Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has been in the thick of controversy of late. First, he refused to prosecute Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina and his wife after a grand jury indicted them for arson. (Click here). Then he was forced to turn over e-mails in case that included embarrassing material, such as the married man’s romantic notes to his secretary as well as racist and pornographic material. Now, Rosenthal has admitted that he destroyed more than 2,500 e-mails after they were subpoenaed — an act that could result in a charge of contempt and potential incarceration. Continue reading “Texas District Attorney Admits to Destroying Emails in Violation of Court Order — Faces Potential Contempt Charge”
Category: Bizarre
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has called for Congress to strip the City of Berkeley, Calif., of federal funds because he does not agree with a slight to the Marine Corp. The Berkeley City Council voted this week to tell the U.S. Marine Corps to move its recruiting station outside the city’s downtown. What is astonishing is that DeMint has long defended federalism (as I do). There is no greater nightmare for states rights than the federal government taking in more taxes than it needs — only to give the money back to the states with strings attached. Thus, under this approach, states and cities will be denied money unless they conform their political judgments to the will of the Senate. It is a good thing that George Mason is safely six-feet under ground. Continue reading “So Much For Federalism: Republican Senator Asks Congress to Strip Berkeley of Federal Funds in Retaliation for Slight to Marines”
New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto is being sued by a former high school football player who alleged that the jurist used his power and prestige to harass him after he gave Rivera-Soto’s son a bloody lip in a practice. Rivera-Soto has already been reprimanded by his Court and he is even accused of making fun of a Ben Franklin re-enactor! He is just the latest state judge to face criminal and civil charges this year. Continue reading “New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Sued for Harassing Son’s High School Football Rival”
In the civilian system, a case of misdiagnosis is a simple material of medical malpractice for which the victim or his victim can recover. In the military, it is even simpler: it is malpractice for which there is no legal recourse. That is the sad lesson being learned by the family of Carmelo Rodriguez, a Marine and combat veteran who died of untreated cancer that could have been treated by relatively modest medical interventions. It is the result of the infamous Feres Doctrine, which continues to do untold harm to thousands of sailors and soldiers. Continue reading “The Legacy of Feres: Marine Dies in Latest Act of Military Malpractice”
When it comes to the art of the public apology, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick may have set a new gold standard in his public apology for his alleged affair with chief of staff Christine Beatty. The view link is below. He used an actual church as a backdrop and his wife as something of a prop for the occasion. The problem is that, while such scenes may resonate with voters who tend to love a repentant sinner, it still does not create a defense to what appears a very compelling criminal case for perjury. Continue reading “The Stagecraft of Scandal: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Gives Public Apology with Wife in a Church”
In what could make for a fascinating torts case, an airplane full of passengers witnesses a co-pilot losing his mind in the cockpit and then having to be forcibly restrained by the other crew members as he demanded to speak to God. The Air Canada co-pilot was handcuffed to a seat for the rest of the flight. Ironically, air carriers have refused to show Snakes on a Plane as too scary for passengers. Continue reading “This is Your Pilot: I Need to Speak to God”
A former priest, Daniel Corogeanu, had been convicted of murder in the death of a nun during an exorcism gone bad. The court in Romania gave the monk seven years, though the case raises serious questions over the use of these extreme religious rites. Continue reading “Priest Convicted in Nun’s Death During Botched Exorcism”
Nurse Lee Cruceta in Philadelphia has admitted to cutting out body parts from corpses to sell on the illegal body part market — a crime that included harvesting material from the corpse of “Masterpiece Theatre” host Alistair Cooke, who died in 2004. The guilty plea includes a glimpse into the lucrative market for body looting. Continue reading “Nurse Admits to Body Looting From Corpses”
Perhaps the most basic requirement of a judge (beyond remaining full clothed during deliberations) is not to pronounced guilt until after the trial. It is a rule that Superior Court Judge Hilton Fuller allegedly forgot by telling a reporter that Brian Nichols, accused of killing four people in a 2005 shooting spree that began at the Fulton County Courthouse, was clearly guilty. While denying the comment, Fuller has removed himself from the case. Continue reading “Judging 101: Refrain From Pronouncing Guilt Before End of Trial”
There is a fascinating legal fight brewing in New York between sandwich chains Subway and Quiznos. At issue is the liability for companies using popular taste tests in commercials and the provocative question of whether it is possible to slander a sandwich. Continue reading “Subway v. Quiznos: Can a Sandwich Be Slandered?”
The police are seeking an imposter who pretended that he was the father of the dead actor Heath Ledger to secure hotel rooms, convince Tom Cruise to console him, and almost convince John Travolta to buy him free tickets to the United States. It is conduct that fits both criminal and tort theories of culpability. Continue reading “Police Seek Arrest of Imposter of Heath Ledger’s Father”
Where is the NGA — National Geiger Association — when you need them?
Facing an apparent shortfall of new permits to impose on citizens, the New York city council (with Mayor Bloomberg’s reported support) is moving to require that any citizens who want to own devices that detect biological, chemical, and radiological dangers must first register and secure a permit from the city. If Bloomberg wants to run for President, this would not be the way to do it. There is a strong suspicion that the problem with these devices is that they will reveal a much greater level of such dangers and require officials to address countless false — and true — readings. Continue reading “You Will Have to Peel My Cold Dead Fingers From My Geiger Counter: New York Moves to Require a Permit to Own Detectors of Radioactive, Biological, or Chemical Threats”
After the loss of many American lives and billions in American dollars, the justice system in Afghanistan seems to be de-evolving back into the Taliban-style Islamic extremism. Journalist Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, 23, has been sentenced to death for merely downloading material deemed blasphemous to Islam relating to the role of women in Islamic societies. Not only has the U.S.-backed government sentenced him to death, one of its top “justice” officials has threatened to severely punish any reporter even expressing support for Kambakhsh. Continue reading “Afghan Justice: Government Sentences Journalist to Death for Blasphemy Against the Prophet”
In a positively mind-blowing decision, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided to allow 20 people who flunked the bar to become lawyers rather than inform one individual that he had been incorrectly told that he had passed. Worse still, the current and immediate past presidents of the state bar have dismissed the controversy as resolved. Continue reading “South Carolina Supreme Court Allows 20 People Who Flunked Bar to Pass — Including Children of Powerful Attorneys”
The New Jersey Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision against a father who claimed that he should not have to pay child support to his ex-wife after discovering that the child was not his own. It is only the latest in a string of such cases. Continue reading “New Jersey Court Orders Man to Pay Child Support Even If He is Not True Father”