Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has pulled prosecutors out of all traffic court and domestic violence cases after her office laid off 22 prosecutors due to budget cuts. Now, with Detroit cutting its police force to a dangerous level, the chances of getting caught in a crime is much lower in the city and, if that does occur, the case may be dismissed due to a lack of a prosecutor. Defendants are finding themselves cleared without even having to raise a defense. It is not clear whether police will continue to make arrests in these areas if Worthy is not going to prosecute. Detroit has not only been hit with a falling population and the loss of the auto industry but a political system that has retained incompetent and corrupt politicians — many of whom have been under criminal investigation. As for Worthy, we have previously discussed her controversial prosecutorial decisions and her own scandal over a foreclosed home. I presume that among the cases that will not be prosecuted is Worthy’s prior controversial demand to prosecute parents who miss teacher-parent meetings at public schools.
Category: Society
California State Senator Lou Correa appears to view the low DUI thresholds for drivers as insufficient. Correa has introduced what many are calling a “sober driver” law where a citizen can be arrested for having any detectable level of drugs in their system, even if they are functionally sober. This includes cannabinoids which can stay in your system for weeks. The law seems to move beyond prosecuting people who are actually impaired in driving.
Continue reading “California Legislature Considers “Sober Driving” Law”
An Adjunct Law Professor from the University of Oregon has been removed from teaching responsibilities after a confrontation with students that was partially filmed. James Olmsted had a confrontation with students protesting immigration policies on March 14th in which he and students exchange foul language and at one point Olmsted advises them to “start a war, get a gun, shoot me first.”
We have yet another tell-all book from an ex-Scientology member recounting many of the same abuses of forced labor, cruel conditions, and slavish service for scientology celebrities. This book however is written by the niece of church leader David Miscavige. Miscavige has previously been accused of physically beating followers and requiring virtual slavish service to the Church’s celebrities from Tom Cruise to John Travolta to Fox News’ Greta Van Susteran. Continue reading “Niece of Scientology Head Publishes Book Detailing Alleged Abuses By Church”
Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder left no question about the Administration’s support of the abusive treatment of Aaron Swartz by US Attorney Carmen Ortiz and Deputy US Attorney Stephen Heymann. Heymann was previously linked to a suicide in another prosecution. We have discussed the abusive prosecution earlier and Swartz’s suicide after months of unrelenting threats and coercion. Holder heralded the treatment of Swartz as an example of the “good use of prosecutorial discretion.” Swartz’s girlfriend has come forward to denounce Holder and the Obama Administration for its misrepresentations in the case.
Continue reading “Holder Defends Swartz Abuse As Example Of Good Prosecutorial Discretion”
AEK Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis is the latest celebrity to embrace that “I’m a moron” defense in the wake of a scandal. In celebration of a goal against Veria last week, Katidis did a Nazi salute. It would be an outrage in any country but the Germans in World War II killed as many as 800,000 of his countrymen — though the precise number has been recently debated. He has now been banned from the national team.
Continue reading “Greek Soccer Star Banned Over Nazi Salute”
Ok, I am not asking for it but, if anyone is looking for something for my upcoming birthday in May, this would be a great idea. In every movie of the Titanic, the signature moment is the ship band playing as the ship sinks in the cold Atlantic seas. The head of the band was Wallace Hartley leading his seven other band members. Now, Hartley’s violin is being auctioned off. That’s right, the very same violin that Harley took into the water on that April night in 1912.
Continue reading “Hartley’s Violin: Now “Nearer, My God, To Thee”!”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of the leprechauns of the blog from the Turley Clan.
Continue reading “HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!!”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
In a 2010 New York Times article titled Charter Schools’ New Cheerleaders: Financiers, reporters Tripp Gabriel and Jennifer Medina wrote the following about what was going on in the state of New York:
Wall Street has always put its money where its interests and beliefs lie. But it is far less common that so many financial heavyweights would adopt a social cause like charter schools and advance it with a laserlike focus in the political realm…
Although the April 9 breakfast with Mr. Cuomo was not a formal fund-raiser, the hedge fund managers have been wielding their money to influence educational policy in Albany, particularly among Democrats, who control both the Senate and the Assembly but have historically been aligned with the teachers unions.
They[hedge fund managers] have been contributing generously to lawmakers in hopes of creating a friendlier climate for charter schools. More immediately, they have raised a multimillion-dollar war chest to lobby this month for a bill to raise the maximum number of charter schools statewide to 460 from 200.
That same year—2010—Juan Gonzalez believed that he had uncovered one of the reasons why hedge fund managers, some wealthy Americans, and the executives of some Wall Street banks had become such big proponents of charter schools and had gotten involved in their development. Gonzalez said the banks and other wealthy investors had been making “windfall profits” by taking advantage of “a little-known federal tax break to finance new charter-school construction.” That little know tax break, the New Markets Tax Credit, can be so lucrative, Gonzalez said, “that a lender who uses it can almost double his money in seven years.” He added that the tax break “gives an enormous federal tax credit to banks and equity funds that invest in community projects in underserved communities, and it’s been used heavily now for the last several years for charter schools.”
What was expected to be a simple correction of its domestic violence statute in Utah to include non-married couples, triggered a disturbing outburst of homophobic and extremist views. The bill was opposed by the Gun Owners of America.
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian diplomats denounced the United Nation’s document calling for the protection of women as contrary to Islamic principles and Egypt is demanding that the resolution include an exception for countries that view the provisions are contrary to their values. The Egyptians called the document “deceitful” and the ruin of traditional families.
After living with the same woman for 51 years, Evan Davidson probably can recognize his own wife. However, when the management of Simpson Family Mortuary of Inglewood showed him Darlene Davidson, 82, in her casket, Evan Davidson promptly said that is not my wife. However, the mortuary insisted that he was wrong and she simply looked different due to embalming. They insisted on burying her and later learned that in fact it was a different woman.
Continue reading “California Mortuary Admits It Buried Wrong Woman Despite Husband’s Objections”
Conservative sites have exploded with a new controversy surrounding Joe Biden who appears to distinguish between true abuse or worrisome signs of abuse and a “garden variety slap across the face.” However, listening to the YouTube clip it is clear that the statement has been cut off.
We previously discussed the case of Lisa and Anthony “A.J.” Demaree who had their three children taken away from them after a Walmart employee reported them to the police as child pornographers for innocent pictures in a bathtub on a vacation. The absurd reaction of Walmart led to their then 5, 4 and 1 1/2 year old daughters being taken away for a month and put the family through a ridiculous criminal process due to the equally negligent acts of the police and prosecutors. Their case is now before the Ninth Circuit in seeking to be able to present their claims to a jury.
This is not the advertising that Thomas Lewis Edwards was looking for in placing the ad for his firm. Edwards, a DUI lawyer, had his recent mug shot posted next to his law firm advertisement. You guessed it: he was arrested for DUI.