
Retired State Supreme Court Justice Ronald H. Tills, 74, has been sentenced today to 18 months in prison for transporting prostitutes across state lines. Tills reportedly was arrested as part of a probe into the weekends jaunts of the Royal Order of Jesters. Other “jesters” sentenced with Tills were John Trowbridge, 62, a former Lockport Police captain, and Michael Stebick, 61, Tills’ former law clerk.
Category: Criminal law
This may be a first. George Vera, 25, found one advantage in being an “oversized” male. Vera was charged with possessing or selling unlabeled recordings. However, at 500 pounds, he successfully hid a 9mm handgun between the folds of his skin despite multiple searches. He was then charged with possession of a firearm in a correctional facility.
Continue reading “Texas Inmate Succeeds in Hiding Gun in His Own Fat Folds”
<img src="http://jonathanturley.wordpress.com/files/2009/08/180px-herbal.jpg?w=150" alt="180px-Herbal” title=”180px-Herbal” width=”150″ height=”130″ class=”alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-13524″ />A study of pipe stems and bowls from the homes of William Shakespeare by the South African Police Services Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria has made an interesting discovery: traces of cannabis and possibly cocaine. The report by the South African Journal of Science suggest that Shakespeare might have tripped the light fantastic like a seventeenth century Hunter S. Thompson.
Continue reading “The Bawdy Bard and “The Noted Weed”: Researchers Find Traces of Cannabis and Cocaine in Pipes at Shakespeare’s Homes”
Former Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Milstein, 41, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to community service for his harassment of a neighbor. He resigned the day before his sentencing.
Continue reading “Washington State Assistant Attorney General Pleads Guilty to Telephone Harassment of Neighbor”
The government of Tulare California narrowly averted a health emergency this week when it finally tracked down and shutdown Daniela Earnest, aka “the lemonade girl.” Earnest, 8, was running an illegal lemonade stand to raise money “for Disneyland” (probably street slang for heroin).
The Washington Post weighed in on the expanding controversy over the alleged misconduct of the Office of D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles and his staff in the litigation over the mass arrests during the World Bank/IMF protests of 2002. The Post is calling for the Court, rather than the City Council, to investigate the case.
Continue reading “Washington Post Raises Need for Judicial Investigation into Destruction of Evidence and Misconduct by District’s Office of the Attorney General”
Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted Wednesday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him in Alexandria federal court. The conviction follows years of litigation and controversy – including an unconstitutional raid on a congressional office by the Bush Administration.
Continue reading “Former Rep. William Jefferson Convicted on 11 out of 16 Counts”
We have another taser incident at a sporting event. It is unclear why the man was approached. Some reports suggest that he was in the wrong seat and was not obeying the commands of the officers.
Continue reading “Shock Video: Man Tasered at Baseball Game in Oakland”
Broward Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Bleiweiss, 29, has been arrested on charges of using his position to coerce sex from illegal immigrants in Florida. The arrest has shocked the gay community, which saw Bleiweiss as a pioneer as one of the first openly gay officers on the force.
Continue reading “Florida Police Officer Arrested for Coercing Sex From Illegal Aliens”

Prince William County police are accused of abuse in the tasering of a grandfather and a mother at a baptismal party in Manassas. The party was being held at the home of Edgar A. Rodriguez, 55, when police responded to a call about loud music. The police say that Rodriguez was drunk and failed to turn down the music after repeated demands by the police. The police ended up tasering Rodriguez and then, when his daughter Leticia Elias, 25, ran to him, police tasered her as well. She is the pregnant mother of the baptized baby.
Continue reading “Baptism Under Fire: Virginia Police Taser Grandfather and Mother At Baptism Party”
Sudanese police beat women protesting outside a Sudanese court Tuesday during the trial of Lubna Hussein, a former U.N. worker and journalist, who is facing flogging for wearing pants in violation of Islamic laws. We previously discussed the story, here. The police fired tear gas into a group of 50 or so women and beat them with batons for protesting against the Sharia court proceeding. Hussein’s lawyer was also beaten.
Continue reading “Sudanese Police Beat Women Protesting Pants Ban”
The D.C. Council members have called for an investigation into the allegations of discovery destruction in the World Bank/IMF case. Given the inquiries into the case, I am posting the recent sanctions material to cut down on calls to my office. I am also posting the transcript from the last hearing. Given my role in the case, I am limited in what I can say about the case.
Continue reading “D.C. Council Members Call for Investigation of Protest Case and Resignation of Attorney General Peter Nickles”

Moorestown Patrolman Robert Melia, 38, is every criminal defense attorney’s nightmare. First, Melia was charged with aggravated sexual assault on three underaged girls. Now, he has been arrested for sex with cows.
Continue reading “Following the Herd: Police Officer Charged With Sex With Cows”
Shock jock Kyle Sandilands is under attack in a shocking incident in Australia. His show is under investigation after Sandilands did an on-air probe of a 14-year-old’s sexual history while she was hooked up to a lie detector. During the questioning by her mother and Sandilands, the girl said that she was raped at 12. Sandilands responded by asking: “Is that the only experience you’ve had?”
Continue reading “Shock Jock Exposes Rape on Air — And His Own Apparent Indifference”
