We have yet another killing in the name of Sharia law. Two Afghan men broke into a home virtually next door to the Governor’s house in Ghazni City at 4:00 a.m. and pulled a mother and her daughter into their backyard. They were first stoned and then shot for alleged immoral activities.
Continue reading “Widow and Daughter Executed In Afghanistan For “Immoral Activities””
As fellow law professor sent me this video of Oakland police shooting a photographer. The video raises serious questions of the unjustified use of force.
Continue reading “Video: Oakland Police Officer Shoots Photographer With Rubber Bullet Without Any Apparent Provocation”
As discussed in a prior column, many civil libertarians view President Barack Obama as betraying core civil liberties in expanding on Bush-era surveillance programs, secrecy orders, and other measures. Now, even conservative justices are questioning the Administration’s demand to be able to engage in round-the-clock surveillance of citizens without a warrant using GPS technology. The sweeping new claim would gut the protections of the Fourth Amendment in the latest attack on civil liberties by Barack Obama.
Continue reading “Obama Administration Argues For “Orwellian” New Powers To Track U.S. Citizens”
Now here is an interesting case of false advertising. Barona Casino in Lakeside, California claimed to have a duffel bag filled with $250,000 as part of a promotion. Four men were so enthralled by the promotion of a giveaway that they entered the casino, shot open the display with an AK-47, and wrapped a chain around the display and yanked it out. They ultimately found, however, that it was less of a giveaway than a bait-and-switch. The bag did not contain $250,000 as advertised by a mere $2,000.
Below is my column today in The Los Angeles Times where I discuss the continuing trend of arrests of citizens videotaping police. We have followed many more cases but a couple are mentioned in the column. What is most disturbing is that prosecutors and police are continuing to fight court rulings upholding the right of citizens to videotape police.
Continue reading “The Right of Citizens To Videotape Police”
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
The reports from State College, Pa are shocking. Long-time assistant to iconic coach, Joe Paterno, charged with multiple counts of deviant sexual acts with at least eight minors — most under age 12. University administrators who did nothing despite horrific credible eyewitness accounts of explicit sexual acts in locker rooms and showers. Disadvantaged kids taken advantage of by an authority figure who founded an organization ostensibly to help them, but apparently designed to fulfill his own aberrational desires.
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Richmond, Va photographer, Ian Graham, must be wondering where he was this past Monday as he was arrested by local police for trespassing on a city street. Graham, who was photographing police arresting demonstrators in the Occupy Richmond protest, was told by police he was trespassing as he politely stood near a public crosswalk recording the goings on with his camera. Police claim they told Graham he could take photos but only in the designated “media area,” which was, of course, far from the scene of the arrests.
Continue reading “Richmond, VA Photographer Arrested For Trespass on Public Street”
Below is today’s column in USA Today (which will run in paper form next week). It appears that the police will look into the possibility of statutory rape and someone should be brushing up on defamation law as well.
Continue reading “Celebrities and Statutory Rape: Is Justin Bieber A Victim of Statutory Rape or Defamation?”
Ben Clifford Dawson is running for city council in Centerville, Iowa and allegedly has the stamina not only to handle the race but pressing the flesh . . . he was just arrested for prostitution. On top of that, he is 83 years old.
Continue reading “Meet Ben Clifford Dawson: Octogenerian, Politician . . . and John?”
The French satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris was firebombed this week by what are believed to be Muslim extremists for printing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in a four-page supplement with other cartoons as part of its “freedom to poke fun” series.
Continue reading “Extremists Firebomb French Newspaper After Publication of Mohammad Cartoon”
County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams has become an Internet sensation, but not in a good way. A video was posted that purportedly shows the judge beating his disabled teenage daughter. Now, the YouTube video has triggered a formal investigation. The 2004 beating by the judge was reportedly due to her use of the Internet without his permission. The daughter leaked the video entitled “Family law judge beats own daughter for using the internet, please spread” to expose what she says is her father’s untreated “problem.” The daughter who has cerebral palsy was caught downloading music.
Continue reading “Texas Judge Under Investigation After Daughter Releases Video of Savage Beating”
A court in Zimbabwe had a true Mr. Bumble moment when a man accused of sex with a donkey mounted a unique defense: Sunday Moyo insisted that he had hired a prostitute and she transformed into a donkey during the sexual encounter.
Continue reading “The Bumble Defense: Man Claims Prostitute Transformed Into Donkey During Sexual Encounter”
For Joshua Monson, it appears that the court has finally run out of pencils and he has run out of lawyers. Monson has stabbed three prior lawyers with pens or pencils. Now, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge David Kurtz (left) has ruled that he has forfeited his right to counsel and must represent himself.
Continue reading “Three Strikes and You’re Out [of Lawyers]: Judge Rules That Violent Defendant Must Represent Himself”
This Fox News headline struck me as possibly the latest effort to establish personhood for a fetus: “Woman Accused of Killing Mom, Fetus Pleads Insanity.” Once you open up the story from the main page, it does not improve much with Wisconsin Woman Accused of Killing Mom and Fetus Pleads Insanity.
Continue reading “The Ultimate Personhood Claim? Fox Headline Suggests A Fetal Insanity Claim”
I rarely take much interest in celebrity story, but one legal stories this week caught my eye: a woman who is seeking paternity liability from Justin Bieber. What is fascinating is that it would seem likely that any paternity payment would be accompanied by a possible charge of statutory rape. The alleged 30-second tryst after the concert occurred when Bieber was just 16 in a state (California) with a statutory date of 18.
Continue reading “Is Justin Bieber a Dead-Beat Dad Or Rape Victim?”