Judge Jacqueline Hatch of Coconino County is under fire for her advice to a woman sexually abused by an off-duty police officer about visiting bars and “blaming others” for such problems. Hatch has now apologized for the advice that she gave the victim of officer Robb Gary Evans.
Continue reading “Arizona Judge Under Fire For Telling Sexual Abuse Victim Not To “Blame Others””
There is a bizarre case out of Miami where officer Prabhainjana Dwivedi, 33, was arrested by the FBI for allegedly pulling over female drivers solely to look at their breasts and make “sexually suggestive conversations.” What was most striking about the story is that this was an FBI investigation based on the claim of a civil rights violation. It shows how far federal jurisdiction has extended into previously state areas.
Most of us with dogs have had our pets bring home an array of unwelcomed gifts from birds to squirrels to an occasional cat. However, the owner of Lucky, was a bit more put out than usual when the Beagle proudly brought home a human foot.
Continue reading “California Pet Owner Calls Police After Dog Brings Home Human Foot”
In a major new ruling, US District Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf has ordered that Massachusetts must pay for the sex reassignment surgery of Michelle Kosilek, who was convicted of murdering his wife. The opinion in Kosilek v. Spencer, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 124758, contains a long and detailed analysis by Judge Mark Wolf of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. It also contains a stinging finding of untruthful testimony by Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections Kathleen Dennehy. Michele Kosilek was originally Robert Kosilek (shown here after killing his wife Cheryl Kosilek in 1990).
The video below has led to the dropping of charges against Ryan Dorm, 19, after four months in jail. Dorm was charged by Cpl. Donald Taylor who said that Dorm attacked him. However, the video shows that Taylor ran up to Dorm and struck him with his gun, which discharged – in full view of another officer.
We have often discussed the rampant corruption in the government of Hamid Karzai with billions in U.S. aid just disappearing — reportedly going to his brothers and associates. Now, the man Karzai selected as the next intelligence chief — Asadullah Khalid — has been accused of drug trafficking and torture. Khalid operates various torture chambers, including what a Canadian diplomat described as a “dungeon in his guest house.” That would certainly be a good resume for Karzai given the rest of his government.
Continue reading “Karzai’s Intelligence Chief Nominee Accused of Torture and Drug-Trafficking”
A breathtaking example of the power of the wealthy in Thailand emerged this week after the 27-year-old heir to the world-famous Red Bull energy drink empire ran over a police officer with his Ferrari and then continued on his way to his mansion — dragging the dead body 200 meters. In response, police initially tried to cover up the crime and even charged a scapegoat to protect Vorayuth Yoovidhya, grandson of Red Bull creator Chaleo Yoovidhya. It appears that the family driver was ready to take the fall for the family — a disgraceful act by the family and Vorayuth Yoovidhya.
We have previously seen Muslim clerics instruct men on how to beat their wives in an Islamically correct way. Egyptian cleric Abd Al-Rahman gave the latest installment on Al-Nas television — affirming the need for men to beat their wives as did Mohammad.
This is a disturbing video put on the Internet by a woman who identifies herself Amanda Fong Kim, 19, who says that she was being beaten by a man named Calven Chik Foo Keong — the father of the baby that she says she is carrying. What is most chilling is how this beating occurs next to a door to the street and pedestrians.
Continue reading “Abused Woman Posts Video of Beating By Boyfriend”
Joyce Coffey really really likes AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses (I am assuming “Ought Ta Get Me” was playing at some point in this revolving door with police). Coffey was arrested four times in 36 hours — three times for playing “Highway To Hell” and other songs too loudly. Coffey would no sooner make bail then she would be back blasting the music and eventually succeeded in finding that “season ticket on a one-way ride” – police on the fourth arrest held her for psychiatric evaluation.
On Huffington Post this week, John Cusack has published an interview with me on the record of the Obama Administration. For full disclosure, John and I grew up together in Chicago and our families have been very close since childhood. With John, I was part of the Piven Theater company with Anne and Joan Cusack (also with Aidan Quinn, Jeremy Piven, Bill Macey, and others involved with the company). John and I continue to discuss politics and philosophy – a regular past time over the holidays for decades over kitchen tables in Evanston and Chicago. In this interview, we shared some of our mutual sense of betrayal by President Obama of core civil liberties in the United States. I have previously written (See e.g., here and here and here) about the harm caused to civil liberties by Obama as well as the harm he has caused to the civil liberties movement. This is also a debate that we have had on this blog over the dilemma facing many civil libertarians voting in this election.
Continue reading “My Interview With John Cusack on Civil Liberties and Obama”
Former Superior Court Judge Ernest B. Murphy will not be receiving disability payments in addition to his multimillion dollar libel award against the Boston Herald. Murphy filed for disability pension based on a claim of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression linked to receiving hate mail and death threats due to his ruling in a rape case. The Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts found unanimously that the Contributory Retirement Appeal Board was correct in denying Murphy the disability pension.
Continue reading “Massachusetts Judge Denied Disability Pension For Hate Mail”
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has finally caught up with Richard Eggers, 68. The company filed the Des Moines worker after discovering that he has a criminal record. In 1963, Eggers used a cardboard dime at a Laundromat. His crime spree came to an end in July when the company fired him as part of its effort to stay in conformity with banking regulations to get rid of employees guilty of “transactional crimes.” I suppose using a cardboard dime at a laundromat must constitute a form of money laundering.
There is another claim of excessive force and abuse against officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) after two officers who were allegedly caught on surveillance camera (shown below) slamming a nurse, Michelle Jordan, 34, on the ground twice after a traffic stop. Not only is the basis for the action in doubt, but the two officers are shown giving each other a fist bump afterwards.
A Florida appeals court has ruled that George Zimmerman is entitled to a new judge. In a 2-1 decision (below), the Fifth District Court of Appeal ruled Judge Kenneth Lester has to go. Zimmerman accused Lester of “gratuitous, disparaging remarks” he made as part of his bail bond proceedings. Lester accused Zimmerman of “flout[ing] the system” when he failed to report outside donations. That would normally not result in a forced recusal but Florida is one of the states that makes disqualification mandatory when the motion is “legally sufficient.”