Category: Society

Former Death Row Inmate is Arrested for Seventh Time

Literature and life has countless examples of criminals who are spared long incarceration or death and become model citizens who use their “second chance” to live a worthy life. Thomas Anderson, 57, is just not one of them. After since he was spared death in 1988, Anderson has racked up seven felony cases — and supplied pro-death penalty advocates with a rallying cry for tougher sentencing laws.
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Mother Starves 16-Month Baby To Death — Receives No Jail Time

We have another case of religious homicide and a comparatively light sentence (For a prior column, click here). In the case of Javon Thompson, he was starved to death because he would not say “Amen” after meals. The mother received no jail time and five years probation.
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Prosecutors Charge Former Nurse With Encouraging Suicide

There is a fascinating case in Minneapolis that raises some important free speech issues in an assisted suicide case. William Melchert-Dinkel, 47, was charged with two felony counts of aiding suicide under a Minnesota law that criminalizes even verbal encouragement of suicide. Adding to the novelty is the fact that state prosecutors are charging Melchert-Dinkel in deaths that occurred not only outside the state but outside the country.
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Seattle Cartoonist Declares May 20th as “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day”

While a Saudi lawyer is suing in England over the Danish cartoon controversy (here), Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris has declared May 20th “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” Norris took the action after the shameful decision of Comedy Central to censor an episode of South Park after Muslims threatened to kill the creators of South Park for showing Mohammed in a bear suit.
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Saudi Lawyer To Sue In England Over Danish Cartoons on Behalf of the Descendants of Mohammed

Muslim lawyers are continuing their campaign against Danish newspapers over those Mohammed cartoons, even after one newspaper, Politiken, apologized to Muslims. Now, in England, they have filed a lawsuit on behalf of 95,000 direct descendants of Mohammad over the cartoons filed in Denmark.
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Governor Signs Controversial Immigration Law Amid Promises of Legal Challenges

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed that state’s new immigration bill despite widespread questions over its constitutionality. Shortly before Brewer announced the signing, President Barack Obama ordered the Justice Department to monitor possible civil rights violations, here.

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Rotten Apple: Police Investigating After Gizmodo Pays “Source” $5000 For Prototype Apple Phone

The story of how an Apple employee left a prototype phone at a bar has been out this week after Gizmodo bought the phone, took it apart, and featured it on its site. What I find interesting is that someone found the phone at a bar and proceeded to take it and sell it to Gizmodo for $5000. Putting aside the dishonesty of this act, Gizmodo may have bought stolen property. This was clearly not abandoned or discarded property, as both the “source” and Gizmodo were aware. Moreover, Gizmodo knew its true owner — Apple.
It is now being reported that police are investigating the alleged theft, here. They have ample reason to investigate.
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Pennsylvania Representative “Outs” Opponent For Being a Faux Bisexual

Pennsylvania Rep. Babette Josephs (D., Phila.) has outed her opponent, Gregg Kravitz, in a bruising campaign in Philadelphia. While politicians often face allegations of being a closeted homosexual, Josephs is accusing Kravitz of being a closet heterosexual in the liberal district.

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Pope on a Rope: Benedict XVI Named in New Abuse Lawsuit

Pope Benedict XVI is named in a new lawsuit on child abuse in a case that will test the claims of diplomatic immunity claimed by the Vatican’s lawyers, here. The claims stem from the alleged cover-up of abuse by a priest at a Catholic school in Wisconsin, Father Lawrence Murphy. The lawsuit seeks the names of potentially thousands of similar priests facing “credible allegations of sexual misconduct” against them.

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