Category: Society

Constitutional Law, Courts, International, Justice, Lawyering, Society, Uncategorized

Adoption Nightmare for Guatemalan Mother

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

 

A couple of months ago, my daughter recommended that I take a look at an adoption case that was just ruled on by the Missouri Supreme Court.  I did not have a chance to look at in-depth until recently and it is both interesting and heart wrenching.  It involves a Guatemalan immigrant mother whose baby was born in the United States while she was in the country illegally and the baby was adopted while the mother was in prison.  Thankfully, the Missouri Supreme court ordered a new adoption hearing which could still be another hurdle for the biological mother, but she now has a chance at regaining custody of her son.  Missouri Supreme Court Continue reading “Adoption Nightmare for Guatemalan Mother” →

Bizarre, Courts, Justice, Society

Take Me Out of the Pretrial Conference

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

HST and Opening Day at Yankee Stadium (1951)

In honor of Major League Baseball’s opening day, here’s a little item from Irvin, Texas Lawyer Darrell W. Cook who’s a huge Texas Rangers fan. Last year when the improbable happened and the Rangers made it to the World Series Cook was taking no chances. Seeing a pretrial conference on his calendar which conflicted with Game 1, Cook filed this emergency motion for continuance excerpted here:

Continue reading “Take Me Out of the Pretrial Conference” →

Congress, Justice, Politics, Society

Tea Party Versus the Middle Class

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

 

It seems like everywhere you turn there is a story about the how bad the deficit is and how the government must make drastic cuts to save the economy and reduce the deficit.  The Tea Party is clinging to their demands for $100 Billion in budget cuts or they say they will shut down the government.  “Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana, a tea party favorite in Congress, urged taking a hard-line on budget cuts – and if that meant a shutdown, then so be it.  “If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say, shut it down,” Congressman Pence said, eliciting a chant of “Cut or shut! Cut or shut!” from the crowd. Republicans worried about blame for a shutdown might not be so happy with Pence for that.” Christian Science Monitor Continue reading “Tea Party Versus the Middle Class” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Military, Society

Army Sergeant Convicted Of Threatening A Judge Due To One Line In A Song

There is a very disturbing first amendment case this week in Knoxville, Tennessee where a federal jury convicted Army Sgt. Franklin Delano “Dale” Jeffries II of threatening Knox County Chancellor Michael W. Moyers. The threat came in a juvenile song that Jeffries posted — raising very serious concerns over free speech.

Continue reading “Army Sergeant Convicted Of Threatening A Judge Due To One Line In A Song” →

Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Religion, Society

Florida Prosecutors Charge Leading Atheist Advocate With Unauthorized Practice of Law Due To The Use of Esquire

There is a disturbing case out of Florida where EllenBeth Wachs, 48, the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida had been arrested for unauthorized practice of law because she signed letters using “Esq.” for esquire.
Continue reading “Florida Prosecutors Charge Leading Atheist Advocate With Unauthorized Practice of Law Due To The Use of Esquire” →

Criminal law, Society, Torts

Problem Solved? Family Calls Police Out Of Concern For Son Leaving Without Taking His Diabetic Medicine; Police Run Son Off Road and Fatally Shoot Him

There is an incredible lawsuit pending in Salt Lake City, Utah. Perry Tucker and and his fiancée Brieanne Matson were concerned when Joey Tucker left the house without taking his diabetes medication and may have taken a sleeping pill. They allege that Salt Lake police officers responded by forcing Tucker off the road into a concrete barrier and then shooting him to death. The police insist that Tucker was a danger and reversed his car toward the officers.

Continue reading “Problem Solved? Family Calls Police Out Of Concern For Son Leaving Without Taking His Diabetic Medicine; Police Run Son Off Road and Fatally Shoot Him” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Politics, Society

GOP Indiana Rep Warns That Women Will Fake Rapes In Order To Get Free Abortions

The Indiana House has approved one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation, but not after a bizarre debate led by sponsor state Rep. Eric Turner (R). When Democratic legislators asked for an exception for rape and incest, Turner cried foul and warned that women would just fake rapes to get some of those free abortions. The Indiana House agreed and rejected the amendment.
Continue reading “GOP Indiana Rep Warns That Women Will Fake Rapes In Order To Get Free Abortions” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International, Politics, Society

Indian Province Bans Book on Gandhi Over Suggestions That He Was Gay

Indian legislators in Gujarat have banned a book by Pulitzer-Prize winner Joseph Lelyveld because it reportedly suggests that Mahatma Gandhi was gay. The book discusses Gandhi’s relationship with a German man named Hermann Kallenbach (who is shown here on the right with Gandhi). Lelyveld insists that the legislators are misreading the book, “Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India,” but the legislators want the book banned. Of course, Candhi was a champion for free speech but the legislators see no contradiction.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Turf Fight: Officers From Rivaling Jurisdictions Become YouTube Hit in Confrontation Over Jurisdiction

The video below is part of an investigation by the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office into a confrontation between officers from rivaling jurisdicitons: the Darby and Colwyn Police departments. After the Colwyn police arrested a man a block over the line in Darby, a confrontation occurred at the scene.

Continue reading “Turf Fight: Officers From Rivaling Jurisdictions Become YouTube Hit in Confrontation Over Jurisdiction” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Cheating the Cheater: Colorado College Senior Files Complaint Against Company Over Writing Her Term Paper

This could make for an interesting lawsuit. A college senior in Colorado has filed a Better Business Bureau complaint against Essaywritingcompany.com, owned by Jordan Kavoosi, after the Minnesota company allegedly failed to deliver the paper in time. This may appear a bit odd since the student is complaining about a company that cheated her in her effort to cheat, but the student wants a refund.
Continue reading “Cheating the Cheater: Colorado College Senior Files Complaint Against Company Over Writing Her Term Paper” →

Animals, Criminal law, International, Society

French Vegan Parents Charged With Death of Their Malnourished 11-Month Baby

A vegan couple in France has been charged with criminal neglect after the death of their 11-month-old daughter. Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou were charged after their daughter died from vitamin deficiency due to the fact that they only fed her mother’s milk. In a prior column, I wrote about the disparate treatment given parents who kill their children for religious reasons as opposed to non-religious neglect.
Continue reading “French Vegan Parents Charged With Death of Their Malnourished 11-Month Baby” →

Bizarre, Politics, Society

GOP Garanimals? Santorum Blames Abortion For Social Security Problems

Sometimes I get the feeling that politicians engage in a type of political Garanimals games: match any two or three signature words to enhance their political effect. Newt Gingrich warned citizens of how atheists and Islamic radicals would join together to destroy American. Now, presidential candidate Rick Santorum has combined abortion with social security to say that America’s
“abortion culture” is the reason that the Social Security system is failing. He would have gotten the full ten points if he added “feminists” or “environmentalists” in the dire warning.

Continue reading “GOP Garanimals? Santorum Blames Abortion For Social Security Problems” →