There is a revolving door theme in today’s posts. We saw yesterday how Communications Commissioner Meredith Baker was made senior vice president of Comcast-NBC, Phillip A. Hamilton, a former Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, has been convicted of leveraging his office to secure a paying position with Old Dominion University. He now will be sentenced for federal program bribery and extortion under color of official right.
Continue reading “Former Virginia Legislator Convicted In Scheme With Old Dominion University”
Author: jonathanturley
Carmen Olfidia Torres-Sanchez, 47, is a lawyer with the Colombian attorney general’s office, but she appears to take the doctor in juris doctor a bit too literally. Torres-Sanchez and her husband Ruben Dario Matallana-Galvas, 55, were arrested in the latest case of unlicensed cosmetic surgery — a surgery that led to the death of Elena Caro, 42. They face charges of second-degree murder. We previously looked at the case, but I was unaware that one of the defendants is actually a lawyer with the attorney general’s office. They were indicted yesterday.
Continue reading “Putting the Doctor Back Into Juris Doctor: Lawyer Arrested For Performing Unlicensed Surgery”
Critics are charging this week that Federal Communications Commissioner Meredith Baker has given this swamp-based city another glaring example of how to turn public service into personal gain. Just four months after voting to allow the merger between Comcast and NBC Universal, she has been given a high-paid job as senior vice president of governmental affairs by . . . you guessed it . . . Comcast-NBC.
Continue reading “Revolving Door: FCC Commissioner Votes For Comcast/NBC Merger And, Four Months Later, Given Position As Senior Vice President in Comcast-NBC”
In Wisconsin, there is now record of the West Bend School Board ever rejecting an application for a student club at a high school . . . until now. You guessed it, students wanted to form the Gay-Straight Alliance clubs at East and West high schools but were denied approval by a 3-3 vote of the board. Board President Randy Marquardt opposed approval of the club.
Continue reading “Try The 4-H Club Instead: Wisconsin Board Refuses To Approve School-Sponsored Club for Gay Students”
If you turn off the sounds, you might assume this woman is tearing up over finally nailing Osama Bin Laden or the continuing economic woes plaguing the country. In fact, she is responding to the Grand Opening of an In-N-Out Burger in Texas. I just had to share this cultural moment.
Continue reading “Woman Moved To Tears By . . . Arrival of In-N-Out In Dallas”
Omar bin Laden, bin Laden’s fourth eldest son, has allegedly issued a statement that calls the killing of his father as a “criminal” act and a humiliation for his family. Notably, he indicated the possibility of a lawsuit against the United States.
A Gallop poll shows that fifty-two percent of Americans want a third party — a continuing majority from earlier polls showing as much as 58% who oppose the monopoly of power by the two leading parties. The question is how we can call ourselves a democracy when the two parties are able, through ballot barriers and other means, to prevent a major third party from emerging in the United States. I previously wrote about these barriers and the need for a third party.
Continue reading “Majority of Americans Still Want Third Major Party”
Jeff Hall, a Neo-Nazi leader in Riverside, California, was shot to death by his ten-year-old son in what police believe was an intentional shooting. The day before, Hall had given his son a gift of a leather belt emblazoned with a silver insignia of the Nazi SS.
There is an interesting case out of Oklahoma where the murder conviction of Kassie Lakei Bills was overturned due to the comments at trial by Judge Ray Elliott of Oklahoma County. Elliott told the jurors to reach a quick verdict and not be “hardheads” by keeping everyone at the court. I guess that is why they call folks in Oklahoma “Sooners.”
Continue reading “Sooner Justice: Oklahoma Murder Conviction Overturned Due To Comments By Judge That Jurors Should Not Be “Hardheads” In Delaying A Verdict”
We previously saw how police charged atheist activist Ellen Beth Wachs, 48, with unauthorized practice of law after she confronted local politicians over prayer at public meetings. Now, Wachs (the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida) has been arrested with a sexual performance in the presence of a child. The police, however, admit that no one saw any sexual act. Rather, she is accused of making sexual noises.
Continue reading “I’ll Have What She’s Having: Leading Atheist Arrested For Making Sexual Noises”
I just saw this video, which is a gem. The reporter is doing a story on how the Olathe Kansas HS coach hit the amazing blindfolded halfcourt shot. However, if you look at the original tape below, the reporter did one better.
Continue reading “Reporter Sinks Ultimate Story on Blind Halfcourt Shot”
A Los Angeles neighborhood is objecting after the Postal Service stopped all mail delivery to an entire neighborhood after a mail carrier was bit on hand by a dog at a home. It appears that the apparent collective punishment approach is not unique to this San Pedro neighborhood. Dozens of families have had suspended service due to the attack of Broxton owned by Gibran and Alisa Hawkins.
Continue reading “The Postman Never Rings Twice: Postal Service Suspends Door-To-Door Mail Service For Whole Neighborhoods After Separate Dog Attacks”
In light of the distasteful reminder of Monica Goodling and Alberto Gonzales today, it may help to clear the palate by voting for your favorite lawyers in the annual poll of lawyers by Law Dragon has begun. You can vote for your favorite lawyers and judges here.
Continue reading “FEED THE DRAGON: TOP LAWYERS POLL IS NOW OPEN”
In a little noticed action, the Virginia bar has reprimanded Monica Marie Goodling, the attorney at the center of the allegations of politicization of the Bush Justice Department. Many are complaining that the reprimand shows that the bar has little teeth in enforcing such ethical rules. On the other hand, the reprimand is still more punishment that John Yoo, Jay Bybee and others received for their support of alleged war crimes over the torture program. (Actually, Bybee was not just spared punishment by the Obama Justice Department but he was previously given a lifetime appointment as a federal judge).
Continue reading “Monica Goodling Reprimanded By Virginia State Bar”
Bingu wa Mutharika, the president of Malawi, sure showed his critics. After a cable was leaked showing that British High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet was concerned about Mutharika’s intolerance of criticism, Mutharika responded by ordering the High Commissioner of Malawi to leave the country for the first time in history. That will show him for saying Mutherika cannot handle criticism.
Continue reading “Malawi President Responds To Claim That He Is Intolerant of Critics By Expelling Critical British High Commissioner”