The Justice Department Inspector General Office has completed its review of allegations of violations of federal law by Bush officials in the hiring of prosecutors and immigration judges. The 140-page report found that former Alberto Gonzales aides Monica Goodling or former Gonzales chief of staff Kyle Sampson broke federal law and used politics rather than merit to select both attorneys and immigration judges. This will be the subject of my discussion tonight on MSNBC Countdown, click here.
Category: Justice
The United States Senate is getting involved in a growing conflict between the United States and Serbia over the unlawful flight of Miladin Kovacevic, a star basketball player who was on bail for an assault on college student, Bryan Steinhauer. Both were students at Binghamton College. Steinhauer has been in a coma since the attack and now weighs only 100 pounds.
Prominent journalist and radio host Uri Orbach has a curious sense of outrage. In a column, Orbach describes the outcry after the release of a recent picture of a handcuffed Palestinian being shot by an 
Israeli soldier with a rubber bullet at close range. Instead of decrying the need for better training or calling for justice, however, Orbach is infuriated that Palestinians have been given cameras to allow them to record such abuses.
Continue reading “Outraged by Picture of Israeli Soldiers Shooting of Handcuffed Palestinian, Israeli Commentator Objects to Palestinians Being Given Cameras”
The Bush Administration has released torture memos that reveal the extent to which officials laid the groundwork for a criminal defense in its torture program. The 2002 memos instructed interrogators in a good-faith defense for any claim that they were committing federal crimes.
Continue reading “The Bybee Memo: How to Torture and Avoid a Criminal Charge on Technicality”
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac must be wondering why he bothered in 1701 to found the city. Detroit’s government continues its downward spiral toward collapse with new indictments, criminal allegations, and scandal. The federal prosecutors have introduced a superseding indictment alleging more lies from Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick about past affairs. In the meantime, city council members are now under criminal investigation for other crimes while they also engage in bizarre public arguments.
Continue reading “Detroit Descends into Chaos with New Criminal Charges and Investigations”
The FBI is accused of launching a coordinated effort to bury the results of a finding by an Arizona crime lab analyst, Kathryn Troyer, that individuals may have very similar DNA profiles. The finding throws into question the claims made in court about the unlikelihood of two individuals sharing such similarities. Where such matches have been portrayed as 1 in 113 billion — a virtual guarantee of conviction — it turns out to be more common. Rather than being concerned over past representations in court and the accuracy of its work, the FBI reportedly worked diligently to stop other analysts from performing the same tests and to discourage any citation to the study.
Continue reading “FBI Accused of Trying to Bury Findings That Raised Questions Over DNA Claims”
Oklahoma City may have the largest bestiality case in history — and without question the most disgusting. Diane Sue Whalen 54, and Donald Roy Seigfried, 55, are accused of training their dogs to have sex with Whalen and other women. Whalen was apparently busted by her own son who found 150 tapes of her performing sex acts with the dogs — including a mixed breed and labrador Lucky and Buddy and a blue heeler named Merlin owned by Seigfried. Seigfried allegedly filmed the events.
Continue reading “Oklahoma Couple Arrested in Massive Bestiality Case”
Speculation is growing that President Bush may pardon those officials responsible for the unlawful programs under his Administration. It will be the subject (and possibly the Sunstein controversy) of my discussion on Countdown tonight.
Continue reading “Is President Bush Preparing a Preemptive Pardon?”
Not exactly the press that the flaks were hoping for. Batman star Christian Bale has been arrested for assault on his mother and sister. He could also face a personal injury action — a possibility that seems a bit more likely with a film that shattered the earlier record held by Spiderman (who notably stayed felony-free during both production and syndication). With $156 million in a three-day weekend of sales, it is likely to draw not just viewers but litigants aplenty.
Police allowed Christian Bale and his wife Sibi to attend the European premiere of The Dark Knight despite pending criminal allegations by his mother and sister that he committed assault at the Dorchester Hotel. His mother, Jenny, 61, and his sister, 40, signed out complaints against him, according to media reports.
Continue reading “Dark Knight: Batman Actor Christian Bale Accused of Assault by Mother and Sister”
A divided Judicial Qualifications Commission in Tallahassee has ruled to reprimand 1st District Court of Appeal Judge Michael E. Allen. For a prior entry, click here.
The panel also suggested an investigation into the subject of Allen’s criticism, fellow Judge Charles J. Kahn Jr. for participating in the appeal of the criminal case against former Senate President W.D. Childers.
Continue reading “Florida Judge Reprimanded for Statement in Court Opinion”
Despite an international outcry over its medieval legal system, Iran has announced a real crowd pleaser: eight women and one man will be stoned to death for adultery. Iran applies Sharia law and will execute them in the name of Islamic justice.
Continue reading “Stoning Season: Iran Set to Stone Eight Women and One Man to Death for Adultery”
With many Democrats still fuming over the refusal of Democratic leaders like Speaker Nancy Pelosi to allow even impeachment hearings into detailed allegations of crimes by President Bush in office, close Obama adviser (and University of Chicago Law Professor) Cass Sunstein recently rejected the notion of prosecuting Bush officials for crimes such as torture and unlawful surveillance. After Sen. Obama’s unpopular vote on the FISA bill, it has triggered a blogger backlash — raising questions about the commitment of the Democrats to do anything other than taking office and reaping the benefits of power.
Continue reading “Obama Adviser Cass Sunstein Rejects Prosecution of “Non-Egregious” Bush Crimes”
In Dayton, Ohio, citizens are upset over an incident where a blind woman, Denise Harris, 49, suffering from cancer was tasered by police — apparently while she was on the floor. The police insist that they needed to taser her “to control her hand movement.”
Continue reading “Ohio Police Taser Blind Woman Suffering From Cancer”
A video has been released that shows an Israeli soldier filing a rubber bullet at close range into the leg of a Palestinian prisoner who is being held by another soldier. [Warning: The video linked below contains disturbing images]. The video was released by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. The victim is reportedly named Ashraf Abu Rahma, 27.