New Jersey officials have been struggling to find the source of medical waste that has been washing up on its shores — closing various beaches. They now have the culprit: Dr. Thomas McFarland, who has reportedly confessed to the crimes.
Continue reading “Dentist Arrested for Dumping Needles and Medical Waste Off Jersey Shore”
Rebecca Nelson thought that she was helping the environment when she captured rainwater in a barrel and use it on her garden. Car dealer Mark Miller thought he was “greening” his facility with a cistern to use to wash vehicles. They were both violating the law in Utah where it is against the law to capture rain water. With California creating a “water bank,” one can imagine an expanded array of hydrocrimes, including bank robbery with intent to garden.
Continue reading “Inclement Crimes: Utah Cracks Down on People Capturing Rainwater”
Swaziland may be one of the poorest countries on Earth, but that did not stop its King Mswati III from throwing a massive birthday party for himself or send his various wives on a shopping blasts to Europe on private planes. Despite his control of the country’s finances, the King enjoys about $30 million was set aside for “royal emoluments.”
Continue reading “Swaziland Is For Lovers: Protests Over Consumption of Expanding Royal Family”
The ongoing sage of suspended Nevada District Judge Elizabeth Halverson just got stranger. On Thursday night, her husband Edward Halverson, 49, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and battery her with a frying pan. He has a long criminal record. Judge Halverson was known to berate and ridicule her husband in court, referring to him as “Evil Ed.”
Continue reading “Nevada Judge Halverson Allegedly Attacked by Husband with Frying Pan”
John McCain’s campaign is getting a lot of flak over showing a picture of Walter Reed Middle School, located in Los Angeles rather than Washington’s Walter Reed Medical Center. Of course, it was a lot better than Senator Sen. Lindsey Graham speaking about how successful the Administration has been with a backdrop of row after row of graves.
Continue reading “Walter Reed Middle School Becomes Political Backdrop and National Talking Point”
In the video below, Ivan Ukhov, a Russian high jumper, took a more literal meaning to the high jump when he alleged competed while drunk on vodka and Red Bull. Ukkov is shown ultimately missing the jump and then passing out under the bar. He apparently had more skill in finding a different bar before the competition. However, the incident will undermine Red Bulls’ slogan: “It Gives You Wings.”
Jordanian human rights advocates are fighting to raise awareness of not just the roughly two dozen honor killings in that country each year, but the fact that some of these killings are being falsely portrayed as motivated by religious values. Indeed, Jordan’s first female coroner, Israa Tawalbeh, has identified one 18-year-old girl named Maha who was killed by her brother when she refused to continue to work for him as a prostitute — he claimed to have killed her for his family’s honor.
Continue reading “Faith-Based Murder: Jordanian Activists Document False Honor Killing Claims”
In a controversial decision, California Superior Court Judge John S. Einhorn sentenced four friends involved in the death of professional surfer Emery Kauanui to relatively short sentences of between 90 and 349 days. All pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. A fifth individual, Seth Cravens, is awaiting trial. The five men were called the Bird Rock Bandits and alleged by prosecutors to be a gang in LaJolla, California. In the meantime, his mother (shown with the surfer) has sued the Bird Rock Bandits, their parents, and the bar (where the fight began) in a wrongful death action.
Continue reading “The Bird Rock Bandits v. The “Flying Hawaiian”: Four High School Friends Sentenced in Killing of Professor Surfer Emery Kauanui”
It appears that all of those billions of dollars for Homeland Security has paid off. The Administration has nailed two Canadians on our shores and protected the nation from the Maple Leaf hoard. Jason Haist took a rather novel way to sneak into the country: he almost drowned himself. The man who tried to rescue him was also arrested. After being released from a hospital, Haist sits in own of our jails awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge.
Continue reading “Canadian Jet Ski Attack Foiled: U.S. Jails Canadian Drowning Victim and Rescuer”
This is what Texas Gov. Rick Perry seems to view a close call. He has said that he is still mulling over whether the stay an execution of Charles Dean Hood for 30 days after it was disclosed the his judge, former District Judge Verla Sue Holland, and his prosecutor, former Collin County District Attorney Tom O’Connell, at trial had an affair — and a hearing on the issue is currently scheduled for after his execution. Despite the compelling evidence of ménage à trial, the issue appears to still be undecided despite requests from twenty-two former federal and state judges and prosecutors calling for the stay.
Leading Saudi cleric, Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al Sheik has denounced birthday parties as unIslamic and an invasion from the West. People who hold such practices now risk being accusing of doing something Haram, or forbidden. Fatwas have been issued denouncing everything from birthdays to Mother’s Day.
Continue reading “Getting Fatwa at Parties: Birthday Parties Declared as UnIslamic by Leading Saudi Cleric”
There is a showdown brewing in Box Butte County, Nebraska. On one side are prosecutors has a standing case against a defendant and on the other is Val McCabe who just wants to stand. Val, and his brilliantly named wife Muffy Buckles, are suing the county for his leg back despite the prosecutors insistence that it is evidence being held by the Alliance Police Department.
Continue reading “No Leg to Stand On: Prosecutors Refuse to Give Back Prosthetic Leg of Shooting Victim”
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has agreed to plead guilty to two obstruction of justice counts tied to his perjury as a witness on an affair with a former aide. He will also give up his law license, resign as mayor, and turn over his pension to the city.
Continue reading “Kwame Kilpatrick Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Jail Time for Obstruction”
Los Angeles has now officially opened its $350 million downtown high school the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center. It is only a decade over due and more than the operating budgets of some small nations. It appears that economics and good government will be elective courses at Roybal.
I have long said that, when I die, I want to come back as a political rather than a legal commentator. Political commentators seem to be able to say the most predictable facts so long as they follow a scripted Democratic versus Republican persona. However, this week Mike Murphy, an former McCain aide, and Peggy Noonan, a former Reagan speechwriter, were caught speaking off script about Gov. Sarah Palin: it wasn’t pretty, in fact (according to Noonan) “it’s over.”