The Wisconsin Supreme Court is under fire this week for issuing what is viewed as a slap on the wrist to one of its members: Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler. Ziegler violated fundamental conflict of interests rules by presiding over cases where she had an obvious conflict of interest. Public interest advocates noted that attorneys are routinely suspended for such violations by the courts. The case seems to follow recent cases of judges protecting their own while pursuing critics. Continue reading “The Thin Black Line: Wisconsin Supreme Court Reprimands Justice Annette Ziegler – Refusing More Serious Discipline for Violating Conflicts of Interest Rules”
Category: Justice
The Christa Worthington murder case has taken a surprising turn as jurors allege that racism played a role in the conviction of Christopher McCowen for the crime. The allegations are strikingly similar to those of a juror in the recent conviction of John White in New York. What is remarkable is that the judge in the Worthington murder case has decided to call the jurors to address the allegations in open court. Continue reading “Jurors Allege Racism and Coercion in Murder of Fashion Writer Christa Worthington”
Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee warned then-CIA general counsel Scott Muller in a 2003 letter that destroying videotapes of terrorist interrogations would put the CIA under a cloud of suspicion. However, what is as remarkable as the decision of the CIA to go ahead with the destruction is the failure of the Democrats to do nothing more than discourage what was a presumptively criminal destruction of evidence. Moreover, there is no mention of the crime of torture — only that it would “reflect badly on the agency.” Continue reading “Top Intel Democrat Warned CIA Not to Destroy Tapes — But Then Did Nothing Further”
The latest innocent man wrongly convicted in Dallas County is Charles Chatman who spent 26 years in prison for a rape of a neighbor. He is the 15th such person to be cleared by DNA in Dallas County, which has developed a reputation as a careless and dangerous jurisdiction for criminal prosecutions. Texas itself has had to release at least 30 wrongfully convicted inmates since 2001. The question is what the state and county will do to correct a justice system that seems to unjustly convict the innocent with a shocking repetition. Continue reading “Dallas County Expands Its Dubious Record of the Most Wrongly Accused Individuals Cleared by DNA”
Attorneys have long had to deal with the ethical problem of representing clients who do not take their legal advice or act against their own interest. In such cases, they may ultimately have no choice but to seek termination of the representation, even in the midst of litigation. That is precisely what counsel has done with Britney Spears, seeking to leave en masse from further representation in her custody battle with Kevin Federline. One lawyer, however, continues to work on the criminal side to try a novel argument to avoid a criminal conviction. For lawyers, it is like watching the world’s longest car wreck. Yet, there is an intriguing legal issue here on the status of celebrities for the purposes of state violations. Continue reading “Attorneys Seek to Drop Britney Spears While One Remains to Try Novel Criminal Defense”
Rev. Joseph Sica, 52, a Roman Catholic priest was arrested on perjury charges in Harrisburg this week and accused of lying about his relationship with a mobster in testimony to a grand jury. It is a fascinating case. Often such cases involve first amendment protections for priests, but this indictment is based on alleged social ties and not some confessional issue. Continue reading “Priest Indicted for Lying to Grand Jury About Connections to Mob Boss”
Tennessee judge John B. Hagler has resigned in a bizarre scandal over a tape that reportedly records him enrages in violent and disturbing sexual fantasies. While everyone is calling for the tapes release, however, it is worth considering who released a tape that was found not to be evidence of a crime and protected by privacy. After all, Hagler is entitled to his own private fantasies so long as he does not hurt anyone else or commits a crime. Continue reading “Tennessee Judge Resigns After Sexually Deviant Tape is Disclosed”
Arizona law student and judicial clerk, Kumari Fulbright, 25, is about to get a close exposure to the criminal justice system after her arrest for the allegedly kidnapping and torturing an ex-boyfriend. Continue reading “Law Student and Judicial Clerk Charged with Kidnapping, Torturing, and Robbing Victim”
After completing an initial inquiry, tthe Justice Department has decided to open a full criminal investigation into the 2005 destruction of CIA tapes showing the interrogation of two Al Qaeda suspects. The finding of a basis for possible criminal charges is not itself surprising — there are at least six such offenses that were obvious from the outset. Attorney General Mukasey has appointed a U.S. Attorney General to handle the investigation — a disappointing decision not to appoint someone outside the Administration. Continue reading “Justice Department Opens Formal Criminal Investigation — Finds Credible Allegations of Criminal Conduct in CIA Tapes Scandal”
According to reports, the FBI is returning to the search for the famous D.B. Cooper, the mysterious skyjacker who robbed an airliner in 1971 and then parachuted to an unknown future. The FBI’s release of a new picture raises the disturbing question of whether D.B. Cooper is hiding in the open: as presidential candidate Ron Paul. Continue reading “Is Ron Paul the Real D.B. Cooper?”
Sara Jane Moore who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975 was released from a Dublin prison. Now, 77, Moore was freed on December 30th – a day early — after 32 years in prison as a model prisoner. The release will likely draw attention to that other would-be Ford assassin- Lynette Squeaky Fromme. Continue reading “Sarah Jane Moore — Would-Be Assassin of Gerald Ford Freed After 32 Years”
In a nightmare befitting Homer Simpson, doughnut thief Scott A. Masters, 41, was facing 30 years in jail for stealing a doughnut and shoving a store employee. The case produced a national outcry and the court recently sentenced him to a five-year suspended sentence, five years of probation and 90 days in the county jail, including time he has served since Sept. 19. He was released this month. Continue reading “Doughnut Thief Spared 30 Years, Receives Five-Year Suspended Sentence Plus 90 days in County Jail”
Another member of the Long Island jury that found John White guilty of manslaughter in Long Island has emerged to claim coercion or pressure in reaching the verdict. Previously, a white juror in a racially controversial murder case has gone public with a claim that he felt pressured by the judge and fellow jurors to convict John White, a black man found guily of killing a white teen, Daniel Cicciaro. It is a claim that is likely to produce more of a political and social response than a legal response. Instead, the defense is likely to challenge the judge’s instructions in the case. Continue reading “Another Juror Comes Forward to Claim Coercion in White Case”
For years, unnamed government officials have acknowledged that they use “extraordinary renditions” to send suspects to other countries to be tortured. Our ally Egypt is a favorite destination of such flights. Now, videos of Egyptian torture have forced Americans to see what such “special treatment” is like for suspects. In one video, a woman is forced to strip and is abused by a police officer and in another Egyptian mini-bus driver, Emad el-Kabir, 21,l is shown screaming on the floor as officers sodomize him with a wooden pole. The police then sent the video to el-Kabir’s friends to humiliate him. These videos remove the abstract quality of the debate over U.S. torture policies, both in terms of waterboarding and extraordinary renditions. Continue reading “Torture Videos Shed Light on Egyptian Torture — and U.S. Rendition Policies”
The meaning of standard immorality clauses in teaching contracts has long been a source of controversy. Such clauses tend to be very ambiguous and can sweep protected (but unpopular) activities within their scope. Now, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued an opinion upholding an interpretation of the clause for that state, ordering a new hearing for Sherie Leigh Vrable, 49, of Washington Township in Fayette County, who was fired as a teaching assistant in an emotional support class with the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit. The immorality cited was her overdose of a drug at the school. Continue reading “Pennsylvania Supreme Court Reverses Teacher’s Firing Under Immorality Clause”