The New York Times has an interesting twist on the Weiner scandal: one of the women, Gennette Cordova, stated that she was sent the infamous underwear pictures without any invitation or prior sex talk with Weiner. That raises the question of whether a charge could be investigated for a type of virtual flashing or other offense. I will discussing this issues tonight with CNN’s Eliot Spitzer.
Continue reading “Virtual Flasher? Can Weiner Be Charged With Federal Violations In Tweets”
Month: June 2011
Tennessee legislators have passed an extraordinary law that makes it a crime to “transmit or display an image” online that is likely to “frighten, intimidate or cause emotional distress” to someone who sees it. Violations can get you almost a year in jail time or up to $2500 in fines. The law, in my view, is unconstitutional and a direct threat to free speech.
Continue reading “Tennessee Makes Posting Images A Crime If They Are Viewed As Distressful To Third Parties”
For those of us who teach proximate causation, this tragic case seems something out of a torts class. In Quebec, a couple was killed when a 300-pound male black bear crashed through their windshield and proceeded out the back window. This may top the recent cases of death by totem pole and casket.
Continue reading “Canadian Couple Killed By Flying Bear”
In an important decision, the Ohio Supreme Court has struck down the statutory rape law as applied to defendants younger than 13 years. We have seen continued abuses of statutory rape laws where two minors are involved, but prosecutors charge the boy for sex with a minor. It is an opinion (below) that could be considered by other courts to consider this use of statutory rape laws as well by governors considering commutations for defendants charged as minors.
Continue reading “Ohio Strikes Down Application of Statutory Rape Law To Minor Defendants”
While teachers in various states fight for collective bargaining rights and benefits, Syosset schools superintendent Carole Hankin is fulfilling every stereotype advanced by critics of public teachers. She is pulling in over $500,000 in annual pay and benefits in a compensation package that is $300,000 more than the head of the entire New York City school system.
Continue reading “Long Island Superintendent Makes More Than $500,000 A Year”
Carl Muggli, 49, has been arrest for second-degree murder in Minnesota of his wife, Linda Muggli, 61. Spousal murders are unfortunately nothing new, but the weapon in his case is rather novel: a 3,000-pound totem pole. While a woman was killed this week by her husband’s casket, totem poles remain an unexplored area of criminal weaponry.
Continue reading “Minnesota Man Charged With Killing Wife With Totem Pole”
In Stockton, California, Kenneth Wright was at home with his three young children ages 3, 7, and 11 when a SWAT team burst into his home at 6 a.m., dragged him out on the lawn, threw him to the ground, and put the family (including the kids) in squad cars. His alleged crime: default on student loans. On top of the overkill in using SWAT teams to target defaulting students, the city got it wrong. They were looking for Wright’s estranged wife. The D.O.E. now insists that it was not just about loans but part of a criminal investigation that it was carrying out.
Continue reading “California Family Hit With SWAT Raid . . . Ordered By The Department of Education”
My any measure, Jamie Knowlson, 30, is a thoroughly horrible person. Knowlson has been arrested for entering a mosque and draping hand railings with ham and stuffing ham into the shoes of people praying. He was caught on CCTV hurling insults at the Muslims when they confronted him over such a hateful act.
Continue reading “English Man Sentenced For Hanging Ham Around Mosque and Stuffing Shoes of Muslims with Ham”
I knew this day would come. I have something upon which I agree with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranians are justifiably upset over the disqualification of their women’s soccer team in the 2012 London Olympics. The reason is the inclusion of an Islamic headscarf in their uniform by the international soccer association, FIFA.
Continue reading “Iranian Olympic Soccer Team Disqualified Over Wearing of Islamic Headscarf”
We have yet another insight into what passes for Sharia-based feminism in the Middle East. This week we already saw an Obedient Wives’ Club calling for women to service their husbands like “high-priced prostitutes” to fulfill their duties under the Koran (Qu’ran). Now, Kuwaiti politician Salwa al Mutairi has called for the use of sex slaves, or Jawari, to satisfy the needs of “decent, devout and virile Kuwaiti men” and discourage adultery.
There is an interesting free speech case out of Otero County, New Mexico. Hearing commissioner Darrell Brantley of the Otero County Domestic Violence Court has recommended an order of protection for Nani Lawrence against Greg A. Fultz after Fultz paid for a pro-life billboard criticizing the abortion of their alleged child. Brantley also wants the billboard taken down as a violation of Lawrence’s right of privacy.
Continue reading “New Mexico Billboard Triggers Fight Between Privacy and Free Speech”
There is a bizarre and touching story out of Buffalo where twin brothers Julian and Adrian Riester, 92, two Franciscan monks died on the same day after spending a virtually inseparable life together. They joined the order in their 20s and last week Brother Julian Riester and Brother Adrian Riester died together at St. Anthony Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Continue reading “Twin Friars Die On Same Day After Inseparable Life”
Ryan LeVin, 36, will be able to actually live in “a prison of his own making.’ The scion of a wealthy Chicago-area family, LeVin killed British businessmen Craig Elford, 39, and Kenneth Watkinson, 48, while driving his $120,000 Porsche 911 Turbo. He then lied to police, left the scene of the accident, and blamed the accident on a friend. Yet, Broward Circuit Judge Barbara McCarthy decided no jail time was needed because the wealthy LeVin offered to pay the families of the dead men. Instead of 45 years in prison, McCarthy gave him two years home incarceration in his luxury home.
Well, as you probably know by now, Rep. Weiner was . . . well . . . less than frank. (ok, I have used up my one allowed pun). I do not see a basis for criminal allegations, but Weiner is likely to face an ethics investigation. Minority leader Nancy Pelosi has called for an ethics investigation. There does appear to be grounds for such a charge, though the House has historically not used its rules to punish members for reprehensible acts committed in a members’ personal life.
Continue reading “Weiner Roast: He Lied, But Was It a Criminal or Ethical Violation?”
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has issued a decree to ban men working in lingerie shops. Saudi clerics previously opposed women working in lingerie shops and even issued a fatwa banning such jobs.
Continue reading “Does This Bustier Make Me Look Fatwa? Saudi Arabia Bans Male Lingerie Salesmen”