The British Columbia Supreme Court will be some hearing testimony on the criminalization of plural unions — an extremely important case with global ramifications. As has been my practice in past cases, I wanted to confirm my involvement in the case as a court-appointed expert on the legality of such criminal laws. Weeks ago, I was retained to submit written testimony on the right of consenting adults to plural unions under United States and international law.
Category: Criminal law
Anna Del Rio has lost a daughter to crime and is now being harassed by a street gang because of her job as a dispatcher for Crime Stoppers. Think the L.A. resident is intimidated? Not Hardly. Del Rio, whose 20-year-old daughter was murdered a decade ago, awoke to find her garage door spray-painted with profanity and the numbers “187.” “187” is the police code for homicide. The gang has apparently confused working for Crime Stoppers as being the same as being a police informant. Del Rio took the job as a way to channel her grief about the loss of her daughter into something productive. In response to the vandalism, she has placed a picture of her daughter by her garage door as a makeshift memorial. Del Rio says she refuses to be intimidated by the people who vandalized her property. Police are investigating the incident.
Source: KTLA Website
— Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Ah, the bloom is too soon off the marriage rose as far as some men are concerned! At least that’s how it would appear for Minchillo McLester who was married just three weeks ago. McLester’s wife Madison was found dead on the floor of their home. She had apparently been shot several times. McLester was taken into custody after witnesses told police that they saw a naked man walking in a nearby Atlanta park early yesterday morning.
A 22-year-old Nebraska man named Trevor Case suspected that his girlfriend Danielle Stallworth might be cheating on him. In order to elicit information from Stallworth, the mother of his child, Case decided to employ an “enhanced interrogation technique” on her. He waterboarded Stallworth to find out if she had been unfaithful!
Police in Lincoln, Nebraska, allege that Case bound Stallworth’s wrists and ankles, stuffed “hospital socks” in her mouth, and put a t-shirt over her head. Case then allegedly poured a pitcher of water over her head. When the victim felt she couldn’t breathe, she began “freaking out.”
Continue reading “Man Charged with Domestic Assault for Waterboarding Girlfriend”
Peter Crotty has some peculiar ideas about his job responsibilities. Crotty, a waiter at Buffalo Wild Wings, in suburban Skokie, Illinois, takes waiting tables and the “Wild” in “Wild Wings” very seriously. When three area teens decided to skip out on their $51.00 bill, Crotty did his best Olivia Newton John (no, not ‘Let’s Get Physical,” it’s “Grease,” silly) and leaped aboard the roof rack of the teens’ SUV. Our earnest garçon rode the vehicle for eight blocks until the vehicle went behind a building and Crotty jumped off. Dutiful as ever, Crotty ran back to the restaurant and finished his shift. Cops were called and made arrests. And you wonder why there are no car-hops around anymore.
Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Source: UPI
Norfolk, Virginia, Police Detective Robert Glenn Ford had a reputation as a hard-nosed cop who handled most of the City’s high profile criminal cases. Now he’s got another one but it’s his name “across the v” from the Government. Ford was convicted in federal court in Norfolk of extortion and lying to federal investigators. Specifically, the Government alleged that Ford took money from criminal defendants in exchange for helping them get lighter sentences. Ford maintains his innocence and vows to appeal.
Ford handled 200 homicide cases including the infamous “Norfolk 4” case which resulted in four convictions for the rape and murder of an 18-year-old wife of a Norfolk sailor. Ford was accused by lawyers for the “Norfolk 4” of planting jailhouse snitches near in the men’s cell blocks to solicit confessions.
Continue reading “Does Convicted Cop Equal Reasonable Doubt?”
Edwin Fry, 73, is quite the dog lover. When his pet poodle, aptly named “Buddy Tough,” was nabbed by local police for running “at large,” Fry decided to pull his best Steve McQueen. Refusing to pay the enhanced fine of $100.00 due to Buddy’s repeat offense, Fry leaped aboard his riding mower and headed straight for the canine hoosegaw where the chain link was no match for the bolt-cutter wielding pet owner. Sadly, the police took a dim view of animal rescue– Fry-style– and arrested him on complaints of second-degree burglary, trespassing, and destruction of city property. He is also facing a misdemeanor charge for (insert drum roll)…. allowing an animal to run at large. Sadder still, Fry got his own pen and Buddy was euthanized.
