Category: Society

Society

Grace Under Pressure: Michael Ferns’ Run

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

High school tailback, Michael Ferns, had just cleared the Edison High secondary and was sprinting unmolested to his 12th touchdown of the season. His undefeated St. Clairsville (Ohio) team was putting the final touches on a significant win over its rival and the senior footballer was trying to impress the University of Michigan scouts who were already considering offering him a full football scholarship. As he crossed over the opponent’s five yard line, Ferns did a curious thing. He slowed down and made a right turn out-of-bounds at the one.

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Lawyering, Media, Society

TOP 100 IRISH LAWYERS

On Thursday night, I was honored to received an award as one of this year’s Top 100 Irish Lawyers in the World at the home of the Irish Ambassador, Michael Collins and his wife Marie. I have previously been honored by this selection but this year was particularly gratifying because one of my co-honorees was my former student Katie Harrington-McBride who recently began her work as counsel to Disney Corporation. I am enormously proud of Katie’s success and that of her husband (and another former GW student) John McBride.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Ninety Year Old California Man Sued By An Addict Who Shot Him In His Home

There is a truly bizarre case out of California this week in which A 90-year-old California man Jay Leone was shot during an alleged burglary by a methamphetamine addict. The addict, Samuel Cutrufelli, 31, has now sued Leone for negligence. It is the type of case often referenced by legislators in support of Castle Doctrine or Make My Day laws — laws that I have long opposed. Indeed, this case is an example of why such laws are not needed. The case appears meritless and will likely face dismissal by the court.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Police: Louisiana Woman Set Herself On Fire and Wrote KKK At Crime Scene To Fake Hate Crime

We have another bizarre case of a person who faked a hate crime. We previously followed the case of a lesbian in Nebraska charged with faking a gruesome anti-homosexual attack in her home. Now, police have concluded that a black woman in Louisiana who was the subject of vigil and national outcry is not a victim after all. Sharmeka Moffitt, 20, claimed that three white men doused her with a flammable liquid and lit her on fire while writing KKK and a racial slur on her car. Police say that Moffitt did these acts to herself.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Montana Man Cleared By Castle Doctrine Law After Shooting Unarmed Husband Who Confronted Him About An Affair With His Wife

We have another “Castle doctrine” case this week. The most recent case comes from Kalispell, Montana where Brice Harper, 24, gunned down Dan Fredenberg, 40, in his garage. Fredenberg (left), 40, was coming over to confront Harper (right below) about having an affair with his wife, Heather Fredenberg. Harper cut the encounter short by shooting him dead and a prosecutor has declared that the shooting cannot be prosecuted given the state’s Castle doctrine or “Make My Day” law.

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

GOP Senatorial Candidate: God Intended Rape Victims To Get Pregnant

Honestly, what is the problem with rape and Republican candidates this year? First, Rep. Todd Akin loses a lock on a Senate seat by holding forth on “legitimate rape” and how women possess some magic ability to prevent pregnancies by rapists. Now, Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock (who defeated respected Senator Richard Lugar) has proclaimed with only a few weeks to go in the election that the impregnation of women in rape is part of God’s plan. What happened to the good old day when GOP candidates primarily followed a formula campaign based on lower taxes and longer criminal sentences?

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Society, Torts

Ask Not What Your Doctor Can Do For You . . . : Patients Charged For Asking Too Many Questions

There is an interesting story about patients who are charged more if they ask too many questions of their doctors. In the case of Susan Krantz, a doctor charged her for two visits because she asked too many questions about his diagnosis. It is an interesting trend since consent is the common defense to malpractice. However, if you ask too many questions before giving consent, you are charged by some doctors.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Small is Beautiful: Seventh Circuit Rules $1200 Bribe Not Enough To Constitute A Bribe Under Federal Law

There is an interesting decision out of Chicago in which  Judge William Bauer (left) finds that a Chicago zoning inspector is innocent of federal bribery because the bribes were too modest to constitute the prescribed crime. Dominick Owens was convicted under a federal statute  for taking two $600 bribes to issue certificates of occupancy for four homes.  However, the federal law states a $5000 threshold and the court ruled that the value of the bribes fell below that definition. It is a curious bribery statute that effectively distinguishes between federal non-criminal and criminal bribes on the basis of their worth.

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Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Science, Society

Leading Italian Scientists Convicted Of Failing To Predict 2009 Earthquake

In a blow to science and rational thought, Italian prosecutors have succeeded in convicting seven of that country’s leading scientists of manslaughter for failing to predict the 2009 earthquake that struck central Italy. Despite objections from the world’s science community that such accurate and consistent predictions are still impossible, the government blamed the scientists for failing to alert the public that an earthquake was coming.

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Bizarre, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

After Calling For International Blasphemy Crime: Egyptian President Morsi Participates In Service Calling For The Annihilation of All Jews and Israel

You many recall the demand of Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi for a new anti-blasphemy law at the United Nations. One of Mursi’s chief aides, Emad Abdel Ghaffour, “we call for legislation or a resolution to criminalize contempt of Islam as a religion and its Prophet. The voice of reason in the West will prevail if there is mutual respect, dialogue and efficient lobbying for this critical resolution.” That does not appear to be a two-way street with Morsi or his followers. Morsi was shown this week attending prayers and listening to cleric Futouh Abd Al-Nabi Mansour calling for the destruction of all Jews and their supporters. Observers report that Morsi not only did not object or distance himself from the remarks, but appears to say “Amen” after the specific call for death to all Jews.

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Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Texas Judge Faces Bar Hearing Over Alleged Abuses As District Attorney

One of the most common complaints by civil libertarians is that prosecutors who abuse the system or rights of defendants are rarely held accountable when convictions are later thrown out. Some like Nancy Grace actually make television careers based on their checkered record as prosecutors. One exception is the Texas proceedings against Texas judge and former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson, who is accused of withholding evidence and making false statements during the 1987 trial of Michael Morton for the murder of his wife. Despite the allegations of his abuses as a prosecutor, Anderson was elevated to the bench to mete out justice as a judge.

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Academia, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Science, Society

Turkish Schoolchildren Issued Anti-Semitic and Anti-Darwin Textbooks

Turkey was long a bastion of secular politics — a rare position in the Muslim world. After the ascension of an Islamic party-controlled government, however, religious extremism is taking hold in a variety of areas to the alarm of civil libertarians in Turkey and around the world. The most recent example is a series of books issued to schoolchildren that are filled with anti-Semitic and anti-Darwinian references. Darwin is actually described as a Jew (he wasn’t) with a big nose and a weird fetish for monkeys.

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Politics, Society

Credit Card Survey Shows Forty Percent Of Americans Have No More Than $500 In Accessible Savings

The level of debt and poverty in the country was reflected in a shocking polls conducted by CreditDonkey.com, a website that compares credit card offers. The survey of over a thousand individuals found that forty percent do not have more than $500 in readily accessible savings.

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Courts, International, Politics, Society, Things That Tick Me Off, Uncategorized

Did Romney Profit from the Auto Bailout?

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw)- Guest Blogger

If he said it once, Mitt Romney has said it a thousand times.  President Obama should have let GM and Chrysler go bankrupt instead of “bailing” them out. (paraphrased)  Of course, the discussion usually revolves around how Unions allegedly made out like bandits in the bailout to the detriment of the country and our economy.  What has been selectively left out of the discussion was the role played in the bailout by vulture capitalists in reaping an enormous profit from the bailout.  According to Greg Palast, the bailout created an opportunity for the vultures to swoop in and make huge profits.   All at tax payer expense! Continue reading “Did Romney Profit from the Auto Bailout?” →