Month: January 2014

Congress, Courts, Criminal law, Justice, Lawyering, Politics

Crime Does Pay for Banksters

755px-Jamie_Dimon,_CEO_of_JPMorgan_Chase

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty-Weekend Blogger

In the past we have discussed the allegedly illegal and fraudulent practices of the Big Banks that helped bring the economy into Recession, but until now, we have not seen such a blatant example of how it pays for Big Banks to break the rules and get ahead at the same time.  As you may recall, JP Morgan Chase Bank recently agreed to a $13 Billion dollar settlement with the Justice Department for allegedly defrauding customers.  That sounds like a big number, but that was only part of the total fines and penalties JP Morgan Chase was liable to pay in 2013 due to its less than honorable business practices.

It may surprise you that after agreeing to the $13 Billion settlement and having to pay other large fines, the CEO of Chase is getting a big raise. An $8.5 Million dollar raise! Continue reading “Crime Does Pay for Banksters” →

Uncategorized

Grace Under Pressure: Tyler Doohan’s Courage

By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor

Author’s Note: Grace Under Pressure is an ongoing series of posts honoring everyday people who courageously make positive differences in their own lives and consequently in the lives of others. It is my own personal affirmation that unexpected heroes live among us and that their service is quiet but unshakable proof that virtue really is its own reward  – and ours, too.

tyler-doohan-300x400Tyler Doohan was sound asleep when his nose twitched at the irritation of the smoke. Staying at his relatives’ single wide trailer with eight other family members and many pets, the fourth grader was instantly aware something was wrong.  Then, Tyler saw the fire coming from the blanket of his 4-year-old cousin.  In an instant, his fate would change .

Tyler loved staying with his grandfather, Lewis Beach,  who adored the child right back. Though disabled, Tyler’s grandfather doted on the child and insisted on keeping him at the trailer whenever he could in the upstate New York town of  Penfield. The Martin Luther King holiday was the perfect time for  eight-year-old Tyler and 57-year-old Lewis to cement family bonds. Tyler traveled the short distance from his home in East Rochester to do just that. This was a family sleep-over with aunts, uncles and cousins and everyone was looking forward to a great time.

Now seeing the danger dancing around his cousin, Tyler bolted from his spot on the floor of the trailer and woke everyone he could find including his two cousins, ages 4 and 6. Six folks made it out of the now blazing trailer alive due to Tyler’s courage but when Tyler made it out of the  14’x60′ trailer he didn’t see his grandfather. Firefighters were en route and would arrive just minutes after the 4:45 a.m. call came in, but that was not fast enough.

Continue reading “Grace Under Pressure: Tyler Doohan’s Courage” →

Uncategorized

The Case of Charter School Principal Noelle Roni Who Said She Was Fired for Opposing a “Disrespectful” Practice

SchoolClassroomSubmitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Blogger

Noelle Roni had served as the principal of the Peak to Peak Charter School in Colorado for eight years when she was fired last November. Matthew Hill, a Peak to Peak parent, told the Denver Post that Roni’s termination was “shrouded in mystery.” He said, “This decision to fire her in mid-year is a very negative precedent for our teachers.  We don’t know why Ms. Roni was fired. The last objective evidence we have is that she did well on her evaluations.” Hill said that neither Kelly Reeser, the school’s executive director, nor any of the board members have any teaching experience. He added that they “made their decision without understanding the confusion and anxiety it would provoke. He noted that teachers at Peak to Peak aren’t tenured and depend on performance evaluations for continued employment.”

Last November, Roni released a public statement—but it wasn’t until this January that she spoke out about the reason for her firing. Roni claimed that she lost her position at the Lafayette charter school “after she demanded that cafeteria workers stop stamping the hands of children – including those who qualified for the free lunch program – when their lunch accounts were empty.” The former principal told the Boulder Daily Camera that as soon as she saw it happening she thought, “No, this is not OK.” She added, “The students felt so humiliated, like they had done something wrong. They didn’t want to go into the lunchroom any more. It’s unethical and disrespectful.”

