The 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.
Dorothy Hendricks, 54, of St. Croix has been charged with allegedly trying to sell her vote on a criminal jury. Another juror is also under investigation in the U.S. Virgin Islands for trying to sell their votes for between $3000 and $5000 to a defense attorney.
Continue reading “Jurors Under Investigation for Attempted Bribery”
>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.
Continue reading “Website Under Investigation in Israel For Featuring Soldier As Alleged Killer”
Attorney 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.
Continue reading “Fish Story? Texas Lawyer Asserts the Catfish Defense in DWI Case”
There 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.
Continue reading “Video: Two Women Arrested After Asking for Officer’s Badge Number”
Alaska 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.
U.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.
Continue reading “Sonia Sotomayor Resigns From Female-Only Club”
At 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.
Continue reading “Iran’s Crispus Attucks: Demonstrators Chant the Name of Neda”
Gentleman assume your couches! Happy Father’s Day to all of the Turley bloggers.
The dismissal of Dean Glen Weissenberger after only two years into his second term has caused a upheaval at the law school where students and faculty have rallied around the popular dean. Weissenberger was reportedly fired on the recommendation of the provost, Helmut Epp.
Continue reading “DePaul Students and Faculty Fight to Keep Fired Dean”
A New York mother in Queens “cured” her daughter in a religious ceremony by burning the six-year-old daughter Frantzcia Saintil and leaving her scarred for life. The mother, Marie Lauradin, 29, was charged with assault and endangering a child this week.
Continue reading “New York Mother “Cures” Daughter in Religious Ceremony By Burning Her”
Maria Barbu, 17, has died in Brasov, Romania after she tried to Twitter while soaking in a tub.
Continue reading “Death by Twitter: Teenage Girl Electrocuted To Death While Twittering”
There has been a steading criminalization of bad conduct in the United States, as discussed in earlier columns. We can add the New York subways push to force people to give up their seats to the elderly and disabled — or face a potential 10 day jail term.
Continue reading “Be Polite or Else: New York to Enforce Criminal Penalties on Yielding Seats on the Subway”
A new Japanese study indicates that being chubby is the key to the long life — a finding with direct implications for the continuation of the Turley blog for decades to come. in the meantime, the oldest man in the world, Henry Allingham, has explained that the key to his long life is heaving drinking and womanizing.
Continue reading “The Rubens Plan: Being Chubby and Horny Cited As Keys to Long Life”
The now imprisoned U.S. District Court Samuel B. Kent has been openly bilking the government for salary and benefits by refusing to resign. His lawyer even acknowledged that his promise to resign in a year was due to his calculation that the Congress could not move any faster toward a Senate trial. It was a curious legal strategy since it virtually dared the Congress to expedite the matter, which it did. Kent has now been impeached in a fast track proceeding.
Continue reading “Judge Kent Impeached in Expedited Process”