On a happier note, this “Born Free” attitude is not limited to our shores. Australians love it too as we see here.
Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Source: WPOC 93.1 Website
Since I am off to Paris in a few hours, I am posting this list a day early. Happy Halloween to everyone and good luck to our guest bloggers — Elaine, David, and Mark — who will be blogging from today until the 6th (and possibly the 7th if they have any material left!)
While some cities may be banning teenagers from trick or treating, Halloween remains the favorite holiday of not just of Christine O’Donnell but for all torts professors and personal injury lawyers. Few people know it was invented by Slipitus Fallus, an ancient Roman personal injury lawyer. Common carrier hay rides, lighting vegetables on fire, handing out foodstuffs without a permit . . . It’s the most wonderful day of the year. So, with no further ado, here is this year’s annual Spooky Torts list of actual cases from Halloween (with our past winners).
Continue reading “The Annual Halloween Special of Spooky Torts and Crimes”
A consumer-conscious Uniontown, Pennsylvania man called local police to complain about the quality of the marijuana he just purchased. When police arrived, the 21-year-old complained that the pot was “nasty.” A field test by the officers revealed the stash was not marijuana at all, but our boy-genius is not off the hook. He could still be charged with possession of a counterfeit controlled substance. No word yet on whether the seller takes returns.
I’ve often wondered why possession of a “counterfeit” controlled substance is a crime at all. Certainly, attempting to sell or selling the counterfeit substance could be punished as criminal fraud, but what is the public policy reason to prevent possession of , say, oregano? Do we want really want to criminalize even more conduct as we fight the Drug War?
— Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Source: AP
New Albany (Ky) police officer Jack Messe has been given a rare suspension for comments made during roll call when he criticized the giving of civil rights to minorities. A board gave him a 40 day suspension.
Continue reading “Kentucky Police Officer Suspended For Racial Statement During Roll Call”
Mohamed Rafi, 35, may have set a record as a “mule” on an Air India flight. The Sri Lankan arrived in Chennai and was stopped by police who were tipped off that there would be a mule on the flight. They eventually found 2,060 diamonds in his stomach.
Continue reading “Diamond Mule: Sri Lankan Found With 2060 Diamonds in Stomach”
Prominent Twin Cities lawyer and former State Bar Treasurer Aaron Biber was sentenced this week to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage boy. The court reached the sentence by taking an upward departure to increase the jail time. Minnesota law required only 12 years.
Continue reading “Former Bar Treasurer and Prominent Lawyer Aaron Biber Sentenced to 18 Years For Sexual Assault of Teenage Boy”
The Baltimore City Health Department issued its first citation for a fat recidivist violator: The Healthy Choice. The ironically named business is in fact (according to officials) a shameless pusher of trans fat — found twice with “high trans fat level in their ingredients.” Conversely, the city appears undisturbed that if trans fats are outlawed, only outlaws will have trans fats.
Continue reading “Do The Lard, Pull Your Card: Baltimore Issues First Ticket Under Trans Fat Ban”
A Muslim family flying from Memphis to Toronto was thrown off a Comair flight because a flight attendant was concerned over safety. The family was dressed in traditional Muslim clothing.
Continue reading “Flying While Muslim: Comair Throws Muslim Family Off Flight As Possible Threat”
James “Jacob” Thompson, 22, was arrested in Texas on a bizarre mix of charges, including the allegation that he agreed to cut out a teenage girl’s birth control device in her arm before giving her a tattoo. What is amazing is that this may not be the worst tattooing crime recorded this week. Australia may have topped Texas this week in the most bizarre felonious tattoo.
Continue reading “Tattoo Artists Make News With Crimes on Two Continents”