The confirmation of Eric Holder, Jr. is running into some trouble with the planned appearance of witnesses about his role in some of the infamous pardons by Bill Clinton. Some of the greatest abuse of the pardon power occurred in the final week of the Clinton administration, including his use of official power to benefit a family member with the pardon of Roger Clinton. Ironically, however, it is not the most abusive pardons that is attracting the ire of Republicans.
Continue reading “Holder Nomination Runs Into Opposition Over Clinton Pardons”
Phillip Dominguez describes himself as “a law-abiding, taxpaying gun enthusiast.” That should be with an emphasis on “enthusiast.” Dominguez is facing charges are a search of his car uncovered 16 guns and 1000 rounds of ammunition.
Continue reading “Man Arrested at LAX With 16 Guns and 1000 Rounds of Ammunition”
In Gainesville, Florida, conservatives have begun a campaign reminiscent of the Proposition 8 campaign in California to overturn a ruling in favor of same-sex marriages. This city-wide campaign, however, is about 100 resident transgender citizens and where they can go potty. The city council passed a law allowing the residents to use either the men’s or women’s room and the opponents have unleashed an ad (below) that shows a cute little girl being following into the bathroom by a lurking male.
Continue reading “Bathroom Break: Religious Groups Launch Ad Campaign Against Transgender Potty Rule”
Former Soprano cast member Lillo Brancato Jr. received 10 years in prison for his role in a burglary that resulted in the death of off-duty New York police officer Daniel Enchautegui. Brancato was able to convince a jury that he did not know that his friend, Steven Armento, 51, had a gun and knew the apartment owner (who invited him to take any pain killers that he wanted).
Continue reading “Soprano Cast Member Lillo Brancato Sentenced to 10 Years”
The Chattanooga Police Department has decided that an officer who assaults two people, including pushing one through a plate glass window, will not be criminally charge. Det. Kenneth Freeman is truly a free man after, on Christmas Eve, shoving 71-year-old Wal-Mart greeter Bill Walker to the ground. Why? Because he was asking for a receipt check. Freeman then reportedly shoved Gholom Ghassedi through a glass door when he tried to assist Walker. The police routinely charge people with battery and resisting arrest if they touch the sleeve of an officer. Even hugging an officer or passing gas near an officer has led to a charge of assault. Yet, the Chattanooga Police Department can’t imagine what it would charge Freeman with after assaulting an elderly man and shoving a good samaritan through a glass door.
Continue reading “Freeman: Chattanooga Police Department Declines to Charge Officer Who Allegedly Threw a 71-Year-Old Man to Floor and a Good Samaritan Through a Glass Door”
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has been indicted Friday on 12 counts of corruption in the same investigation that resulted in the indictment of a councilwoman last week. She faces four counts of perjury, two counts of misconduct, three counts of theft and three counts of fraudulent misappropriations. The allegations stem from the use of gift cards from two real estate developers — who gave the cards to help needy families and instead discovered that they were being used to allegedly by Dixon things like a PlayStation2, CDs and DVDs.
Continue reading “Pay to PlayStation: Baltimore Mayor Indicted on Corruption Charges”
Andre Thomas is perfectly sane according to Texas prosecutors. The view has not changed despite his habit of pulling out his own eyes. Before his trial for murder in 2004, Thomas pulled out his right eye. Yet, despite a history of mental illness, he was viewed as sane under Texas standards. Now, while on death row, Thomas pulled out his remaining eye and ate it.
Continue reading “Inmate Pulls Out Only Good Eye and Eats It: State Insists He Is Perfectly Sane Under Texas Standards”
Recently, we have seen cases where people have fought to overcome confidentiality of reporters and Internet companies. Now, there is a raising the limits of animal shelter confidentiality. Darlene Feger is continuing a seven year struggle to force the Warwick Valley Humane Society of New York to reveal who adopted a cat that she believes was Kisses, her missing white Persian. She believes that lawyers from a local law firm many be the culprits but the shelter insists that all animal adoptions are confidential just as human adoptions are confidential — and the courts agree.
Continue reading “Lawyers Stole Kisses: Woman Continues Seven-Year Fight Against Animal Shelter Confidentiality”
The Bush Administration appears intent to go out on a low note. The United States has asked for as many as 15,000 Iraqi prisoners to be held without charge in Iraq even though the authority to hold the prisoners expired at the beginning of the New Year. I discussed the plan as well as the investigation of war crimes on Rachel Maddow in this segment.
Kawaljeet Kaur Tagore has sued the Internal Revenue Service in a free exercise case involving the wearing of the kirpan, the ceremonial knife of Sikhism. Devote Sikhs wear five articles of faith: Kesh (uncut hair), which is kept covered by a distinctive turban, the Kirpan (religious sword), Kara (metal bracelet), Kanga (comb) and Kaccha (under-shorts). The IRS, however, drew the line on the kirpan and fired Tagore, 35, for refusing to take off her knife when coming to work as a revenue agent.
With the promise of unlimited spending, lobbyists and politicians are lining up for their share of the windfall. The good people of Edwardsville, Alabama do not intend to be left out. While only 194 living in the town, they are asking for $375 million, the equivalent of $2 million per resident.
Madam Justice Katherine van Rensburg of Ontario Superior Court does not appear to believe that being an actual parent to have to pay child support. Pasqualino Cornelio began paying child support for the twins after separating from Anciolina Cornelio, but later demanded DNA testing. It found that he was not the father of the twins, now 16. That does not matter, ruled Madam van Rensburg. He must continue to pay.
The Daily Show of Comedy Central has often taken news and turned it into comedy. However, in a Pittsburgh case, a comedy segment is becoming news after lawyers have sought to introduce it as evidence in religious exercise case. The Church of Universal Love and Music does not want an interview (shown below) with William Pritts shown to the jury — an effort by county officials to show that the church is not a sincere religious organization. Pritts has been holding concerts on the land for fees and, according to officials, did not claim to be a church until he ran into zoning problems with his expansion plans. On the segment, Pritts insists that “God never said you can’t party on.” (Thou Shalt Party On must be the missing Eleventh Commandment).
The Eighth Circuit has ruled that Wiccans need only three hours to celebrate their faith. Wiccans Lawrence T. Gladson, Darrell Smith, and Scott Everett Howrey at the Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) in Fort Madison, Iowa brought the challenge and particularly challenged the denial of a full eight hours to celebrate Samhain—the most important of the eight Wiccan holidays. The court found that you can celebrate Samhain in three hours without being viewed a bad Wiccan. Among other things, the inmates alleged that the time limitation forced them to rush the Dumb Supper, which is supposed to be a “lusty and wholehearted feast.”
Dr. Richard Batista, 49, and his wife Dawnell Batista, 44, are finally splitting up. The messy divorce involves the division of assets, but there is one thing that Dr. Batista insists on getting back: his kidney. He gave his kidney to his wife in 2001. She then took the kidney and allegedly had an affair behind his back — and in front of his kidney. He wants the kidney or $1.5 million in payment for it as part of the divorce. It is either divorce or dialysis for Dawnell.