Something tells me that witness identification at the trial of Alyssa Zebrasky, 27, who was arrested for shoplifting at an Ohio Walmart. She was accused of stealing a purse and was also found with a hypodermic needle, a ‘whitish rock like substance’ and an ‘orange pill’ in containers in her purse. Continue reading “Can You Identify The Woman Who Shoplifted At Your Store?”
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson unleashed on President Donald Trump at an event for a medical center. Tillerson said that he stopped Trump from violating the law and that Trump is both unread and undisciplined. Trump responded by calling Tillerson “dumb as a rock” and “lazy as hell.” Continue reading “Tillerson Calls Trump Undisciplined and Sought to Violate Law. . . Trump Calls Tillerson “Dumb As A Rock” and “Lazy””
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering the appointment of Bill Barr to be the 77th Attorney General of the United States. If true, it would be Barr’s second stint as Attorney General after his service 1991 to 1993 during the administration of President George H. W. Bush — only the second time in history for such a successive appointment. I have known Bill Barr for years and represented him during the Clinton impeachment (with other former Attorneys General). He is one of the most brilliant lawyers I have known and would be a brilliant selection by President Trump for the position. To put it simply, he is the perfect choice for this position at this time. He is a rock solid leader who would bring stability and authority to the Justice Department.
Continue reading “President Trump To Nominate Bill Barr For Attorney General”
We have previously discussed the seasonal distemper that seems to take hold of PETA each year. Ironically, I am a huge animal lover (and many on this blog know) but I cannot understand how PETA has become such a fringe movement. The latest campaign is an effort by PETA to change common expressions that it deems “anti-animal” language.” It is an effort to jump on the growing movement to ban terms or phrases deemed microaggressions by individuals or groups on race or gender or religion or sexual orientation. Accordingly, PETA wants to call out people who say things like “bring home the bacon” in favor of “bring home the bagels.” I personally find the latter to be a raw breadist sentiment for those of us on low carb diets (if not cultural appropriation).
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the effort of former Trump fixer Michael Cohen to convince the federal court to show leniency in his sentencing. While Cohen should get credit for cooperation, it must be balanced against two high countervailing considerations. First, Cohen spent much of the last two years threatening people and obstructing efforts to disclose wrongdoing. Second, he is an officer of the court. Judges generally do not look kindly upon lawyers violating their oaths and becoming vehicles for crimes and wrongdoing.
Here is the column: Continue reading “Michael Cohen’s Plea For Leniency Borders On Lunacy”
We have followed as the administration and faculty at The Evergreen State College have undermined their institution through national controversies and a failure to defend academic values. This would lead to a sharp drop in applications. Under deterred by the costs to their institution, the faculty seems intent on confirming the worst stereotypes of their school. The latest is a resolution that the faculty has proposed to ban the word “covenant” from official documents. The faculty drafters insist that the term reflects “cultural genocide” and will ban its use despite most people who fail to see the common term in the same way. Continue reading “Evergreen College Faculty Seek To Ban The Use Of “Covenant” As A Term Of “Cultural Genocide””
We previously discussed how the attack on free speech on campuses around the world has led to even comedians being banned for insulting or disrespecting any group. Many comedians are now avoiding gigs at universities to avoid controversies. The latest such example occurred at Columbia where a fairly typical skit led to stand-up comedian and former “SNL” writer Nimesh Patel being forced off stage by students upset that he made jokes about race and sexual orientation. Continue reading “Columbia Students Shutdown Comedian For Joking About Race and Sexual Orientation”
Massachusetts District Court Judge Shelley Joseph is under investigation after she was accused of helping an undocumented immigrant, Jose Medina-Perez, evade an ICE officer at the courthouse. The Boston Globe is reporting that a federal grand jury is investigating Joseph and some have called for her to be barred from handling criminal cases in the interim. Continue reading “Massachusetts Judge Under Investigation For Allegedly Helping Undocumented Immigrant Evade ICE”
The long-awaited filing from Special counsel Robert Mueller on the sentencing of Michael Flynn did not go into detail on what precisely Flynn has given Mueller beyond acknowledging his “substantial assistance.” It did include however a surprising disclosure that Flynn was not only helping Mueller on the investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties to the Russian government but also two other redacted investigations. That has led to considerable unease in some quarters as to what those two additional investigation might be. Continue reading “Then There Were Three: Flynn Filing Refers To Three Investigations By Special Counsel”
New York is looking for this man after a brutal attack captured on the videotape below (warning: the video is violent and disturbing. The victim is a 38-year-old man who was left unconscious from the vicious beat down and robbery. The legal question is whether such attacks should be charged as a type of battery or attempted murder when they continued for such a prolonged period. The suspect was clearly enjoying the attack and resumed attacking the man but there is no way to prove intent to kill.
