It appears that Dashawn Webster, 22, may have been more concerned with complying with copyright laws than the criminal code. Webster is accused of adding a “copyright” to images of him allegedly molesting a 2-year-old boy. The Portsmouth, Virginia man also allegedly added his own name to the movie.
Continue reading “Virginia Man Puts Copyright Claim To Video Allegedly Molesting Two-Year-Old Boy”
Ron Charles really wanted a prison jumpsuit and now he will get one. In Prestonsburg, Kentucky, a witness called police that a man was running away with an orange jumpsuit. Police say that, after being arrested, Charles said that he thought the jumpsuit would be “cool.”
Continue reading “Kentucky Man Scores Prison Jumpsuit . . . The Hard Way”
Connecticut was the scene of a bizarre physical demonstration in a criminal case where Desmond James, 26, was accused three counts of sexual assault. Since his accuser said that the rapist was a black man whose member was lighter than the rest of his skin, James elected to expose himself to the jury to show that he was not the man despite being picked out in a lineup by the victim. It worked. The jury acquitted him.
If found guilty Benjamin Langkamp Jr., 18, is likely to be long-remembered not for the thirteen cars that he allegedly broke into over the course of a week, but the fact that he carried out the crimes while wearing an ankle bracelet tracking his movement.
Continue reading “Florida Man Accused Of Series Of Crimes While Wearing Ankle Bracelet”
Dr. Windell Davis Boutte loves to post videos of herslf dancing around patients to hip-hop tunes like the video below. Patients however are suing over what they say is her lack of attention and expertise in doing cosmetic surgeries once the dancing stops. Indeed, one such tummy tuck left a bride with permanent brain damage. Continue reading “Doctor Featured In Videos Dancing to Hip Hop In Surgeries Accused Of Leaving Patient With Permanent Brain Damage”
There is an old joke among criminal defense attorneys that “justice delayed is justice,” a twist of the old adage that “justice delayed is justice denied.” The joke reflects that fact that the defense almost always benefits from the passage of time and it is the prosecution that often pushes for earlier trial debates to deny the defense enough time to absorb and address evidence. That is not the case with Special Counsel Robert Mueller who has asked federal Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to deny a speedy trial motion and delay any trial of 13 Russians and three Russian companies for efforts to influence the 2016 election. The effort reflects problems in Mueller’s matinee case, including the allegation that he has charged a company that did not exist at the time of the alleged offenses.
Continue reading “Justice Delayed Is Justice: Mueller Fights To Delay Russian Collusion Trial”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the key questions that need to be answered in relation to controversial role of Cambridge Professor Stefan Halper. Called the Walrus, Halper has not given even a “Goo goo g’joob” to media on the details of his past role with the FBI.
Here is the column: Continue reading “I Am The Walrus: Three Key Questions In The Investigation Of The Role Of Cambridge Professor Stefan Halper”
Multiple defendant cases often resemble a lethal form of musical chairs as targets grab deals — leaving the loser still standing to face a full array of charges and cooperating witnesses. Trump former counsel Michael D. Cohen must be feeling like the music is about to stop after his close business associate Evgeny A. Freidman decided to take a deal from prosecutors. Freidman may be the only figure who could compete with Cohen on the higher Richter scale of sleaze. Update: Cohen denies that Freidman was ever this “partner” but does not address prior associations.
Continue reading “Cohen Business Associate Flips and Agrees To Cooperate With Prosecutors [Updated]”
Below is my column in the Hill Newspaper on newly released information on the use of an informant against Trump officials as well as other details stemming from Operation Crossfire Hurricane. The disclosures appear to confirm in large part the allegations made by President Donald Trump at the beginning of his Administration. While denied at the time, it does now appear that campaign officials were surveilled and investigated. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has now referred the allegation to the Inspector General for further investigation. That is a belated but correct decision in light of the troubling implications raised by this new evidence.
Here is the column:
According to an FBI affidavit, Michael Allen Haag, 45, set a new low for unruly passengers. The Colorado man is accused of first groping women on a flight and then, when moved to a new row, urinated on the seat in front of him — as captured by another passenger. Ironically, this was a Frontier flight from Colorado less than a week after another Frontier passenger on a flight from Colorado punched a service dog in the head and a deaf pregnant woman in the stomach. Continue reading “Colorado Man On Frontier Flight Urinates On Back of Seat After Being Moved For Allegedly Groping A Woman”
Franklin Laine Tomes, 59, allegedly has a unique way to convincing neighbors to stop making noise . . . he fires a dozen rounds from his AK-47. Tomes is now under arrest in Oregon for the incident at an apartment complex in Portland, Oregon. He allegedly hit two men as they fled and then barricaded himself in his apartment until finally surrendering to SWAT officers. Tomes had previously complained about the kids of one of the victims making too much noise. Continue reading “Oregon Man Upset With Noisy Kids Allegedly Fires Over A Dozen Rounds From AK-47”
Below is my column in the Washington Post on the statement by lead Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had assured the Trump team that he would not seek an indictment against Trump while in office. As I have previously written, I do not agree with those who maintain that a sitting president cannot be indicted. However, what is most striking is how many assume that it is better for the President to face an impeachment (which is part of a political process) than an indictment. For a criminal defense standpoint, the opposite may be true. Indeed, the best possible scenario for Mueller would be to have an impeachment before an indictment. None of this means that there is a strong case for either impeachment or indictment, but the sequencing laid out by Giuliani is no favor to Trump.
Here is the column: Continue reading “The Law Of Unintended Consequences: Mueller’s Promise Not To Indict Trump In Office Is No Favor”
The alleged owners of Mugshots.com—Sahar Sarid and Thomas Keesee—are now among the mugshots of the week. The company has long been criticized as little more than a shakedown of people desperate to remove embarrassing mugshots on the Internet. California prosecutors alleged Sarid, Keese, Kishore Vidya Bhavnanie and David Usdan engaged in with extortion, money laundering, and identity theft through the site. Continue reading “California Charges Mugshots.com Owners . . . Then Releases Their Mugshots”