A recent study of capital cases in Texas shows that nine death row inmates lost their appeals due to the failure of counsel to file by the court deadline. Johnny Ray Johnson was put to death after his lawyers missed a filing deadline by one day. He is one of six such inmates put to death after missed deadlines.
If Yvonne Pampellonne, 30, wanted a “hot” body, she got it. She is accused of stealing newly enhanced breasts and lipusuction from the Pacific Center For Plastic Surgery by stealing another person identity to change her own appearance. She was identified by clinic employees in a (fully dressed) line up.
Continue reading “Corpus Delicti: Woman Arrested for “Hot” Body”
Today, the Supreme Court will be taking up Hillary: The Movie — and its ultimate reviews could hold great significance for campaign financing. We have been following the case involving “Hillary: The Movie” since it first came out during the last presidential campaign. The legal dispute over the film was always more interesting than the film itself — whether this is a film or a 90-minute campaign ad. Now, the Supreme Court is set to review the film. Citizens United v. FEC (08-205) raises a fascinating question of what constitutes political advocacy and what constitutes a documentary. The Court will hopefully not produce another “I know politics when I see it” standard. I discussed the case on this segement of NPR’s Here and Now.
Continue reading “Now Playing At The Supremes: Hillary the Movie”
What is Blowin’ in the Wind at Bob Dylan’s Malibu home ain’t justice. Dylan’s neighbors are complaining that a portable toilet Dylan, 67, has in his yard stinks to high heavens and, when the ocean winds blow, has forced them to abandon parts of their homes. Dylan has not responded to complaints for six months over the nuisance.
In New York, the popular Shawarma King deli was turned upside down after someone spotted what appeared to be a non-Kosher hot dog being prepared in the kitchen. Chaos ensued as Jewish patrons surrounded the staff. In the video below, a deli worker fends off a group of around 100 irate patrons with an electric knife. Notably, this type of accident has led to litigation, as discussed below.
Two British High Court judges have released a very disturbing decision that finds that ormer detainee Binyam Mohamed was offered his freedom by the United States in exchange for his promise not to reveal his own torture at Guantanamo Bay. Equally disturbing is the statement from the English government that it cannot release proof of the torture because of objections from the United States government. If the Obama Administration is continuing this position, it is not only blocking prosecution of war crimes but the release of evidence of such war crimes to other nations. I discussed this and other developments on this segment of Rachel Maddow’s show.
Continue reading “Court: United States Offered to Release Detainee If He Would Not Reveal His Own Torture”
In an incredible act, the South African government has barred the Dalai Lama from an International Peace Conference — knuckling under to pressure from China. The very people that once fought efforts to silence Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are now silencing a Noble Prize winner and international voice of peace because they do not want to insult China.
Continue reading “South Africa Bars Dalai Lama From International Peace Conference”
This goes into the good news, bad news category. San Francisco-based attorney David Replogle (right), 60, is no longer facing a forgery trial in Riverside, California. The bad news is that he is now facing a murder trial in the death of Clifford Lambert (left), a 74-year-old retired art dealer.
Eric Montanez faces a curious criminal charge in Orlando, Florida: feeding hungry people. The good people of Orlando, Florida have decided to join other cities in making it a crime to feed poor and hungry people caught up in this recession. Even at Yellowstone you are simply asked not to feed the bears, but in Orlando feeding the hungry will get you arrested. There was a guy in the New Testament that did such things and look where that got us.
Continue reading “Don’t Feed The Local Citylife: Man Arrested for Feeding Homeless in Orlando”
London police are refusing to rescind a $145 ticket given to Penny Batkin, 40, who had the audacity to pull to the pavement to jump out to resuscitate her severely disabled son, Freddie, 4.
Continue reading “Mother Receives $145 Parking Ticket For Stopping to Resuscitate Her Disabled Son”
Angelo Monderoy, 18, and Matthew Cooper, 17, are looking at serious time for the horrific act of burning a cat named Scruffy with lighter fluid. The potential twenty-five year sentence is a rarity since most such cases fall under relatively light criminal penalties, but the property counts appear to have magnified the sentence.
Continue reading “Scruffy’s Revenge: New York City Teen Faces 25 Years in Cat Burning”
Like many ministers and politicians in the United States, Saudi Arabian clerics are up in arms over the immorality of television. They’re objections go beyond the usual smut described by Sen. Joe Lieberman and others. They want the new information minister to take all women and music banned from the television. They also want pictures banned of women in magazines.
Continue reading “Saudi Clerics Call For Women To Be Banned From Television and Newspapers”
There are some species just born for border inspections and not just border collies.
It appears that Oklahoma legislators are continuing their attempted crackdown on University of Oklahoma for the outrage of allowing evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins of Oxford University speak to its students. After proposing two resolutions denouncing the scheduled appearance, legislators are now demanding answers about the funding and communications with Dawkins. It appears that the legislators would like the school to pull speakers from the renown Institute of Creation Science than that glorified correspondence school, Oxford University.
Continue reading “Oklahoma Legislature Investigates University’s Hosting of Speech by Evolution Advocate”
Long before the blessed holy clothes and apocalyptic tapes, it appears that religious organizations found a way to fleece the faithful. Smith College has reconstructed a coin-operated holy water dispenser designed by the Greek inventor Heron.
Continue reading “Drop A Drachma And Be Saved: Smith College Constructs Ancient Coin-Operated Holy Water Dispenser”