Germany is finally in the black. On Sunday, Germany paid off the last of the reparations set 92 years ago after the end of World War I. The final £60 million installment of the £22 billion debt was paid off pursuant to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
Continue reading “It’s Over, Over There: World War I Ends With The Payment of Final Reparations By Germany”
This is a curious crime report. Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez, Jr. in Zapata County Texas is dealing with “lake pirates.” Falcon Lake sits on the Texas/Mexican border and a Texas couple was attacked while jetskiing by a boat of “pirates” who shot David Michael Hartley, 30. The wife had to speed off, leaving her husband in the water.
Continue reading “Lake Pirates? Texan Killed on Border Lake By Mexican Pirates”
New Jersey officials are dealing with a tragic suicide of a freshman from Rutgers University after Tyler Clementi was allegedly filmed illegally in a sexual encounter by fellow freshman students Dharun Ravi, 18, and Molly Wei, 18. In an example of the merging of tort and criminal law, the two students have been criminally charged with invasion of privacy.
Continue reading “Rutgers Student Commits Suicide After Two Other Students Secretly Film Sexual Encounter”
There is an interesting ruling out of Canada where Justice Susan Himel of Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice has struck down Canada’s prostitution laws as violating the basic rights of prostitutes and their clients. It is a position that many libertarians and some civil liberties advocates have long advocated — objecting to the criminalizing of such agreements between consenting adults absent some injury to a third-party or cognizable crime.
Continue reading “Canadian Court Strikes Down Prostitution Law”
In Chicago, police and prosecutors are dealing with a shooting in an unexpected way. Margaret Matthews, 68, had long complained about a 12-year-old who has been “terrorizing” her. When the boy joined friends in throwing bricks through her windows, she shot him. Police, however, did not charge her — instead charging the boy.
Continue reading “Elderly Lady Shoots 12-Year-Old After He Threw Brick Through Window — Only The Child Is Charged”
University of Chicago Professor Todd Henderson has found himself in the curious position of being the focus of a national debate over tax rates — and his family’s finances. The corporate law professor wanted to show that people making more than $250,000 a year are not super rich and indeed can be struggling in this economy like other families. The response to this argument on his blog was fast and furious — leading Henderson to shutdown his blog and decline further commentary.
Continue reading “Does This Man Deserve a Tax Break? Blog Triggers Bizarre Debate Over a Law Professor’s Finances Swirls”
A former partner with the California law firm of Bisnar Chase is suing the firm for sexual harassment and breach of contract. Stephen Eggleston claims that he was forced out of the firm after he refused to attend an office retreat where male attorneys were expected to strip naked and engage in an exercise with a Phallus.
Continue reading “Lawyer Sues California Law Firm After Refusing To Attend Retreat With Alleged Male Nudity”
While there are hundreds of thousands of probate cases each year in the United States, the Supreme Court has decided to take up the case of Anna Nicole Smith for the second time to determine if her estate should get part of the fortune from her late Texas oil baron husband.
Continue reading “Supreme Court Accepts Case Involving Anna Nicole Smith’s Probate Claim — For The Second Time”
The Iranian courts have produced their weekly outrage. The leading blogger in Iran, Hossein Derakhshan, 35, was sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison for his writings. Derakhshan was the founder of one of the first Farsi-language blogs and helped instruct others in how to create their own blogs. The authoritarian regime views such blogs as a threat to its control over the population.
Continue reading “Iran Sentences Leading Blogger To Almost 20 Years in Prison”
This could make for an interesting torts lawsuit. A new hotel, The Vdara, is a modern glass structure with a curved design. The striking architectural design has one other novel feature: a “death ray” that cooks people in the pool.
Continue reading “Death Ray: Hotel Design Blamed For Burning Guests in Pool”
Nicholas Marsh, a Justice Department prosecutor who was under investigation for his role in the botched prosecution of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), has committed suicide. It is a sad end to a promising career for Marsh who was removed by the Public Integrity Section after the investigation was commenced at Justice.
Continue reading “Prosecutor in Stevens Case Commits Suicide”
A federal prosecutor, Sean Cronin, 35, has been arrested for stripping down to his underwear and then taking a dip in a pool at a local bar. Police report that Cronin fled at the sight of police out a back door and then jumped over “multiple fences” to evade them.
Continue reading “Federal Prosecutor Arrested For Lewd Conduct in Pool”
We previously discussed the disconnect between Democratic leaders and liberal voters in the increasing complaints of leaders like Vice President Biden over Democratic “lethargy.” Democrats in Washington once again seemed shocked that voters are not eager to fight for their retention. Now, Biden has added the helpful advice to Democratic voters to “stop whining” about things that they did not get in Washington and to “buck up.”
Continue reading “Biden Tells Democratic Voters to “Stop Whining” and “Buck Up””
We have been discussing the abusive trend across the country of police departments arresting citizens for videotaping them in public. Now, in Maryland, Circuit Court Judge Emory A Pitt Jr. has ruled that a Maryland State Trooper was wrong to arrest Anthony Graber for filming him brandishing his weapon at a traffic stop. The basis of the decision is precisely what many of us have been arguing for months (here and here and here and here): police officers have no expectation of privacy in public arrests and conduct.
Continue reading “Maryland Court Rules Citizens Have Right to Videotape Officers in Public”
A Florida man was under arrest after assaulting customers in a guitar store and knocking over a display. His alleged rampage ended when he turned on the wrong guy: Elmo. The encounter ended with the man sustaining bruises and broken fingers after a beat down by the costumed character.
Continue reading “Tackle Me Elmo: Costumed Character Sends Alleged Attacker To Hospital”