Category: Society

Lawyering, Politics, Society

Zimmerman Prosecutor Angela Corey Under Fire For Alleged Professional Breaches

AngelaCoreyI have previously stated that I believe that Zimmerman prosecutor Angela Corey over charged the case as second degree murder and in my view contributed heavily to the defeat in the case. What many people described as the evidence for conviction is actually evidence of manslaughter. Had the case been framed as manslaughter or negligent homicide, it might have turned out differently. However, that was in my view an error in prosecutorial discretion. More serious questions have arisen over Corey’s ethics and that of her office. These allegations include her conduct following the acquittal of George Zimmerman.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Society

Canadians Charge Website Operator With Obscenity Over Publication of Murder Video

Unknownjun_lin.jpg.size.medium2.promoWe have interesting case this week out of Canada that raises the limits of free speech and the use of decency or morality laws. The Canadians have criminally charged the owner of a website for the posting of a horrific video showing the murder of an individual by Luka Magnotta (left) and then sexual relations with the corpse of Jun Lin (right). The concern is that the site owner is being charged with “corrupting morals” a largely undefined crime and has traditionally been used to impose and enforce the moral values of the majority on people who do not share them. It is the natural extension of laws prohibiting the publication or possession of obscene materials, a long controversy in this country as well.
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Criminal law, Society, Uncategorized

Florida Mother Allegedly Tells Police They Would Have To Shoot Through Her Baby And Then Throws Baby At Officer

images-1If you thought that Brittany Harris was the worst mother of the year, you have not met Ashley Taylor Wright. Wright, 32, first shoplifted, then told the police to shoot through her baby to get to her, and then threw the baby as an officer to try to escape. What is fascinating about this story is that her escape will likely result in far more serious charges than her shoplifting.

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International, Religion, Society

Muslim Extremists Destroy Church In Egypt As Other Muslims Move To Protect Priest

EgyptAttacks on Christians and other religious minorities in some Muslim countries by extremists have become terribly common. These same radicals who would kill over a YouTube movie as an affront to Islam often see nothing wrong in destroying churches and killing people of other faiths. That is why this story of the destruction of a Coptic Christian church in Egypt seemed like just another outrage until I notice one detail. The priest escaped with the help of his Muslim neighbors.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Uncategorized

Florida Mom Arrested After Leaving Kids In Car During Lil Wayne Concert

r-BRITTANY-NICOLE-HARRIS-large570220px-Lil_Wayne_in_ConcertBrittany Harris, 25, is the latest parent to be arrested for going to a concert or casino and leaving kids in the car. In this case, Harris went to a Lil Wayne rap concert and left her two children — ages 3 and 5 — in a parking lot with hundreds of strangers milling about, including a large number of drunken people.

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Bizarre, International, Politics, Society

Graham Lands A Double Klutz With A Carter Split: GOP Senator Proposes Olympic Boycott Over Snowden Asylum

01.20Graham-080106-18270- 0035We have previously discussed the rage of powerful politicians embarrassed by the disclosures of Edward Snowden. The President and the Congress suddenly found themselves having to explain years of false statements and an unprecedented attack on privacy in America because of Snowden. Our governing class had long ago adopted a type of dismissive paternalism toward the public as shepherds to so many sheep. Then one sheep goes and spooks the flock. The response has been bipartisan rage that has included demands to cut off aid to entire nations if they grant sanctuary to this whistleblower. As usual, however, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will not be outdone. After hearing that Snowden has asked Russia for sanctuary, Graham has suggested boycotting the Olympics. That’s right, he is taking one of Jimmy Carter’s most controversial ideas and suggesting a repeat — thereby ruining the ambitions and tossing out years of preparations for hundreds of athletes. Why? To punish a country for protecting someone most people in the world view as either a hero or a whistleblower.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Society

Jeantel: “I Told Trayvon, [Zimmerman] Might Have Been A Rapist.”

Screen-Shot-2013-07-15-at-6.09.50-PM-300x198One of the most damaging moments for the prosecution in the trial of George Zimmerman trial was the inexplicable decision to lead with Rachel Jeantel, a friend of Trayvon Martin’s. Jeantel proceeded to admit to previously lying and then gave conflicted and at points unintelligible testimony. Her statement that Martin called Zimmerman a “cracker” further helped the defense in balancing the derogatory statements of Zimmerman. After the verdict, Jeantel has made statements that seem unhinged and again raise the question on why the prosecutors would place her so prominently in their case in chief. The latest controversy is a new allegation from Jeantel that she warned Trayvon that Zimmerman might be a gay rapist. She is not the only person associated with the trial who seems to be courting the press in the case with disastrous results.

