There is an incredible story out of Chicago and my alma mater Northwestern University. The Cook County District Attorney has issued a sweeping subpoena to the Innocence Project at the acclaimed Medill School of Journalism — demanding such things as the grades and emails of students who worked on an investigation of the case of Anthony McKinney. The students found compelling evidence of innocence and the prosecutors are now pounding them with demands for personal information and communications. I just completed doing NPR’s Talk of the Nation on the case with Professor Barry Scheck.
Continue reading “Shooting the Messenger: Prosecutors Subpoena Grades and Emails of Students of Innocence Project”
Category: Media
San Bernadino police are under criticism today after the release of this video from a cellphone appears to show officers beating a suspect with a baton without cause. The man, Darren Johnson, 43, is a barber shop owner who was allegedly held without charge for two days and was never booked in the jail system. He says that he was also denied a telephone call to counsel. The department has been previously sued for keeping suspects “on ice” but holding them without booking or access to counsel.
In an attack both on free speech and the free press, Saudia Arabia has ordered a female journalist to be flogged 60 times for airing an interview with a man who bragged about his sex life. Rosanna Al-Yami was also given a two-year travel ban for her role in the episode of “A Thick Red Line,” a popular show on social taboos.
Continue reading “Saudi Journalist To Be Flogged for Airing Interview Involving Sexual Boasts”
Ok, it may be early in the morning before sufficient caffeine, but this video is a little creepy, right?
Continue reading “The Watchers: The LAPD Releases IWatch in a Rather Orwellian Video”
Nightline has been running a fascinating investigation into the Church of Scientology. This investigation includes this video of a walk-out of the spokesman for Scientology when asked simply about the beliefs of the church. According to the spokesman, it is “offensive” to be asked about what Scientologists specifically believe about the origins of man.
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has achieved a national record and perhaps a world record. Unfortunately, it is not for track or field, but the most any individual has spent of his own money in the pursuit of public office. He has already spent $85 million on his own reelection and will likely reach $140 million by November 3rd. That will bring his own spending to $250 million — that’s right a quarter of billion dollars. Do you love me now?
Continue reading “New York Mayor Bloomberg Sets Dubious Record of the Most Any Individual Has Spent on Himself for Public Office”
Dallas police officers have cited drivers for not being able to speak English after least 38 times in the past three years. After these citations were disclosed by the media, Chief David Kunkle insisted that it was a big mistake and that such citations are only appropriate for non-English drivers of commercial vehicles.
The woman at the center of one of the most shocking rape cases of the last decade has recanted her story. Megan Williams has now admitted that she made up the story of being raped and abused in a trailer in West Virginia in 2007 that sent six people to prison. However, various leaders who protested the case at the time are now calling her a liar in her recantation.
Continue reading “Victim in Notorious Rape Case Recants Her Story”
Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik has been sent to jail to await his corruption trial next week. I am not sure which is worse, the jailing or the view of Judge Stephen Robinson of the defendant, who he described as “a toxic combination of self-minded focus and arrogance.” That is not a particularly promising start to a criminal trial.
Continue reading “Former New York Police Chief Bernard Kerik Jailed”
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police union is being hit with complaints over a benefit planned this week at the police union headquarters for officer Joseph Frugoli, who is accused of crashing into a car while driving drunk on the Dan Ryan in April, killing two people. Officers are throwing the bash with invitations marked “10-1,” the radio call for an officer in need of assistance. It is not clear if it is BYOB.
Continue reading “FOP FLOP: Chicago Police Throw Benefit for Officer Who Allegedly Drove Drunk, Killed Two People, and Fled the Scene of the Accident”
George Bush appears to have finally found his calling. According to this report, he will start his new career this month as a motivational speaker with “Get Motivated!” (the exclamation point is part of the official name) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Continue reading “George Bush: Motivational Speaker”
This video out of British Columbia is instructive on the use of gratuitous force. Most abuse video that we see often involves serious injuries that lead to litigation. However, most cases of abuse are small acts of physical harm that rarely result in complaints let alone lawsuits. This arrest occurred in Abbotsford, B.C., on October 9th.
Continue reading “Video: British Columbia Police Officer Stomps and Kicks Suspect Without Cause”
I give you (as promised) the Turley Trebuchet.
Continue reading “The Turley Trebuchet”
Former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey now appears to be blaming our legal system for the 9-11 attacks as opposed to documented failures by the FBI and the failure of the Bush Administration to heed direct warnings of an imminent attack. In an op-ed piece this week, Mukasey puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of our rights-infested legal system.
Continue reading “Mukasey: Our Laws Brought About 9-11 Attacks”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be morphing into George W. Bush. Faced with findings of a respected former war crimes prosecutor that Israel may have committed war crimes in its Gaza offensive, the prime minister instructed his government to seek changes to the international laws of war to retroactively justify any actions taken in Gaza.
Continue reading “Israel To Seek Change in Law of War to Block War Crimes Investigation”