We have another despicable crime committed by fanatics in the name of religion. Malala Yousufzai, 14, is an incredibly brave girl who wrote about the atrocities against women and girls under Taliban rule — writing about conditions and crimes in the area. She was honored internationally for her advocacy. A Taliban gunman walked on to her bus as it was leaving her school and asked for her by name. Another girl pointed her out but Malala denied being the girl so the gunman shot both girls in the name of Allah.
Category: Criminal law
Associate Justice Antonin Scalia is again making headlines with controversial public statements. I have previously written about Scalia and the advent of the celebrity justice. Scalia clearly relishes the public attention, even though his public controversies likely cost him the Chief Justice position on the Court. Continuing his celebrity tour before conservative groups, Scalia thrilled his “base” by declaring that the criminalization of homosexuality, abortion, and the death penalty are “absolutely easy” questions.
It really does not get worse that this in terms of allegations of misconduct. Pennsylvania deputy attorney general Douglas B. Barbour, 33, and his wife, Kristen B. Barbour, 30, have been charged with child endangerment and assault of two children they adopted from Ethiopia just this year. There is also an aggravated assault charge against them both for the abuse of the 18-month-old daughter. The other child is a six-year-old boy.
Duluth, Minnesota Police Officer Richard Jouppi will face criminal charges for beating a man in a detox facility last month after a review by an independent counsel. Jouppi will be charged with counts of fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.
Continue reading “Minnesota Police Facing Criminal Charges For Beating Man In Wheelchair In Detox Room”
Police in Alberta Canada announced a major drug bust in ripping up 1,600 marijuana plants from the back yard of Ryan Thomas Rockman. It was the work of the Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT), which has dropped the charge of producing a controlled substance after they found that they had pulled up the man’s drugs daisies.
Jason Cantrell, an assistant city attorney in New Orleans, has resigned after being given a summons for marijuana possession. Cantrell was in court when a joint fell out of his pocket in front of a New Orleans police officer. The incident not only cost Cantrell his job but has put his wife, New Orleans City Council candidate LaToya Cantrell in a difficult spot.
Detroit has yet another high-ranking scandal this week. This time it is the Police Chief Ralph Godbee who has been suspended with pay after a subordinate officer Angelica Robinson was seen on Twitter with her service weapon in her mouth. Godbee replaced Police Chief Warren Evans, who was fired in 2010 after . . . you guessed it . . . he had an affair with a subordinate officer. By the way, Robinson worked at Internal Affairs, the office that investigates misconduct by officers.
Continue reading “Police Chief Suspended In Latest Scandal To Grip Detroit”

It appears that stripping naked is becoming something of the rage around the country. After a Michigan State Professor stripped naked in his math class, Sarah Butler brought her three children to a high school and stripped naked in what she believed was a logical response to the approaching end of the world.
Her attorney insisted that the incident in front of the suburban Philadelphia high school was triggered by an adverse response to a prescription drug. I can accept that but what I find intriguing is the fact that her two adult children and teenage son also stripped naked in front of the school.
There is an interesting law that has been proposed in Miami-Dade to require online registry of “dangerous dogs.” The law would require registration of any dogs or other pets that attack or bite people in the same way that sex offenders register to public disclosure. The registry could have significant implications for tort law and the liability for dog bites. One commissioner is even proposing a dog mug shot gallery.
Continue reading “Pug Mugs: Miami Considers Dangerous Dog Registry and Mug Shot Gallery”
Dr. Diana Williamson, 56, has a novel defense to Medicaid fraud: she says the crime was actually committed by Nala, her alternative personality. The ultimate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde defense. She claims that the disorder developed as a result of sexual abuse as a child by a Massachusetts priest. Supporting their claim is a diagnosis some 25 years ago.
Continue reading “Doctor Claims Alternative Personality Was Responsible For Criminal Fraud”
An Ethiopian woman working as a maid in Dubai was left homeless and penniless after her employee threw her out of the house without paying her for three months work. Destitute and depressed, the woman, 24, known only as AM, stood in the middle of a road to be hit by a car. The government promptly acted in the tragic act. The woman was gently moved to the side the road and arrested. She will now face a fine of Dh1000.
A Chinese restaurant has reportedly closed after customers saw staff wheeling in road kill to be used in the kitchen of Red Flower Chinese Restaurant in Williamsburg, Kentucky. The truly unnerving part of this story is the police report that the owner did not know that it was a problem to use road kill as a meat source.
Continue reading “Dinner A La Car: Chinese Restaurant Shutdown After Found With Roadkill in Kitchen”
This video shows a ranking Philadelphia officer sucker punching a woman during a parade for Puerto Rican heritage. There is no apparent provocation and the woman was walking away at the time. (Updated below)
Continue reading “Video: Philadelphia Officer Sucker Punches Woman At Heritage Parade”
We have yet another rampage by Muslims protesting religious intolerance. Muslims claimed that a Buddhist man posted a picture deemed insulting to Islam. They responded by promptly burning down at least four Buddhist temples and then burning down the homes of at least 15 Buddhist families. That should show people not to be religiously intolerant.
