, the army private suspected of leaking classified documents to Wikileaks, and Julian Assange.  Last month, Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, told MSNBC that he was not sure that Manning was the source for the leaked documents that were posted on his site.

Continue reading “Investigators Find No Direct Link Between Bradley Manning and Julian Assange” →

Criminal law, Media, Politics

Time to Apologize, Rush

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

Since Professor Turley is snowbound in the Winter Wonderland, the weekend warriors are back to bring your blood pressure up!

I have been critical of the Right Wing Mass Media for its continual banging of the drum of hate towards President Obama and the Democrats in general. Now, there are times that the Democrats and President Obama should be called on the carpet.  For instance, for not confronting the Bush torture crowd and for claiming that the President has the authority to kill American citizens without due process, just to name a couple. However, the civility that President Obama has asked for in his latest speeches, have gone unheeded by many on the Right and some on the Left.

Continue reading “Time to Apologize, Rush” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Actor Tells Judge To Suck His [Blank] . . . Instead Judge Gives Actor 107 Years

Many defendants work hard to find the right balance between expressions of contrition and innocence before a criminal sentencing. Zaire Page, 24, decided that brevity was the soul of wit and simply told Judge Vincent Del Giudice to “suck his d—.” Del Guidice declined the offer and instead gave him 107 years.
Continue reading “Actor Tells Judge To Suck His [Blank] . . . Instead Judge Gives Actor 107 Years” →