China has found its answer to Survivor. Emphasizing a strength, the latest television sensation is Interviews Before Execution where condemned prisoners breakdown in confessions before being led off to be executed.
Continue reading “[Non] Survivor: China’s New Hit Show Features Condemned Prisoners In Last Moments”
We have been following the disturbing trend of arrests of citizens videotaping police in public — the subject of this prior column. Illinois has been featured prominently in these stories due to its strict law on eavesdropping. Now Cook County Criminal Courts Judge Stanley Sacks ruled that the law unconstitutional due to its vague language, which sweeps “wholly innocent conduct” within its scope.
Continue reading “Illinois Judge Declares State Eavesdropping Law Unconstitutional”
Iranian human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by what the Iranian government refers to as “courts.” To his credit, Soltani refused to defend himself before the Iranian tribunal which blindly carries out the dictates of the religious leaders of the country.
The Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin has reported a theft. Nothing new there. However, the item is not one of the golden chalices or crosses that are often targeted by thieves. Someone stole the preserved heart of St. Laurence O’Toole (also known as Lorcán Ua Tuathail).
Continue reading “Heartless: Thief Steals The Heart of St. Laurence O’Toole”
Submitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger
This week Huffpost ran an article titled:“IBM’s Role in the Holocaust — What the New Documents Reveal”, written by Edwin Black. The article was a followup to Mr. Black’s book “IBM and the Holocaust” published in 2001. As Mr. Black puts it justifying this particular article:
“Newly-released documents expose more explicitly the details of IBM‘s pivotal role in the Holocaust — all six phases: identification, expulsion from society, confiscation, ghettoization, deportation, and even extermination. Moreover, the documents portray with crystal clarity the personal involvement and micro-management of IBM president Thomas J. Watson in the company’s co-planning and co-organizing of Hitler’s campaign to destroy the Jews.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edwin-black/ibm-holocaust_b_1301691.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
These are of course pretty serious charges being made about one of the world’s most famous companies and about its founder. While I will present the nature of these charges and the specificity of the author’s alleged proof in the piece, it really is not my focus to condemn IBM one way or another, or even to vouch for the truth of the article. I will provide a link that offers a different perspective on these charges and will leave it to you the reader to decide what you think of them. My real purpose here is to discuss the necessary amorality of Corporations and what effect that amorality has upon nations and people. Continue reading “A Corporate Tale”
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
A disturbing report from the NFL released on Friday charges that the coaching staff of the New Orleans Saints tolerated and encouraged a bounty system designed to violently remove opposing players from the game. The bounties ranged from $1,000.00 for putting an opponent out of the game to $1,500.00 for a “cart off.” A “cart off” being injuring an opponent so severely that he would have to literally be physically helped to leave the field of play.
In 2009, the Saints were the league’s poster boy for “feel good football.” Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints were credited with boosting the spirits of New Orleans and providing the impetus to rebuild. Indeed, it may have been the only institution in the storm ravaged town actually functioning as intended. It’s Super Bowl win for the 2009 season after decades of frustration as the league’s laughing-stock, was seen as a vindication of the power of sport to unite a community and help it over come adversity. It’s diminutive quarterback, Drew Brees, was seen as a national hero for his laudable efforts to restore some civic pride to the devastated city. But behind all the glory was a dark secret that permeated the team and could topple its legacy.
John Hockenjos, 55, is a New York man accused of trying to run over a Brooklyn officer with his car. The officer claimed that Hockenjos tried to run him over — a claim strikingly familiar to past cases that we have discussed. However, on this occasion, the citizen had this night-vision surveillance tape that showed that the officer lied. The felony charges have now been dropped, but there remains the question of the officer. Citizens are routinely charged criminally for making false claims to police. However, officers are rarely fired, let alone charged, in such cases.
Georgia Chief Judge David Barrett, chief judge of the Enotah Judicial Circuit, has resigned over what the district attorney called “a poor rhetorical point.” District Attorney Jeff Langley’s description may not quite capture the moment. Barrett pulled out a gun in his courtroom in the Enotah Judicial Circuit and told a women in a domestic assault case “You might as well shoot your lawyer.”
There is an interesting claim in Massachusetts where three women are charged with a hate crime for allegedly beating a gay man at a train station. In their defense, lawyers are arguing that it is effectively impossible for the women to commit a hate crime because they are lesbians.
Continue reading “Lesbians Charged With Anti-Gay Attack in Controversial Massachusetts Case”
There is an interesting case out of Mantua, Ohio. A 17-year-old student at Crestwood High School was arrested for posing with an assault rifle on Facebook and writing about the massacre in allegedly favorable terms. This followed the shooting at Chardon High School in Ohio.
This is a striking collection of scenes from citizens going to various police stations to try to obtain a complaint form to report police misconduct. They are met with little cooperation and often outright hostility.
We previously discussed the senseless burning of the oldest pond cypress tree in the world — “The Senator” at Big Tree Park in Longwood. Now police have arrested the woman who they say committed the destruction. She is Sara Barnes. Barnes has been charged with the third degree felony of intentional burning of land. It was an over 3,500-year-old cypress tree . . . until it encountered Barnes in 2011.
Continue reading “Barnes Burner: Police Arrest Alleged Culprit In The Burning Of “The Senator””
Below is today’s column on the trial of George Huguely for the murder of Yeardley Love (shown left).
Continue reading “The Huguely Trial And The Search For Meaning”
Former Deputy District Attorney David Schubert has been sentenced to nine months in jail for felony crack possession. We previously discussed the case, but Clark County District Judge Carolyn Ellsworth took the notable step of denouncing the plea deal with Schubert as something of a sweetheart deal for the former prosecutor.
Continue reading “Former Top Narcotic Prosecutor Sentenced To Jail On Drug Charge”
Exclusive: After running the earlier story on the “Zombie Mohammed” case, I had the opportunity to speak to the victim, Ernie Perce. We previously discussed the remarks of Judge Mark Martin of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in the dismissal of a charge against Talaag Elbayomy, a Muslim who attacked Perce for insulting the Prophet. Perce was parading as a zombie Mohammad in the Mechanicsburg Halloween parade when Elbayomy allegedly grabbed him. Elbayomy was at the parade with his family. Yet, it was Perce who ultimately came into a tongue lashing from Martin. Martin reportedly responded in a statement that I posted previously.
Continue reading “Atheist in “Zombie Mohammed” Case Responds”