Continue reading “The Case of Charter School Principal Noelle Roni Who Said She Was Fired for Opposing a “Disrespectful” Practice” →

Society

UPDATE: Sherman Fined By NFL For Unsportsmanlike Conduct On Field

Richard-sherman-618x400At the risk of intruding upon our weekend bloggers, I wanted to post an update to our prior posting on the Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman has now been fined by the NFL, not for his infamous post-game interview, but his unsportsmanlike conduct on the field after the final play against the San Francisco 49ers. He will pay almost $8000 for his taunting of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree. As someone who has long objected to increasing example of poor sportsmanship (as well as excessive celebration) incidents in football, I believe the fine is well deserved, though (as I previously stated) I felt Crabtree also acted in a rude manner in refusing to shake Sherman’s hand and shoving Sherman’s face mask. I would have liked to see him fined as well.

Continue reading “UPDATE: Sherman Fined By NFL For Unsportsmanlike Conduct On Field” →

Bizarre, Courts, Justice, Lawyering, Politics, Religion, Science, Society

Well, You’re Back In Kansas Now: Sperm Donor Ordered To Pay Child Support

By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor

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The Eager To Oblige William Marotta Must Be Wondering If It’s Oz or Kansas

William Marotta is proving Groucho Marx right.  “It isn’t necessary to have relatives in Kansas City* in order to be unhappy, ” Marx quipped in a letter. The classic comedienne may have just been on to something as Marotta has been ordered by a Kansas court to pay support for a child he fathered in Topeka as part of a private artificial insemination contract.

Even though Marotta signed the  contract waiving any legal rights to the child, Shawnee County District Court Judge Mary Mattivi said he must still pay support because the artificial insemination was performed without the involvement of a licensed Kansas physician. The story began– as so many strange ones do  –with an ad on Craig’s List in March 2009 seeking donated sperm. (Wonder if it was in the “free” section?). The authors of the ad were a lesbian couple in Topeka who desperately wanted a child and needed a donor of genetic material.

Continue reading “Well, You’re Back In Kansas Now: Sperm Donor Ordered To Pay Child Support” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Society

Oversight Board: NSA Program Is Unlawful And Shows No Evidence Of Preventing Terrorism

NSA logo smallPresident_Barack_ObamaYesterday, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board released a report concluding that the National Security Agency’s massive surveillance program is “illegal and largely ineffective.” The report agrees with a prior federal court ruling that the program is facially unconstitutional. President Obama continues to defend the program and refuse to end it. What is most notable is, like the earlier federal court, the board found no evidence of the program being used to prevent a single terrorist attack despite statements from the Administration claiming the contrary. Civil libertarians are often opposed by people claiming such success of classified programs. However, now a federal judge and a board with access have debunked such claims.

Continue reading “Oversight Board: NSA Program Is Unlawful And Shows No Evidence Of Preventing Terrorism” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Lawyering, Society

Ohio Prosecutor Refuses To Bring Case To Grand Jury After Police Officer Allegedly Watches Porn and Masturbates With Young Boy and Later Flees From Police

vitte_ricky_jrStierwalt0005_ppThere is a disturbing case out of Ohio where an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper reportedly admitted to sexual encounters with a boy five years ago but will not face any criminal charges. (However, the trooper now denies those allegations). Trooper Ricky Vitte Jr. (left) has a history of domestic violence and admitted that he watched pornography with the boy and then they masturbated. He insists that he was trying to help the boy and was not engaging in the conduct for sexual gratification (at least not direct at the boy). It appears that Vitte will also continue as an officer with the state patrol after Sandusky County prosecutor Tom Stierwalt (right) refused to bring the case to a grand jury.

Continue reading “Ohio Prosecutor Refuses To Bring Case To Grand Jury After Police Officer Allegedly Watches Porn and Masturbates With Young Boy and Later Flees From Police” →

Criminal law, Society

Not Such A Goodfella: Mobsters Arrested After FBI Finds Evidence In The Home Of Jimmy “The Gent” Burke

70898091660612306220px-GoodfellasIf you loved the film, The Goodfellas, you will love this story. Remember that score that had Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) screaming with joy in the shower? The Lufthansa heist? Well, the FBI just arrested Vincent Asaro of Queens and four others for the 1978 heist.

