If you guessed a woman driving, you are ready to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Loujain Hathloul has continued to defy the Saudi ban on female drivers. She was stopped at the border with the United Arab Emirates when she tried to drive back into the country. Our erstwhile ally is the only country to prevent women from driving in the name of Islam — making such medieval neighbors in the region like Iran look positively advanced in comparison.
Category: Criminal law
The debate in the United States continues over whether Edward Snowden is a whistleblower or a traitor. I previously wrote a column on that question. There appears to be less debate in Sweden where Snowden received standing ovations in the Swedish parliament after being given the Right Livelihood award for his disclosure of sweeping surveillance programs of the United States. The award honors Snowden “for his courage and skill in revealing the unprecedented extent of state surveillance violating basic democratic processes and constitutional rights”. This week, the new movie on Snowden also captured two more awards and critical acclaim.
It took a Brooklyn jury just an hour to convict Christian Ferdinand, 22, for the murder of this girlfriend Shaniesha Forbes, 14. The jury’s disdain for Ferdinand might have been cemented by the comment that he made to police after allegedly confessing to the killing of his girlfriend, burning her body, and stuffing it into a suitcase: “Do you think I can get some kind of community service?”
Continue reading ““Do You Think I Can Get Some Kind of Community Service?”: New York Man Sentenced For Killing 14-Year-Old Girlfriend Because She Might Be Pregnant”
You may recall the case seven years ago of the horrific rape, murder, and arson case out of Connecticut involving Steven Hayes. He and a friend raped and murdered a mother and two daughters in a savage home invasion. He is now on death row but Hayes is not happy with his meals. He is an Orthodox Jew and insisted that his kosher meals were not being prepared with sufficient attention to religious rules and thereby forcing him to “choose between following God and starving or choosing sin to survive.” A court has rejected the motion for preliminary injunctive relief.
Continue reading “Notorious Killer Denied Injunction Over Kosher Food On Death Row”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
We previously reported HERE the bizarre case of Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Marriya Wright who was charged with Rendering Criminal Assistance in the First Degree after a relationship she had with a wanted felon. She was alleged to have assisted him escape justice. Yet, after he was located and incarcerated, Marriya continued her correspondence through multiple visits and even provided him a bikini photo of herself. The relationship ultimately cost Marriya her job and led to criminal charges.
This cheerful mug shot is of Denise Nagrodski, 52, of Easton, New Jersey is a bit deceiving given the charges brought against her.
Continue reading “Can You Guess What This Woman Is Charged With?”
Assemblyman Troy Singleton (D-Mount Laurel) has introduced a controversial measure that would change the law in New Jersey to criminalize lies used to get someone to have sex. While such lies are notorious but common elements in many pickup situations, Singleton calls such acts as “rape by fraud.”
Yesterday, I ran a column discussing the curious sight of rioters and looters demanding “justice” when what they are really describing is mob justice in Ferguson, Missouri. I noted that the evidence did not support the initial claims of the shooting of Michael Brown and that demonstrations are not substitutes for demonstrated evidence in a criminal case. The response, however, to the declination of charges has been precisely what President Obama and the Brown family sought to avoid in their public comments. In perhaps the most symbolic incident, Ferguson Market and Liquor, the store that Michael Brown robbed before he was killed, was looted by people demanding “justice” for Brown.
Continue reading “Looting Breaks Out In Ferguson After Grand Jury Refuses Charges Against Wilson”
I recently had the pleasure to visit the Colosseum in Rome, one of the truly most incredible sights for all of humanity. (The photographs are from that visit). An unnamed Russian tourist was arrested and fined roughly $25,000 over the weekend for carving a 10-inch letter “K” into the Colosseum. Frankly, while this is a large fine, it is not enough in my view. The intentional damage to such a priceless structure warrants jail time in addition to the fine and, above all, the world should know the name of the man who would do such a despicable act.
Continue reading “Russian Tourist Arrested After Carving Initial On The Colosseum”
The Grand Jury in Missouri appears to have rendered its decision in the shooting investigation Michael Brown. It is expected to be announced shortly. Below is my column in USA Today.
USA Today ran my column on the Ferguson shooting and expected Grand Jury ruling last night. The grand jury is reportedly resuming its deliberations today. It has a number of choices if it were to bring down a charge, though (as I note in the column) the currently known facts present a very strong defense case in favor of Officer Darren Wilson.
Continue reading “Ferguson Grand Jury: The Four Basic Options For A Criminal Charge Against Wilson”
The allegations facing lawyer Michael Fine, 57, are truly bizarre. Police say that Fine convinced clients to let him hypnotize them and then had sex with them while telling them to forget everything but their legal discussions from the office visits.
We have been watching with alarm as African nations pass more draconian anti-homosexual laws. Senegal has added its name to his ignoble list. President Yahya Jammeh signed a new law that establishes life imprisonment for some homosexual acts. Jammeh is a vehemently and vocal anti-gay leader who told gays and lesbians in 2008 to leave the country or risk decapitation. Five women have now been arrested as accused lesbians in what human rights groups are calling a national campaign of terror and torture by the police.
Continue reading “Senegal Arrests Five Women Under The Country’s Draconian Anti-Homosexual Law”
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor
Since the Great Recession officially started in December of 2007, millions of people have lost their homes to foreclosures. It turns out that many of those foreclosures may have been fraudulent or in violation of foreclosure laws. According to the Southern Essex County, Massachusetts Register of Deeds, John O’Brien, a forensic audit of his recording files suggests that at least 75% of the mortgage assignments were invalid.
“My registry is a crime scene as evidenced by this forensic examination. The Audit makes the finding that this was not only a MERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems) problem, but a scheme also perpetuated by MERS shareholder banks such Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan and others. I am stunned and appalled by the fact that America’s biggest banks have played fast and loose with people’s biggest asset – their homes. This is disgusting, and this is criminal.” Nation of Change Continue reading “Foreclosure Fraud?”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
A startling criminal case out of Germany could be reminiscent of Britain’s Harold Shipman case.
Prosecutors in the German State of Lower Saxony accuse a former nurse, identified only as Nils “H.” pursuant to German privacy laws, of killing one patient and the attempt of two others. He is also being investigated for possible involvement in over one hundred and fifty suspicious deaths occurring during his practice.
According to prosecutors his motive for committing such crimes was boredom.
Continue reading “German Prosecutors Allege Former Nurse Killed Patients Out Of Boredom”