Category: Criminal law

Criminal law, Environment, Society

Shattered Like A Stone Goblin
Goblins or Hoodoos
Goblins or Hoodoos
at Goblin Valley State Park

by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger

Public parks and protected lands belong to us all as our collective natural heritage. By preserving and acting as stewards of these natural treasures, we aim to preserve them for the enjoyment their majesty and beauty brings for us and for our children’s children. One of these parks is Goblin Valley State Park in Utah. Since 1974, the unusual rock formations there known as goblins or hoodoos have enriched the lives of many thousands of visitors. These formations of sandstone, siltstone and shale are caused by differential rates of erosion and are a great example of the stark beauty of the high desert. Some of these formations are 200 million years old.

So naturally, it would be fun to push one down.

Even a young one that’s only about 20 million years old.

Continue reading “Shattered Like A Stone Goblin” →

Academia, Criminal law, Society

GW Student Arrested In Stabbing Death Of Georgetown Law Student

AR-131019109EP-131019109There are times when our discussion of recent stories touching on the law and policy can hit too close to home. This is one such tragic circumstance. George Washington biomedical engineering student Rahul Gupta (left), has been charged with the killing of a Georgetown University law student, Mark Edward Waugh. Both men came from McLean, where I live, and attended one of the two high schools here, Langley. Gupta’s defense will be made more difficult by incriminating statements made upon his first encounter with police.

Continue reading “GW Student Arrested In Stabbing Death Of Georgetown Law Student” →

Criminal law, Society, Torts

Collateral Damage: State Psychologist Suspended After Prostitute Runs Off With Computer Containing Patient Files

article-0-18C797B700000578-729_306x423There is an interesting story out of Washington state where a Washington state psychologist has been suspended from practice after a prostitute took off with his laptop containing files on 652 clients. Dr. Sunil Kakar, 46, reportedly left his computer with the prostitute while he ran out to an ATM machine. The computer was reportedly left as “collateral” for payment for the prostitute.

Continue reading “Collateral Damage: State Psychologist Suspended After Prostitute Runs Off With Computer Containing Patient Files” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics

Seattle Bar: Lawyers Can Ethically Smoke Pot

MarijuanaThere is an interesting decision out of the King County Bar Association after the bar grappled with questions from lawyers as to whether they can smoke marijuana after the state legalized pot despite that the fact that it is still deemed a crime under federal law. The bar associate said that the ethical lawyer could smoke pot so long as it did not interfere with their ability to represent clients.  While some would question that standard, the same personal responsibility on consumption applies to alcohol use by lawyers.

Continue reading “Seattle Bar: Lawyers Can Ethically Smoke Pot” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Portland Dumps Roughly 8 Million Gallons Of Water After Man Urinates In Open Reservoir

220px-Water_droplet_blue_bg05Some of you may recall that in 2011 we discussed the efficiency and logic of Portland officials dumping 8 million gallons of drinking water after a man urinated in the city’s open reservoir. Well, it has now happened again. After a 21-year-old man admitted urinating in a Mt. Tabor reservoir last Wednesday, the city cut off its key water supply and dumped 7.8 million gallons of drinking water. The question, again, is the logic of such a move. Even if one does not accept that, as industry experts often spouted, “the solution to pollution is dilution,” this is such a tiny amount of impurities as to be untraceable. This would be no more than 12 ounces within 8 million gallons of water.

Continue reading “Portland Dumps Roughly 8 Million Gallons Of Water After Man Urinates In Open Reservoir” →

Criminal law, Media, Society, Torts

Two Girls Charged After Suicide Of 12-Year-Old Girl Who Was Bullied On The Internet

article-2420424-1BCF1102000005DC-539_634x502There are two arrests in Florida after the suicide of 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick (left) who was bullied on the Internet, including at least one mocking posting by one of the girls after the suicide. The two girls (aged 14 and 12) have been charged with felonies.

Continue reading “Two Girls Charged After Suicide Of 12-Year-Old Girl Who Was Bullied On The Internet” →

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

French Court Upholds Convictions Of Scientology For “Organized Fraud”

488px-scientology_symbolsvgThe Cour de Cassation in Paris, France’s highest appeals court, dealt another legal blow to the Church of Scientology in upholding the convictions for “organized fraud” by church officials. The court rejected claims of religious freedom by Scientologist lawyers and found that the Church was engaged in fraudulent practices that led to the convictions and $812,000 in fines. Specifically mentioned in the allegations were the Church’s Celebrity Center and a Scientology bookshop in Paris. The court also upheld the convictions of Scientology’s leader in Paris, Alain Rosenburg, and the Celebrity Centre’s former president Sabine Jacquart for taking financial advantage of elderly members of the Church. They were sentenced to two-year suspended prison sentences as well as being handed €30,000 fines for organized fraud. Continue reading “French Court Upholds Convictions Of Scientology For “Organized Fraud”” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

South Carolina Police Officer Charged After Handcuffing and Allegedly Assaulting Woman In Bar After Being Rebuffed

23698228_BG1The Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Allen Derrick has been fired after a video was put on YouTube showing him handcuffing a woman after an argument with her in a Columbia, South Carolina restaurant. The police report says that Derrick approached the woman but that 23-year-old Brittany Ball showed no interest in him. They then got into an argument. Things then went from bad to worst as the video below vividly demonstrates.

Continue reading “South Carolina Police Officer Charged After Handcuffing and Allegedly Assaulting Woman In Bar After Being Rebuffed” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law

Alabama Legislator Reintroduces Castration Bill

hurst_sAlabama Rep. Steve Hurst (R-Munford) is hellbent on castration it seems. Despite the fact that his colleagues blocked his bill to legalize castration of convicted child molesters if their victims were under the age of 12 (and make them pay for the procedure), Hurst has reintroduced the legislation.

