Most law professors relish any reliance of a court on their academic writings. This may not be what Seton Hall Law Professor Robert Martin had in mind. Martin wrote about his experience as a juror in the New Jersey Law Journal after he and his co-jurors found a grocery store liable for $876,000. A New Jersey appellate court has now ruled that the publication is a sufficient reason to overturn the verdict based on his described conduct.
Continue reading “Publish and Perish: Law Professor’s Writing on His Jury Experience Leads to the Overturning of Verdicts”
Category: Bizarre
Recently, the aunt of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh died and he reportedly blamed witchcraft. Now, Amnesty International reports the President’s personal guard and both police and army forces have abducted up to 1000 villagers to force them to drink a vile liquid from witch doctors brought in by the government. They were forced to drink potions that reportedly killed two and sickened many others.
Aleyda Uceta, 30, has been arrested after she allegedly punched and bite Principal Rudolph Moseley Jr. of Roger Williams Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island. Moseley had just informed her that her 11-year-old son would be suspended for refusing to go to a room for misbehaving children.
Continue reading “Parental Intervention: Mother Arrested After Biting Principal For Suspending Son”
The Vatican has refused to moderate or withdraw the controversial statement of Pope Benedict in a trip to Africa that condoms only “increase the problem” of AIDS. The anti-condom stance outraged Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organisation’s HIV/AIDS department, who noted that there is no evidence that condoms increase the rate of AIDs and that many studies show that it is an effective protection against the disease. People like De Cock have been struggling against a disinclination in Africa to wear condoms.
The Nebraska Court of Appeals has reversed the decision of a Civil Service commission tfire an overweight officer, Christopher D. Parent. Parent, 52, is a 25 year veteran who was fired after questions were raised about his fitness in a combat shooting exercise and his failure to maintain a “high level of physical, mental and emotional conditioning.”
Roy A. Raspanti, a lawyer in Louisiana, has been reprimanded by the Louisiana Supreme Court for suing his own sister, Janine Raspanti, for repeatedly filing complaints against him. The Disciplinary Board had recommended a three-month suspension.
Continue reading “Lawyer Reprimanded for Suing His Own Sister”
Courts routinely defer to legislative findings of fact, but this one may be a bit too ambitious. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), has introduced a resolution seeking to place the Lincoln-Obama bible on permanent display in the Capitol Visitor Center, a very good idea. However, the resolution includes the following line: “Whereas the Holy Bible is God’s Word.”
Continue reading “The Ultimate Legislative Finding of Fact: Congress Considering Resolution That Declares Holy Bible To Be God’s Word”
Judge Richard Posner dressed down a federal prosecutor over expired salad dressing. Posner issued the ruling for his panel on United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit which included criticism of Assistant U.S. Attorney Juliet Sorensen for misleading statements.
Continue reading “Dressing Down: Judge Posner Demands Discipline of Prosecutor Over Alleged Misconduct in Salad Dressing Case”
Attorneys for Charla Nash, 55, and her family filed a $50 million lawsuit against Sandra Herold for her ownership of Travis, a 14-year old Chimpanzee, who left her with massive injuries. The 200-pound chimpanzee was a pet despite that fact that in many states such ownership is prohibited.
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A controversy has erupted over the request by the Rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovitch, that Pope Benedict XVI take off his cross before a visit to the wall in May. Rabinovitch stated “My position is that it is not fitting to enter the Western Wall area with religious symbols, including a cross. I feel the same way about a Jew putting on a tallit and phylacteries and going into a church.”
Continue reading “Lose the Cross: Rabbi Asks Pope to Take Off His Cross When Visiting the Western Wall”
On behalf of the Turley Clan in the States and Ireland, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley has come up with the bailout for executives: suicide. Grassley suggested that AIG executives do the honorable thing and commit Seppuku. The problem is of course that ten of his colleagues immediately demanded $10 billion for the study of Seppuku techniques and the creation of Seppuku centers as part of the proposed second bailout bill.
Continue reading “The Ultimate Bailout: Senator Proposes Suicide Pact With Business”
This may seem like a bit of an contradiction to some, but Texas legislators are sponsoring a bill to facilitate the creation of a master’s degree in Creation Science. While these degrees are traditionally called Divinity degrees, Texas politicians fighting against evolution theory want to help the Institute for Creation Research.
Continue reading “Texas Legislation To Facilitate the Creation of An Advanced Creation Science Degree”
For criminal defense attorneys, regional differences can often produce localized forms of practice. The attorney for Marcel Fournier, 19, has one such case in Burlington, Vermont. Fournier was arrested for bolting antlers on the head of a dead doe to conceal game violations.
Continue reading “Natural or Enhanced? Vermont Hunter Jailed for Shooting Doe and Then Bolting Antlers To Her Head”
Houston police and prosecutors are arresting people for potty-mouths. The Texans were shocked when New Yorker Abraham Urquizo, 35, used the “F-word” twice while arguing with his girlfriend at Salsa’s Mexican and Seafood Restaurant. They are clearly unaware that the word can be used as an adjective, noun, verb, adverb, participle, and a gerund in New York.
Continue reading “Don’t Mess With Texican English: Texas Police Arrested New Yorker For Potty Mouth”