We have been discussing the scourge of graffiti and destruction by vandals in our national parks. The lack of deterrence was vividly shown by the laughable fine given to actress Vanessa Hudgens for defacing a rock wall. An exception to this dismal enforcement may be the case of three men who were caught on video drunkenly vandalizing Death Valley National Park and possibly causing the death of an endangered Devils Hole pupfish. Steven Schwinkendorf, Edgar Reyes and Trenton Sargent are all facing felony charges including killing of an endangered species, destruction of habitat, trespassing, and destruction of property. One is charged with the crime of an ex-felon possessing a firearm.
We have previously discussed the increasing appearance of graffiti in our national and state parks. As is well known on this blog, hiking is my passion and there is nothing more crushing than to see juvenile carvings and writings on trees and rocks in parks. Most recently, the Frame Arch was defaced by graffiti. I have written that the scourge of graffiti is due to the low detection rate and even lower penalties for those committing these crimes. The most recent case demonstrates vividly how the government still treats the crime as a minor matter. In a rare case of self-incrimination, Actress Vanessa Hudgens posted a picture of her carving of a heart into a red rock wall during a trip to Sedona, Arizona on federal park land. However, when nabbed by the federal government, they allowed her to walk with just $1000 donated to a charity.
Continue reading “Caught Red-Handed: Actress Vanessa Hudgens Defaces Natural Park . . . But Then Required To Pay Only $1000 To A Charity”
Any Iranian judge offered another glimpse into the medieval Sharia legal system. After a man was given a trial lasting only a couple minutes, Reza Hosseini, 34, begged the judge to listen to his evidence that he is innocent. Instead, the judge told the man “if you’re innocent you’ll go to heaven.” Continue reading ““If You’re Innocent You’ll Go To Heaven: Iranian Judge Sentences Man To Hang After A Two Minute Trial”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
The family of a then fifteen year old girl filed a lawsuit against a Tacoma, Washington mall and its security contractor alleging a Tacoma Police Officer used excessive force during what plaintiff’s claim is an unjustified stop and arrest. Newly released security video shows in the opinion of your author a disturbing example of a law enforcement officer utilizing not only unjustified and unreasonable force, but disregard for even common decency and showing clear conduct unbecoming of a professional.
The incident was captured on surveillance video and shows what I believe is self-evident conduct likely to garner strong liability on behalf of defendants.
Continue reading “Lawsuit Alleges Officer Assaulted 15 Year Old Girl In Mall Parking Lot”
We have previously discussed the meltdown at airports due to the latest failure of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Passengers are being asked to show up hours in advance and many are missing their flights due to endless lines. Now, thousands of bags have been lost due to a “technical problems” at TSA. The lack of any accountability for the ongoing failures at TSA is the latest evidence of the disconnect between citizens and their government.
It is the classic tort and a virtual cultural icon: mailman versus dog. New figures show that this is not some cultural mythology. According to the U.S. Postal Service’s annual report, 6,549 postal workers were attacked by dogs in 2015. That is an increase of 14 percent from the year before so either dogs are getting more aggressive or mail carriers are getting slower.
Continue reading “Report: 6,549 Postal Workers Were Attacked By Dogs In 2015”
There is an interesting study out of the University of San Francisco California by James Lightwood (associate professor in the UCSF School of Pharmacy) and his colleagues on the cost of smoking. The team found that if 1 in 10 people in the US quit smoking, health care costs would drop $63 billion in next year.
Continue reading “Study: Health Care Costs Would Drop $63 Billion If Only One-Tenth Of Smokers Quit”
This afternoon, Judge Rosemary Collyer issued a final ruling in United States House of Representatives v. Burwell, the challenge to unilateral actions taken by the Administration under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Judge Collyer ruled in favor of the House of Representatives and found that the Administration violated the Constitution in committing billions of dollars from the United States Treasury without the approval of Congress. The historic ruling reaffirms the foundational “power of the purse” that was given to the legislative branch by the Framers.
Continue reading “HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WINS HISTORIC RULING IN CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE UNDER THE ACA”
Politicians being barred from office for misconduct is unfortunately not new, but Iranian politicians Minoo Khaleghi, who won a seat in the city of Isfahan in February, transgressed by allegedly allowing a picture to be taken of her without a head scarf. While Khaleghi insists the photos are fake, Dispute Settlement Committee of Branches ruled that she cannot be sworn into office for violating Islamic values. A religious body previously made clear that they would not allow voters to elect Khaleghi.
Continue reading “Iranian Lawyer Barred From Parliament Based On Photos Taken Without A Head Scarf”
In an apparent effort to be sure that he is the most hated man in America, George Zimmerman will be auctioning off the gun that he used to kill Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. He has stated that the funds will be use to fight “Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric.” UPDATE: the gun to be auctioned at Gun Broker appears to have been withdrawn from sale.
Continue reading “George Zimmerman To Auction Off Gun Used To Kill Trayvon Martin [Updated]”
Arkansas judge O. Joseph Boeckmann Jr. has resigned in a truly bizarre scandal where he was accused of ordering male defendants to be spanked, engage in sex acts and bend over for thousands of photographs to fulfill their “community service.” What is interesting is that he was under investigation by the State Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, which began an inquiry in 2014 over a possible conflict of interest in an unrelated case on elder care. When they started to investigate, they were shocked by accounts of these other parties. He has not however faced criminal charges, which is curious given his alleged abuse of office.
The FBI and its director James Comey have been careful not to be swept into the political campaign in comments about the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s personal server. The Clinton campaign, and the candidate herself, have repeatedly scoffed at any danger of an indictment and insisted that this is merely a “security review” or “security inquiry.” Indeed, close Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal was on CNN this morning stressing that this was nothing more than a security review. Now Comey is being quoted by Fox News chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge as directly refuting this core claim by Clinton and saying that this is a criminal investigation. He would also likely disagree with Bill Clinton’s recent claim that the investigation was just a “game” and nothing more.
As many of you know, one of my chief focuses as an academic is the separation of powers and that I hold a robust view of legislative authority under Article I. Indeed, I view the erosion of legislative authority in the United States to be one of the most dangerous trends in our country. That is why I noticed a story out of New Zealand where the Prime Minister John Key was actually tossed out of Parliament for not adhering to the rules of the body. It was an incredible moment at a time where executive powers are being consolidated around the world. For those who still believe in equal legislative power in a tripartite system, it was a rare contemporary assertion of independent authority.
Continue reading “New Zealand Prime Minister Thrown Out OF Parliament”
There is a new controversy at Claremont McKenna College in California after the disclosure of a list by the activist group CMCers of Color of people who were viewed as insufficiently supportive or even questioning of protests over racism. Various minority students and teachers were listed as “shady person[s] of color” in a document that demanded various changes from the removal of the college dean to the creation of “safe spaces” for minorities. Critics have charged that such list of minority students engaged in protests would have produced calls for expulsions and investigations. I think that there is a danger of overblowing such an incident but there is a legitimate concern over differential treatment in such controversies that we have previously discussed.
We previously discussed the controversy at Albany University where three black students alleged a racist assault on a public bus. While the allegations produced protests and the women campaigned against racism, videotapes later showed that the three women were not assaulted but rather they were the aggressors. The three face criminal charges and two of the women (Ariel Agudio and Asha Burwell) have now been expelled (and the third student, Alexis Briggs, has been suspended for two years).