Category: Criminal law

Academic Or Asset? Professor Emerges From Shadows Of The Russian Investigation

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Marymount University Student Who Worked With Depressed Teens Was Killed This Week By A Depressed Teen Who Jumped From Overpass

harrisThe death of Marisa Harris, 22, proved to be a terrible tragedy matched only by its sheer irony.  Harris was a Marymount University graduate student who committed her life to working with depressed teens. Her life was cut short when a depressed 12-year-old boy reportedly jumped from an interstate overpass and hit her car.

 

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Spooky Torts: The 2017 List Of Halloween Litigation Horrors

Here is our annual list of Halloween torts and crimes. Halloween of course remains a holiday seemingly designed for personal injury lawyers around the world and this year’s additions show why. Halloween has everything for a torts-filled holiday: battery, trespass, defamation, nuisance, product liability and more.

So, with no further ado, here is this year’s updated list of actual cases related to Halloween.

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Mueller’s Mountain Or Molehill? Prosecutors Mum on First Charges In Russian Investigation

Another_molehill (1)1600px-Aiguille_du_Dru_3-1Last night, the media was thrown into a frenzy with news that special counsel Robert Mueller has secured the first charges in his investigation into Russian election interference.  Despite the fact that the name or names of those indicted have not been released and the specific charges were not disclosed, the report was heralded as a breakthrough moment in the Russian investigation. CNN contributor David Gergen stated “Well, it certainly looks like the dam is starting to break now.”  It could be and then again it might not be.  Again, the breathless desire among some commentators is out-stripping the available information.  For months, many of us have been saying that it was extremely unlikely that Mueller would assemble this huge prosecutorial team and spend millions without charging someone on something.  The core question is whether he is going to move on the two primary allegations in the Russian investigation — collusion and obstruction — that might implicate Trump or his family.  In other words, we may have to wait for the arrest or surrender to know if Mueller has unveiled a mountain or a molehill.

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Clinton Campaign Lawyer Marc Elias Allegedly Sat Next To Podesta As He Denied Any Campaign Involvement in the Russian Dossier

download-1Yesterday, we discussed the potentially precarious ethical position of Hillary Clinton’s campaign lawyer Marc Elias, who allegedly denied media reports that the Clinton campaign had any connection to the controversial Russian Dossier.  After the Washington Post ran an extensive story on how the Clinton Campaign and Democratic National Committee hired controversial research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on Donald Trump in Russia in the “Russian Dossier” matter.  Reporters at the New York Times have accused Elias of lying in past categorical denials of any connection to Clinton or the DNC.  The reports indicate that not only did the Clinton team fund the opposition research but that Elias may have been the person handling much of the arrangements.  Now Elias’ position has worsened after a report out of Congress that he was present in an interview when campaign chairman John Podesta denied any campaign role in the funding or acquisition of the dossier.

 

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Clinton Lawyer Under Fire After Disclosure That The Clinton Campaign Paid For Russian Dossier On Trump

download-6Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias is under fire today after the Washington Post ran an extensive story on how the Clinton Campaign and Democratic National Committee hired controversial research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on Donald Trump in Russia in the “Russian Dossier” matter.  Reporters at the New York Times have accused Elias of lying in past categorical denials of any connection to Clinton or the DNC.  The reports indicate that not only did the Clinton team fund the opposition research but that Elias may have been the person handling much of the arrangements. Update: Brian Fallon, former spokesperson for the Clinton campaign, has said that this was “money well spent.” On CNN, Fallon said that the “sensitive nature” of the project meant that it was kept to a small number of people that did not include him. Fallon’s expression of satisfaction with the work however conflicts with what reporters say Elias told them. He notably sounded a lot like Trump in saying “opposition research occurs all the time.” Christoper Steele is a foreign national who was seeking information from foreign sources to use against Trump.

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Woman Sentenced To Five Years For False Rape Claim

_98395235_mediaitem98395234Rebecca Palmer, 26, has gone from scorn to “stir” in a false rape case.  The English woman had consensual sex with a twenty-two year old soldier based in Tidworth but he later “rejected her.”  She proceeded to develop an elaborate false record to accuse him of rape.  The police fortunately were able to find clues that the record was manufactured and arrested Palmer.  She is now looking at a five year sentence.

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“Don’t Let Strippers In Your House”: Indiana Man Shares Lesson After 16 Guns Are Stolen From Home

largeIndiana homeowner Billy Swaggerty has a simple piece of advice for his fellow citizens after sixteen guns were stolen from his home: “don’t let strippers into your home.”  To clarify matters for Swaggerty, he did not know the woman was a stripper when he agreed to let her into his home on a cold night.  He now accuses the woman of returning to steal his collection of guns.

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Court Rules That Menendez Case Will Go To The Jury For A Verdict On Public Corruption

800x-1Senator Robert Menendez and his close friend Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor, are heading to a jury decision after U.S. District Judge William Walls ruled that the indictment against them for public corruption would stand.   Menendez not only stands in considerable jeopardy for his highly questionable relationship with Melgen but his conviction could flip the seat in the Senate since Governor Chris Christie would appoint his successor. ( A new governor will be elected for January).

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Panthers Fan Arrested After Viral Video Of His Assaulting 62-Year-Old Man

download-3download-2Kyle Adam Maraghy has been arrested after a viral videotape shows him beating a 62-year-old man who simply asked him to sit down at the recent Panthers-Philadelphia game.  Maraghy and his girlfriend represent the worst of fans today at stadiums. As we have previously discussed, I do not go with my family to football games because of all of the loud and obnoxious drunks in the stands.  In this case, however, Maraghy, 26, is facing jail time for his unprovoked and brutal assault, though not nearly as much as he should be facing.

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“No, It’s Not Me”: Masked Felon Allegedly Incriminates Himself When Confronted By Former Co-Worker

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Cleveland Willis, 28, will face an interesting witness for prosecution for alleged armed robbery . . . himself.  When an employee of KFC restaurant recognized Willis behind a mask and asked if it was him, Willis responded. “No, It’s Not Me.”

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Court Orders The Belated Release Of Gianforte Mugshot

DL4toDGUEAEgsVAWe often debate how to take the best mugshot. Rep. Greg Gianforte (Mont.) went with the smile option and the results are pretty good. Nevertheless, Gianforte fought mightily to block the release of the mugshot after he assaulted a reporter.  He lost this week and a court ordered its release. This is the mugshot.

 

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“Discover All That Is Possible In Dubai”: British Man Faces Three Years in Prison For Touching Hip Of Man In Bar

d4b4d820ee42fbb669867007f7d18569We have been discussing how Dubai is trying to lure Westerners to the country while it is continuing to impose the medieval Islamic Sharia system with predictably abusive results, particularly for women.  Recently we discussed how Dubai police arrested a 30-year-old Ethiopian woman after she gave birth to a child as an unmarried woman.  The latest bizarre case involved Briton Jamie Harron, 27, who is facing a possible three-year jail sentence over claims that he touched a man on the hip in a bar. He has already been given a month long sentence for drinking alcohol and making a rude gesture.

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Connecticut Woman Accused Of Violent Home Invasion . . . And Then Leaving A Copy Of Her Resume

23461238-mmmainThis is not going to look good on Lily B. Bodenlos’ resume. Bodenlos, 29, (left) and Melissa Mimitz, 37, are accused of an armed home invasion in Springfield, Massachusetts.  Bodenlos made police work a tad easier by leaving her resume at the scene.

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Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks