A lawsuit against the Church of Scientology has now pulled in two unlikely litigants: a state and a federal judge. Pinellas Florida Judge Robert E. Beach has filed a motion in federal court contesting an order from U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday enjoining him from imposing planned sanctions on lawyer Ken Dandar, who is suing the Church. The motion raises some interesting questions of jurisdiction and ethics.
Category: Bizarre
Phoenix police Officer Richard Chrisman has been arrested after he first tasered and then shot Danny Frank Rodriquez, 29. He also shot the family dog. Another officer reported that neither he nor Chrisman were being threatened at the time.
Continue reading “Phoenix Police Officer Arrested After Tasering and Shooting Unarmed Man”
In Alliance, Ohio, Katurah L. Petty reached a level of fame or infamy among officers by allegedly stealing computer software from a Walmart while in labor. The Labor Day specials were long expired, so she was taken to jail after a visit to the hospital. Accounts differs as to whether she actually gave birth or was feigning labor.
The Nobel Committee may think a lot about MIT economist Peter Diamond, but he is currently blocked as a nominee for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. Sen. Richard Shelby has objected that Diamond is not qualified for the Board because his specialty is not in monetary policy.
Continue reading “Fed Nominee Blocked By GOP Senator As Unqualified Just Received The Nobel Prize”
Adam Guerbuez has been ordered to pay $873 million in fines after sending four million spam messages to Facebook promoting marijuana and sexual-enhancement drugs.
Continue reading “Canadian Man Ordered To Pay $873 Million In Fines For Spam”
In Wausau, a certain one-legged goose is getting the last honk after a man jumped into the river to catch it for dinner only to end up in jail. Troy Kaczor, 40, got the free meal in jail after he was rescued by police who later discovered he was a wanted man.
Continue reading “Goose Cooked: Man Arrested After Jumping Into River To Catch One-Legged Goose For Dinner”
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has again shown his preference for supporting totalitarian regimes over human rights in his latest outrageous statement: supporting China in denouncing the Nobel Prize given to dissident Liu Xiaobo.
Continue reading “Chavez Supports China in Denouncing Nobel Prize For Liu Xiaobo”
There is a horrific story out of Michigan where a couple, Scott and Jennifer Petkov, are accused of a cruel campaign targeting a seven-year-old girl, Kathleen Edwards who is dying from Huntington’s disease. The Petkov’s allegedly posted pictures showing Kathleen’s mother (Laura Edwards, who died of the disease last year at the age of 24) in the arms of the grim reaper and photo shopped a picture of Kathleen with her face above a set of crossed bones. The story (which has gone viral internationally) raises questions over the possible civil and criminal liability for such actions.
Continue reading “Can The Petkovs Be Charged or Sued in Their Alleged Harassment of a Dying Seven-Year-Old Girl?”
Erwin Arnada, 47, former editor-in-chief of Playboy Indonesia, has begun a two-year sentence for publishing pictures of women in undergarments — photos that are less revealing than the standard ads found in the Subway.
Continue reading “Indonesia Court Sentences Playboy Executive To Two Years in Jail for Indecency”
What is it about public officials and Nazi uniforms these days. We just saw a Portland police officer accused wearing a Nazi uniform and building a memorial to fallen German soldiers including a SS officer and a war criminal. Now, Rich Iott, Ohio Republican nominee for Ohio’s Ninth District (second from the right) has been shown in his World War II German uniform.
Continue reading “The Reich Man For the Job? Ohio GOP Candidate Shown in Nazi Uniform”
Caitlin Sanchez, 14, has filed a lawsuit against Nickelodeon alleging that the network denied her full compensation as the voice for “Dora the Explorer.” The New Jersey team says that she (and her parents) were taken advantage of by network lawyers who convinced them to sign an unfair and ambiguous contract.
Continue reading “Dora Explores Liability: Voice of Cartoon Character Sues Nickelodeon”
We have been following cases where public employees have been disciplined or fired for activities in their private lives from teachers to coaches to lunch ladies (and here and here) to prison guards to city officials to police officers. There have also been such cases involving private employers as well as international cases (here). Now, Portland police Capt. Mark Kruger has been disciplined for his actions celebrating the exploits of German soldiers — actions that have labeled him a “Nazi sympathizer.”
Continue reading “Oregon Police Officer Disciplined as “Nazi Sympathizer””
There is a fascinating case in Canada on the legal status of babies carried by surrogates. We have seen various rulings in surrogate cases, including surrogates awarded custody and surrogates fighting for such rights. The couple who (upon learning that the baby carried by their surrogate had Down’s Syndrome) wanted to abort the baby. However, the surrogate refused and wanted to complete the pregnancy.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has pulled an ad showing real West Virginia guys complaining about West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D). The problem is that the real guys were not only actors but actors from Philadelphia. The ad makers told the talent agency that “We are going for a ‘Hicky’ Blue Collar look.”
Continue reading “National Republican Senatorial Committee Uses Philadelphia Actors to Portray “Hicky” West Virginia Voters”