Category: Criminal law

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Civil and Criminal Charges Brought in Teamster Summer Camp Controversy

In the aftermath of the e-coli outbreak at the Boy Scout Reservation at Goshen, Virginia, here, another summer camp is the subject of a court filing by families. Families of more than 100 children have joined a class-action lawsuit involving the Teamsters Union. Cameras were planted at the camp run by the Fraternal Order of Police in what police believe was part of a fight over who would represent the police officers: the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) or the teamsters. [Disclosure: I have previously represented officers and members of the FOP]. Prosecutors have charged former Metro police lieutenant Calvin Hullett and teamster representative with federal charges of conspiracy, embezzlement and unlawful interstate commerce after accusations of bribery and misusing money.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Ohio Police Arrest Man Claiming to be an “Underwear Measurer” for Sexual Assault of Children

A case out of Cincinnati, Ohio has many of us scratching our heads at the judgment of some parents. Ben Hawkins scammed parents into believing that he was a researcher who needed to measure the underwear of their children — alone. He was just arrested for sexual assault of the children.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Politics, Religion, Society

Microscopic People: Colorado Amendment Would Declare Fertilized Eggs To Be Persons

A proposed Colorado constitutional amendment would define a fertilized human egg as a person. The Egg-As-Person amendment is set for a vote for November — a ballot initiative that could drive religious voters to the polls to the advantage of John McCain.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Saudi Religious Police Official Arrested for Excess of Wives

A 56-year-old official in the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice had been arrested for exceeding the wife limit in the Jazan province of Saudi Arabia. Under Sharia law, a man can have as many as four wives but the official had accumulated six wives. It appears that the official has two wives too many.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Pay As You Go: Leaky Toilet in China Reveals Millions in Soggy Bribes

Chinese authorities have shown the importance of maintaining properly running toilets — your life could depend on it. Yan Dabin was the former director of transportation for Wushan County in southwest China. He was arrested after a resident in his apartment building called police about water leaking through his ceiling. When the police arranged for the apartment to be opened with a maintenance worker, they discovered the problem: eight soaked cardboard boxes containing 9.39 million yuan ($1.3 million) from bribes.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

In Mistaken Pot Raid, SWAT Team Members Shoot Mayor’s Two Dogs, Bust Into Home, and Handcuff Mayor and his Mother-in-Law

The Prince George’s Sheriff was investigating the delivery of marijuana on July 31, 2008. A pot package would normally not be viewed as the equivalent to the Lindburgh kidnapping, but you would not know it from the reaction of the Prince George’s sheriff’s office. They sent in a SWAT team to the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo. The team proceeded to shoot the two black labradors at the home, bust through the door, and handcuff the the mayor (who was in his underwear) and his mother-in-law. They were questioned for hours while their dogs laid nearby in pools of blood. It turned out to be a mistake — the smugglers were probably just using their address to pick up the package off the porch — a common practice.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Latest Tampering Fatality: Dead on Skunk Hollow Road

In Onway, Arkansas, Lonnie Montgomery created a tragic example of assumption of the risk in tort. Montgomery was found dead on Skunk Hollow Road after he tried to re-establish electrical service with a pair of jumper cables. It appears to be an urban legend gone bad that all you need is a pair of jumper cables and a meter box. Sheriff’s Major Andy Shock (I kid you not) says Montgomery was attempting to adjust or remove when he was shocked to death.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Anthrax Suspect Commits Suicide as FBI Closes In

Only recently, the FBI and Justice Department agreed to a huge settlement with Steven Hatfill for $5.82 million after ruining his life and his career through harassment and baseless charges as the suspect in the 2001 anthrax mailings. At the time, many of us stated that such a settlement was likely an indicator that they were about to make an arrest. It appears that they were. Scientist, Bruce E. Ivins, 62, was about to be indicted for the attacks when he committed suicide.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

The Wicker Murder: Execution Interrupted by a Prisoner’s Last Minute Confession

With only a couple days to execution, Thomas Arthur, 66, was given a postponement by the Alabama Supreme Court after another prisoner signed a sworn statement that he committed the murder. Bobby Ray Gilbert now claims that he killed Troy Wicker Jr. of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. What is astonishing is that, even with a confession from another man, the vote was still 5-4 on the Alabama Supreme Court to simply postpone the execution to investigated. Four state justices still wanted him to be killed without further questions asked — a position vigorously urged by the prosecutors.
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Justice, Politics, Society

Federal Court Rules Against Bush Administration on Subpoenas

For months, many experts (including myself) have been arguing that the Bush Administration’s claim of privilege in the congressional investigations (and the refusal to comply with subpoenas) is untenable, if not laughable. Nevertheless, Attorney General Mukasey has refused to allow a grand jury to see the evidence of the criminal contempt by Bush Administration officials. Now, a federal judge has ruled against the Administration. Judge John Bates has found that the Administration must comply with the subpoenas in the cases of he president’s chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers on the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys. The decision not only puts pressure on Mukasey to stop his obstruction of the process, but it clearly reaffirms the view of many that Karl Rove is also in flagrant contempt.

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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Justice, Media, Politics, Society

Speaker Pelosi Declares That There is No Evidence of Any Crime by President Bush

After blocking any serious investigation or impeachment hearings on crimes committed by President Bush, Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally addressed the allegations of presidential crimes on that forum of deep intellectual and legal thought: the television show The View. She agreed to answer a question from Joy Behar, who will have to suffice as a substitute for Peter Rodino. In a perfectly bizarre moment, Pelosi stated that there is simply no evidence of any crime committed by the President despite the findings of the International Red Cross, various international groups, and a legion of constitutional experts. It seems that America has now had its impeachment hearing before the august body of Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Joy Bahar, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. If you feared that our democracy is de-evolving into a caricature of itself, just watch this video.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Evangelical Preacher Arrested for Murder of Wife Found in Freezer

In a scene reminiscent of Robert Duvall’s character in The Apostle, Evangelist Anthony Hopkins, 37, was preaching on forgiveness when the police arrived to arrest him for the murder of his wife. The arrest in Mobile, Alabama, came after a relative alerted police to a body in a freezer in his home with eight children. His wife 36-year-old Arletha Hopkins hasn’t been seen for three years.
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