Dominick L. Verducci, 69, may be the first person arrested for an aggravated raspberry. Verducci was arguing with his apartment manager when he say he would would “knock the nose” off his face and then blew a raspberry. The Gainesville police officer determined that a particle of spit hit Sunrise Villas Apartments property manager Thomas Stommel’s face. Accordingly, he was charged with battery.
Continue reading “Florida Man Charged With Battery Over Raspberry”
Michael Ben-Ari, a member of the National Union Party in the Israeli Knesset, wanted a staff member to film him recently for his constituents to see. While most politicians go for the baby kissing scene or memorial day speech, Ben-Ari wanted to be shown tearing out the New Testament from a bible and throwing it into the garbage — a despicable act of religious intolerance and hate.
Continue reading “Member of Israeli Knesset Rips Up New Testament In Protest Over “Revolting Book””
We previously discussed the case of Paul Chambers who was arrested for a tweet joking about blowing up an airport after his flight was canceled in England. Now a New Jersey man, Bill Miller, is in a similar situation after he joked to a friend in a text message that his catamaran had capsized. His friend notified the authorities and he is now charged with felony charge of causing a false public alarm — a charge that comes with a potential five year jail sentence.
Continue reading “World’s Dumbest Joke Leads To World’s Dumbest Charge”
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Author note: This is the fifth in a series about the child sexual abuse scandal at The Pennsylvania State University that helped bring down iconic football coach Joe Paterno and three top officials at the premier public college in Pennsylvania.
The Magician
Penn State’s ousted president and amateur magician, Graham Spanier, enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for secrecy while leading the state’s flagship public university. In one instance, Spanier became incensed when he learned that the Harrisburg Patriot-News had obtained the salaries of the top PSU officials — including Joe Paterno — from the state pension board. (Paterno had consistently made mention of the fact that he received around $500,000 per year as a coach, donating much of it back to PSU. Many prominent FBS football coaches make up to ten times that amount and it appears Paterno was fudging a bit on his salary.) Spanier embarked on a five-year fight to block publication of the salaries, taking the case through the entire appeals process and up to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Spanier lost at every level. Undaunted and against the odds, he successfully lobbied Pennsylvania state lawmakers to reject closing the loophole which exempted college employees salaries from the state’s “right-to-know” law. With that legislative prestidigitation, he just made the problem disappear.
There are millions of non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia. However, the Interior Ministry has warned non-Muslims that they are expected to respect Islamic restrictions during Ramadan and refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in public during Ramadan. Thus for a full month, non-Muslims are expected to act as Muslims in public in the ultimate denial of religious freedom.
Continue reading “Saudi Government Warns Non-Muslims To Observe Ramadan Restrictions”
McKenna May, 4, is a little girl at the center of a controversy. McKenna has suffered from leukemia and was put through a long treatment that has thankfully proven successful. During her illness, she had two wishes: to be rid of cancer and to go to Disneyland. However, getting the first wish and led to the loss of the second wish. While Make-A-Wish Foundation granted the trip to Disney, her father William May of Toledo has forbidden her to go on the trip because she is no longer dying. While the mother, Whitney Hughs, has given her consent, both parents must sign for such a trip.
When the the Star Spangled Banner is sung at Tropicana Field before the Rays take on the Cleveland Indians tonight, you might want to look more closely at the singer. William Dillon, 52, was released from prison to make the gig after serving 27 years for a murder that he did not commit. His story is not simply an inspiring account of one man’s struggle to prove his innocence, but illustrative of the problems in our criminal justice system.
Continue reading “National Anthem To Be Sung Tonight in Florida By Wrongly Convicted Man”
Dan Cathy, the president of the fast food chain Chic-fil-A, has come out swinging against his critics who have charged that he has run his company with an anti-gay, religious based agenda. Cathy stated that he is “guilty as charged” and double downed on the issue — promising to continue to run the company according to “Biblical” dictates. I guess you just think of the Last Supper and think how Jesus would prepare your Chick-fil-a deluxe. [Update: The restaurant is now trying to dampen the rising outcry from gay rights groups while not denying any of the statements made by its chief operating officer.]
Giovanni Verdelli, 60, was arrested after allegedly groping a Jersey City woman on a PATH train. Women in the area were rightfully shocked to learn that this is the 169th arrest of Verdelli — often for sexual molestation and misconduct of women and girls. He is a serial groper and it is not clear if 169 will be the charm to put him away.
Many of us have been highly critical of the decision of President Obama to allow our involvement in the Iraq and Afghan wars to continue. We continue to lose men and women in these countries and spend billions of badly needed revenue in countries where we are increasing despised. Indeed, Iraq is now becoming one of Iran’s closest allies and supporting that country in conflicts with the United States. While accepting hundreds of billions, Karzai has called the U.S. the enemy and said that he wished that he was fighting with the Taliban. We have been comparing the costs bankruptcies of cities and closing of programs with the billions spent or simply lost to corruption in these countries, particularly Afghanistan where the Karzai government has reportedly allowed billions to be stolen by Karzai family and associates. Now our postal system is facing default and its future is again in doubt. While Congress is unsure of whether to save this basic service for citizens, it has done little as many billions of dollars are stolen or wasted in countries like Afghanistan. It is perfectly insane.
Robert Bell is fighting for a quintessential expression of free speech in New York and New Jersey — he was arrested for flipping the bird at police officers. We have seen such cases in other states where officers have arrested citizens for this vulgar but protected form of speech. After Bell was charged with disorderly conduct for making an “obscene gesture” and causing public alarm and annoyance, the charges were dropped. He then sued. As in so many other cases of abusive arrests, there is no record of any discipline taken against the officers who made the groundless arrest. The lack of discipline allows some officers to carry out baseless arrests with the knowledge that the citizen will be punished by the inconvenience of going to jail or to court or both — with the added need of securing an attorney.
Continue reading “New Jersey Man Sues Over Arrest For Flipping The Bird At Police Officers”
I have heard about some bad interview experiences from law students but few could top Cody Slaughter, 22, who interviewed for a job with the border patrol. Slaughter was a bit more forthcoming than usual in answering questions by revealing that he had molested a 2-year-old girl, had sexual relations with a dog, horse and pig, and had a history of drug abuse. He didn’t get the job but he is working with law enforcement after his arrest.
The French city of Angers in Loire Valley has made an interesting demand for restitution. Angers has demanded that England turn over the Royal Jewels for the murder of Edward Plantagenet in the Tower of London in 1499. The town values the termination of the Plantagenet line of kings at billions of dollars, but the city will accept the Crown Jewels in exchange for ending its string of 14 English kings, including Richard the Lionheart and Henry V.
Saudi Arabia is moving to expand its already draconian laws concerning blasphemy. The new regulations by the ultra-conservative Shura council following the arrest of Saudi blogger and columnist Hamza Kashgari, 23, was arrested for tweeting comments deemed as insulting the Prophet Mohammad.
The Chicago Sun Time is reporting a fascinating case involving a police cadet who collapsed from heat stroke after just 10 days in the police academy when asked to run three miles. Donald E. Barnes Jr. never finished the “slow jogging exercise” or the academy but was put on medical disability . . . . 15 years ago. Barnes has collected $500,000 over the last 15 years but has never returned to the academy to complete training, let alone work as an officer.