President Bush may prove to be to the law of contempt what President Johnson proved to be to the law of interstate commerce: he could create lasting precedent for the holding of officials in criminal contempt. With calls for contempt and prosecution swirling over the torture of suspects and destruction of CIA tapes, Bush officials have now been formally charged with contempt by Senate and House Judiciary Committees. Continue reading “Senate Judiciary Holds Rove, Bolton in Contempt While House Judiciary Does the Same for Bolton and Miers”
Category: Justice
Rev. Al Sharpton’s office was raided and staff subpoenaed in a sudden move by federal agents. There is clearly a grand jury investigation afoot and Sharpton’s 2004 Presidential run seems to be the focus of the probe. With at least 10 subpoenas to testify, it seems to be a fully developed investigation and makes possible indictments more likely. Continue reading “Al Sharpton’s Office Raided by Federal Agents”
Administration officials are reporting that the CIA not only destroyed the tapes of the two suspects at the center of torture scandal, but they also did not allow transcripts to be made. This a very irregular practice given the importance of the suspects and further evidence to support a conspiracy to avoid or destroy evidence of torture. Continue reading “CIA Does Not Have Transcripts of the Interrogations from the Destroyed Tapes”
It did not take long for a jury in Texas to convict San Antonio lawyer Mary Roberts on felony charges that she helped her husband blackmail four of her former lovers. Her husband, Ted H. Roberts was previously convicted in the scheme that netted $155,000 from four married men who had affairs with his wife. Continue reading “Lawyer Mary Roberts Convicted in Blackmailing of Former Lovers”
In a Toronto suburb, a father, Muhammad Parvez, 57, is accused of strangling to death his 16-year-old daughter because of her refusal to wear a hijab. Continue reading “Father Strangles Daughter for Not Wearing Traditional Hijab, or Scarf, Over Head”
The United States has been working to guarantee equal opportunity for women in the new Iraq. However, this effort conflicts with the recent decision to allow sectarian groups greater powers (particularly Muqtada al-Sadr) in the government. Now, the Iraqi government has quietly ordered all women in the police force to turn over their weapons to men in an apparent bow to religious extremists. Continue reading “Iraq Orders All Policewomen Disarmed as Un-Islamic”
Karyn McConnell Hancock, 35, a pregnant attorney in Toledo has admitted under police questioning that she fabricated a story that she was abducted last week outside a juvenile court building in Toledo and dropped off three days later near Atlanta. Continue reading “Ohio Attorney Admits that She Fabricated Kidnapping Story”
Bernie Ward, a San Francisco radio talk show host and former Catholic priest, has been indicted on federal child pornography charges. Ward, 56, is raising an interesting defense that could have an impact on researchers and journalists in future cases. Continue reading “Radio Show Host Bernie Ward Indicted on Child Pornography Charges — Claims Novel Research Defense”
Meghan Lippiatt has been found not guilty by reason of insanity in a Lancaster court. Lippiatt admitted suffocating her infant son and drowning her 2-year-old son in 2004. Continue reading “Pa. Woman Who Killed Her Two Children Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity”
The bizarre case of Texas Lawyer Mary Roberts has captivated the bar and, with her testimony, did not disappoint those following the sordid details of the efforts by Roberts and her husband Ted Roberts. It is now before the jury and Mary Roberts may soon join her husband, Ted, in jail. Ted was previously convicted and given five years for his role in extracting tens of thousands of dollars from Mary’s four lovers. For members of the bar, these two could not be put away too soon. Continue reading “If You Like Pina Coladas and Walks in a Prison Yard: Lawyer’s Case Goes to Jury for Bilking Thousands from Former Lovers”
In an extraordinary interview, former CIA officer John Kiriakou has come forward to publicly admit that he led the raid, which captured the al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah, and witnesses the waterboarding of the suspect. He further admits that waterboarding is torture — a fact already established by U.S. courts. Continue reading “CIA Interrogator Admits Publicly that Torture was Used on Suspects”
Below is today’s column in Roll Call on the potential basis for criminal prosecution in the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes. Continue reading “CIA Interrogation Tapes: “Bad” is Hardly the Word — Call it Criminal”
ABC News is reporting a shocking story of an woman who claims to have been ganged raped and then held in a container box by Halliburton/KBR in Iraq. The story of Jamie Leigh Jones is shocking and demands a congressional investigation into whether this contractor and the Justice Department covered up a heinous criminal act. Continue reading “Halliburton/KBR Accused of Cover-Up in Gang Rape”
The Washington Post has disclosed sources saying that Democratic leadership, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were told of waterboarding in secret briefings in September 2002. While some have already denied any recollection of the discussion of waterboarding, the Post is reporting that such briefings occurred in 2002 and the only objection heard from members of Congress was whether the torture technique was harsh enough. Continue reading “Wash. Post: Democrats, including Pelosi, Told of Waterboarding in 2002”
In the immediate aftermath, one of the most curious responses of the Democrats has been the almost uniform call for an investigation of the destruction of the CIA tapes by the Bush Administration itself. Now, at least Sen. Joe Biden is calling for a special counsel. Continue reading “Bravo: Biden Calls for Special Counsel”