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Crime & Punishment: Cross-Dressing Criminal Meets His Maker!

I’m in Orlando attending the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. I was a presenter at two sessions on Friday. I was so busy for several days preparing for my presentations that I didn’t have time to research stories and write-up posts about them for the Turley Blawg this weekend. I decided to dust off an old case that I found in my Fairy Tale Crimebusters File. It’s a tale of a horrible crime against humanity committed by a dastardly lupine villain who enjoyed preying on Homo sapiens of all ages. Fortunately, the two crime victims in this case were rescued and the gluttonous perpetrator of the evil deed was swiftly—and capitally—punished.

In the Case of Little Red Riding Hood:
A wily wolf waited in the wood.
He coaxed sweet Red to pick wildflowers,
Then sneaked away and GULP! devoured
Dear old Granny, jumped in bed
With Granny’s bonnet on his head.
 

 

 

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Media, Society

(Below) River Dance Closes Lincoln Tunnel

A Florida dance troupe is learning the cultural ways of the Big Apple after they ditched their cars in the Lincoln Tunnel and dashed away on foot wearing camo. Seems our tiny dancers were late for a TV appearance on BET’s “106 & Park” show.  Those lovers of dance, the Port Authority police and the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force gave chase. The Tunnel was shut-down for 45 minutes during rush hour. Even with the rousing police escort, the dancers were late and headed back to Jacksonville still undiscovered but famous nonetheless.

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Science

Can You Hear Me, Major Tom: Scientists Discover First Extra-Galactic Planet
Artist rendering of New Planet

Hot on the heels of the first capture on an atom of anti-matter in a magnetic “bottle,” scientists now say  they’ve discovered the first planet formed outside of the Milky Way. The online edition of the journal “Science” reports that a planet has been found orbiting “our” Star HIP 13044. The new planet is a remnant of an ancient galaxy that collided with the Milky Way and is a mere 2000 light years away.  What makes the find intriguing is that, unlike planets in our solar system, the new planet contains Continue reading “Can You Hear Me, Major Tom: Scientists Discover First Extra-Galactic Planet” →

Bizarre, Courts, Criminal law, Justice, Torts

Delightfully Tacky Yet Unrefined: Hooter’s Security Roughs Up Granny Over Bill

Hooters Restaurants likes to promote their orange-hotpanted waitresses with the provocative tied-up teeshirts as, “delightfully tacky yet unrefined.”   The slogan might  be applied to its security guards too, if a  fiesty grandma gets her way. After disputing an errant appetizer on her bill from a Chicagoland Hooter’s, 54-year-old Livier Torres was manhandled by off-duty Oak Lawn Police Officer Joseph Schmidt as she tried to pay. Part-enforcer, part-social engineer (Schmidt reportedly told Torres daughter, “All you people are the same” in an apparent reference to their Mexican heritage.), the fearless crime fighter called for back-up against the marauding grandma — when a headlock and pinning her to the ground wouldn’t suffice. Despite a paucity of video Continue reading “Delightfully Tacky Yet Unrefined: Hooter’s Security Roughs Up Granny Over Bill” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Media, Military

London Mayor Tells Bush To Stay Out of Londontown — Will International Shunning Become Prosecution?

Boris Johnson, the conservative Mayor of London, has declared George Bush a persona non grata — asking him to stay out of London with his new torture-touting memoir. The question is whether such international shunning will become actual effort to prosecute Bush, who just confessed to war crimes. I discussed the controversy on Countdown.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International

London Police Officer Charged With Manslaughter After Yelling At Driver Caused Heart Attack

There is a fascinating case out of England where an officer has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a woman died following a road-rage argument. Christine Roche, 64, had a heart attack at the wheel after being confronted by the unnamed off-duty officer who was yelling at her for clipping his car mirror. The yelling reportedly induced the heart attack and led to the manslaughter charge.
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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Media, Politics

Senator Rockefeller Suggests Taking Fox and MSNBC Off The Air To Make Citizens Feel Better About Congress

In this video, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) suggests that he would like to see both FOX and MSNBC taken off the air so that people felt better about Congress and their government. This is coming from a Senator who led the effort to kill dozens of public interest lawsuits suing telecommunication companies for violations of their privacy and supported the effort to bar any investigation into the torture program. The problem, it seems, is the new coverage.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Media, Military, Politics, Society

Ghailani Acquitted On Major Terrorism Charges — Rep. King Responds With Call To Change Legal System

The trial of alleged Al Qaeda accomplice Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani has resulted in an acquittal on all major terrorism charges in New York. Ghailani was charged with crimes related to the 1998 suicide bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa that killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. I will be discussing the verdict tonight on Hardball.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Montgomery Police Officer Given $185 Ticket After Paralyzing 14-Year-Old Boy

A Montgomery County police officer Jason Cokinos is back walking the beat after hitting and paralyzing 14-year-old Luis Jovel Jr. Cokinos was speeding to his off-duty job when he hit Jovel and received only a $185 speeding ticket. The county paid $400,000 in damages.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Media, Politics, Society

Arpaio Found To Have Abused Office To Target Critics — Proceeds To Make Steven Seagal a Deputy

An independent prosecutor has found Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas had no basis for their public-corruption charges against critics and judges who sought to curtail their abuse of their offices. Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon reached the same conclusion as virtually all outside observers, including this blog. In the meantime, Arpaio continues his use of this office to pander to public sentiments and legitimize vigilantism. He announced this week that he had added “Hulk” star Lou Ferrigno and actor Steven Seagal to his anti-immigration posse.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

New York Police Nab Chess Felons in Park

New York Police swept into a park in bulletproof vests to arrest men trying to kill royals including two kings, two queens, four knights and even four bishops. The men had set up chess boards in a park that was empty at the time. It turns out that they were sitting in an area restricted to children or adults with children. They were given summons to appear to answer for their crimes in court and not allow to “castle” laterally to a nearby park.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Bristol Palin Triggers Rampage in Wisconsin

Bristol Palin has been implicated in a rampage in Dane County, Wisconsin.  Her latest alleged victim from her appearance on Dancing with the Stars is Steven N. Cowan, 66.  Cowan shared the view of millions that Palin was not much of a star and even less of a dancer.  So, when she again escaped being voted off the show, Cowan snapped.  He grabbed his shotgun and shot his own television.  His wife fled after he demanded his handgun (presumably for a tradition coup de grâce she ran and returned with the police.

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