I have often written about judges who seem to relish the imposition of “creative sentences” that often involve shaming or degrading acts to be perform by defendants. Scott County Associate Judge Christine Dalton in Davenport came now be added to this ignoble list. ith a lengthy and violent criminal record to his name, Pachino Hill is going to church. Dalton has ordered a criminal defendant Pachino Hill to attend church in a wildly inappropriate sentence. Continue reading “Iowa Judge Orders Criminal to Church in Another Abuse of “Creative Sentencing””
Category: Criminal law
A case out of New York has shown how immigration officials can prey upon immigrants for green cards and administrative measures. The arrest of Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was particularly enlightening due to a recording made of his threats against a married Colombian woman that if she did not give him sexual favors, he would cause trouble for her and her family. Continue reading “Immigration Official Arrested After Allegedly Trading Sex for Green Cards”
The State Department has fired two contract the passport file of Barack Obama’s passport file. The Department insists that it was a case of “imprudent curiosity,” but an investigation is planned by the inspector general. Continue reading “Administration Cites “Imprudent Curiosity” and Fires Two Employees in Obama Passport Controversy”
According to prosecutors, 91-year-old Ralph Ridenour was fully competent to stand trial in Colorado. The only problem was that he was dead at the time.
Continue reading “Fit But Dead: Prosecutors Argue in Court that Defendant is Fit for Trial a Month After He Dies”
Washington, D.C. Judge John Bayly Jr. had accepted a reprimand and apologized for detaining a public defender, Liyah Brown, after she refused to stop talking in his court. Continue reading “D.C. Judge Sanctioned Over Jailing Talkative Public Defender”
In yet another police abuse story, two California Highway Patrol officers were found guilty of using excessive force and violating the constitutional rights of 72-year-old Jack Nolan in 2006. What is remarkable is that after a jury found in his favor and issued a very reasonable $75,000 award, the judge reduced its to medical bills alone. Such judicial intervention is precisely why we lack of deterrent for certain forms of government abuses. Continue reading “California Highway Patrol Officers Found Guilty of Abusing 72-Year-Old But Judge Rescinds Most Damages”
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office is under scrutiny after colleagues of Deputy James Council led him from a possible crime scene without drug or alcohol testing after he killed two bicyclists and almost killed a third. He was seen by witnesses driving erratically before plowing into the Third Pillar Racing Team. Some reported that he seemed in a daze by witnesses. Yet, he was treated in a starkly different fashion for most such potential defendants. Continue reading “Police Officer is Led From Scene by Colleagues after Hitting Line of Bicyclists Without Drug or Alcohol Testing”
An interesting police abuse case has been filed in Nevada. Federal agent Brad Hare is suing the Henderson police department over a beating he allegedly received when officers were called by a disgruntled pool opponent. Continue reading “Law Enforcement Officer Sued City Over Police Abuse”
As the country still debates the unhinged ravings of Barack Obama’s Minister Jeremiah Wright, as discussed shown here, another minister has used his pulpit to attack Obama as a “freak,” “trash,” and “emissary of the devil.” Rev. James David Manning runs a church in Harlem and appears to specialize in showing how racism is a redeeming part of faith, repeatedly criticizing Obama’s connections to white women. The video below raises serious question over the tax exempt status of this church — as well as the sanity of this hate-filled and overtly racist black minister. Continue reading “Video: Another Minister Enters Presidential Debate — Trashing Obama and Begging for an IRS Investigation”
Fouad Mourtada has been pardoned by the King of Morocco after being given an absurd three year sentence for creating a false facebook page making fun of the brother of King Mohammed VI. Continue reading “King of Morocco Pardons Man Sentenced to Three Years for Fake Facebook Page”
The Supreme Court overwhelmingly threw out the murder conviction of Allen Synder due to race-based challenges in a case marred by prosecutorial abuse by Jim Williams and the failure of Judge Kernan “Skip” Hand to maintain a fair trial. Continue reading “Supreme Court Tosses Out Louisiana Murder Conviction Due to Racial Bias in Jury Selection”
The Bureau of Prisons has long been accused of bureaucratic blindness and thoughtless rigidity. Now, people are aghast at the federal prison officials are refusing a dying 10-year-old girl, Jayci Yaeger, her last wish: to spend time with her dad who is serving time for a drug offense. Continue reading “Federal Prison Officials Deny Dying Girl’s Last Request”
With his latest tape, Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has now taken his terrorist organization into a whole new area: cartoon-inspired jihad. According to Bin Laden, the publication of cartoons mocking Islam’s Prophet Mohammad are worst than bombing children and will justify a new round of attacks against Europe. Continue reading “Bin Laden Tape Threatens Europe Over Cartoons”
It appears from the photo below that President Bush’s support for a Flag Amendment to criminalize the desecration of the flag could be a cry for help. In this photo, Bush is seen clearly writing on a small American flag. Continue reading “Stars, Stripes, and Signatures: Bush Desecrates the American Flag”
Kate and Gerry McCann, parents of missing Madeleine McCann, have accepted £550,000 ($1.1 million) in damages for libel and front page apologies from the Daily Express and the Daily Star newspapers for their coverage suggesting that they killed Madeleine. Continue reading “McCanns Win Over $1 Million in Libel Case Against British Newspapers”