Continue reading “Alabama Legislator Reintroduces Castration Bill” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International, Politics, Society

Who’s Your Buddy? NSA Gathering Hundreds of Millions of Contact Lists and “Buddy Lists” From Americans

President_Barack_Obama200px-national_security_agencysvgThe Obama Administration — with the clear support of Democratic and Republic leadership — has continued to eviscerate privacy in the United States despite recent controversies over NSA spying on Americans. The most recent report details how the National Security Agency is collecting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts, including those of Americans. The reported collection program is a new operation that intercepts e-mail address books and “buddy lists” from instant messaging services. It is the latest effort by the Obama Administration to turn this into a fishbowl society where citizens and their associations are entirely transparent to the government. Once again, the most amazing aspect of this story is the complete lack of response or outcry. President Obama has succeeded, it seems, in changing the expectations of privacy in our society — a change that is unlikely to be reversed to the great detriment of civil liberties in America. It is the latest example of why it is increasingly curious for Americans to refer to this country as “the land of the free” as we construct a massive internal security state and unchecked executive powers.

Continue reading “Who’s Your Buddy? NSA Gathering Hundreds of Millions of Contact Lists and “Buddy Lists” From Americans” →

Criminal law, International, Politics, Society

“Loud Mouth” The Pirate Arrested In Belgium In Fake Movie Deal Meeting

nicubunu_open_mouth225px-Somali_PiratesIt appears that the greatest danger to piracy is vanity. A notorious Somali pirate leader known as “Loud Mouth” has been captured by Belgian police in a creative sting operation. Mohammed Abdi Hassan was lured to the Brussels Airport in the belief that he was going to sign an agreement to make a movie on his life. He made an estimated fortune of hundreds of millions and recently announced that he was going to move from piracy to politics — a nature transition in any country. Somalia has long been criticized for protecting such pirates but it was vanity that led to his undergoing.

Continue reading ““Loud Mouth” The Pirate Arrested In Belgium In Fake Movie Deal Meeting” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Walmart Store Picked Clean After Computer Malfunctions In Louisiana

walmart15n-3-webOccasionally, something will happen that shows a latent tendency of dishonesty in people regardless of class or station. Once the lights go off or security is suspended, there is an explosion of thefts or some riot. I remember one Christmas seeing what looked like lawyers or businessmen trying to use umbrellas to unhook fur decorations on the Christmas tree in the Daley Plaza that were part of a Canadian holiday display. One was actually on the other one’s shoulders. I am not sure why I am always surprised. However, this weekend, the food stamp computer system in Louisiana experienced a glitch where it would not show the limit on cards. Most stores stopped purchases with the EBT cards. However, Walmart stores in Springhill and Mansfield, Louisiana decided to continue to make sales. The word quickly spread and the stores were mobbed with shoppers who took virtually every item off the shelves. Then the EBT cards came back online with the limits on the cards . . .

Continue reading “Walmart Store Picked Clean After Computer Malfunctions In Louisiana” →

Criminal law, Society

Los Angeles Raid House Because It Smelled Like Meth Lab, Kill 80-Year-Old In His Bed In Claimed Self-Defense . . . And Find No Meth Or Lab Equipment

article-2454911-18AE46C000000578-494_634x373There is a disturbing story out of Los Angeles where Eugene Mallory, 80, was killed during a June 27 raid by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies. Police raided the home because it reportedly smelled like a meth lab. In the end, no methamphetamine was found but Mallory laid dead with no fewer than six gunshot wounds. His widow is planning a lawsuit.

Continue reading “Los Angeles Raid House Because It Smelled Like Meth Lab, Kill 80-Year-Old In His Bed In Claimed Self-Defense . . . And Find No Meth Or Lab Equipment” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

Ornithologists Rejoice: Pedestrian Captures Rare Picture Of A ‘Dancing Blue Copper’ In New York City

250px-PeopleBirdingFor tourists, there are few more quintessential scenes that coming upon a police officer and a street vendor in a profane argument. The video below is for those who have missed the indigenous wildlife scene of the Big Apple.

Continue reading “Ornithologists Rejoice: Pedestrian Captures Rare Picture Of A ‘Dancing Blue Copper’ In New York City” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Justice, Media, Military, Politics, Religion, Science, Society

False Equivalency: How We Are Manipulated #2

Submitted By: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger

obama and boehnerLast week I wrote two guests blogs that were essentially two sides of the same coin. “How We Are Manipulated #1” and “The Decline of Journalism” were akin in that in the former I was writing about the use of “False Equivalency” that has long been a propaganda tool, especially from the wealthy backers of the conservative movement and the bland acceptance of “False Equivalency” by our mainstream media. I receive “E mails” each week from “Media Matters for America” the organization that examines bias in the media. http://mediamatters.org/ . This organization often provides me with ideas for this blog and I think performs a yeoman service for the people in this country who wish to clear the mental fog of propaganda, supplied by people who want to destroy the democratic process, and that has bombarded us since the Age of Reagan. These people own the major media and/or use their media ownership to ensure that the truth about our country is not only hidden, but subsumed in a planned torrent of propaganda. In this piece I will continue my series by providing various quotations that serve as examples, or admonishment of the prevalence of “False Equivalency” memes in the media. Links will be supplied at the end of this blog. Continue reading “False Equivalency: How We Are Manipulated #2” →