Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Texas Couple Kills Seven-Year-Old and Wounds Adult Who Trespassed on Property

2398616Texas is proud of its laws allowing citizens to shoot and kill intruders into their homes under so-called Castle Doctrine or “Make My Day” laws. However, critics have charged that these laws have encouraged homeowners who are predisposed to use violence as the first response to intrusions as in the recent cases of Joe Horn and other homeowners. Those critics may have another case in Sheila Muhs, 45, and her husband, Gayle Muhs, 45. The couple did not wait for a home intrusion before allegedly killing seven-year-old Donald Coffey Jr. and seriously wounding Patrick Cammack, 30. Five-year-old Destiny Coffey and her father and Donald Coffey Sr. were also wounded. The family (including a 5-year-old sister) were off-roading when they stopped to allow the kids to go to the bathroom.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Maryland Police Conduct Another Mistaken “No Knock” Raid on a House, Bust Down Front Door, and Later Ticket Owner for Having a Door Laying on This Front Yard

250px-swat_teamAndrew Leonard, 33, is understandably ticked. Police in Baltimore conducted a mistaken “no knock” raid on the wrong house: busting through his front door, handcuffing him, and interrogating him and his wife about his relationship with a drug dealer who he has never met. They had the wrong address. Now, after refusing repeatedly demanded to pay for his front door, the city has ticketed him for leaving a door on his front lawn.

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Bizarre, Courts, Religion, Society

Dying Boy in Sleepy Eye: Parents Withholds Needed Chemotherapy From Boy on Religious Grounds

thumb_praying_handsDaniel Hauser, 13, is dying of cancer and needs chemotherapy. However, his mother, Colleen Hauser of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, is in court this week fighting the treatment on religious grounds. Hauser has Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but the family is against modern treatment on religious grounds and believes in healing cancer with herbs and vitamins . . . and prayer. Continue reading “Dying Boy in Sleepy Eye: Parents Withholds Needed Chemotherapy From Boy on Religious Grounds” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Religion, Society

Dirty Dancing: Christian High School Suspends Student for Attending a School Prom

800px-Il_Ballo2Tyler Frost, 17, a senior at Heritage Christian School in Findlay, Ohio has been suspended for attending a prom with his girlfriend because the Findlay High School’s prom allowed dancing and music. This Taliban-like ruling is based on the Christian school’s policy that forbids dancing, rock music, hand holding and kissing.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Justice, Lawyering, Society

Texas Man Held for 83 Days For Failure to Appear For Jury Duty

TexasDouglas Maupin was held at the Collin County Detention Facility for 83 days for his failure to appear for jury duty. He was never allowed a lawyer during his confinement and refused information on what he was being held for. In the course of his confinement, he lost his rental home, his job and his dog Daisy.
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Criminal law, International, Politics, Society

“Torture Sheik” Detained in Abu Dhabi

Sheik Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the brother of the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, Prince Mohammed, has been detained on allegation of torture involving as many as 25 victims. While the government clearly knew of these crimes, the incriminating videos of the torture sessions were smuggled out of the country recently and caused an international outcry. This is why our own CIA destroyed the tapes of its own torture sessions. Amateur.

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

Reid: Torture Might Have Been Illegal But Still “Right” Thing To Do

225px-harry_reid_official_portraitChristiane Brown has released an amazing audio interview with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid where he admits that waterboarding is torture and we did torture people. However, he suggests that it was “the right” thing to do and should not be punished. The audio tape is worth listening to. It is a brilliant interview by Brown.
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Society

Pelosi Changes Account On Briefing On Torture

220px-nancy_pelositorture -abu ghraibSpeaker Nancy Pelosi has issued a new statement (and explanation) after released documents appeared to contradict her earlier denials that she had ever been briefed on the use of torture. As discussed in a prior blog, Pelosi previously insisted that she was never told that these “enhanced techniques” (aka torture) were being used and assumed that the briefing concerned just a hypothetical use of the methods. Now, she is changing her story to acknowledge that she, at a minimum, knew that the methods would be used — even though she is denying that she was actually told that they had been used. I discussed the story on this segment of Rachel Maddow’s show.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Lawyering, Society

Lawyer Gets the Boot: Maine Attorney Charged With Criminal Mischief After Driving Off With Denver Boot on Truck

180px-Wheel_Clap_w_OfficerMaine Lawyer Michael Harman, 48, has been charged with criminal mischief after he pulled a Homer Simpson and decided to drive off in his truck after the police put a Denver boot on one of the wheels.
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