Continue reading “Not Such A Goodfella: Mobsters Arrested After FBI Finds Evidence In The Home Of Jimmy “The Gent” Burke” →

Society, Torts

“Live For Now”: Consumer Reports Issues Warning About Possible Carcinogenic Chemical In Soft Drinks

220px-Pepsi_targeted_ad_1940s220px-Pepsi_logo.svgThere is a startling Consumer Report announcement this week that the respected organization has found a suspected cancer-causing chemical, 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MEI, in soft drinks. The presence of a human carcinogen will alarm many parents given the consumption of such drinks by children. The largest brand slammed in the report is Pepsi. It certainly makes the company’s “Live For Now” slogan a bit more menacing.

Continue reading ““Live For Now”: Consumer Reports Issues Warning About Possible Carcinogenic Chemical In Soft Drinks” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Society

British Reformers Propose Ban On Pointy Kitchen Knives

300px-Chef's_KnifeWhat will happen to Col. Mustard in the dining room with the kitchen knife? It is not just Clue aficionados that will be effected by a new reform being proposed in England, pointy kitchen knives may soon be a thing of the past. A group associated with West Middlesex University Hospital is proposing a ban in the British Medical Journal on pointy kitchen knives as unnecessary from a culinary standpoint and downright dangerous from a crime standpoint.

Continue reading “British Reformers Propose Ban On Pointy Kitchen Knives” →

Bizarre, International

Bacon Anyone? Winter Brings Bacon Drying In Chinese Cities

BelQUY6IcAA-7eMI have often commented on how breakfast in China is a still evolving skill, particularly with regard to bacon which seems boiled and rubbery. This picture may explain part of the problem. The image is from Wuhan and shows how Chinese bacon is “air-cured” on balconies in major cities. Given the alarming levels of pollution, the image is doubly unappealing. This makes the sale of fake eggs more appealing than the authentic bacon.

Continue reading “Bacon Anyone? Winter Brings Bacon Drying In Chinese Cities” →

Criminal law, Lawyering, Society

Illinois Man Sells Drugs To Judge . . . Man Faces 11 Years While Judge Faces 18 Months In Jail

5277add4c1c8f.preview-300cook-michael-150x150Former St. Clair County Circuit Judge Michael Cook (left) is no doubt facing a nightmare after pleading guilty to buying and using heroin while on the bench. However, he is still far better off than his supplier, Sean D. McGilvery (right) who is looking at a 10 to 11 year prison term for the crime.

Continue reading “Illinois Man Sells Drugs To Judge . . . Man Faces 11 Years While Judge Faces 18 Months In Jail” →

Congress, Society

Tax-Free “Charity” NFL Paid $29.5 Million To Commissioner And Only $2.1 To Charity

125px-National_Football_League_2008.svg220px-Roger_Goodell_at_Super_Bowl_43There has long been a controversy over the tax-free status of the National Football League, which racks in massive profits while claiming to be a charity. The latest figures will only deepen that controversy. In 2012, the NFL gave only $2.3 million to charity and virtually all of that went to the NFL Hall of Fame. In the meantime, it gave NFL commissioner Roger Goodell $29.5 million for what many consider the greatest – and easiest — job in the world. Through creative bookkeeping, the NFL is also claiming to be actually in the red by some $316 million.

Continue reading “Tax-Free “Charity” NFL Paid $29.5 Million To Commissioner And Only $2.1 To Charity” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, Politics, Society

Florida Candidate Interviewed By Secret Service After Calling For Obama To Be Tried And Hanged

156482_223545827783750_183494050_nPresident_Barack_ObamaThe United States Secret Service has interviewed a Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives after he made a comment on Twitter about the need for President Obama to be tried and hanged for his crimes. It was a uniquely stupid tweet but the controversy again raises the question of the federal law making threatening language against the President a crime. For years, elementary students, journalists, and even cartoonists have found themselves being confronted by Secret Service over comments or pictures deemed threatening. The effort is chilling for the first amendment and inimical to political speech.

Continue reading “Florida Candidate Interviewed By Secret Service After Calling For Obama To Be Tried And Hanged” →