We all wait in our careers for that Perry Mason moment that never comes in a trial . . . when someone stands up in the court and screams “Yes, I did it!” One lawyer in the trial of Earl Berry, 40, came close in a real plot twist. On the second day of the trial, a juror announced she had previously seen the defendant . . . dragging the victim across a bridge.
Category: Criminal law
Gas is always a concern at any cook-off with Bar-B-Que and beans but one Houston police officer is accused of supplying tear gas of his own. Mike Hamby, 51, has been suspended for allegedly tossing a tear gas canister into the booth of a competitor at the cook-off.
Continue reading “Gas Overwhelms Cook-Off: Texas Police Officer Suspended After Allegedly Throwing Tear Gas Canister Into Competitor’s Booth”
The Supreme Court has ruled that a mortally wounded man’s dying statement is “non-testimonial” and can be used to convict a man of murder. The ruling, written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor raised serious concerns under the confrontation clause of the Constitution. Notably, the strongest voice against the ruling came from Justice Antonin Scalia. Justice Kagan did not participate in the decision in Michigan v. Bryant.
Continue reading “Supreme Court Upholds Use of Dying Statements as “Non-Testimonial” Evidence”
The recent United Nation Security Council decision to freeze the assets of the Gaddafi family was heralded as a high-point of international cooperation to fight authoritarian abuse. What has gotten less press attention is the role of the United States in drafting the resolution. The Obama Administration insisted on adding a provision that barred the punishment of mercenaries for war crimes committed in the country — out of concern that the same principle could be used against U.S. contractors in places like Iraq.
Manitoba Justice Robert Dewar is under attack for his sentencing of Kenneth Rhodes, 40, for sexual assault. Dewar gave Rhodes just a two-year conditional sentence to be served at home for raping a 26-year-old woman. Dewar appeared to blame the victim in part for the attack.
Continue reading “Canadian Judge Under Fire For Light Rape Sentence and Comments on Victim”
I am always shocked by folks who fail for Nigerian Internet schemes or web cons. The saddest, however, are the ones (as we have seen) that prey upon people looking for companions. A 48-year-old Naperville man has added himself to that lonely hearts club after giving $200,000 to a fake “girlfriend” whom he only knew over the Internet.
Continue reading “Illinois Man Sends Over $200,000 To Fake Web “Girlfriend””
In one of the more awkward mug shots, Devra Oberlin, 48, has been arrested for DUI. Nothing strange there. Thousands are arrested under such charges every year. However, Oberlin is the former president of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Continue reading “Former MADD President in Florida Arrested for DUI”
Filings in Judith Regan’s pending lawsuit have revealed the identity of the person whom she says encouraged her to lie to federal investigators about her affair with former New York police commissioner, Homeland Security nominee and subsequent convicted felon Bernard Kerick. She previously described the person as a “senior fox executive” but papers revealed that she was referring to Roger Ailes, the chairman of Fox News.
Continue reading “Roger Ailes Accused of Encouraging Judith Regan To Lie To Federal Investigators”
As Jeff Foxworthy might say, you know you’re a Redneck if you actually write down “Redneck” on your booking form under religion. That stand-up (and line-up) line properly goes to Joshua Lee Joehlin, who has become the first religiously Redneck inmate in Florida.
Continue reading “Religiously Redneck: Florida Prisoners Lists Rednecks As His Religion on Booking Form”
Seventeen police officers and the owners of the Majestic Auto Repair Shop have been arrested in an extortion scheme involving thousands of dollars of kickbacks from towing cases.
Continue reading “Seventeen Police Officers Arrested in Kickback Scheme”
The hardline Islamic government in Gaza has implemented another edict under Sharia law. This time male hairdressers were told that they would be arrested if they continued to cut women’s hair.
Continue reading “The Sharia Shag Cut: Male Hairdressers Ordered To Stop Cutting Women’s Hair”
Dallas Police Sr. Cpl. Cat Lafitte has become the latest victim of the enticement of Facebook. Lafitte reportedly posted an assortment of shocking comments on her accounts, including bragging about cutting a hospital worker’s face when he tried to get her to stop screaming profanities into her cellphone.
Continue reading “Dallas Officer Suspended Over Facebook Postings”
Mike Appleton (guest blogger)
A Florida circuit judge has issued an administrative order virtually certain to result in a court battle pitting the right of free speech against the duty of courts to protect the integrity of jury deliberations. The order prohibits “the dissemination of all leaflets and other materials to summoned jurors, as well as approaching a summoned juror for the purpose of displaying a sign to, or engaging in oral protest, education or counseling with information tending to influence summoned jurors on any matter, question, cause, or proceeding which may be pending, or which may be brought, before him or her as such juror… .”
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Steve Martin’s character, Navin Johnson, has nothing on two West Virginia residents hell-bent to rescue a relative with car trouble. Hearing the plea for help, but without sufficient funds to finance the 34 mile trip from Somerset, PA to New Stanton, PA, cousins Michael Allen Graham, 37, and John Edward Barry, 35, got resourceful. Believing they could “live off the land,” so to speak, the Milton, WVa duo began an alleged shoplifting spree at gas stations and auto parts stores in the general direction of the disabled motorist.
Continue reading “Politics of Contraband: Jerks Smuggle Jerky to Finance 34 Mile Trip”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
On the National Level
In late January, I wrote a post titled Rape Redefined and Brought to You by the US House of Representatives in which I 
talked about members of Congress—mostly Republicans—who were attempting to “redefine” what the only REAL kind of rape is—that would be “forcible rape.” (I wasn’t aware there was any other kind of rape.) These Congressmen were proposing legislation that would no longer consider the following types of sexual assault as rape: The rapes of women with limited mental capacity and rapes in which women were drugged or given excessive amounts of alcohol.
Continue reading “The Right’s War on Women Continues…at the State Level”