While kissing babies is the stereotype of a politician, Democratic Senate candidate Thomas K. Owens is accused of a far more felonious interest after a charge of the solicitation of a minor. Police say that when asked about the solicitation of a 7-year-old girl, he said “I have a problem with that.” He was not considered a serious candidate for the primary.
Year: 2012
Jerry Sandusky’s legal team is claiming that the former Penn State coach suffers from histrionic personality disorder, which is why he corresponded so extensively with his alleged victims and exhibited sexually seductive behavior. It is the type of argument that tends to leave many jurors unconvinced and can be viewed as too clever by half.
Associate Circuit Judge Barbara T. Peebles is under investigation for allegedly allowing her clerks to handle litigation matters as she vacationed in China last year. To make matters worse, there is a criminal investigation into the disappearance of a document related to the vacation. In the meantime, another judge, Margaret J. Walsh resigned after allegations that she ordered the handcuffing of an assistant city counselor and used inappropriate or abusive language as well as allegedly attempting to influence city officials when her son was rejected for a job.
Saudi Arabia’s Sharia-based courts continued their application medieval notions of justice this week with the execution of another person accused of “witchcraft and sorcery.” Muree bin Ali bin Issa al-Asiri was beheaded after he was found in possession of books and talismans. He was also accused of adultery.
Now this is an interesting tort. A diner at Cheeseburger in Paradise in California, Maryland (yes, that is the city’s name) was bitten by a skunk on the foot as she sat eating her meal. Worse yet, the skunk was rabid.
Continue reading “Rabid Skunk In Paradise: Diner Bitten By Rabid Animal In Maryland”
While much of the country has ridiculed New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his ban on large sugary drinks, Cambridge officials have proposed going one step further and banning all sodas from restaurants. People will of course be able to buy shots of alcohol and fried food items. However, the request for a coke would be turned down as a matter of public health.
Continue reading “Massachusetts Proposal Would Ban All Sodas From Restaurants”
This amazing x-ray shows a three-foot fishing spear embedded in the head of Yasser Lopez, 16. The spear entered two inches above the right eye and protruded out the back of the skull. Even more amazing is that Yasser will recover from the injury.
Continue reading “Teenager Expected to Recover After Removal of Three-Foot Fishing Spear From Head”
Below is today’s column on the continued use of state controls over alcohol in the United States. With the decision this month of Washington state to embrace the free market system and drop controls, citizens in other states are rightfully asking why officials keep this form of central planning, including officials in conservative states that purportedly favor free enterprise over government regulations.
San Francisco prosecutors have brought relatively rare felony vehicular manslaughter charges against a bicyclist who allegedly hit and killed an elderly man, 71-year-old Sutchi Hui in a crosswalk. Chris Bucchere, 36, allegedly ran a red traffic light before hitting Hui who died later of his injuries. His trial could feature a highly inadvisable blog posting that he allegedly published after the fatal accident — bemoaning the loss of his helmet.
Continue reading “San Francisco Bicyclist Charged With Vehicular Homicide”

Prosecutors in the trial of former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky are asking NBC to turn over the tapes of an interview with him that had unaired creepy segments. It is not clear why NBC chose not to air the statements where Sandusky appears almost self-incriminating. There is no reason for NBC to protect Sandusky so many of us are perplexed why such revealing lines were left unaired.
Canadians appear to be striving to make up for lost time in realizing the dream of George Orwell’s “1984.” The most oppressive aspect of the life of Winston Smith in Oceania, Airship One was the televisions that allowed Big Brother to watch you 24/7. Ottawa airport is now wired with hidden microphones to allow the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to continually eavesdrop on travellers’ conversations.
It never fails. I still get goosebumps when I see the majestic plumage and hear the haunting call of the English warbler.
Continue reading “Rare English Warbler Spotted At U.S. Open”
We have been discussing the difficult times for law graduates in the last couple years. I am happy to share some good news for a change. The George Washington University Law School is in the top ten law schools in the country for full-time long-term employment — a study based on 2011 graduates published by the ABA and completed by Law School Transparency. Notably, GW beats out Georgetown by 81.3 to 62.6 percent. The biggest surprise is Louisiana State University which ties for tenth with GWU.
Continue reading “GW In Top Ten Schools For Full-Time Employment”
The Obama Administration again waited for a Friday afternoon to announce a major new policy change — repeating its practice of timing important announcements to reduce media and public attention. The latest change is obviously controversial. The Administration will no longer deport illegal aliens under 30 who came to this country as children — effectively negating part of the federal law. It raises some troubling questions, again, about President Obama assertion of executive power. While liberals again celebrate the unilateral action, they ignore that danger that the next president may also simply chose to ignore whole areas of the federal law and criminal code in areas ranging from the environment to employment discrimination. It is one more brick in the wall of the Imperial Presidency constructed under Barack Obama — a wall that may prove difficult to dismantle for citizens in the future.
Continue reading “Obama Administration Declares It Will Not Deport Young Illegal Immigrants”
Kenneth Kratz, a former Wisconsin district attorney, has pleaded guilty in a legal ethics case for his alleged sexual harassment of multiple women. The allegations included text messages to a domestic abuse victim. In text messages, he told a woman that she might be “hot” but, due to his large house and salary, “I am the prize.” If so, the Office of Lawyer Regulation won the prize with pleas on three counts.