Despite earlier indications that there would be a release of detainee photos, President Obama has ordered that the photos been withheld in defiance of a judicial ruling. I discussed the development on this segment of the Rachel Maddow Show.
Continue reading “Obama Reverses Decision and Refuses to Release Abuse Photos”
Category: Criminal law
Most criminals run to the actual border, but Jermaine Askia Cooper, 36, told police that he took them on a 90-mph chase in Indiana because he knew he was going away for a long time and wanted one last burrito. If Taco Bell does not make this a commercial, their marketing people are senseless.
Ok, he was not actually there, but Fox News may report this differently. President Barack Obama is so popular that people are now breaking into homes to steal his picture. Marla Anderson, 24, was arrested for breaking into an Ohio home and wrestling with its owner to steal the picture as her alleged getaway driver, Tamika Cornwell, was waiting outside.
Continue reading “Obama Spotted in Ohio Home Invasion: Two Women Arrested for Allegedly Breaking Into Home to Steal Picture of President Obama”
The Justice Department finally succeeded in securing convictions against Miami men accused of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. Five defendants were convicted and one was acquitted. The prior two trials ended in hung juries and this trial was a close call with the replacement of a clearly pro-defense juror in the middle of deliberations. The case was always long on rhetoric and short on evidence — resulting in the expenditure of between $5 to $10 million to convict the group in a highly controversial prosecution.
After 22 years on death row, Paul House has now been cleared of murder charges with Tennessee state prosecutors asking for all charges to be dropped against him. He had been sentenced to die in 1986 and his case is already being used by opponents of the death penalty as an example why states should move to life without parole as the ultimate punishment in this country.
Continue reading “Inmate Paul House Cleared of Murder After 22 Years on Death Row”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been struggling to explain contradictions between her public statements and the release of documents showing that, despite her earlier denials, she was told about the torture of subjects. She recently (and implausibly) insisted that, while she was told of the torture, she was not told that it was actually being used. Now, one of her own aides, Michael Sheehy, has directly contradicted her and said that she was directly told and had no objections to the torture of Abu Zubaydah.
Continue reading “Pelosi Aide: Speaker Was Told About Torture Being Used on Subjects”
Austin has joined various cities in installing cameras to catch speeders. They nailed 36 violators who just happen to be police officers running lights. The officers were not responding to a call. None of them were ticketed.
Continue reading “Austin Traffic Cameras Catch Dozens of Police Officers Running Red Lights”
Federal judge Samuel Kent has been sentenced to 33 months for obstruction of justice for lying to a judicial committee investigating allegations that he sexually harassed an employee. Kent, who was viewed as a harsh sentencer for criminal defendants, avoided a maximum sentence of 20 years. One of the alleged victims referred to him as a “drunken giant.”
Continue reading “Judge Samuel Kent Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison”
Texas is proud of its laws allowing citizens to shoot and kill intruders into their homes under so-called Castle Doctrine or “Make My Day” laws. However, critics have charged that these laws have encouraged homeowners who are predisposed to use violence as the first response to intrusions as in the recent cases of Joe Horn and other homeowners. Those critics may have another case in Sheila Muhs, 45, and her husband, Gayle Muhs, 45. The couple did not wait for a home intrusion before allegedly killing seven-year-old Donald Coffey Jr. and seriously wounding Patrick Cammack, 30. Five-year-old Destiny Coffey and her father and Donald Coffey Sr. were also wounded. The family (including a 5-year-old sister) were off-roading when they stopped to allow the kids to go to the bathroom.
Continue reading “Texas Couple Kills Seven-Year-Old and Wounds Adult Who Trespassed on Property”
After a sham of a trial, Journalist Roxana Saberi has been released from an Iranian jail after an appeal. She had been convicted on charges of espionage.
Continue reading “Journalist Roxana Saberi Released From Jail in Iran”
Andrew Leonard, 33, is understandably ticked. Police in Baltimore conducted a mistaken “no knock” raid on the wrong house: busting through his front door, handcuffing him, and interrogating him and his wife about his relationship with a drug dealer who he has never met. They had the wrong address. Now, after refusing repeatedly demanded to pay for his front door, the city has ticketed him for leaving a door on his front lawn.
In sympathy with Majority Leader (and GW Grad) Harry Reid’s effort to deny that there is sufficient evidence to investigate torture, I give you this picture of a similar effort by a canine representative.
Douglas Maupin was held at the Collin County Detention Facility for 83 days for his failure to appear for jury duty. He was never allowed a lawyer during his confinement and refused information on what he was being held for. In the course of his confinement, he lost his rental home, his job and his dog Daisy.
Continue reading “Texas Man Held for 83 Days For Failure to Appear For Jury Duty”
Sheik Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the brother of the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, Prince Mohammed, has been detained on allegation of torture involving as many as 25 victims. While the government clearly knew of these crimes, the incriminating videos of the torture sessions were smuggled out of the country recently and caused an international outcry. This is why our own CIA destroyed the tapes of its own torture sessions. Amateur.
Christiane Brown has released an amazing audio interview with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid where he admits that waterboarding is torture and we did torture people. However, he suggests that it was “the right” thing to do and should not be punished. The audio tape is worth listening to. It is a brilliant interview by Brown.
Continue reading “Reid: Torture Might Have Been Illegal But Still “Right” Thing To Do”