Kurt Kaiser has accused an unnamed prostitute in New York of stealing his stash of uncut diamonds after having sex in a hotel room. In the world’s most self-evident statement, Kaiser, 47, reported that “I woke and thought ‘I’ve been screwed.’”
Continue reading “Gem Trader Alleges Hooker Stole His Jewels”
Police in Keyes, California are investigating why police officers killed an unarmed 32-year-man after first shooting him with a stun gun. Family members called police to tell them that George Ramirez was suffering from depression and threatening suicide. The Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputy is now on administrative leave. According to reports, Deputy Art Parra Jr. has been on the force for six years.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet’s famous line seemed to have a more poignant meaning this week with the arrest of Fellony Silas, 30, for . . . you guessed it . . . a felony battery at a bar.
Continue reading “Charing Fellony: The World’s Most Unfortunate Name For A Criminal Defendant”
This corpus delicti was the key piece of evidence in the arrest by the FBI of alleged super hacker Higinio O. Ochoa. I am not sure why this piece of evidence caught the eye of FBI agents, but they used its posting on Twitter account of @MissAnonFatale to find Ochoa’s girlfriend and then Ochoa.
Continue reading “Keeping Abreast Of Crime: Hacker Traced By FBI From Picture of Girlfriend”
This is not exactly the picture you want public when you are invoking your Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-Incrimination. The picture shows General Services Administration official Jeff Neely enjoying a spa tub and wine as part of the $822,000 Las Vegas conference that is now the subject of a congressional investigation, as previously discussed. Neely, the GSA’s Public Buildings Service regional commissioner, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in a hearing. His seat remained vacant at the hearing after his invocation.
Continue reading “What Happens in Vegas, Stays In Vegas: GSA Official Invokes Right To Remain Silent in Congressional Hearing”
One of the alleged culprits from the brutal attack on a tourist in Baltimore has turned himself into police. His name is Aaron Parsons, 20, and he was identified on social media posts over the past week. He is now charged with assault, robbery and other crimes. [Update: Bail has been reduced]
Continue reading “First Suspect Charged In Brutal Baltimore Attack”
Clayton Keith Dovel, 36, is the latest Transportation Security Administration baggage inspector arrested for theft. Dovel was found with stolen iPads from luggage of passengers snatched at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.
Continue reading “TSA Inspector Arrested For Stealing iPads”
By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Which ethnic subset of American teens is most likely to become substance abusers and thus possessors of illegal drugs, alcohol, or tobacco?
a. Caucasians; b. Hispanics; c. African-Americans.
If you answered “c” you are wrong and probably Caucasian. Large-scale national surveys like the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) find that African-Americans are significantly less likely to have substance use disorders than their White counterparts. Continue reading “Profiling The Profiler: The Unflattering Mirror”
Jury selection began yesterday in Greensboro, N.C., in the federal trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards. Because of the extremely prejudicial aspects of Edwards’ infidelity while his wife was battling cancer, voir dire and pre-trial motions in limine will be critically important in the case. Equally important will be the legal basis for the campaign finance charges in the case over the use of third-party funds to hide his affair with Rielle Hunter. In my view, the charges stretch the law too far but the government will still have to convince a jury. The greatest danger for the defense remains the prejudicial elements and how they may warp the jury’s view of the facts and legal standard.
Continue reading “Jury Selection Starts In Edwards Case with Controversial Campaign Finance Charges”
The second degree murder charge of George Zimmerman has received widespread approval. I am in Fort Worth to speak to the Fort Worth Lecture Foundation this afternoon. However, I am receiving a lot of calls on the basis for the charge. I must confess that I am not optimistic on the chances of a conviction unless the special prosecutor has undisclosed evidence to meet the high standard under the state law. As I discussed on BBC last night, there are substantial challenges to make such a charge stick in this case.
We have previously discussed the abusive tenure of former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and his unethical conduct in conjunction with Sheriff Joe Arpaio. In a triumph of ethical ethics, a three-member disciplinary panel of the Arizona Supreme Court has now issued a 247-page opinion (below) disbarring Thomas and one of his former deputies, Lisa Aubuchon, as well as suspending another former deputy county attorney (Rachael R. Alexander) for six months and a day for prosecutorial abuse. In the action, the Arizona Bar not only upheld the integrity of its membership of lawyers but all lawyers. In response, Thomas has denounced the decision and compared himself to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The bar seems to have a different image in mind. It began its analysis with this quote from Proverbs 12:15–17: “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.”
Continue reading “Former Maricopa County Attorney Thomas Disbarred; Compares Himself To Gandhi”
A former student of mine sent me this disturbing story about students at Jack Robey Junior High School in Pine Bluff being pepper-sprayed when they failed to go to their classes fast enough after lunch. One mother says that her daughter suffered a severe allergic reaction to the spray.
This new video has emerged showing the brutal attack on a tourist in Baltimore on St. Patrick’s Day. The video also clearly shows a man who stands above the victim to take his picture as he and others laugh at his being beaten, stripped, and robbed on the street. In the meantime, the Baltimore Police Chief Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III is being criticized for dismissing the possibility of a hate crime — insisting that this is nothing like the Trayvon Martin case.
Continue reading “Second Video Shows Brutal Attack On Tourist By Mob In Baltimore”
George Zimmerman has gone public for the first time with a new website, therealgeorgezimmerman.com, and a paypal link to raise funds for his litigation costs. The website is a smart move, but Zimmerman used the occasion to describe the shooting as a “life altering event.” That is manifestly true except for the fact that he was speaking of himself, not Martin.
Continue reading “Zimmerman: Shooting Was “Life Altering Event””
William Wink insists that he was just trying to throw away a rotten orange to the squirrels from his balcony. However, when the orange landed a few feet from a construction worker, he looked up and saw Wink in his boxer shorts. Wink, 68, was arrested for aggravated assault with an orange.
Continue reading “Orange You Glad I Missed? Florida Man Arrested For Aggravated Assault With Orange”