A highly controversial prosecution of a Michigan kindergarten teacher has ended with a new team of prosecutors dropping all charges “in the interests of justice.” The admission did not come until after James Perry, 34, was put through two trials — the first resulted in an overturned conviction due to conflicting evidence. In the meantime, one of the prosecutors responsible for the case will find himself on the defense side of a bar charge for prosecutorial misconduct. Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca will have to answer for his controversial actions in the case. Assistant Prosecutor Andrea Dean in the case argued that possession of movies like Harry Potter should be considered “non-erotic pornography.”
It appears that a principal at Ponce de Leon High School felt that he had made an important discovery himself in Florida. Principal David Davis was shocked when a student came to him about being harassed about being a lesbian. It was not the harassment but the lesbian part that shocked Davis who immediately lectured the girl on her immoral lifestyle, told her to stay away from children, and then outed her to her parents.
A television studio has the photos! An actual Bigfoot hoaxster sitting in a studio as big as life. Former police officer Matt Whitton and his equally dim-witted friend (and former correctional officer) Rick Dyer came out of hiding to fess up to fabricating the carcass of a Bigfoot. Whitten has now been fired from the police force, which takes a dim view of lying on national television. Conversely, Dyer is currently working as a car salesman where his conduct may be viewed as a positive resume item.
As if to fulfill the worst stereotypes of itself, the International Olympic Committee issued a statement today insisting that there is no evidence of any falsification of the age of Chinese gymnasts — citing the simple fact that they have valid Chinese passports. This is also the first indication that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been put on the IOC. In the meantime, the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) — the organization will do the investigation — has previously said that a passport is all that is required to “prove” age despite prior falsifications of that very document.
Continue reading “FIG leaf? The OIC Insists That There is No Evidence of Underaged Chinese Gymnasts”
In a bit of a surprise for many academics, Harvard University has re-taken the number one slot in the college rankings of U.S. News and World Report. Princeton fell to the second position followed by Yale, MIT and Stanford. The rankings of the top ten universities and liberal arts colleges are below.
Continue reading “Harvard Re-Takes Number One Slot in College Rankings”
The International Olympic Committee has ordered an investigation into the mounting evidence of an official campaign by the Chinese government to falsify the age of gold medalist He Kexin. Recently uncovered Chinese documents reinforce the widespread view that China has lied to the OIC and, again, altered government documents to qualify an underaged athlete.
Continue reading “Formal Investigation Launched into Age of Chinese Gymnast He Kexin”
A U.S. hacker has gained access to closed Chinese documents that allegedly prove what has long been alleged: China is lying about the ages of its gymnastic team. The documents relate to He Kexin, who edged out American Nastia Liukin for the gold on uneven bars. The disclosure is the work of “Stryde,” a computer security expert for the New York-based Intrepidus Group. The site Stryde Hax revealed a detailed forensic search for He’s age. Stryde was identified by Information Week as Mike Walker.
Continue reading “U.S. Hacker Hits Gold: Documents Appear to Confirm Falsified Ages of Chinese Gymnast”
Police in Denver are now authorized by the city council to arrest people who are found carrying feces or urine for nefarious purposes. Denver officials are expected protesters at the convention and have adopted an openly hostile attitude toward such demonstrations. Indeed, they might want to read today’s story on how the Chinese handle such nuisances at great events like the Olympics, here.
Continue reading “Denver Bans the Carrying of Feces and Urine for Nefarious Purposes”
In a further demonstration of China’s complete failure to honor its promises on the treatment of protests, two elderly women, Wu Dianyuan, 79, and Wang Xiuying, 77, are facing a year of “reeducation through labor” because they applied for permits to demonstrate during the Olympics.
Andrew Carter thought that he was performing a public duty when he photographed an English police officer going the wrong way down a one-way street. Officer Aqil Farooq did not agree — upon seeing Farooq, he jumped out of the van, knocked the camera to the ground, handcuffed and arrested Carter. Carter was then taken in the very same van to jail.
Under Senate ethics rules, a Senator can establish a legal expense fund and accept contributions if it is related to his “official duties.” Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has asked the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee to approve such a fund to help him defend himself against claims that he sold his official duties to the highest bidder. He is not alone. His equally ethically challenged colleague, Don Young (R-Alaska) has created such a fund to help him fight allegations of corrupt practices.
University of Iowa professor Arthur Miller, 66, has been reported missing after he was charged with four counts of seeking bribes in the form of fondling female students in exchange for higher grades.
Today, the New York Times ran a book review that I wrote on The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power by Jonathan Mahler. The book details the development of the Hamdan case, which ultimately ended in the Supreme Court with a defeat for the Bush Administration.
Continue reading “How a Jihadist Curtailed a President’s Authority”
Charles S. Morrison, 31, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania proved that a person with a temper and a garden gnome can be a dangerous combination. Morrison was convicted of five criminal charges, including aggravated assault for throwing a 2-pound concrete garden gnome through a glass door at his stepdaughter.
Lexington, South Carolina authorities are dealing over a difficult criminal case this week. Francis Marion Reeves III, 62, is charged with murder in the Friday shooting death of 17-year-old Deshaun Rashad Clark. The case could turn on very murky facts involving a theft, beating, retaliation, and a drive-by — and one irate father. It also bears some resemblance to the recent controversial White case in New York.
Continue reading “South Carolina Father Accused of Killing Unarmed Teen at Party”