In the audio tape below, a 911 operator in Memphis is recorded snoring as a terrified caller tries to get help as a stranger is breaking into her home. “Lisa” was shocked when the line went quiet and then she heard snoring — not exactly a comforting response in an imminent attack situation.
Continue reading “Audio: 911 Operator Appears to Fall Asleep in the Midst of an Emergency Call”
Defamation is usually reserved for allegations of criminal acts or moral turpitude. For actress Judy Davis, however, it is equally applicable to being depicted as a child-hater from her appearance in a local city council meeting where she discussed the dangers of misfired soccer balls. The star from “Husbands and Wives” is The Daily Telegraph for defamation over articles from February 2006. It is a rare case where another country’s defamation laws appear broader than those in the United States. Continue reading “Actress Judy Davis Sues Newspaper Over Depiction as Child-Hater”
My colleague, GW Professor John Duffy is causing quite a stir on the patent court and bar. Duffy has identified a rather clear constitutional problem in how patent judges have been selected — raising credible concerns over whether they — and by extension their past opinions — are legitimate. Continue reading “Crisis in the Patent Bar: Are 46 Judges (and their Past Opinions) Invalid?”
Catholic priest Father Vincent Inametti, 48, has a particularly hands on approach to ministering to the faithful. Inametti was chaplain at a women’s prison in Texas when he used the position to have sex with two women. He will now serve two years in prison. The Vatican may be equally peeved given the fact that he is not supposed to be having sex with anyone. Continue reading “Laying Hands Upon the Faithful: Catholic Priest Gets Jail Time for Sex With Inmates”
This week, the good town of Land O’ Lakes, Florida is free of the scourge of a wizard. While such hunt were once led by pitchfork carrying townsfolk, this important civic action was taken by concerned parents who discovered the magical tendencies of substitute teacher (and fulltime wizard) Jim Piculas in Pasco County School District. Continue reading “Townspeople Hunt Down the Wizard of Land O’ Lakes”
Former judge Richard McLean and attorney Edith Stevens appear to have had an eye on some land of neighbors Don and Susie Kirlin for some time. They got their wish when another judge, District Judge James C. Klein ruled that a mysterious path that appeared on the property gave them possession of 34 percent of the Kirlins’ lot on Hardscrabble Drive. Continue reading “A Judge Runs Through It: Family Loses Land by Adverse Possession to Colorado Judge”
Baseball star Roger Clemens has admitted to a series of extra-marital affairs while denying statutory rape allegations with 15-year-old country singer Mindy McCready. With Clemens facing both a criminal investigation and a civil lawsuit (that he filed against former trainer Brian McNamee), this may be only the first of such revelations. Continue reading “Three Strikes? Roger Clemens Admits to Adultery But Denies Statutory Rape”
The notes left by “D.C. Madam” Deborah Jean Palfrey to her mother and sister indicate that she committed suicide to avoid six years in jail.
Continue reading “D.C. Madam’s Suicide Notes Reveal Desperate Fear of Jail Led to Hanging”
In Riverdale, Utah, a police chief named Dave Hansen was showing officers how to properly (read improperly) unjam a weapon when shot himself. In the meantime, a man who waved around a gun in a road rage incident succeeded in shooting himself by mistake.
There is yet another allegation of undue influence by a campaign contributors on the Texas Supreme Court. A closely divided court gave home builder Bob Perry a major victory in reversing an $800,000 arbitration award to Jane and Robert Cull. Perry happens to be the largest contributor to judicial campaigns in Texas as curious interest of a home builder in the make up of the state bench. Continue reading “Money Well Spent? Major Donor Receives Major Victory Before the Texas Supreme Court”
Former Palm Beach police officer Molly Olson has lost her job after a crash with her police cruiser was captured on her own dashboard cam on December 25, 2006. After first denying the accident, Olson later blamed her medication, particularly her use of Ambien the night before. The video below shows the crash and her bizarre denial. This week, her termination was upheld. Continue reading “Video: Police Officer’s Incriminated by Her Own Dashboard Cam in Accident”
As the only filly in the Kentucky Derby, Eight Bells was embraced by Hillary Clinton as her horse in the race — even sending Chelsea to bet on her. She ended up being euthanized and PETA calling for the jockey to be suspended. To fulfill the bad omen for the superstitious, Obama’s horse Big Brown won. Continue reading “For Whom the Bell Toll: Clinton’s Bet on Eight Bells Turns from Feminist to Ominous Moment”
We have seen a disturbing increase in police department and schools firing people over their conduct in their private time and lives. We can now add the case of Tiffany Shepherd, a Biology high school teacher from Port St Lucie, Florida. When school officials saw the photos linked below, they fired Shepherd who worked as a “bikini girl” on charter fishing boats. Continue reading “Florida High School Teacher Fired Over Internet Pictures and Part-Time Work”
There have been a steady increase in the disciplining or termination of employees for the private use of computers. Many of us have reservations about some of these actions, but it is hard to argue with the Kinokawa city officials who demoted a civil servant who logged more than 780,000 hits on pornographic web sites in just nine months. Continue reading “Putting the Kinky Back Into Kinokawa: City Employee Logs 780,000 hits on Pornographic Sites”
Minnesota lawmakers in St. Paul have announced a tentative settlement deal with the victims of the collapse of the Minneapolis bridge collapse that killed 13 people. The deal would cost $38 million with each victim receiving $400,000. What is most striking is the fact that the state of Virginia has used its highly restrictive laws to force victims of Virginia Tech to receive a maximum of $100,000. Both states were accused of negligence. Thus, it would appear that it is simply a bargain to kill Virginians rather than Minnesotans. Continue reading “What a Deal: Virginia Tech Victims Worth One-Fourth of Minnesota Victims”