I have often written about judges who seem to relish the imposition of “creative sentences” that often involve shaming or degrading acts to be perform by defendants. Scott County Associate Judge Christine Dalton in Davenport came now be added to this ignoble list. ith a lengthy and violent criminal record to his name, Pachino Hill is going to church. Dalton has ordered a criminal defendant Pachino Hill to attend church in a wildly inappropriate sentence. Continue reading “Iowa Judge Orders Criminal to Church in Another Abuse of “Creative Sentencing””
Category: Constitutional Law
A very disturbing story is emerging from New York where the principal of the city’s first Arabic-language school (the Khalil Gibran International Academy) said that she was forced to resign over mild statements regarding a tee-shirt sold by an outside group. Debbie Almontaser was the target of a concerted campaign to get the administration of Mayor Bloomberg to fire her. Continue reading “Arabic Public School Principal Forced to Resign Over Tee-Shirt Comment”
As the country still debates the unhinged ravings of Barack Obama’s Minister Jeremiah Wright, as discussed shown here, another minister has used his pulpit to attack Obama as a “freak,” “trash,” and “emissary of the devil.” Rev. James David Manning runs a church in Harlem and appears to specialize in showing how racism is a redeeming part of faith, repeatedly criticizing Obama’s connections to white women. The video below raises serious question over the tax exempt status of this church — as well as the sanity of this hate-filled and overtly racist black minister. Continue reading “Video: Another Minister Enters Presidential Debate — Trashing Obama and Begging for an IRS Investigation”
The Supreme Court overwhelmingly threw out the murder conviction of Allen Synder due to race-based challenges in a case marred by prosecutorial abuse by Jim Williams and the failure of Judge Kernan “Skip” Hand to maintain a fair trial. Continue reading “Supreme Court Tosses Out Louisiana Murder Conviction Due to Racial Bias in Jury Selection”
It appears from the photo below that President Bush’s support for a Flag Amendment to criminalize the desecration of the flag could be a cry for help. In this photo, Bush is seen clearly writing on a small American flag. Continue reading “Stars, Stripes, and Signatures: Bush Desecrates the American Flag”
In the latest controversy over the rights and liabilities of sperm donors, a gay Kansas man Daryl Hendrix is seeking to reverse a decision of the Kansas Supreme Court that denied him parental rights to children conceived with his sperm. Continue reading “Sperm Donor Takes Case to Supreme Court Seeking Parental Rights”
At oral argument today, at least five justices appeared to favor the recognition of an individual right to gun ownership under the Second Amendment. Justice Kennedy and possibly Justice Breyer could join the right side of the Court in upholding the lower Court. As the audio recording below shows, the appeal of this case was probably a legal blunder given the predictable response from this Court. Continue reading “Oral Argument Appears to Favor Individual Right to Gun Ownership”
Securities trader Stephen Chang could well create new law with his lawsuit in New York. There are copious cases on medical malpractice, legal malpractice, but now he would like to create a law of stripper malpractice after lap dancer negligently swiveled and hit him in the face with the heel of her shoe. This is only the latest addition to a growing number of cases in the area of stripper jurisprudence. Continue reading “Negligent Lap Dance: Man Sues Over Injurious Lap Dance”
The Supreme Court has accepted a case that will explore the first amendment protections of certain types of profanity uttered on the air by Bono, Cher and Nicole Richie. The question is whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can punish broadcasters for “fleeting expletives” by such celebrities. Continue reading “Bono, Cher, and the Supremes: Supreme Court Takes Profanity Case”
The Supreme Court today will hear arguments in District of Columbia v. Heller, No. 07-290. The lower court decision in Parker v. District of Columbia, 478 F.3d 370 (D.C. Cir. 2007) contained strong majority and dissenting opinions on the question of whether there is an individual right to gun ownership. The odds favor gun owners for the first time in securing a decision that clearly establishes an individual right. Their case is helped along by a bizarre appearance of Vice President Dick Cheney opposing positions of his own administration before the Court. Continue reading “Supreme Court Hears Second Amendment Case As Cheney Opposes His Own Administration on the Question”
A very disturbing series of allegations have been made against the Albany police involving abusive cavity searches, including one alleged performance in public. Continue reading “Albany Police Charged with Series of Abusive Cavity Searches”
D.C. inspectors have been conducting surprise searches on offices, rifling through waste cans and garbage looking for violations of recycling laws. In the process, they are looking through papers with may have protected or privileged information, including material from legal and medical offices. Continue reading “Paper Chase: D.C. Recyling Police Trigger Privacy and Constitutional Concerns”
Fundamentalist Islamic nations and leaders are speaking of unleashing a new weapon against those who defame Islam: lawyers. Continue reading “Litigating Against Free Speech in the Name of Free Exercise”
Barack Obama’s Minister, Jeremiah Wright, may have gotten himself into hot water with the IRS. He recently spoke in favor of Obama and against Clinton from the pulpit, a violation of the tax-free status of his church. He may soon learn that the only biblical passage that the IRS endorses is Matthew 22:21: “Render onto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” Continue reading “Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Church May Have Tax Problems”
The Bush Administration has long been ridiculed by the international community as converting the United States from a leader in human rights to the very symbol of the violation of core principles of human rights. However, few were prepared for the utter hypocrisy of watching the Administration condemn China for its use of torture on the very same time that President Bush vetoed a ban on the use of torture in the waterboarding bill. Now China is using our torture program to defend its own abuses. Continue reading “Bush Legacy: China Defends Its Use of Torture By Citing The Bush Torture Program”