Georgia Chief Judge David Barrett, chief judge of the Enotah Judicial Circuit, has resigned over what the district attorney called “a poor rhetorical point.” District Attorney Jeff Langley’s description may not quite capture the moment. Barrett pulled out a gun in his courtroom in the Enotah Judicial Circuit and told a women in a domestic assault case “You might as well shoot your lawyer.”
Category: Society
Chief U.S. District Judge of Montana Richard Cebull is under fire for a joke that he sent to friends from his court email. The email has been denounced as racist and “compares African-Americans to dogs.” He insists that it was not for public circulation and reflected his dislike for the president, not black people.
Continue reading “Racist or Clueless? Chief Judge of Montana Under Fire For Obama Joke”
There is an interesting claim in Massachusetts where three women are charged with a hate crime for allegedly beating a gay man at a train station. In their defense, lawyers are arguing that it is effectively impossible for the women to commit a hate crime because they are lesbians.
Continue reading “Lesbians Charged With Anti-Gay Attack in Controversial Massachusetts Case”
There is an interesting case out of Mantua, Ohio. A 17-year-old student at Crestwood High School was arrested for posing with an assault rifle on Facebook and writing about the massacre in allegedly favorable terms. This followed the shooting at Chardon High School in Ohio.
This is a striking collection of scenes from citizens going to various police stations to try to obtain a complaint form to report police misconduct. They are met with little cooperation and often outright hostility.
The Washington Post has a story that has left many deeply disturbed. Barbara Johnson was attending her mother’s funeral at the St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland when she went up to receive communion. Upon seeing her, Rev. Marcel Guarnizo refused to give her the host, saying that he was aware that she was a lesbian living with another woman and therefore a sinner. Later, when Johnson was giving the eulogy, Gaurnizo abruptly left the service — leaving no priest at the remainder of the service or attending the burial.
The Church of Scientology is trying to dampen down another scandal from a former high-ranking member. Debbie Cook ran the church’s Flag Base in Clearwater, Florida for 17 years. A former “captain”, Cook has offered testimony and given interviews detailing alleged physical abuse by church leader David Miscavige as well as a hellish trailer known as “the hole” for bad scientologists. It has been a bad period of Scientology which recently saw a French court uphold its fraud conviction in France.
Continue reading “Former Senior Scientology Officer Testifies Against Church Head David Miscavige”
Below is today’s column on the trial of George Huguely for the murder of Yeardley Love (shown left).
Continue reading “The Huguely Trial And The Search For Meaning”
Former Deputy District Attorney David Schubert has been sentenced to nine months in jail for felony crack possession. We previously discussed the case, but Clark County District Judge Carolyn Ellsworth took the notable step of denouncing the plea deal with Schubert as something of a sweetheart deal for the former prosecutor.
Continue reading “Former Top Narcotic Prosecutor Sentenced To Jail On Drug Charge”
Doctors are warning that heated car seats may be leaving people permanently scarred due to what they are calling “Toasted Skin Syndrome.” That could make for an interesting class action products liability lawsuit.
Continue reading “Toasted Bun Tort? Doctors Warn Of Rash Associated With Heated Car Seats”
How is this for a tort lawsuit? Artie Hughes says that he enjoying an evening on his deck in Malverne, New York when he and his wife were covered by human waste. A plane taking off from Kennedy airport had released the sludge in taking off.
A new study would indicate that, of all of the candidates this year, Newt Gingrich may come closest to the 99 percent . . . at least on the issue of adultery. Washington appears to be leading the nation in adultery.
President Barack Obama this month launched “African Americans For Obama.” This video shows Obama with an articulate and moving message tied to African American month, but is it the right message? There is no question this is a direct appeal to race as a unifying theme with supporters — a move that would be denounced if tried by his white opponents. In the video, Obama states “I don’t think there’s a better time than Black History Month” for this effort, but some view this as the worst time for an open injection of race as a motivating factor in politics. I am frankly divided on the issue because I can see the justified pride of this community in President Obama. However, I remain uneasy over a direct appeal from the President on race — just as I have criticized past appeal to sectarian religious groups by presidential candidates.
Continue reading “African Americans For Obama: Is An Appeal To Race A Celebration or An Abdication of The Civil Rights Movement?”
I was on CNN this morning discussing the comments of the Pennsylvania judge on the assaulting of an atheist. On the way back, the CNN driver took I-66 and we passed this scene of a woman drinking coffee and reading her Nook . . . while moving over fifty miles an hour during rush hour.
Finally a job that I am actually qualified to hold. Democratic Utah Rep. Brian Doughty has proposed a bill that would require that at least two members of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission be actual drinkers. Send me in coach.
Continue reading “Utah Legislator Proposes Drinkers-Only State Positions”