Politics

On Scott Walker, Wisconsin, and the Budget Repair Bill: Is the Story Over Yet?

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

I have already written three posts about Governor Scott Walker, his budget repair bill, and the protesters in Wisconsin. People have been interested in the Wisconsin story and have left nearly 1,800 comments at my three posts. I’ve even received requests to write up another post so that we could continue the discussion on the subject. I think there are others like me who believe the Wisconsin/Walker story is not over yet.

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Supreme Court

Talley v. California (1960) and Anonymous Blogging

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Thanks to the internet, free speech has never been more in evidence. Blogs and their comments sections enable anyone with internet access to speak their mind. The anonymity provided by the IP address encourages people to write what they think. The Supreme Court held that the First Amendment protects the right to speak anonymously in a case that bears the name of Manuel Tulley, who founded the Los Angeles chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality.

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Bizarre, Courts, Criminal law, Justice

When Judges Become Linebackers

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Poster’s Note: Today’s  will be my last set of posts for a couple of weeks. Suzanne and I will be traveling to her family’s homeland for a pint and song or two. I’ll try to send JT a picture from Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day. Erin Go Braugh !

America's Version of a Football Judge, Hon. David Doty, Embroiled in His Own Contest

The usual skills of judgeship like prudence, patience, neutrality, and gravitas pale sometimes to good tackling form. His honor Judge Marks Moore,60, learned that fact the hard way immediately following a jury trial in his London courtroom.

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Politics

Hey! Who Stole My Democracy?…or What’s Going on in the State of Michigan?

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

Warning: You are about to enter the Twilight Zone.

Imagine, if you will, that you live in a state where a governor wields extraordinary power over its residents. Imagine, if you will, that your governor has the legal authority to appoint an “Emergency Manager” to oversee the local government in the town where you reside. Imagine that the monetary compensation for the Emergency Manager of your community has no cap. Imagine that your Emergency Manager declares that there’s a financial emergency in your town and then takes over control of it. Imagine that the Emergency Manager can break contracts, seize and sell assets, eliminate services—and can also fire duly elected public officials who serve your community. Imagine, if you will, that the Emergency Manager empowered by your governor to run your town has the right to dissolve your school district and to disincorporate your town. AND imagine that you and your fellow residents have no say about what is going on! Just imagine how you might feel if you lived in a state where that kind of thing was going on. Well, the people who live in Michigan may not have to imagine much longer.

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Bizarre, Torts

More Heat Than Light: Sheen Files Against Warner Brothers and Lorre

I just read the filing by Marty Singer and I was a bit surprised by the language of the filing against Chuck Lorre and Warner Brothers. The complaint is below. In contains such lines as “Chuck Lorre, one of the richest men in television who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, believes himself to be so wealthy and powerful that he can unilaterally decide to take money away from the dedicated cast and crew of the popular television series, ‘Two and a Half Men,’ in order to serve his own ego and self-interest, and make the star of the Series the scapegoat for Lorre’s own conduct.”
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Criminal law, Politics, Society, Torts

Hockey Injury in Canadians-Bruins Game Raises Calls For Criminal or Disciplinary Action Against Bruin Zdeno Chara

Canadians are debating where to draw the line between rough sports and criminal conduct after Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty (left) was hospitalized due to a bodycheck by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (right).
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Academia, Bizarre

GW Professor Gets Thrown Out of Colonial Game and Becomes Internet Sensation

A George Washington Accounting professor went to the game this week between our Colonials and Dayton to be honored for his financial contributions to the athletic department. He ended up becoming a virtual campus icon — honored for his confrontation with a referee in defense of the Colonials in a video (below) that has gone viral.

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Constitutional Law, Society, Torts

New Hampshire Filmmaker Sues For Right To Be Bigfoot in State Parks

While the first amendment has been explored from virtually every possible angle, the one question that has long been unresolved since the founding of the Republic is what protection should be afforded to citizens who desire to dress as Bigfoot and scare hikers on federal lands. That question will now be answered in a lawsuit filed by Jonathan Doyle in New Hampshire.
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Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law, Environment

Sweetie’s Revenge: New York Teen Arrested After Manhunt in the Death of Hamster

New York police have finally captured Monique Smith, 19, after a nine-month search in the murder of Sweetie. The victim was a hamster. Smith’s alleged crime began with the untimely death of another hamster, Princess Stephanie.
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Bizarre, International, Military, Politics

Israel To Seek $20 Billion More in U.S. Aid

As cities and states shutdown basic programs and sell off parks and lands due to a lack of money, Israel will ask the U.S. for $20 billion in additional military aid. This is being supported by various members of Congress and the Administration, who continue to spend wildly abroad while demanding cuts in education, the environment, and other programs at home.
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Bizarre, Politics, Society

Obama Administration Pledges To Hold Gaddafi Accountable For War Crimes

In an announcement that has many civil libertarians charging hypocrisy, the Obama Administration has gone public with a commitment to hold Moammar Gaddafi accountable for war crimes. This is the same Administration that has been denounced internationally for blocking any prosecution of Bush officials, including Bush himself, for alleged torture and war crimes. This includes the recently disclosed communications with the Spanish government revealing that the Obama Administration pressured Spain to shutdown its own war crimes inquiry.
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