Former Contra Costa County sex crimes prosecutor Michael Gressett has been accused of a sex crime in the raping of a colleague. The California lawyer is free on bail after being indicted on the charges, which he denies through counsel. While Deputy District Attorney, Gressett has run three times for district attorney.
Continue reading “California Sex Crimes Prosecutor Accused of Raping Another Prosecutor”
Category: Criminal law
The Norfolk Constabulary has a curious notion of discipline for its officers. Acting Specials Chief Inspector Dean Saxton, 30, is accused of first causing a ruckus in a bar (or “public house”) and then returning a few days later to destroy the evidence of the controversy. The punishment for using official authority to destroy evidence of misconduct? Five days suspension.
Prosecutors in Minneapolis have a fascinating case involving assisted suicide and free speech. Nurse William Melchert-Dinkel, 47, is accused of using Internet chat rooms to convince people to commit suicide, giving them step-by-step instructions on how to kill themselves — preferably so he could watch. At least two people are believed to have fed Melchert-Dinkel’s fetish with their deaths: Nadia Kajouji, 18, and Mark Drybrough, 32 (shown here).
Continue reading “Suicidal Speech: Minnesota Case Raises Difficult Questions Over Assisted Suicide and Free Speech”
US Airways is facing a major fine over a wide range of safety and maintenance violations on its airplanes. The one that caught my eye was a plane in December 2007 that returned to Denver with a low oil-pressure warning. Mechanics appear to have lost the caps for the oil sump so they just stuffed towels in the openings.
Continue reading “Throwing in the Towel: FAA Fines US Airways $5.4 Million for Such Violations As Using A Towel Instead of an Oil Cap in Engine”
Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County appears on the verge of charging Richard and Mayumi Heene with a criminal hoax after their six-year-old son Falcon made a revealing statement during an interview on CNN. In the meantime, Falcon is saying a bit too much in another forum: the video below where he raps about “killing the faggot.”
Continue reading “From the Mouths of Babes: Balloon Boy’s Statement May Lead to Charges For Parents”
We have yet another “honor killing” in the Middle East. An unnamed Jordanian man was charged on Sunday with murdering his 22-year-old daughter after finding out that she was pregnant. He killed her and her unborn child with a sword to preserve the honor of his family.
Continue reading “Father Kills 22-Year-Old Pregnant Daughter in Honor Killing”
Here is today’s column in USA Today on the Obama Administration’s decision to join the U.N. Human Rights Council and support Egypt in recognizing limits on free speech for those who insult or denigrate religion. While the exception was included in a resolution heralding free speech, it was viewed as a major victory for Muslim countries seeking to establish an international blasphemy law.
Continue reading “Just Say No To Blasphemy: U.S. Supports Egypt in Limiting Anti-Religious Speech”
Below is today’s brief column in the Los Angeles Times where I joined other writers on how each of us believes President Obama can earn the Nobel Prize, here. For civil libertarians, Obama’s selection is the ultimate triumph of hope over experience. My suggestion is probably predictable for people on this blog.
Muslim extremists in Somalia are taking to the streets to address the latest threat to Islam under Sharia law: bras. The men from Al Shabaab have been whipping women found to be wearing the “deceptive” garments.
Continue reading “Somalia Extremists Crackdown on “UnIslamic” Use of Bras”
The Halloween-related crime and tort stories have begun early this year. A 75-year-old man, Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed, was left decomposing on a balcony in Los Angeles for days because neighbors thought he was a Halloween display.
Continue reading “Dead Man Left for Days on Balcony After Neighbors Assumed Body Was Halloween Decoration”
Chef Mark DeCraepeo at Pizza Time in Boca Raton had been pushed just about as far as you can go as an Italian chef. One of his cousins working as a waitress at the restaurant hanged a ticket for another mozzarella caprese after he has already prepared the dish. DeCraepeo responded by pulling a gun and threatening to shoot her in the forehead if she hanged another order for mozzarella caprese.
Continue reading “Step Away From the Mozzarella Caprese: Florida Chef Arrested for Threatening to Shoot Server”
Linda Brown, 45, has been given a novel criminal charge. Brown entered a store and announced that she had won the lottery for $1.5 million and was going to pay for a shopping spree for everyone in the store. The result was pandemonium and a charge of aggravated menacing.
Continue reading “Ohio Woman Charged After Claiming to Win Lottery and Causing Panic by Offering to Pay for Shopping Spree By Customers”
In torts, we have been exploring the requirements of state dram shop law for bars, restaurants, and other businesses. This video would probably constitute one extreme on the scale from serving and “over-serving” in the industry.
Continue reading “Question of the Day: Can You Serve This Man Under Dram Shop Laws?”
The same day that a Wisconsin man was arrested after a bartender found child pornography on his cellphone (here), a Tennessee man and Pee-Wee football league coach, Raymond Travis, 51, was arrested after he handed over a cellphone to police containing bestiality pictures.
Continue reading “Pee-Wee Football Coach Reportedly Gave Police Officer Cellphone with Bestiality Image — Leading to Discovery of Hundreds of Child Porn Images”
We have recently seen police charge individuals for assault through flatulence (here). However, assault via a pillow is something new. Erik John Batty, 40, is facing the charge of battery when he threw a pillow at Officer Myles J. Lawler.
Continue reading “Batty and Booked: Man Arrested for Assault of Officer With Pillow”