In the latest taser outrage, Edward Casey, who left a courthouse briefly to retrieve money to pay a fine, was tackled and repeatedly tasered by police. What is truly amazing is that U.S. District Judge Robert E. Blackburn did not feel that this was a viable claim of police abuse. Fortunately, the Tenth Circuit did not agree. Continue reading “Man Repeatedly Tasered for Leaving Courthouse Briefly with Court File”
Category: Criminal law
In an extraordinary statement, an employee for the government contractor Jeppensen International Trip Planning ( a Boeing subsidiary) referred to flights taking individuals to other countries as part of the Bush Administration’s “extraordinary rendition” program as “torture flights.” The company director, Bob Overby, reportedly told an August 2006 breakfast of new employees, that these were torture flights but that the flights paid well. Continue reading “Witness: Government Contractor Called Rendition Transfers “Torture Flights””
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has issued a royal pardon for a rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes. This is progress for the kingdom but it is unlikely to reduce the utter shock of the world at the treatment of this woman. Continue reading “Rape Victim Receives Royal Saudi Pardon”
This week, it became public knowledge that Al Sharpton appears to be under federal investigation for criminal conduct associated with his presidential campaign and the handling of funds. The FBI raided his offices and called his staff to appear before a grand jury. Now, a tape has emerged from a secret taping of Sharpton by the FBI at a New York hotel suite in 2003 purportedly showing him bargaining for contributions in exchange for influence. Continue reading “Al Sharpton Caught on FBI Tape Allegedly Trading Influence for Campaign Contributions”
The House Intelligence Committee will continue to investigate that destruction of the CIA torture tapes despite the demand from the Justice Department to halt any independent inquiry. Continue reading “House Will Continue Its Investigation Despite Demand to Cease by Bush Administration”
The Bush Administration waited to late Friday night to tell a federal judge that it would not release information on its own possible obstruction of justice in his court. Continue reading “Bush Administration Refuses to Turn Over Information to Court on Tape Destruction; Judge Told Not to “Interfere””
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller has been the source of well-earned national contempt since she ordered the doors of the court clerk’s office to prevent a last-minute appeal in a death row row — an appeal that should have been granted but was denied and Michael Richard executed. Now, she admits to violating court procedures and has announced written rules to prevent other judges from doing the same thing. Presumably, the written rules will prevent others from abandoning fundamental standards of due process and decency, Continue reading “Judge Admits to Violating “Unwritten” Rules By Closing Clerk’s Office to Prevent Death Row Final Appeal; Complaints Filed Against Judge Sharon Keller in Texas”
A video out of South Korea show legislators fighting for control of the Speaker’s chair. It is an amazing sight. Continue reading “Video: Legislators Literally Fight Over Principle — In South Korea”
In what is billed as the Potty Mouth case, a judge has ruled that Dawn Herb won’t have to spend time in jail or pay a fine after she was overheard swearing over an overflowing toilet. Continue reading “Court Rules that Constitution Protects Swearing at One’s Toilet”
After Democrats rescued Mukasey from a showdown on torture and saved his confirmation, they are now reaping the harvest of their work: Mukasey has refused to share any information on the Administration’s investigation of itself. Thus, the man who stated under oath that he did not know what waterboarding was or whether it was torture will now investigate whether evidence of that crime was destroyed. Continue reading “Mukasey Refuses to Share Information with Congress on the Torture Tapes”
Wives have historically used a great assortment of methods to kill their husbands from poison to guns to knives to cars. However, Raynella Dossett-Leath is under suspicion of murdering Knoxville District Attorney Ed Dossett by first drugging him and then trampling him to death with his own cattle. The allegations have come to light after prosecutors sought to exhume the body — and Dossett-Leath awaits trial for the murder of her second husband. Continue reading “Was the Knoxville District Attorney Intentionally Trampled to Death?”
The House of Representatives has passed an intelligence bill that would prohibit the use of cruel techniques of interrogations, including waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods. It is a welcomed move by many, but the concern is that is suggests that waterboarding was not unlawful before its passage. In the meantime, there is little real effort in Congress to deal with the President’s ordering of the crime of torture — and the obvious implications of such impeachable crimes. Continue reading “House Passes Bill Prohibiting Cruel Interrogation Practices, Including Waterboarding”
The Bush Administration lost a major terrorism case in Florida in the alleged al-Qaida plot to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. The case follows a familiar pattern with the Bush Justice Department: a huge press conference on a major bust only to have the real evidence undermine its claims. Continue reading “Jury Acquits One and Hangs on the Other Six in Sears Bombing Case”
The Republicans were successful in filibustering the energy bill (including needed increases in fuel efficiency standards for cars) over their opposition to increased taxes for oil companies. Continue reading “GOP Filibusters Energy Bill Over Increased Taxes for Oil Companies — Why Can’t Democrats Be More Like Republicans?”
President Bush may prove to be to the law of contempt what President Johnson proved to be to the law of interstate commerce: he could create lasting precedent for the holding of officials in criminal contempt. With calls for contempt and prosecution swirling over the torture of suspects and destruction of CIA tapes, Bush officials have now been formally charged with contempt by Senate and House Judiciary Committees. Continue reading “Senate Judiciary Holds Rove, Bolton in Contempt While House Judiciary Does the Same for Bolton and Miers”