Category: Criminal law

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Society

Leading Italian Lawyer Calls For A Crackdown On “Fake News” In The European Union

Freedom_of_SpeechWe have been discussing the crackdown on “fake news,” including my view that this has become the latest rationale for various countries to rollback on free speech. Now Italy has has joined this ignoble list of Western countries using the ill-defined problem of “fake news” to justify the criminalization of speech and regulation of the Internet. Giovanni Pitruzzella, head of the Italian Competition Authority (an anti-trust body), has called for a crackdown by the European Union.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International

Suspect Arrested In Rape of 13-Year-Old Girl Was Deported or Voluntarily Removed 19 Times

1483195551005We have previously discussed how some criminal cases highlight the porous border that we share with Mexico. The most recent example is Tomas Martinez-Maldonado, 38, who is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. Martinez-Maldonado has been deported 10 times and voluntarily removed from the U.S. another nine times since 2003.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Society

Drunken Pilots Found In Cockpits In Two Separate Incidents

indonesia-pilot-suspected-to-be-drunk-fired-from-airline-world-of-buzz-2It is all too common to see drunk folks who celebrated the end of the year to an excessive degree. It is more chilling when those people are pilots. In two separate incidents, pilots were caught in the cockpits about to take off more loaded than their cargo bays. In the case of an Indonesian pilot, he was caught on videotape stumbling through security and staggering on to the plane.

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Animals, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law

Sixth Circuit Rules That Police Were Justified In Shooting Barking Dog During Raid

us-courtofappeals-6thcircuit-sealThe United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has handed down a major ruling that will likely shock many dog owners.  Judge Eric Clay wrote the opinion that police can legally shoot and kill any dog that is barking at them during a raid.  Since this is a common response to intruders, it would mean that police have virtually complete discretion to kill dogs during raids.  The case is Brown v. Battle Creek Police Dep’t, 2016 FED App. 0293P (6th Cir.).

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Society

Duterte Brags About Throwing Criminal Suspect From A Helicopter

We have previously discussed the total meltdown in the Philippine’s with the election of Rodrigo Duterte, a man whose hostility toward civil liberties is match only by the uncertainty over his sanity. rodrigo_duterte_and_laotian_president_bounnhang_vorachith_croppedWe have previously discussed Duterte’s foul-mouthed tenure in office, including profanities directed at the Pope, President Obama, and anyone else objecting to his evisceration of human rights and the rule of law. Recently Duterte bragged about how he personally murdered suspects as an example for police who were a bit more reluctant to engage in extrajudicial murders. Now, Duterte has bragged that he personally threw suspect to his death from a helicopter.  Duterte continues to brag about his extrajudicial murders but there remains no action taken against him.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Pennsylvania Woman Charged With Assault With Christmas Tree

lovers25n-1-webThere are certain signature seasonal crimes and the alleged crimes of Karen Elaine Harrelson, 52, in Red Lion, Pa would certainly qualify. Harrelson is accused of assaulting Kayla Renne Still with the family Christmas tree. In light of our recent discussion of the trend of prosecutors to tack on terrorism charges, this appears another such case.

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Criminal law

Alleged Shooter Of Child In Arkansas Road Road Incident Charged With Both Murder and Terrorism

14825029757301482500652196One of the most disturbing crimes before Christmas has resulted in criminal charges. Gary Holmes, 33, has been charged with capital murder after he killed a three-year-old Arkansas boy, Acen King, out Christmas shopping with his grandmother in a senseless road rage incident. The murder charge is well founded but the case raises again the growing trend of prosecutors adding “terrorism” charges to such cases.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Religion

Unmarried Woman in Dubai Arrested For Giving Birth Without A Husband

0000019486190px-WLM_-_roel1943_-_KoranWe 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.  Now, Dubai police have arrest a 30-year-old Ethiopian woman in the Al Qassimi Hospital after she gave birth to a child as an unmarried woman.  The hospital called police that  that newborn baby was illegitimate and she is an illegal maid.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Law Firm Trolls Indicted In Nationwide Copyright Scheme

I have long been critical of our professions bottom-feeders: firms that do little but sue citizens over copyright or trademarks violations and collect small settlements through threatening letters.  In what is remarkably good news, lawyers Paul Hansmeier (above) and John Steele (left) are facing criminal charges over their abusive scheme to acquire millions from copyright claims over porn movies as well as fraudulent disability litigation.  Two more worthy felons would be hard to find in the country.  A third attorney Paul Duffy (right) died at age 55 during the investigation into these activities.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Police Arrest Black Man For Burning African American Church In Mississippi After Spray Painting “Vote Trump”

636179312460850440-andrew-mcclinton-copyOn the heels of the hoax by a Muslim college students who claimed to have been attacked by Trump supporters, Mississippi police have arrested Andrew McClinton, 45, an African American man who allegedly spray painted “Vote Trump” on his own church and then burned it down.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Religion, Society

Muslim Teenager Arrested After Making False Report Of Abuse By Trump Supporters In New York Subway

yasmin_seweid-1481327466-991-1481328678-6425Yasmin Seweid, 18, a Baruch College student, raised a national controversy after she reported being harassed on the New York City subway by supporters of President-elect Donald Trump. She has now been arrested for fabricating the story and filing a false report as well as obstructing governmental administration.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International

Duterte: I Personally Killed Suspects To Show The Police How It Is Done

rodrigo_duterte_and_laotian_president_bounnhang_vorachith_croppedWe have previously discussed the disgraceful reign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a foul-mouthed, patently unstable leader who relishes extrajudicial killings. Duterte who has unleashed profanities at the Pope, President Obama, and anyone else objecting to his evisceration of human rights and the rule of law. Now, Duterte, undeterred by global condemnations and withholding of aid programs, he is now publicly bragging about how he personally murdered suspects as an example for police who were a bit more reluctant to engage in extrajudicial murders. The question now is whether the Filipino government contains enough sane and honorable leaders to finally move to remove this unhinged, tyrannical figure. While China clearly loves what it sees in this murderous authoritarian, most Filipinos were raised in a nation that has struggled to create true democratic institutions based on the rule of law.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Lawyering

Fool For A Client: South Carolina Rapist Insists on Representing Himself And Secures A Life Plus 20 Year Sentence

8ebaa54c-366a-4112-a3e8-bc1c4a222a4b-large16x9_nathanmartinezIn Columbia, South Carolina, Nathan Martinez, 37, fulfills the stereotype of a man who represents himself and has a fool for a client. Martinez was accused of a myriad of crimes, including rape, burglary, and kidnapping. He insisted on representing himself and secure convictions on all counts and a sentence of life in prison plus 30 years.

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