Eric Falardeau, 29, seems to have found an advantage in being subintelligent. Falardeau is accused of beating to death William Beal of Salem, Massachusetts outside of a tavern. Now, Lawrence Superior Court Judge Howard Whitehead has ruled that he lacks the intelligence to stand trial for the 2000 murder and therefore will be released.
Continue reading “Dumb as a Stump or Clever as a Fox? Accused Murderer Released Due to Low IQ”
Now, this is an interesting trespass and disorderly conduct case out of Australia. The White Cockatoo resort has complained that a Brisbane man and his wife came to an “anything only” sex party but the man refused to take his clothes off.
Continue reading “Modest Trespass: Police Called to Swinger’s Club to Deal With Man Who Refused to Take Clothes Off”
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman in Chicago has held Police Superintendent Jody Weis in contempt for refusing to turn over lists of officers who have repeated complaints filed against them for abuse and violence. Weis insists that such a release of the list would diminish morale.
The constitutional fish tale from Clearwater, Florida is getting more difficult to believe with the appearance of city officials in court over their crackdown on the posting of the first amendment on the side of a fish and bait shop. As discussed earlier, Complete Angler and its owner Herb Quintero was first fined for simply painting a mural of fish on the side of the building. They were told that it constituted a “sign.” When he covered the mural with a copy of the first amendment, he was hit with another threatened fine. Now, the city has said that they would not fine him for handing the American flag but not the first amendment.
Lawyers and court staff are in shock in Stockton, California after Judge Cinda Fox of Stockton, California was stabbed by David Paradiso, 28. Paradiso was then shot to death.
Continue reading “California Judge Stabbed in Court by Murder Suspect”
Professor Paula Anderson has a curious approach to controversial topics. Some of us encourage students to taken controversial positions to generate passionate class debate. Professor Anderson, according to critics, calls the police. She is accused of calling police on her student John Wahlberg at the Central Connecticut States University after he and two fellow students argued in favor of allowing students and teachers to carry weapons on campus, citing the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Other faculty members have defended her and suggested that there is more to this story.
Continue reading “Professor Calls Police After Student Gives Presentation on Gun Rights”
There appears to be a crime wave sweeping the nation’s as people beat down mascot ranging from Chuck E. Cheese to Officer McGruff to Chick-fil-A. The attacks on the thin costumed line of Mascots in our society raises some serious concerns and may demand a new type undercover unit.
Continue reading “Mascot Abuse: Police Face an Outbreak of Assaults on Costumed Characters”
There is growing speculation that the Office of Professional Responsibility will recommend the disbarment of Professor John Yoo who currently teaches at Berkeley law school. The release of new memoranda from the Justice Department has increased calls for disciplinary action. The memoranda concludes that the President can (1) use military forces domestically to deal with any individuals President Bush considers a terrorist threat, (2) suspend free press and free speech rights, (3) arrest citizens without legal process or access to the courts, and (4) a variety of other tyrannical measures. I discussed the memoranda on this segment of Countdown.
Continue reading “Will Justice Seek John Yoo’s Disbarment?”
Here is today’s column from USA Today. Yesterday, the D.C. Vote bill was temporarily pulled from the floor due to the threat of an gun rights amendment. The NRA has threatened to “score” the vote — meaning that members who vote against it would be given a lower score in the annual rankings. This is only a temporary withdrawal as Democrats scramble to deal with the challenge. A similar amendment passed in the Senate after being introduced by Sen. John Ensign of Nevada by a comfortable margin.
Continue reading “D.C.’s Speed Bump: The Constitution”
A man is appealing a recent loss before the United States Court of Appeals in a very disturbing decision. In the video below, Deputy Jonathan Rackard of the Washington County Florida repeated uses of a taser on Jesse Buckley who is merely sitting and crying next to a road. The Eleventh Circuit voted 2-1 that the Eighth Amendment was not violated in the case, reversing a decision from the trial court.
Continue reading “Eleventh Circuit Rules that Video of Officer Repeatedly Tasering a Sobbing Man Sitting By the Road is Not a Constitutional Violation”
The Pew Center has released a shocking statistic: one in every 31 adults in the United States is now in the corrections system in jail, prison, probation and supervision. That is over double the rate of 1982 when one in 77 was in the system.
Continue reading “Locked Down Nation: One in Every 31 Adults Now in Corrections System”
The British medical journal has found that more than 100,000 young women were killed in fires in India in a single year — a rate three times men. Notably, the women fell within a 15-34-year age group, the very group often involved in marital disputes.
Continue reading “Study: Over 100,000 Women in India Killed in Fires in a Single Year”
The Bush Administration previously told a federal court that there were two tapes of interrogations destroyed showing waterboarding and other brutal treatment of detainees. It has now admitted that at least 92 tapes were destroyed in what appears a clear and knowing effort to destroy evidence.
Continue reading “CIA Admits to Destroying 92 (Rather Than 2) Tapes of Interrogations”
While it has become common for cities and counties to ban pit bulls, Oregon is considering a bill to ban the dogs from the entire state. Oregon may be the first state to declare owning pit bulls a crime, if the legislation passes.
Continue reading “Pit Bull Prohibition: Oregon Moves Toward Banning Pit Bulls”
Since we recently passed the 87th anniversary of passage of the Eighteenth Amendment and the start of the Prohibition period, I could not resist posting this picture that I spotted on the Internet. One wonders why the prohibition was not more successful.