The Senate is congratulating itself on finding taking a stand on ethics. It admonished Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R., N.M.) yesterday for his “appearance of impropriety” in connection with the firing of one of the nine U.S. attorneys fired. Yet, it is hard to see what it takes under congressional rule to commit an actual act of impropriety. Perhaps if Domenici had actually paraded around with the head of David C. Iglesias . . . wait, that is an “appearance of insobriety” under Senate rules. Continue reading “Senate Finds that Domenici’s Call to U.S. Attorney was Only an “Appearance” of Impropriety”
Category: Justice
The Bush Administration has long had difficulty in terrorism, assembling the worst record of losses of an modern Administration. Now, in the Liberty City case of six defendants accused of plotting to try to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago, they are going to try a THIRD time to get a jury to believe them. This is not a matter of the law of terrorism but the law of averages. Despite the strikingly similar reaction of the prior two juries, the Justice Department just hopes that it can still find people who will not question the unconvincing case against these individuals. Continue reading “Playing the Law of Averages: Justice Department to Try Sears Tower Defendants a Third Time”
Human Right Watch has issued a detailed report of how Saudi Arabia keeps women in a state of “childhood,” dependent upon males for things ranging from medical care to driving. The report, “Perpetual Minors: Human Rights Abuses Stemming from Male Guardianship and Sex Segregation in Saudi Arabia,” is based on more than 100 interviews with Saudi women. Continue reading “Forever Children: Human Rights Watch Blasts Saudi Arabia on Treatment of Women”
Phillip Miles, of South Carolina, was sentenced by a Moscow court to more than three years in prison for smuggling hunting ammunition into Russia. He had brought a box of 20 rifle shells for a friend who had a Winchester rifle. Stupid to be sure, but three years? Continue reading “American Pastor Sentenced to Three Years in Russia for Smuggling Ammunition”
The so-called “black widows” Helen Golay, 77, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 75, were found guilty of five counts. Golay was found guilty of the first degree murder of Kenneth McDavid, 50, in 2005 and Paul Vados, 73, in 1999 as well as conspiracy to murder for financial gain counts in both killings. Rutterschmidt, 75, was convicted of conspiracy to murder McDavid for financial gain. The men were killed for insurance proceeds as discussed in the video below. Continue reading ““Black Widows” Convicted Murder of Homeless Men”
In yet another controversy over attorney-client privilege and confidentiality, two attorneys in Chicago have revealed that their former client killed a security guard in 1982 and that an innocent man, Alton Logan, has been imprisoned for almost three decades for a crime that he did not commit. Bar officials in North Carolina and Virginia have faced similar questions over the limits of confidentiality, here. Continue reading “Lawyers Reveal 26-Year-Old Secret: Innocent Man Convicted of Murder of Security Guard”
In North Carolina, the bar is faced with a difficult question over the limits of confidentiality in a case of Staples Hughes. Hughes revealed a confidential statement made by his late client, who allegedly exonerated his co-defendant, Lee Wayne Hunt in a double murder case. Continue reading “Lawyer Faces Charges After Revealing Confidential Statement of Late Client to Exonerate Inmate”
According to the New York Times, former attorney general Alberto Gonzales can’ find a job after been rebuffed by law firms who are not eager to add a name now synonymous with incompetence and blind partisanship – not to mention torture. Still, these would be some interesting “ding letters”: “Dear General Gonzales, our lawyers were very impressed with your interview and resume. However, every year our firms receives countless applications from former attorney generals . . . .” Continue reading “Firms Say No to Bush Yes Man: Alberto Gonzales Having Difficulty Finding Full-Time Job”
This week, Michael Gableman celebrated a considerable victory: the first defeat of an incumbent judge in 40 years for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His opponent Louis Butler was also the first African American on the Court. Yet, the $5 million race shows the steady trend toward high-priced campaigns to change the make-up of courts by legal and corporate interests. Continue reading “The $5 Million Judge: Wisconsin Race Sets Record in Money and Meanness”
There is a controversy brewing over at Wikipedia. Someone at the office of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence appears to have edited out an article about Major Alan Rogers, who died serving this country in Iraq. The Pentagon editor apparently objected to the recognition of the fact that Rogers was not only a hero, but gay. Continue reading “Pentagon Accused of Editing Out Wikipedia Reference to Solider’s Sexual Orientation”
Today, I testified in the House Judiciary Committee (Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security), on the new proposed changes to the rules governing federal restitution. They are quite extreme. Continue reading “Testimony on New Federal Restitution Law”
Leslie Hagan, it appears, was a bit too outstanding for the Justice Department. The attorney worked as a liaison between the Justice Department and the U.S. attorneys’ committee on Native American issues and received consistent “outstanding” marks on her evaluations. However, she is also a lesbian as well as a Republican. It was the first part that allegedly bothered people like Monica Goodling, the oft-ridiculed former Justice official involved in the firings of U.S. Attorneys. Continue reading “A Bit Too Outstanding: Inspector General Investigating Whether Justice Fired Successful Because She Is A Lesbian”
The White House finally released some of the torture memos to Congress — justifications of coercive methods by Professor John Yoo. What is most striking about the memo below is its rather low-grade effort to justify torture — citing a type of self-defense theory for why an isolated detainee might have died or been injured during rough interrogation. Continue reading “Torture Memo Released: Yoo Argues Self-Defense in Cases of Interrogation Deaths or Injuries”
With the various legal controversies involving Wal-Mart, one would think that its legal department would seek to avoid another lawsuit. Yet, Wal-Mart’s hard-nosed approach to legal disputes appears to be again getting the store into hot water — this time with the U.S. government. Wal-Mart reportedly refused to re-hire Sean Thornton, a former airman with the United States Air Force, after he returned from deployment, leading to a lawsuit by the Justice Department in Orlando Florida. Continue reading “Big Box, Small Heart: Wal-Mart Sued By U..S. Over Termination of Veteran”
In yet another loss for the Bush Administration in the case of accused Rep. William Jefferson, the United States Supreme Court today denied its appeal on the issue of the constitutionality of its raid of a congressional office. Continue reading “Supreme Court Denies Review in the Jefferson Case”