The House Intelligence Committee will continue to investigate that destruction of the CIA torture tapes despite the demand from the Justice Department to halt any independent inquiry. Continue reading “House Will Continue Its Investigation Despite Demand to Cease by Bush Administration”
Category: Justice
The Bush Administration waited to late Friday night to tell a federal judge that it would not release information on its own possible obstruction of justice in his court. Continue reading “Bush Administration Refuses to Turn Over Information to Court on Tape Destruction; Judge Told Not to “Interfere””
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller has been the source of well-earned national contempt since she ordered the doors of the court clerk’s office to prevent a last-minute appeal in a death row row — an appeal that should have been granted but was denied and Michael Richard executed. Now, she admits to violating court procedures and has announced written rules to prevent other judges from doing the same thing. Presumably, the written rules will prevent others from abandoning fundamental standards of due process and decency, Continue reading “Judge Admits to Violating “Unwritten” Rules By Closing Clerk’s Office to Prevent Death Row Final Appeal; Complaints Filed Against Judge Sharon Keller in Texas”
In what is billed as the Potty Mouth case, a judge has ruled that Dawn Herb won’t have to spend time in jail or pay a fine after she was overheard swearing over an overflowing toilet. Continue reading “Court Rules that Constitution Protects Swearing at One’s Toilet”
After Democrats rescued Mukasey from a showdown on torture and saved his confirmation, they are now reaping the harvest of their work: Mukasey has refused to share any information on the Administration’s investigation of itself. Thus, the man who stated under oath that he did not know what waterboarding was or whether it was torture will now investigate whether evidence of that crime was destroyed. Continue reading “Mukasey Refuses to Share Information with Congress on the Torture Tapes”
Wives have historically used a great assortment of methods to kill their husbands from poison to guns to knives to cars. However, Raynella Dossett-Leath is under suspicion of murdering Knoxville District Attorney Ed Dossett by first drugging him and then trampling him to death with his own cattle. The allegations have come to light after prosecutors sought to exhume the body — and Dossett-Leath awaits trial for the murder of her second husband. Continue reading “Was the Knoxville District Attorney Intentionally Trampled to Death?”
There is a bizarre fight brewing in Florida between a lawyer and judge over their respective alleged misconduct. Lawyer Sean Conway faces discipline for attacking Judge Cheryl Alemán is facing possible discipline before the Judicial Qualifications Commission. At issue are not just standards of professional and judicial conduct, but the first amendment. Continue reading “Florida Lawyer May Be Disbarred for Criticizing Judge in Blog — While the Judge Stands Trial for Judicial Misconduct”
Federal trial judge Samuel Kent is facing possible criminal charges and impeachment after accusations of sexual harassment and assault. This week, media reported that he is under investigation by the Justice Department. Continue reading “Federal Judge Sam Kent Under Investigation for Sexual Assault”
The former head of the Black Panther Party, Elaine Brown has filed a remarkable lawsuit against Kathleen Cleaver, ex-wife of the late Panthers spokesman Eldridge Cleaver. Continue reading “Former Black Panther Elaine Brown Sues Black Panther Kathleen Cleaver for Defamation For Being Called FBI Snitch”
The House of Representatives has passed an intelligence bill that would prohibit the use of cruel techniques of interrogations, including waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods. It is a welcomed move by many, but the concern is that is suggests that waterboarding was not unlawful before its passage. In the meantime, there is little real effort in Congress to deal with the President’s ordering of the crime of torture — and the obvious implications of such impeachable crimes. Continue reading “House Passes Bill Prohibiting Cruel Interrogation Practices, Including Waterboarding”
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”
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”