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Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized

Twitter Caves To Demand Of French Jewish Students To Reveal Identifies Of Posters

150px-Twitter_2012_logoIn a disappointing concession by Twitter, the company has  agreed to hand over the details of people who post racist and anti-Semitic abuse anonymously on its site.  We previously discussed the effort of Jewish students to strip anonymity from posters and punish people for using language that they consider anti-Semitic.  It is in my view another major attack on free speech — part of a worldwide reduction of free speech rights.

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Bizarre, International, Media, Society, Torts

Chump Tort? Asiana Airlines To Sue Bay Area TV Station Over Fake Names Of Pilots In Crash

article-0-1ACA2A10000005DC-840_634x394After an Asiana Airlines passenger jet crashed and burned at San Francisco International Airport on July 6, 2013, a Bay Area TV station published what it claims were the names of the pilots, including Captain Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Low, Ho Lee Fuk, and Band Ding Ow. Unbelievably, as shown below, no one at KTVU-TV picked up on the joke and the anchor read the names in all seriousness. It turns out that a summer intern with the National Transportation Safety Board was the culprit in passing along the names. Now, Asiana is suing the station for injury to its reputation, a novel claim that could raise questions over not just the fact of injury but the degree of injury in such a prank.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Bad Goy, Bad Goy, Whatcha Gonna To Do When I Come For You? Rabbi Arrested For Impersonating Police Officer

alfredo-borodowski-photos-1Some New York drivers were startled when they saw a man waving his arms, honking his horn and flashing a silver badge in a frantic effort to get them to pull over in traffic.

Even more surprising was the person suspected of doing it: a respected New York City and Westchester rabbi.

Rabbi Alfredo Borodowski, 49, clearly does not like people driving slow or cutting him off. Unlike other road rages, however, Borodowski has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer to pull over offending drivers in his Camry. He would allegedly flash a badge and scream “Police! Police! Pull Over! in order to scream at drivers. To his credit, he appears to pulled over Goyum (non-Jewish) and non-Goyum drivers alike without prejudice in what could be a new reality series, “Road Rabbi: Life In The Fast Lane.”

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Bizarre, Courts, Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Angela Corey Fires Whistleblower Who Revealed The Withholding Of Evidence From Zimmerman Defense

AngelaCorey12425930As I mentioned in today’s column, the prosecution team of Angela Corey in the Zimmerman case have been accused of repeated prosecutorial abuse in the withholding of evidence from the defense. Circuit Judge Debra Nelson seemed intent on the most recent charge of withholding text messages to want to avoid the issue, but she earlier held a sanctions hearing with the testimony of the man who brought the violation to the attention of the defense: IT director Ben Kruidbos. Corey has been widely criticized for over-charging the case by experts, including an article out today, and her team was widely criticized for putting on a weak case for prosecution. Now, before Nelson has ruled on her office’s withholding of evidence, Corey has fired Kruidbos. His termination before a ruling on the alleged prosecutorial abuse only strengthens his claims as a whistleblower and throws the ethics of Corey and her office in great question.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Texas Judge Under Fire After Disclosure That She Texted Prosecutor During Trial With Suggested Examination Questions

rawImageElizabeth Coker, 258th Judicial District Judge in Texas, appears to want to be both judge and prosecutor at trial, but clearly not the defendant. Coker has admitted to sending text messages to a prosecutor to suggest examination questions during a trial. What is astonishing is that the prosecutor Kaycee L. Jones, was later made herself a judge despite the misconduct. The case reflects what defense attorneys have often complained is the close relationship of judges and prosecutors as well as the overwhelming preference for making prosecutors judges across the country.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Society, Torts

The Irresistible Woman Meets The Incorrigible Court: Iowa Supreme Court Issues New Opinion Upholding Firing In “Irresistible Attraction” Case

121223010629-nr-lemon-dental-assistant-fired-00001202-story-topRemember the case of the Iowa Supreme Court upholding the firing of a dental assistant because she was too attractive for her boss to resist? The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in December that a dentist did not commit gender discrimination in firing an attractive female employee, Melissa Nelson, at the request of a jealous wife. After a national outcry, the Court surprised many by suddenly vacating its earlier decision and taking back the case. Many hoped the court would discard its prior opinion. Think again. The Court has issued a new opinion with the same conclusion and ramping up its prior holding.

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Criminal law, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized

College Student In India Gang Raped And Set On Fire . . . Police Blame Victim And Refuse To Register Charges

India flagIndia continues to experience an epidemic of rape — and a continued alleged passivity of the police in dealing with rapes.  The latest case occurred in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s home district Etawah where a 20-year-od college student was allegedly gang raped and then lit on fire by her rapists.  The men came from a wealthy area of the district and the police refused to register the charges according to her family.

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