Category: Society

Negating Neda: Iranian Government Seeks to Erase Memory of Iranian Martyr

amd_neda_headshotActing true to it authoritarian form, the Iranian government is seeking to erase evidence of Neda Solton, the 26-year-old woman who died during protests when government forces used live rounds to disperse crowds.

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Marriage of Convenience: New York Lawyer Suspended After Falsely Claiming to Be Judge’s Wife

weinstein_jeremyThe New York Supreme Court Appellate Division has suspended New York lawyer Cheryl Brodsky in a rather bizarre case where she falsely claimed to be the wife of Queens Supreme Court Administrative Judge Jeremy Weinstein and then refused to get a mental health evaluation.
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Bad Hair Day: Indiana Parolee Arrested in Mid Hair Cut During Alleged Drug Deal

marcus+baileyWe have seen some unfortunately mug shots, but Marcus T. Bailey, 28, has reason to be aggrieved. The parolee allegedly stepped out of a barbershop in the middle of his haircut to do a drug deal — only to be arrested and then booked before, to quote Norma Desmond, he was ready for his close up.
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Ohio Inmate to be Freed Over Typo on Sentencing Form

art.wells.odrcConvicted drug dealer Calvin Eugene Wells is looking at a likely release from prison based not on his conduct or innocence, but a three-letter typo. Wells was sentenced in October 2005 to 10 years for his possession of more than 100 grams of cocaine. However, the verdict form signed by the jurors contained a typo that wast eh grounds for an appellate court to slashed his sentence down to a fifth-degree felony.
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DePaul President Names Former Judge as New “Interim” Dean for Two Years

WolfsonholtschneiderDePaul University President The Reverend Fr. Dennis H. Holtschneider (right) has announced his selection of Illinois Appellate Judge Warren Wolfson, 76, as the new interim dean at the DePaul University College of Law for a two-year appointment. The announcement led to the resignation of the associate dean and only further angered the faculty and students.
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Cult or Miscavige of Justice? Newspaper Runs Indepth Exposé on Church of Scientology

488px-scientology_symbolsvgThe St. Petersburg Times is running a series on the Church of Scientology that has some pretty eye-popping allegations, particularly with regard to Church leader David Miscavige. For those who have long argued that the Church is a cult (most recently in Europe) the exposé will likely reinforce their views.

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Website Under Investigation in Israel For Featuring Soldier As Alleged Killer

660px-flag_of_israelsvg>Israel has a case that would make for an interesting false light and defamation claim in the United States. Indymedia Israel, a news site popular with civil libertarians, ran a picture of a soldier with the caption “murderer” and said that he was responsible for the death of Bassem Abu Rahma, who was hit in the chest with a tear gas grenade in Bilin near the West Bank. The government says that the soldier was not involved in the incident.
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Fish Story? Texas Lawyer Asserts the Catfish Defense in DWI Case

180px-ChannelcatAttorney Bryan Simmons says that he was brought low by the double scourge of hard work and catfish. Simmons drove off the road and got stuck in a ditch with a flat tire– the result of fatigue from a trial and a reaction to the black pepper sprinkled on his catfish. District Judge John Miller ordered him to pay the costs of a trial that ended in the middle of jury selection due to his failure to appear.
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Video: Two Women Arrested After Asking for Officer’s Badge Number

England flagThere English media has been pursuing a series of stories about police abuse, particularly at protests. A new video (below) has surfaced showing the arrest of two such protesters, Val Swain, 43, and Emily Apple, 33, who claim that they were arrested and roughed up after demanding the badge number of an officer.

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Palin the Neck: Alaska Governor Says that She Has Spent $500,000 on Frivolous Lawsuits

225px-palin1Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has come out with criticism of the citizens who have filed ethics complaints against her. She says that all of these ethics charges are frivolous and politically motivated — and cost $500,000 to defend against.

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Sonia Sotomayor Resigns From Female-Only Club

200px-Sonia_SotomayorU.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has resigned from the all-women Belizean Grove club — waiting for Friday to try to bury the announcement in the weekend news. Sotomayor did not express any personal concerns or regrets about joining an exclusive club and only stated that she did not want it to be a “distraction” from her record.
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Iran’s Crispus Attucks: Demonstrators Chant the Name of Neda

1_61_neda4_320amd_neda_headshotAt the Boston Massacre, an unlikely figure emerged as one of the heros, a man of black or Indian parentage named Crispus Attucks. In Iran, women have played a key role in the protests and protesters have rallied around a female martyr named Neda Soltan, 26. Just as blacks in the United States were fighting from a position of slavery and discrimination, Iranian women have been throwing off of restrictions of the harsh Islamic regime and taken to the street. One such courageous young person was filmed as she died after being shot by Iranian security. The video is making it through the blackout curtain established by the Iranian government.
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