Category: Criminal law

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Society, Uncategorized

Bail-Ins and Empty Pockets

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Respectfully Submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

The Banksters are at it again.  You may recall an article that I wrote in March of 2013 which detailed a plan agreed to by the Bank of England and the FDIC which would allow banks to grab depositors funds in order to avoid a bank failure. The prime example given in that article was a similar plan that was put into action in Cyprus. Similar plans were on the books elsewhere, but the Cyprus grab had actually been activated.

Now it seems that the joint FDIC-Bank of England agreement from December of 2012 was not enough to make the Banksters whole in the event that their derivative gambling went south.  The idea has gone global and it puts all of our deposits, and even our pension investments at risk! Continue reading “Bail-Ins and Empty Pockets” →

Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, Society

Stolen Valor Video: Airborne Veteran Confronts Man Falsely Claiming To Be Army Ranger At Mall

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 5.50.05 AMI was on BBC yesterday talking about the Stolen Valor Act and the video below that has gone viral after a man was confronted in a mall on Black Friday by a veteran who called him out as a fake. (Warning: the video contains bad language). The man, identified as Sean Yetman, 30, walked by a real veteran from the famed 101st Airborne Division who was not buying the uniform or claim that Yetman is an Army Ranger. He spotted problems right away, starting with the multiple Combat Infantry badges.

Continue reading “Stolen Valor Video: Airborne Veteran Confronts Man Falsely Claiming To Be Army Ranger At Mall” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Media

Should Michael Brown’s Stepfather Be Criminally Charged For Inciting A Riot?

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Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson indicated this week that they are “pursuing” an investigation into whether comments made by Michael Brown’s stepfather Louis Head (shown here in the white cap) should be charged for his inciting a riot for his response to the news that there would be no indictment of Officer Darren White. While I certainly do not condone the language, I have long been a critic of such “violent speech” prosecutions and I believe that such charges would violate his free speech rights and ignore the mitigating factor of a family member in a highly emotional position that night. Warning: profane words are contained in the story below and the videotape.

Continue reading “Should Michael Brown’s Stepfather Be Criminally Charged For Inciting A Riot?” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

McFelony: Iowa Man Arrested After Allegedly Using McChicken As A Weapon In Domestic Assault

250px-McD-McChickenB9315352707Z.1_20141203081446_000_GOM9A6ORK.1-0We have seen a trend in criminal charges where police are defining virtually any object as a weapon to elevate the potential penalties in a given case. The charges in Des Moines against Marvin Tramaine Hill II, 21, appear to be such a case. He is charged with attacking his pregnant wife with a weapon. The weapon? A McChicken sandwich from McDonald’s.

Continue reading “McFelony: Iowa Man Arrested After Allegedly Using McChicken As A Weapon In Domestic Assault” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Can You Find The Crime In This Picture?

2014121174435504580_20If 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.

Continue reading “Can You Find The Crime In This Picture?” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

Snowden Awarded Top Award In Swedish Parliament For Disclosing Threats To Democracy and Constitutional Rights

Stora_riksvapnet_-_Riksarkivet_Sverige228px-Picture_of_Edward_SnowdenThe 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.

Continue reading “Snowden Awarded Top Award In Swedish Parliament For Disclosing Threats To Democracy and Constitutional Rights” →

Criminal law

“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

10039501_H10520069-250x250It 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” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Society

Notorious Killer Denied Injunction Over Kosher Food On Death Row

1415900687791_wps_28_steven_hayes_2014_photo_jYou 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” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

Former Deputy Prosecutor Accused Of Sending Bikini Photo And Texts To Inmate Pleads Guilty

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Matthew-Baumrucker-and-Marriya-Wrightmarriya-wright-1We 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.

Continue reading “Former Deputy Prosecutor Accused Of Sending Bikini Photo And Texts To Inmate Pleads Guilty” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Rape By Fraud: New Jersey Legislator Seeks To Make It A Crime Pretend You Are “Someone [You] Are Not” To Have Sex With Another Person

singleton_colorAssemblyman 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.”

Continue reading “Rape By Fraud: New Jersey Legislator Seeks To Make It A Crime Pretend You Are “Someone [You] Are Not” To Have Sex With Another Person” →

Criminal law, Society

Looting Breaks Out In Ferguson After Grand Jury Refuses Charges Against Wilson

Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 7.45.44 AMScreen Shot 2014-11-25 at 7.45.10 AMYesterday, 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” →

Criminal law, International

Russian Tourist Arrested After Carving Initial On The Colosseum

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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” →