Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has been convicted of a single count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary. It was one of the original 12 counts of corruption in an indictment (later reduced at trial, including four counts of perjury, two counts of misconduct, three counts of theft and three counts of fraudulent misappropriations. The allegations stemmed from the use of gift cards from two real estate developers — who gave the cards to help needy families and instead discovered that they were being used allegedly by Dixon to buy things like a PlayStation2, CDs and DVDs.
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Category: Criminal law
Officer Adam Stoddard of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has added contempt of court to his prior violation of attorney-client confidentiality. At the urging of his boss, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Stoddard has refused to apologize to defense attorney Joanne Cuccia after he swiped handwritten notes from her papers — caught in the videotape above. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ordered Stoddard to either apologize or report to jail — a remarkably light sentence. However, Arpaio encouraged his officer to go to jail — just the latest outrageous act by Arpaio who has been widely accused of acting more like a petty dictator than a police officer in Arizona.
Continue reading “Court Orders Arizona Deputy to Jail After He Refuses to Apologize for Swiping Attorney’s Notes in Court”
The moment has come. For the last twelve months, we have basked in the glory as the Top Law Professor and Legal Theory Blog. Now, the ABA has started the Third Annual Competition. The good news is that we once again made the top 100 blogs. However, the ABA has mixed things up a bit with new categories. We have been moved to the Opinion category (IMHO- in my humble opinion slot). The ABA editors, however, have put us up against one of the oldest and most popular legal sites, Althouse. To vote, click here.
Continue reading “TURLEY BLOG MAKES TOP 100 — RACE BEGINS FOR TOP SPOT IN IMHO (OPINION) CATEGORY”
Maryland Trooper Sgt. John Maiello may wish that coverage was not as good on the Eastern Shore. He is accused of unwittingly leaving a message with a racial slur on the cell phone answering system of Teleta DaShiell. The officer on the call clearly believes that the phone call has ended and is heard using the slurs in reference to DaShiell.
Continue reading “Can You Hear Me Now? Police Officer Recorded Using Racial Slur on Cell”
Tareq and Michaele Salahi are likely to discover the meaning of the common criminal law adage “one day on the cover of Time, next day doing time.” The Secret Service is likely to push for the criminal investigation of the White House crashers this week. The question is what such charges might look like.
Continue reading “Can The White House Crashers Be Criminally Charged?”
After various prior scandals involving botched executions (and a recently cancelled execution), Ohio has introduced a new execution protocol and drug — abandoning the traditional three-drug cocktail for a single dose execution.
Continue reading “Ohio Unveils New Single Drug Execution Protocol”
With karate chopping whales and conspiratorial cats, this should not surprise us. In Stockholm, Swedish police have released a husband suspected in the death of his wife after determining that . . . the Moose did it.
Continue reading “Stockholm Syndrome : Husband Released After Police Determine The Moose Did It”
Thanksgiving holidays are notorious for bringing out family stress and divisions. However, for those who had fights with siblings and parents this holiday, you can take a degree of solace in comparing your day to that of the Smith family of Hudson, Florida who ended up having Thanksgiving in jail over a disagreement involving the proper way to stuff a Turkey.
Last week saw the sentencing of one of society’s most despised characters, Alan Ralsky, 64, the self-proclaimed “Godfather of Spam.” Ralsky was sentenced to 51 months in jail and five years probation as well as a $250,000 property seizure.
Continue reading “Spam in a Can: “Godfather of Spam” Sent to Jail for 51 Months”
We have yet another “honor killing.” Ahmad-Sobair O, an Afghan-German citizen, stabbed his 16-year-old sister, Morsel, 23 times for wearing Western clothes and make-up.
Michael H. Williams, 43, is accused of a bizarre plan to get a loan from the PNC Bank in Mechanicsville, Maryland. When his wife refused to co-sign the loan, Williams allegedly went out and kidnapped another woman to pretend that she was his wife and to sign the papers. It is not clear what he thought the woman would do after the transaction, but the effort was halted by the bank which could not help but notice that his wife had changed in a matter of hours. Even in a state with no-fault divorce, that is a bit of a fast turnaround.
Continue reading “Take My Wife, Please: Man Allegedly Tries Wife Swap to Secure Bank Loan”
Rappers have long used their song to glorify their past crimes and criminal credentials. However, in England, the rap song itself was the crime for Ishmael McLean, 22, from Greenford, and Rowan Simon, 18. They are accused of using an Internet song to intimidate witnesses to the murder of Jason Johnson, 24.
Continue reading “Beating the Rap: English Convict Two Men on Use of Rap Song to Intimidate Witnesses”
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo is moving against United Homeless Organization, which raises money around New York for the homeless. Coumo alleges that it is a scam organization that does not support a single shelter or soup kitchen. Cuomo says that the money goes to the workers themselves and the rest goes to the group’s founder and president, Stephen Riley, and its director, Myra Walker.
And now for our selection for best Thanksgiving crimes. The top choice this year is found in Jackson, Michigan where police are looking for a 6-foot, 300-pound bald man who broke into a home and ran directly to the kitchen and stole the Thanksgiving turkey in front of the family.
Continue reading “Fowl Play: Our Top Thanksgiving Crimes for 2009”
Former Asheville firefighter Charles Alexander Diez was irate over the fact that cyclist Alan Simons was bicycling on a busy road with his 3-year-old son in a child seat. His solution was to pull over, confront Simons and then shoot him in the head. The bullet went through Simons’ helmet and just missed his head. However, Superior Court Judge James Downs found that Diez was having a bad day and his military record had to be considered. He, therefore, gave Diez an astonishing 15-27 months and then suspended all but four months. Four months for coming less than an inch from killing a man in front of his son.