In Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Judge Joseph Williams has caused a controversy by rejecting a plea bargain on the ground that it is the type of deal that “only goes to white boys.” The plea agreement involved three months probation for a man accused of fighting with police during a traffic stop.
Continue reading “Pittsburgh Judge Rejects Plea Agreement As Something That Prosecutor Only Gives “To White Boys””
Category: Society
Mississippi Chancery Judge Talmadge Littlejohn means it when he asks everyone to stand and say the pledge of allegiance. When attorney Danny Lampley of Oxford stood but did not recite, Littlejohn threw him in jail.
Littlejohn was just honored by the Mississippi bar for 50 years in public service.
Continue reading “Mississippi Lawyer Jailed By Court For Not Reciting Pledge of Allegiance”
As has been the practice on this blog, I wanted to disclose my representation of the Brown family, who are the subjects of the new series “Sister Wives” on TLC. As in the past, any comments on the case by me will be limited. However, various people have suggested the reported criminal investigation as a subject for this blog and I wanted to explain why I have not posted anything on the controversy.
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Andre Shipley and his wife, Korisha, were already mourning the loss of their son Jesse when they were given an added injury by the New York city medical examiner when they learned that their son’s brain was on public display in a jar. The case is the latest controversy over the “right of sepulcher.”
Continue reading “Right of Sepulcher: Medical Examiner Sued After Former High School Friends Observed Deceased Boy’s Brain In a Jar During Morgue Tour”
There is a raging controversy in Israel where feminists and doctors have accused health officials of using a controversial birth control drug Depo Provera on female Ethiopian immigrants. The activists charge that the policy is based on racism and doubts over the “Jewishness” of the Ethiopians.
Continue reading “Report: Ethiopian Jews Allegedly Being Given Controversial Birth Control Drug”
We have seen a steady stream of criminal cases involving Arab princes and princesses accused of beating or killing their servants (here and here). Now, one prince, Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir al Saud, 34 (grandson of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah) is accused of strangling his male servant Bandar Abdulaziz (left) after sexually assaulting him in their luxury London hotel suite.
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It is perhaps an indication of our contemporary politics that 37 years ago, on November 17, 1973, Richard Nixon was declaring “I am not a crook.” Now, Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell is about to run an ad declaring “I am not a witch.” Our political system has become a parody of itself.
Continue reading ““I Am Not A Witch”: O’Donnell Releases Unique Campaign Ad”
This is a curious story. West Seneca Police Chief Edward F. Gehen called in the FBI to investigate an officer, Sean P. Kelley, who had a long line of disciplinary problems, but was rumored to be too well-connected to fire.
Continue reading “Report: Buffalo Police Officer With Political Connection Reportedly Racks Up Disciplinary Charges”
With the completion of the trial portion of the Porteous impeachment, the parties are required to submit the proposed findings of fact as established in testimony. Below are the material facts in the trial in a filing that we submitted to the Senate.
Continue reading “THE PORTEOUS IMPEACHMENT: THE FACTS”
Today, Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders went on trial for alleged hate speech for his anti-Muslim and anti-immigrants comments. While I strongly disagree with those comments, I believe the trial is a threat to free speech and part of a growing crackdown in the West on critics of religion.
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A new Pew survey indicates that if you want to know something about religion, ask an agnostic or atheists. The survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found atheist and agnostic Americans fare more knowledgeable about religion than their religious neighbors.
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In the latest twist to the case involving Tyler Clementi, prosecutors have announced that they are considering hate crime charges against Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi, of Plainsboro, N.J., and another student, and Molly Wei. We previously discussed the case on this blog. I have reservations over the addition of such charges based on the evidence that is currently known about the case.
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Each year, I speak to the first-year law students in my class about depression and mental illness — and the need to seek help. Law students often assume that problems like depression are rare when they are quite common among lawyers and are not barriers to professional development. Now, a study has concluded that roughly one in ten Americans suffer from depression and one in 30 suffer from major or manic depression.
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Oakland Police officers are facing criticism after shooting an 11-year-old arthritic yellow Labrador three times in responding to a burglar alarm. Owner Kate Hallock says her dog Gloria was shot three times with a 40-caliber Glock handgun in the family’s backyard.
Continue reading “Oakland Police Criticized After Shooting 11-Year-Old Arthritic Lab”