Continue reading “New York Police Seek Man In Vicious Attack”
Conservative author Jerome Corsi yesterday filed a “criminal and ethics complaint” against Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team trying to coerce him into giving “false testimony” against President Trump. The filing was reportedly sent to a scattershot list of addresses including Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, D.C.’s U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu and the Bar Disciplinary Counsel. There is no strong legal basis for such a challenge. If Corsi is charged, he is likely to be charged for alleged false statements and courts rarely explore the motivations in bringing otherwise valid criminal charges. The filing appears designed for public consumption before any indictment is brought against him. Continue reading “Corsi Files Complaint Against Mueller For Allegedly Pressuring Him To Lie”
A trophy hunter in Montana killed the most famous and beloved wolf in Yellowstone National Park after “Spitfire” wandered slightly outside of the park. This hunter will now be able to enjoy the thought of killing this beautiful animal that has inspired thousands of visitors. Spitfire was a seven-year-old wolf from the Lamar Canyon Wolf Pack and dubbed the Queen of the Lamar Valley. It is a tragedy that is all too familiar, including our prior discussion of the shooting of one of the last wolves from the most famous pack in Denali National Park in Alaska under similar circumstances. Continue reading “Famed Yellowstone Wolf “Spitfire” Killed By Trophy Hunter Just Outside Of Yellowstone”
Al Sharpton has long been plagued by criminal and ethical allegations (here and here and here and here). These have included allegations over his making a fortune from companies threatened by boycotts. Now, many are raising questions over the announcement of Sharpton’s National Action Network that it will to pay Sharpton $531,000 for his “life story rights for a 10-year period.” NAN is a non-profit and the deal has been criticized as another example of Sharpton using the organization for personal benefit. This is on top of Sharpton taking $244,661 in compensation from the group in 2017.
The media is replete this week with stories of the “demise” and “fall” of attorney Michael Avenatti, who skyrocketed to fame in his representation of porn star Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels. Avenatti’s skill at both litigation and public advocacy led to calls for him to run for president. That was before Avenatti became embroiled in a public rift with his live-in girlfriend, who alleged physical abuse, and then allegations of unethical conduct by Daniels. It often seems that people enjoy only one thing more than a meteoric rise of a celebrity: the later fall from a great height. In this case, those declaring the ethical case as a threat to Avenatti’s license should look closer at the known record.
Continue reading “Daniels v. Avenatti: The Advance Authorization Defense”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the recent insights into the efforts of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to bag President Donald Trump. There is little ambiguity in these efforts: while Trump is being called a “subject” of the investigation, he is being treated as a “target.” That danger became more apparent with the later allegations of Michael Cohen that he not only lied to support Trump’s account but that the worked with Trump’s counsel in preparing his false testimony. He claims to have had “regular contact” with Trump counsel during that period. That would pose some serious questions for counsel if Cohen was clear that he was giving false testimony. However, he does not say that. It still remains unclear how much Cohen is suggesting that the President or his counsel knew about the specifics on the “Moscow Project” or his own falsification of dates and information.
What is clear is that Mueller is still on the hunt for Trump and all eyes should be on Corsi, Stone, and possibly Donald Trump Jr. for the next move. Continue reading “What Does Mueller Have On Trump?”