Author: jonathanturley

Bizarre, Lawyering, Society

Illinois Prosecutor Charged With Ethical Breach in “Grandma Ruse”

Illinois Assistant Attorney General Paul Ambrose Rathburn is the subject of an interesting ethical charge after allegedly using the “grandma ruse” to gain evidence against a condominium project for lack of handicapped access. Rathburn is accused of entering the premises under the false pretense that he was looking for a condo for his grandma when he knew the party was represented and sought information under false pretenses.

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Academia, Bizarre, Science

Fat Head? New Study Shows Thinking About Food Can Reduce Cravings For Food

A new study suggests that common wisdom on dieting may be wrong. Many people try to avoid thinking about food but researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found that imaging yourself eating foods can reduce your cravings . . . but does it give you a fat head?
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International, Society, Torts

Father Wins Almost $1 Million Verdict Against Law Firm in Paternal Kidnapping Case

A jury in Bergen County, N.J., awarded $950,000 to Roy Innes and his daughter after finding that the New Jersey law firm of Lesnevich & Marzano-Lesnevich had released the passport of Innes’ daughter — allowing his mother to take her to Spain where she remains. Partner Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich was named as the attorney responsible for giving the passport to Maria Jose Carrascosa.
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, International, Military, Society

Permanent War: House Members Move To Give President Unchecked Authority To Launch Future Military Operations As Part Of The War On Terror

Members of Congress are taking steps to make the war on terror permanent — and make the Constitution optional — for future presidents. Only days after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, members are moving to relieve presidents of any need for approval from Congress — or anyone — in committing troops in the fight against terror. The bill would take the “The Authorization for Use of Military Force” passed after 9-11 (and used to justify two almost ten years of worldwide attacks) and extend it to allow military operations against any “associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States.”

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Don’t Try This At Home: New Law Would Bar Sex in Home By Couples Awaiting Divorce

Wrentham Selectman Robert Leclair believes that there is a long overdue problem that needs to be addressed on Beacon Hill: parents having sex in their homes while awaiting a divorce. One could call this the ultimate nanny state legislation except that it includes sex with the nanny or anyone else while a divorce is pending — Schwarzennegger take note.
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Academia, Bizarre, Lawyering, Society

North Carolina Central University Student Accused of Plagiarizing Commencement Speech

Law Student Preston Mitchum, 25, did not quite have the graduation that he anticipated at N.C. Central University Law School. It should have been his crowning glory as the class speaker at the graduation but has now turned into a nightmare after he was accused of plagiarizing his speech from a Binghamton University student in New York.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Society

Sanctum Santorum: Former Senator Says McCain Doesn’t Understand Torture

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has stepped up to respond to John McCain’s recent denouncing of both waterboarding and the effort to claim that our torture program led to the killing of Bin Laden. Santorum told an interview that McCain, a torture survivor, just doesn’t understand interrogation and then gave a frightening defense of torture that would have made Pol Pot blush.
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Politics, Society

The Mouse Captures The Seals: Disney Moves To Claim Trademark to “Seal Team Six”

I have long been a critic of our trademark and copyright laws for years as companies claim an ever-widening array of common names and symbols — suing over everything from the right to use of an apple in a logo to using expressions like “who dat? Now, Walt Disney has filed for trademark rights to the name “Seal Team 6” only days after the Bin Laden operation.

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Bizarre, Lawyering, Society, Torts

Appellate Enhancement: Lawyer Wins Reversal In Lawsuit Against “Erection MD”

We previously considered the lawsuit by New Jersey lawyer Harold Hoffman’s lawsuit over his dissatisfaction his male enhancement drug purchased from Supplements Togo Management and World Class Nutrition. It appears that “Erection MD” did not help his juris doctor and he sued. After losing in the court below, the New Jersey appellate court has now revived his flaccid lawsuit. (Ok, that is the last double entendre).
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

You Have Your Mother’s Botox: California Mother Loses Custody After Doing ABC Interview on Giving 8-Year-Old Daughter Botox Injections For Beauty Contest

A California mother, Kerry Campbell, has lost custody of her 8-year-old daughter after she injecting Britany with botox to improve her appearance in a beauty pageant. Notably, Campbell triggered the investigation by admitting on ABC “Good Morning America” that she used the botox. The San Francisco Human Services Agency saw the show and launched an investigation.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Philadelphia Police Wrongly Accuse Man of Gun Violation in Abuse Confrontation And Then Charge Him Instead With Disorderly Conduct

There is an interesting audio recording (below) from a man, Mark Fiorino, 25, who was confronted by a Philadelphia police officer about carrying a gun in public. Fiorino is allowed to open carry in the city, but the officers appeared completely ignorant of their own directives and became increasingly hostile to Fiorino’s effort to show them that he was lawfully carrying the weapon. After concluding that he was right, he was released . . . only to be charged later with disorderly conduct based on his effort to show the officers that they were wrong about the law.
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Bizarre, Criminal law

Death Becomes Her: New Hampshire Man Charged With Faking Wife’s Illness and Death

In New Hampshire, Dan Villemaire, president of C&M Machine Co., was quite sympathetic with the plight of his employee Scott Wellington, 31, during the long illness and death of his wife. That sympathy remained strong all the way up to Villemaire being contacted by Wellington’s wife.
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