Category: Criminal law

Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Society

Death Panel: Obama Delegates Hit List To Panel of Unnamed Officials

I recently ran a couple of columns (here and here) and postings criticizing President Obama’s assertion of the right to kill citizens as a presidential prerogative. It now appears that he has delegated the selection of targets for killings to a panel of unnamed officials who determine which people should be killed without a trial or even a charge. When it comes to citizens like Anwar al-Awlaki, the killings raise serious constitutional problems that are being kept from the courts by the Administration.

Continue reading “Death Panel: Obama Delegates Hit List To Panel of Unnamed Officials” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law

Justice Department Appeals Alabama Immigration Ruling

The Obama Administration is moving against the new Alabama law on illegal immigration — as it has the Arizona law. I have discussed the novelty of such challenges, which may soon include other states. I will be discussing the Alabama law on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show on Wednesday, October 5th.
Continue reading “Justice Department Appeals Alabama Immigration Ruling” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Topeka District Attorney Refuses to Prosecute Domestic Abuse Cases After His Budget is Cut

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor has created a firestorm of controversy in Topeka, Kansas by announcing that his office will no longer prosecute domestic abuse cases and other misdemeanors due to a lack of funds. Notably, Taylor was faced with a 10 percent budget cut, but elected to simply bar prosecution of crimes like domestic abuse.
Continue reading “Topeka District Attorney Refuses to Prosecute Domestic Abuse Cases After His Budget is Cut” →

Criminal law, Politics, Society

Federal Judge Criticizes Lack of Response of California Police Department To Allegations of Sexual Abuse By Officer

U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford verbally lashed the Fullerton Police Department in its handing of allegation by sexual misconduct of an officer, calling the police department actions as “shocking” in its failure to take serious steps to preserve and act on evidence.
Continue reading “Federal Judge Criticizes Lack of Response of California Police Department To Allegations of Sexual Abuse By Officer” →

Bizarre, Courts, Criminal law

Call of Crazy: Gamer Attackes Teen Who Killed His Character

Submited by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

We’ve known for years that exposure to violence makes humans more likely to commit violence themselves. TV violence is especially pernicious and can have effects lasting decades. Now that applies to participatory virtual violence as well.

Mark Bradford, a 46-year-old resident of Plymouth, England attacked a 13-year-old boy who had just “killed” his virtual fighter in the wildly successful computer game, Call of Duty:Black Ops. The two were playing the game over the Internet when Bradford’s character was shot during a battle scene.  The enraged father of two promptly raced over to the boy’s nearby home and grabbed the young man by the throat using both hands. The child’s mother fought him off and called police.

Continue reading “Call of Crazy: Gamer Attackes Teen Who Killed His Character” →

Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law

The Bear Necessities of Murder: New York Man Planned Murder of Ex-Girlfriend While Wearing Bear Pelt

In New York, Clyde Gardner, 57, hatched a unique plan to kill his ex-girlfriend that involved skinning a bear, hiding among garbage cans, and walking on all fours. After the plan proved a bit too complex, he returned to that old favorite: the car crash. It all ended without an injury when Gardner was accused by the would-be hit man. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced this week.

Continue reading “The Bear Necessities of Murder: New York Man Planned Murder of Ex-Girlfriend While Wearing Bear Pelt” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

Georgia Woman Reportedly Detained For Taking Photo Of Ground Zero

Earlier today, I posted another case out of Illinois where an officer arrested a citizen for recording him in public — only to have the charges later dropped without any disciplining of the officer. Now in New York city we have another alleged case where an officer detains a citizen over public videotaping — not of him, mind you, but of ground zero. Meredith Dodson of Georgia says that Officer Mark DeSimone not only detained her but became threatening with her and other citizens who objected to his arbitrary action over her taking a photo of the famous site.
Continue reading “Georgia Woman Reportedly Detained For Taking Photo Of Ground Zero” →

Criminal law, Politics, Religion

Pakistani Religious Elders Order The Killing of Teenage Rape Victim For Losing Her Virginity Before Marriage

A family in Pakistan is living in poverty and avoiding neighbors calling for their deaths. Their offense? The oldest daughter was raped and the family did not kill her as demanded as a matter of honor. Unlike hundreds of such girls killed in honor killings each year, Kainat Soomro, 17, is being supported by her family and refuses to back down in demanding justice for her kidnapping and gang rape.
Continue reading “Pakistani Religious Elders Order The Killing of Teenage Rape Victim For Losing Her Virginity Before Marriage” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, Media, Politics

Police Arrest Illinois Man For Videotaping Traffic Stop

We have yet another person arrested for recording a police officer in public. Louis Frobe felt he was wrongly stopped for speeding and decided to use his phone to videotape and record the stop and its surroundings. When he held the phone outside of the window to videotape the surrounding area, the officer proceeded to arrest him and charge him with a felony in Illinois. The arresting officer is identified in a lawsuit as Ralph H. Goar of the Village of Lindenhurst.
Continue reading “Police Arrest Illinois Man For Videotaping Traffic Stop” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law

New York Police Arrest Seven In Alleged SAT Cheating Ring

In the high-pressure competition to ranking colleges, Sam Eshaghoff, 19, was a solution for those who long for high scores but lack of the ability or time to secure them. Eshaghoff and six students were arrested on criminal charges for a scheme in which Eshaghoff pretended to be other people to take the SAT exam for them — at the cost of $1,500 to $2,500.
Continue reading “New York Police Arrest Seven In Alleged SAT Cheating Ring” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International

De Jesus Loves You: Hit Man Stages Killing After Falling In Love With Target

Let no one say that criminal lawyers and their clients are not romantic. This picture is a staged death scene by a hired killer, Carlos Roberto de Jesus, who fell in love with his target in Brazil. Presumably, Sylvester Stallone is taking Spanish in preparation for the film.
Continue reading “De Jesus Loves You: Hit Man Stages Killing After Falling In Love With Target” →