There could be a major criminal case emerging from Lynchburg, Virginia where prosecutors have charged Ronald Wojdyla, 57, with child pornography for superimposing his picture over a picture of an 11-year-old girl. It is a continuation of the debate over computer-generated porn, though in this case it is a real girl — only the sexual contact is fake. As the name might suggest, Lynchburg is not the place that one should test such fine points of pornography law.
Category: Courts
Ex-federal prosecutor Richard Convertino was hammered by a federal judge for his allegedly unethical conduct in the Detroit terrorism case and investigated by the Justice Department for his misconduct. However, Convertino is now moving against Detroit Free Press reporter David Ashenfelter who has refused to disclose the sources underlying his true story that Convertino was under investigation. Convertino argues “that publication of truthful information about him was a criminal act.” Ashenfelter may soon go to jail on contempt if Convertino continues to press for sanctions.
Continue reading “Disgraced Federal Prosecutor Seeks to Punish Detroit Press Reporter”
Edward G. Kelly, 51, a defense attorney in Fall River, Massachusetts has pleaded innocent to a bizarre criminal allegation: that Kelly pretended to be a district attorney employee to tell government witnesses on the telephone that they did not need to show up for court.
Continue reading “Lawyer Accused of Impersonating a District Attorney Employee to Keep Witnesses From Appearing in Court”
As expected, the Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J. to intervene to bar President-elect Barack Obama from taking office due to the fact that he had British citizenship at birth.
Continue reading “Supreme Court Turns Down Donofrio Appeal”
A major “dram shop” case just settled in New York that could be a forerunner to similar cases across the country. The Giants Stadium and Aramark agreed to pay $25 million to settle the case of Antonia Verni, a girl paralyzed in a crash with a drunken football fan. Usually such settlements are not public, but this settlement was revealed at the request of a public advocacy group.
Continue reading ““Culture of Intoxication”: Giants Stadium Settles Dram Shop Case for $25 Million”
New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Michael Adams is not amused and believes John McEwan should not aroused by the Simpsons children having sex. The jurist has ruled that Bart Simpson is a “person” for the purposes of pornography and thus McEwan was properly convicted of possessing child pornography and using his computer to access child pornography.
In a surprising opinion out of Helena, Montana, Judge Dorothy McCarter has handed down a powerful decision in favor of the constitutional rights of patients and doctors in physician-assisted suicides.
Continue reading “Montana Judge Rules Doctor-Assisted Suicides Are Legal”
Prosecutorial misconduct has led to one of Nevada’s most infamous cases being overturned. An appellate panel overturned the death sentence of Ricky David Sechrest for the murder of Maggie Schindler, 10, and Carly Villa, 9, in 1983 over statements made by then-District Attorney Mills Lane. Lane is well-known to many as a syndicated television judge and a referee.
Continue reading “Ninth Circuit Overturns 1983 Conviction for the Murder to Two Girls”
Judge Robert Ruehlman clearly does not like swearing in his courtroom. Ruehlman recently sent two men — including an attorney — to jail for six months for using foul language. This is not unique, but Ruehlman’s punishment is grossly out of line with a reasonable sanction in such cases.
Continue reading “Living By the Ruehls: Ohio Judge Sentences Attorney to Six Months for Swearing in Court”
In an important vote, the Supreme Court has granted review in al-Marri v. Pucciarelli, 08-368. The case will return the issue of enemy combatants back before the Court with a new twist. The case would have to be argued by the Obama Administration, which will be given a clear opportunity to show whether all of the talk about change and civil liberties was just a pitch or true principle.
I will be discussing this case tonight on Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.
Continue reading “Supreme Court Grants Review in Al-Marri Enemy Combatant Case”
With the unanimous vote of the bipartisan Minnesota Board of Canvassers against his demand for the counting of rejected ballots, Al Franken (D) is suggesting that he may ask the Senate (with a democratic majority) to simply order the counting of the ballots and hand him the victory over incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). It is the nuclear option in the Constitution and rarely used for obvious reasons.
Continue reading “Nuclear Option: Franken Lawyer Suggests He May Invoke Senate Option to Trump State Board”
Attorney Joe Caramagno has become an Internet sensation after showing up drunk in court (two hours late) and trying to convince the judge in the video below that he can still try the case and “play injured.” Caramagno claimed to have a concussion from an accident despite reports that he smelled of tequila.
Continue reading “Video: Las Vegas Attorney Shows Up Drunk in Court and Causes Mistrial in Kidnapping Case”
What has not been reported in the recent collapse of Attorney General Michael Mukasey is that just before he fainted, Washington State Supreme Court Judge Richard Sanders stood up and called him a tyrant.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman has struck down Florida’s ban on the adoption of children by gay people. She found that the law was unconstitutional given the absence of any legal or scientific reason that sexual orientation should be the basis for such a prohibition.
Continue reading “Florida Court Strikes Down State Ban on Gay Adoptive Parents”
Police in Mamaroneck, New York may need a refresher on basic legal process principles. After Mayor Kathleen Savolt won in court in having a traffic ticket dismissed, Officer Michael Petrillo showed up at her house that night and issued her a new duplicate ticket.