Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Latest Tampering Fatality: Dead on Skunk Hollow Road

In Onway, Arkansas, Lonnie Montgomery created a tragic example of assumption of the risk in tort. Montgomery was found dead on Skunk Hollow Road after he tried to re-establish electrical service with a pair of jumper cables. It appears to be an urban legend gone bad that all you need is a pair of jumper cables and a meter box. Sheriff’s Major Andy Shock (I kid you not) says Montgomery was attempting to adjust or remove when he was shocked to death.

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Politics, Society

CIA Intercepts Tie Pakistani Intelligence Service to July 7th bombing of India’s Embassy in Kabul

The CIA has disclosed that surveillance intercepts show Pakistani Intelligence officials planning the attack on India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan — an attack that killed 54 people. The evidence also implicates the service in working with militants in Afghanistan and leaking American efforts to track down terrorists. It is a rare disclosure that is clearly designed to force action against the spy service.

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Uncategorized

Stick a Fork in Yourself Because You’re Dunn: Man Arrested in Baby Food Poisoning Hoax

New York has an interesting hoax case involving another YouTube-related crime video. In this case, Anton Dunn has been arrested for videos of himself proclaiming that he had poisoned millions of bottles of baby food –causing a panic. He said that he wanted to kill hispanic and black children. There was no evidence of poisoning, but they did have Dunn on videotape and he has now been charged with sending threats in interstate commerce and falsely claiming to have tampered with a consumer product.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Anthrax Suspect Commits Suicide as FBI Closes In

Only recently, the FBI and Justice Department agreed to a huge settlement with Steven Hatfill for $5.82 million after ruining his life and his career through harassment and baseless charges as the suspect in the 2001 anthrax mailings. At the time, many of us stated that such a settlement was likely an indicator that they were about to make an arrest. It appears that they were. Scientist, Bruce E. Ivins, 62, was about to be indicted for the attacks when he committed suicide.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

The Wicker Murder: Execution Interrupted by a Prisoner’s Last Minute Confession

With only a couple days to execution, Thomas Arthur, 66, was given a postponement by the Alabama Supreme Court after another prisoner signed a sworn statement that he committed the murder. Bobby Ray Gilbert now claims that he killed Troy Wicker Jr. of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. What is astonishing is that, even with a confession from another man, the vote was still 5-4 on the Alabama Supreme Court to simply postpone the execution to investigated. Four state justices still wanted him to be killed without further questions asked — a position vigorously urged by the prosecutors.
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Justice, Politics, Society

Federal Court Rules Against Bush Administration on Subpoenas

For months, many experts (including myself) have been arguing that the Bush Administration’s claim of privilege in the congressional investigations (and the refusal to comply with subpoenas) is untenable, if not laughable. Nevertheless, Attorney General Mukasey has refused to allow a grand jury to see the evidence of the criminal contempt by Bush Administration officials. Now, a federal judge has ruled against the Administration. Judge John Bates has found that the Administration must comply with the subpoenas in the cases of he president’s chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers on the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys. The decision not only puts pressure on Mukasey to stop his obstruction of the process, but it clearly reaffirms the view of many that Karl Rove is also in flagrant contempt.

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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Justice, Media, Politics, Society

Speaker Pelosi Declares That There is No Evidence of Any Crime by President Bush

After blocking any serious investigation or impeachment hearings on crimes committed by President Bush, Speaker Nancy Pelosi finally addressed the allegations of presidential crimes on that forum of deep intellectual and legal thought: the television show The View. She agreed to answer a question from Joy Behar, who will have to suffice as a substitute for Peter Rodino. In a perfectly bizarre moment, Pelosi stated that there is simply no evidence of any crime committed by the President despite the findings of the International Red Cross, various international groups, and a legion of constitutional experts. It seems that America has now had its impeachment hearing before the august body of Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Joy Bahar, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. If you feared that our democracy is de-evolving into a caricature of itself, just watch this video.

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Uncategorized

Afghan Journalist Faces Death if Convicted of Blasphemy — and Death If He Is Acquitted

In Afghanistan, journalist Ghaws Zalmay faces the death penalty for printing a translation of the Koran (Qur’an) in in Dari, one of Afghanistan’s official languages. Yet, even if he is acquitted religious leaders are promising that he will still be put to death for his blasphemy as required under Sharia law. It is certainly a good thing that we got the Taliban out of power.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Evangelical Preacher Arrested for Murder of Wife Found in Freezer

In a scene reminiscent of Robert Duvall’s character in The Apostle, Evangelist Anthony Hopkins, 37, was preaching on forgiveness when the police arrived to arrest him for the murder of his wife. The arrest in Mobile, Alabama, came after a relative alerted police to a body in a freezer in his home with eight children. His wife 36-year-old Arletha Hopkins hasn’t been seen for three years.
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Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

High Caliber Entertainment: Disney Loses Challenge to Florida Gun Law: Employees May Start to Bring Guns to the Magic Kingdom

A federal judge in Jacksonville, Florida has ruled against Disney in its effort to block employees from bringing guns to work under a new state law. However, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle did uphold the right of the company to bar customers from bringing guns. This means that Grumby can now pack a sidearm as the ultimate disgruntled employees arrives each morning for work.
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Academia, Bizarre, Society

Jail Bait High: Texas High School to Force Troublemakers to Wear Prison Jumpsuits

Gonzales High School educators seem to believe that outfitting their students like prisoners is good training for American society in the twenty-first century. They have purchased the jumpsuits for violators of the school dress code. The biggest surprise is that the school was not named after former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales but the Texas town itself.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Police Officers Honored After Raiding Wrong Home and Shooting Up House Occupied by a Family of Eight

One can certainly understand why the Khang family is a bit confused. This week the Minneapolis police department gave awards to eight police officers who raided the wrong home last year and exchanged gunfire with the father of six who thought that the house was being burglarized. The police have apologized for shooting up the home containing Khang, his wife, and six children aged 3 to 15. It didn’t help much. The house was destroyed and they could not afford to fix it up — and ultimately lost the house altogether.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Pool Company President Criminally Charged in Death of Six-Year-Old Boy From Drain Accident

There is an interesting criminal case in Connecticut that falls on the borderline between criminal law and torts. The president of a residential pool company was criminally charged with manslaughter for the death of six-year-old Zachary Cohn, who drowned after having his arm caught in a pool drain. Prosecutors allege that David Lionetti, president of Shoreline Pools, knew of the problem with the drain. This is only the latest tragic death involving such drains in pools, click here.

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