In West Virginia, coal is king and many are suggesting that its reach extends into the very chambers of the state’s highest court. An interesting fight is brewing in state and federal courts over allegations of bias for and against a leading coal company, Massey Coal. Supreme Court Justice Larry Starcher has already recused himself under demands from Massey while he has accused other justices of having far greater bias in favor of the company and its executives. Continue reading “Mining for Justice(s): West Virginia Scandal Erupts Over Mining Company Influence”
Category: Politics
Just as democratic leaders are assuring voters that they will not pick the next nominee as superdelegates, top Clinton Aide Harold Ickes has called the primaries “irrelevant” for the outcome and predicted that party leaders would give her the nomination regardless of losing any future primaries. At the same time, he has called for the delegates in Florida and Michigan to be seated despite the fact that the other candidates did not campaign in those states under an agreement with the party — an agreement that Clinton herself accepted before the race became so close. Continue reading “Clinton Aide Harold Ickes Predicts that Superdelegates with Give Clinton the Nomination Even If Obama Wins Remainder of Primaries”
Detroit seems to be entering some parallel universe of politics. With the on-going sordid mess over the possible perjury of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick still in the news, an aide to Kilpatrick has filed a formal criminal complaint against Monica Conyers, the City Council president pro tem and wife of U.S. Rep. (and House Judiciary Chairman) John Conyers, for allegedly threatened to get a gun and shoot him. Her spokesman insisted that she was the one wronged in the encounter with aide DeDan Milton. Continue reading “Detroit Mayoral Aide Accuses Monica Conyers — City Council President Pro Tem and Wife of Rep. John Conyers — with Criminal Threats”
The attorney for Brian McNamee, Richard Emery, started a firestorm over his suggestion that Roger Clemens could receive a pardon from President Bush if accused of lying about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. It is possible for the president to grant such a pardon in anticipation of a criminal charge, though it would be an facial abuse of authority. Continue reading “Washington Buzzing About A Presidential Pardon for Roger Clemens”
Former Circuit Judge Alex Ferrer is again in the news after a recent (and unpromising) appeal to the Supreme Court over a contract dispute. The Florida Supreme Court has heavily criticized the television faux jurist “Judge Alex” for his testimony in a case involving a man who once appeared before him. Judge Alex’s role is related to the case of Noel Doorbal, 36, who received two death sentences from Ferrer for the torture-slayings of a wealthy South Florida couple in 1995. The actual testimony related the prosecution of one of Doorbal’s victims, Marcello Schiller. Continue reading “Florida Supreme Court Spanks Television Faux-Jurist “Judge Alex””
When the Saudi justice system is not flogging rape victims, it is trying women as witches. It turns out that witchcraft is treated as a catch-all charge for an offense against Islam. She could be executed. Continue reading “Saudi Woman Convicted of Witchcraft in Latest Horror from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s “Justice” System”
It is doubtful that the Fifth Circuit timed the opinion to coincide with Valentine’s Day, but the court has issued a very interesting opinion striking down a Texas law prohibiting the promotion and sale of sex toys. It represents an extension of the precedent in Lawrence v. Texas, striking down a criminal prohibition on homosexual relations. Continue reading “Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Texas Prohibition on Promotion and Sale of Sex Toys”
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers appears to have been able to break the hold on the still pending criminal contempt resolutions against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers. A House vote could trigger another confrontation with Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who has indicated that he will refuse to prosecute the case — not long after telling Conyers that he will also refuse to investigate the crime of torture ordered by the President. Continue reading “Conyers Moves Contempt Matter Against Meirs and Bolton Toward House Floor”
After a criminal plea, national ridicule, and a failed political career, Senator Larry Craig is probably not quaking after receiving a “letter of admonition” from the Senate Ethics Committee. It was a pathetic effort of his colleagues to appear to be doing something about the scandal despite the fact that there was precious little that involved any official matter. Continue reading “Craig Admonished for Bathroom Incident by Senate Ethics Committee”
Justice Antonin Scalia has long been criticized for his habit of discussing pending issues before the Court and abandoning a long tradition of restraint by justices in their public appearances. His most recent defense of torture in a BBC interview has caused yet another controversy over Scalia’s disturbing lack of self-restraint. Continue reading “Scalia Holds Forth on the Proper Use of Torture — As Experts Debate the Propriety of Such Public Statements”
Given the most recent public controversy involving statements made by Justice Scalia on torture, this prior column may be of some interest: Continue reading “Scalia and the Advent of the Celebrity Justice”
Florida judges are in the grips of an expanding scandal involving accusations of perjury, physical threats, and ethical violations. One judge, District Court Judge Michael E. Allen, is facing possible perjury charges and other, Judge Charles J. Kahn is accused of serious breaches of ethics as well as being unstable and injudicious in his personal conduct. Continue reading “Court Fight: Florida Judges Trade Accusations of Perjury, Threats, and Lies”
The Senate voted today to defeat an amendment by Senator Dodd to strip the FISA bill of immunity for telecommunication companies. It was the latest in a series of perceived betrayals by Democratic voters of their leadership, which helped Sen. Jay Rockefeller guarantee immunity for the companies. Sen. Hillary Clinton did not even show up for the vote, one of the most important civil liberties votes of this Congress. Continue reading “Senate Votes to Give Immunity to Telecom Companies: Hillary Clinton Skips Vote”
While you may not be tall enough to ride all of the roller coasters at Disneyland, you may soon be able to take a high-powered rifle into the forest and bang away at animals in South Dakota. The legislature is concerned about a drop in hunting, so it is considering dropping the age for hunters to 10. If this trend continues, South Dakota toddlers may soon be able to lock-and-load with specialized Tickle-Me-Elmo-22 rifles. Continue reading “South Dakota Legislators Propose Lowering the Age of Hunters to 10”
British citizens and wallpaper designers can now walk with the heads high after roughly 200 years of scurrilous claims that they caused the death of Napoleon. The Italians have published results that show that Napoleon did indeed die from stomach cancer and not arsenic poisoning. Continue reading “Italians Confirm Napoleon Died of Stomach Cancer — A Cover-up for Wallpaper Conspirators?”