Category: Bizarre

Bizarre, Criminal law

Federal Trial Of Officers Accused Of Shooting Family Dog In Unlawful Search

We have been following the continuing line of cases of police officers shooting pets during raids or investigations. The latest is in Hartford where two police officers shot a family dog in front of a 12-year-old girl after entering the residence of the Harris family without a warrant. They claim the St. Bernard named Seven snarled and charged at them when the entered the yard. Officers John O’Hare and Anthony Pia are defendants in the trial.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Say It Ain’t So “Zo”: Florida Police Officer Charged With Witness Tampering

Broward County Detective Anthony “Zo” Costanzo, 42, has been arrested in a remarkable case involving alleged police misconduct, including witness tampering. Known as “Zo,” Costanzo is accused of harassing a woman who brought charges against other officers in a false imprisonment case. Costanzo was previously featured on the Fox program, “COPS.”

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Academia, Bizarre, Science, Society

Getting An Extra Shot On Life: Drinking Coffee Found To Lengthen Life In Major Study

Go ahead and have a second cup of Joe this morning . . . you might live longer. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that both men and women lived longer on average if they drank two or three cups of coffee a day. No, the study was not funded by Starbucks.

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Bizarre, International, Politics, Society, Torts

Meet Dr. Sharad Shripadrao Pandit, The Love Doctor

Dr. Sharad Shripadrao Pandit in Birmingham, England was accused in Coroner’s Court this week in an extraordinary case of alleged malpractice. The parents of Alina Sarag reportedly called the GP more than 50 times about her ailing over four-and-a-half months. They testified that Pandit accused them of mollycoddling the girl and said that her symptoms were the result of being “lovesick.” She then died for tuberculosis.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

The Frenemy Defense: New York Man Insists He Shot His Friend Because The Victim Wanted To See What Being Shot Felt Like

There is an interesting criminal case out of Stockholm, New York where Shawn Mossow, 25, is charged with shooting a man. Nothing remarkable there, but the victim admits that he begged Mossow to shoot him in the leg to see what it feels like to be shot. That is perfectly legal. Shooting your friend with a .22 caliber rifle is not.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Virginia Blocks Gay Prosecutor From State Court

Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Tracy Thorne-Begland appears to have been successful in every aspect of his life: as a Navy fighter-pilot, a top prosecutor, and the father to two twin children. With bipartisan support he would have appeared a shoe in for a state judgeship. However, he was denied in a vote of 33-31 by the Virginia House of Delegates because of one other fact — Thorne-Begland is gay. For gays and lesbians, the state seal (which is my favorite among the states) now has a more sinister meaning.

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Bizarre, International, Politics

The Gods Are Angry: Merkel Insists Lightning Strike on Hollande’s Plan Was A “Good Omen”

I was intrigued by the meeting of France’s new president Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a meeting where they discussed their sharp differences over austerity programs for European nations like Greece. On his flight to the meeting, Hollande’s plane was struck by lightning and he had to take another plane. After hearing of the divine act, Merket insisted that the lightning strike was “maybe a good omen for our co-operation.” Now that is a spin and got me to thinking about other omens. I wonder if Merkel used the same line as Mrs. Baylock in the movie The Omen when meeting Hollande: “Have no fear, little one… I am here to protect thee. ”

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion

The Ayatollah Of Rock-and-Rolla: Iranian Clerics Call for The Assassination Of Iranian Rapper For Blasphemous Song

Called “the Salman Rushdie of music,” Shahin Najafi, a Germany-based Iranian singer, has been hit with fatwas calling for his killing, including one from a leading Ayatollah, after he released a song with references to Ali al-Hadi al-Naqi, the tenth of the 12 Shia Muslim Imams. The brief reference was enough to call for his death under Sharia law.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Detroit Groundskeeper Finds Loaded Gun, Turns It Into Police . . . And Is Fired For Possession Of A Firearm

This story is so breathtakingly stupid, I had to confirm it a couple times to be sure it was not a hoax. A Detroit groundskeeper, John Chevilott, found a loaded handgun in the weeds while working and waited for the police to drive by to turn it in. When they didn’t show up, Chevilott took the gun home and handed it into his local police station where he was commended for his actions. He did this with the full knowledge and approval of his supervisor. According to news reports, that was then fired by the Department of Public Services for possession of a gun.
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Bizarre, Lawyering, Media

Zen Privilege: If A Lawyer Speaks and No One Is Around To Hear It, Is It Privileged?

Litigation Zen Masters take note: The New Hampshire Supreme Court has answered that mind-numbing question: if a lawyer speaks in a public room but no one (other than his client) can hear him, is the statement privileged? The answer appears to be yes. The Supreme Court ruled that the New Hampshire Local Government Center could refuse to redact the minutes for 14 meetings over a 10-year-period because there were no third parties present during statements by counsel.

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Bizarre, Military, Politics, Society

Is Greece Fudging The Figures . . . On World War II Casualties?

As Greece continue to careen toward the financial abyss, European leaders are preparing for the departure of Greece from the European Union. However, I was struck by a recent interview with Greek Deputy Prime Minister, Theodoros Pangalos, who not only raised concerns of the rise of “fascists” in Greece but added the following factoid: Greece “after the Soviet Union and Germany itself, [had] the biggest percentage of [Second World War] casualties in its population.” As many of you know, I am a military history nut and was surprised by the statement, which (like the Greek economic recovery plan) appears to be based on more rhetoric than reality.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Police Near Pittsburgh Called To Retrieve Overdue Library Books . . . From Four-Year-Old

Police in Freeport, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh have finally tracked down Katelyn Jageman aka “The Bookkeeper.” Jageman has been living on the lam with a collection of overdue library books and an outstanding overdue book bill of $81. That is until the library dispatched police to hunt her down like a reference book in the learning aisle. It is notable that Jageman started her life of crime a year earlier than Hailey Benoit, the notorious bibliophile from Massachusetts.

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