Entries on Sunday will be delayed due to my deployment on the Cutter U.S.S. Taney (USCGC Taney (WPG/WHEC-37)). Continue reading “U.S.S. Taney Bound”
Category: Uncategorized
Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina has been accused of ethics violations in the misuse of campaign funds. The charges come at a time that Medina is dealing with a recent indictment for arson — an indictment quashed by a local prosecutor. Now Medina and Texas Supreme Court Justices Paul Green and Nathan Hecht are facing serious ethics charges. With a federal judge facing possible criminal charges for sexual assault and another facing demands to step down, it has been a particularly bad year for the Texas bench. Continue reading “Medina (and two other Texas Supreme Court Justices) Face Ethics Charge”
With little attention in the media, the Justice Department has filed papers in federal court arguing that the CIA did not have an obligation to preserve the infamous torture tapes and therefore was lawfully entitled to destroy them. The filing patently demonstrates the conflict of interest in Attorney General Michael Mukasey insisting that the Justice Department investigate the possible criminal conduct in the matter. Now, the Justice Department is not only investigating itself, but it is investigating a crime that it has rejected as baseless in court filings. The ACLU case has also shown that other officials were aware of the tapes, including the CIA Inspector General’s Office — which means that the agency “watchdogs” knew of a torture program – a clear criminal enterprise – and did nothing. Continue reading “Justice Department Argues in Court that CIA Did Not Have to Preserve Torture Tapes While It Continues to “Independently Investigate” That Very Crime”
As Congress deals with rising complaints over junk mail clogging mailboxes, it might want to start by reducing its own contributions to the scourge. Last year, U.S. House members spent $20.3 million to spend unsolicited mail to constituents on subjects ranging from car care to advice on job interviews. It is one of the reasons why incumbents are so difficult to unseat — members have created a constructive public subsidy for campaigns, but only for incumbents. Continue reading “House Members Spent Over $20 Million Dollars on Junk Mail”
For those who believe that the nation is finally coming to grips with the infamous program of torture implemented by President Bush, think again. The Republican senators are not only refusing to confront the White House, they actually blocked legislation to bar torture. Continue reading “Senate GOP Blocks Effort to Outlaw Torture”
In an extraordinary sentencing, Montana Judge James Haynes has sentenced Robert Stearns to 225 years for three felony counts of indecent exposure. Continue reading “Court Sentences Montana Man to 225 Years for Indecent Exposure”
Below is the written testimony on prison and sentencing reform before the House Judiciary Committee scheduled for December 6, 2007. Continue reading “Testimony on Prisoner Reform and Older Prisoners before the House Judiciary Committee”
There are 15,000 people trying to get off the government’s growing terror watch list, but facing bureaucratic delay and indecision. Continue reading “15,000 Seeking to Get Off Terror Watch List of Over 200,000”
In the latest story of alleged taser abuse, the Chicago police tasered an 82-year-old woman — an act that could have easily resulted in a heart attack. For the full story, click here
The judge in the Nowak case detailed a series of violations by the police, who seemed intent on getting incriminating statements from her despite her lack of sleep, absence of a lawyer, and failure to clearly consent to a waiver. Continue reading “Nowak Case Presents Classic Elements of 5th Amendment Violations”
The White House is defending its suppression of the results of health threats caused by global warming. Continue reading “White House Issues Defense of Suppression of Testimony”
The original CDC report on climate change has been leaked. For the full testimony, click here
Former Judge Michael Mukasey was the subject of a complaint by marshals while he was receiving years of security protection. The complaint also appears to refer to Judge Thomas Duffy, who also handled terrorism cases in New York. It is not clear which allegations refer to Mukasey and which refer to Duffy from having marshals carry their grocery to demanding their first class seats on airplanes to generally treating them as servants. For the full story, click here
For years, Senator Ted Stevens has been the poster boy of congressional corruption. I have written for years about his very public effort to enrich himself and his family. He now appears to be in serious trouble, but the question is why Alaskan voters allowed him to continue so long after media and columnists raised such issues over and over again. For a prior column on Stevens, click here .
In a case with some interesting first amendment implications, a police officer has been fired after the department learned that he ran an explicit porn website that showed him and his wife. The Ninth Circuit held that an officer could be fired for “sleazy” conduct — rather than protecting his individual right to engage in lawful forms of expressions. It is another version of the porn internet legal fight that has been raging. The Supreme Court has protected the right of porn sites over federal statutes. For the story, click here