Category: Criminal law

Checking The Fact Checkers: The Washington Post Concludes Comey Likely Violated FBI Rules But Still Criticizes Sanders For Raising “Possible” Illegality

220px-Washington_Post_buildingBelow is a column that I wrote for the Hill Newspaper in response to a “fact checker” column by the Washington Post.  I have written for the Washington Post and have great respect for the publication.  Indeed, I have objected to the attacks by President Donald Trump on the Post and the New York Times which remain two of our premiere journalistic organizations. However, I was frankly floored by the column by Glenn Kessler in criticizing White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.  I have discussed previously how there has been a palpable bias in reporting on the Trump Administration.  It is often that case that some journalists are not simply satisfied with disagreeing with the Administration. They sometimes take judgment calls or opinions and declare the Trump side to be simply factually incorrect.  This relieves the need for readers to address the opposing view of controversies like the alleged misconduct of former FBI director James Comey.  Those views are simply dismissed as untrue.  This is a prime example.

Here is the column:

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“A Privilege To Teach Future Dead Cops”: John Jay Professor Placed On Leave After Disturbing Tweet

 

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Whistleblower or Wrongdoer? Comey Defenders Ignore The Former Director’s Own Misconduct

440px-Comey-FBI-PortraitBelow is my column in the Hill Newspaper on the allegations raised by the White House over the alleged misconduct of former FBI Director James Comey.  It is clear that Comey violated FBI rules and regulations — offenses that would have likely cost any of his subordinates their jobs at the Bureau when he was director.  However, there remains a virtual news blackout on the obvious violations and their implications.

Here is the column.

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Human Rights Leader Raises Concern Over Teenagers Murdered By Police in the Philippines . . . Duterte Responds By Asking If He Is A Pedophile

rodrigo_duterte_and_laotian_president_bounnhang_vorachith_croppedPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has become an international pariah for his orders to police to murder drug suspects and his bragging about his own killings.  Thousands of suspected drug dealers have been killed under Duterte.  For that reason, many of us were alarmed by President Donald Trump’s praise of Duterte as “a good man” and praising his crackdown on drugs.  Duterte however shows no ability to control himself any more than his son (who has been implicated in drugs and corruption) or his henchman  . . . or his mouth.  Last week, Duterte was asked by the head of the country’s Commission on Human Rights (CHR) about the killing of teenagers by his police and supporters.  Duterte’s response was to ask if CHR head Chito Gascon was a pedophile.  It is the type of disgusting and dismissive attitude that Duterte has shown all notions of human rights or human decency.

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The Sweet Song Of Segregation: Swedish Concert To Ban Men In The Name Of Equality

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Police Seek Woman Suspected Of Robbing Parents Rushing To Find Their Children In Shooting Incident

14925335_GThe Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has put out this picture of a woman accused of a truly despicable crime.  After a shooting at the high school, panicked parents rushed to Freeman High School to find their children.  Parents parked their cars along a highway and ran to the school.  Police believe that this woman then stole items from the cars.

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Cops and Robbers Party Canceled At UVA After Protest That Police “Kill and Brutalize Marginalized Communities”

downloadWe have been discussing the rise of groups on campuses that assert the right not to simply protest but to prevent other students from hearing speakers or participating in events.  The latest such incident occurred last week at the University of Virginia where members of a social justice group called UVA Students United disrupted a “cops and robbers”-themed party at a campus fraternity.  The group would not allow a party that it claimed made “a joke of systems that kill and brutalize marginalized communities.” Ultimately, the party was canceled.

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Philadelphia Father Murdered After Trying To Remove Baby From Car During Car Jacking

 

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California Man Twice Throws Dog Into Ravine . . . Dog Survives While Man Goes To Jail

download-1Police and the public have searched for a man shown on a video throwing a dog not once but twice into a ravine.  The man was eventually identified as Andres Spancky Raya, 21, and he was charged with animal cruelty.  Fortunately, the pit bull — known as Mary Jane — survived with injuries but was eventually adopted by a family.  As for Raya, he is heading to prison for five years.

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“It Was Just A Prank Bro”: Shkreli Faces Bail Revocation Over Hair Pulling Hillary Clinton Post

Hillary_Clinton_Testimony_to_House_Select_Committee_on_BenghaziHairposterIt takes a great deal for me to feel sympathy of Martin Shkreli, but the recent filing by the Justice Department has me wondering if he is not being treated unfairly due to this infamous reputation.  The DOJ has asked for Shkreli’s bail to be revoked because he offered to pay anyone $5000 for a hair of Hillary Clinton.  It was a stupid posting that Shkreli later said was “satire” but the DOJ insists that it makes him a danger to society.  I do not agree.  What it does (as with so much of the statements and conduct of Shkreli) is undermine his case before the Court. Indeed, in addressing any fine, the court could take that view that (if Shkreli views a hair worth $5000 of his money) the sky is the limit for a truly impactful fine.

While Shkreli gained infamy as a pharmaceutical executive due to his obscene price increase for the drug Daraprim, was actually convicted in August of three of eight fraud counts related to hedge funds he ran.  He is free on a $5 million bail.

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Minnesota Men Charged in the Kidnapping and Sexual Assault Of Teen Who Escaped By Swimming Across a Lake

1504803412904These three men are accused of horrific crimes committed against a teenage girl in Alexandria, Virginia.  Police say that Thomas Barker, 32, Steven Powers, 20, and Joshua Holby, 31, kidnapped and sexually assaulted the girl over the course of weeks.  The girl only escaped by swimming across a lake.

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Duterte’s Son and Son-In-Law Implicated in Massive Drug Conspiracy

rodrigo_duterte_and_laotian_president_bounnhang_vorachith_croppedPhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte has become an international pariah for his orders to police to murder drug suspects and his bragging about his own killings.  Thousands of suspected drug dealers have been killed under Duterte.  Now however he might want to reconsider his extra-judicial kill order.  His son, Paolo, and his son-in-law have been implicated in a massive drug conspiracy.  Paulo appeared before a Senate hearing to deny the allegations but then (on the advice of his father) refused to answer the questions of the Commission.

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DACA And The Costs Of Constitutional Short Sellers

Statue_of_Liberty_7500px-Philippine-stock-market-boardBelow is my column in the Hill newspaper on the decision of President Donald Trump to rescind DACA and send the issue back to Congress with a six-month grace period.  While I support some accommodation for those brought here as young children and hope that Congress will pass new legislation, I still view DACA as a flagrantly legislative act by President Barack Obama carried out through his unilateral executive authority.

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Man To Be Criminally Charged After Jokingly Says “Allahu Akbar” in Boarding Ryanair Flight

280px-Ryanair.svgI have previously written about the myth created by TSA that jokes at an airport security point about bombs constitute a crime.  In an odd twist, nine men have been thrown off an early-morning Ryanair flight to Madrid after one of them shouted “Allahu Akbar” “as a joke.”  However, the phrase simply means “God is Great.” Nevertheless, the men appear to have thought it was funny to use the phrase associated with terrorist attacks.

 

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Court Rules Against That Miami University of Ohio Violated Student’s Rights In Sexual Abuse Case

download-1Miami University in Ohio lost a major case in court after a student appealed his ban from the university after being accused on sexual misconduct.  U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett ordered that the anonymous student known as “John Nokes” reinstated and found glaring unfairness in the rules and procedures of the university.  As I have previously discussed, the Obama Administration forced many schools to limit due process rights of accused students in sexual misconduct cases.

 

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