In Sandston, Virginia, Bryan Tucker is not known as kid friendly. Tucker was upset that kids would stray into his yard while waiting for the bus. His solution? He installed an electric fence and started shocking kids.
Continue reading “Virginia Man Installs Electric Fence To Keep School Kids Off His Lawn At Bus Stop”
Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has long been an perpetual litigation machine. Indeed, Moore and his wife appear to have created a cottage industry out of being themselves — getting people to give them huge amounts of money to fight their enemies. I have been skeptical of these past lawsuits — as well as Moore’s often bizarre conduct. Now, after the prior lawsuit amounted to nothing, Moore is launching yet another lawsuit. The latest claim is based on Moore’s sitdown with comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for his Showtime series “Who is America?” Essentially, Moore is complaining that he made of fool of himself because Cohen tricked him. Moore has demanded $95 million in punitive and compensatory damages. Despite my long admitted aversion to Moore, the complaint does raise some interesting, and unresolved, legal issues. It also presents some risks for Moore himself. Continue reading “Moore Sues Showtime and Sacha Baron Cohen For Embarrassing Interview”
The hysteria and hypocrisy that characterizes modern American politics seems to be worse by the day on both sides of the political aisle. One of the latest examples of distemper is an attack on the woman who was placed behind Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for his hearings. Handlers will often put someone over the shoulder of a nominee for the right optics to reflect his supporters. With attacks over his view of Roe v. Wade, it is not surprising that the White House chose a young former female clerk of Kavanaugh named Zina Gelman Bash. Bash however found herself being called a white supremacist for flashing an “OK” gesture associated with the “white power” movement. It seems clearly to be just the arbitrary positioning of her hands but liberal bloggers like Amy Siskind, president and co-founder of the feminist advocacy group New Agenda, went into full riot over the alleged reveal of Bash’s white power links. The problem is that Bash has Jewish roots and Mexican heritage and has absolutely no ties or association with such groups. She simply crossed her arms and fingers during the long hearing. It is the ultimate sign of our times in how we have lost all decency and decorum in our politics. Continue reading “Not OK: Liberal Bloggers Falsely Attack Kavanaugh Supporter For Flashing White Supremacist Sign At Hearing”
I have previously objected to the art field being subjected to quota systems from gender-based selection of directors to replacing art on the basis of the race of the artists to replacing even art critics who are the wrong gender. Now the Royal Academy will removing nudes from its public collection — not because of the inherent artistic merit but for a superficial policy to have the same number of male and female bodies on display. Gallery’s director Tim Marlow proudly announced the gender quota for art to start in March 2019 — so if you want to see art presented solely on its inherent artistic merits, you could visit the academy before that date. This is all to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Academy with the abandonment of pure artistic selection.
Below is my column in The Hill on the continuing promotionals for “The Notorious RBG.” I have long been a critic of this trend toward celebrity justices and the discomfort over these campaigns is not simply about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The culture of the Court is changing and I do not believe it is changing for the better.
Here is the column:
Continue reading “The Notorious RBG and the Problem With The Celebrity Justice”
Texas recently settled a legal fight over its failure to install air conditioning at the Wallace Pack Unit near College Station — a facility long deemed dangerously hot in the summer. In the wisdom only known to bureaucrats, the state spent $7 million to fight the lawsuit and ultimately paid $4 million to simply put in the air conditioning system. Continue reading “Texas Spends $7 Million Fighting Demand To Add Air Conditioning To Dangerously Hot Prison . . . Then Installs The System For $4 Million”
This weekend I discussed a surprising, and unreported, allegation made on CNN by former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili against the latest cooperating witness of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, former Republican lobbyist and Paul Manafort associate, Sam Patten. Saakashvili preceded me on CNN and accused Patten of threatening to ruin him if he went public with allegations about Patten’s work with Russian interests in Georgia. Since Saakashvili could easily be called as a rebuttal witness to Patten, the threats could be viewed as witness tampering. Saakashvili viewed them as outright Russian-style blackmail. Since I ran that column, I have heard from a great number of people on both sides, but I received an email this morning from Christina Pushaw, who identifies herself as Saakashvili’s representative. Pushaw sent the underlying material supporting Saakashvili’s charges and confirmed that they have given the allegation and evidence to the FBI today. The complaint to the FBI only magnifies the problems for both Patten and Mueller that I discussed earlier. A submission to the FBI, including a criminal allegation, comes with added penalties for false statements or submissions. Both sides in this dispute have been the subject of serious criminal allegations in Europe. Yet, such communications (if true) from a cooperating witness would unlikely be approved by prosecutors. Mueller’s team is about to present its prosecution of Paul Manafort for witnessing tampering for contacting potential witnesses to shape their accounts. That creates a rather awkward situation when its most recent cooperative witness is allegedly the subject of a complaint to the FBI.
President Donald Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric yesterday against Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who Trump indicated previously is likely to be fired after the midterm elections. Despite heeding advice that firing Sessions now would further magnify expected losses in November, Trump has filled the news with repeated indications that he has already decided to do so. The latest attack however is surprising in criticizing Sessions for the prosecution of two members of Congress for insider trading and campaign finance violations, respectively. GOP Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Chris Collins of New York are not particularly sympathetic characters and Trump is complaining solely that they were “safe seats” that could now be lost. Of course, if Sessions were to consider the political ramifications for such prosecutions, he would violating his sworn constitutional duties as Attorney General. Continue reading “Trump Blasts Sessions For Prosecution Of Republicans For Insider Trading And Campaign Finance Violations Before Midterm Elections”
We previously discussed the wisdom of Brazil spending billions on the 2016 Olympics when its country was struggling with serious economic and social problems including rampant corruption. Now, in a loss for the entire world, Rio de Janeiro’s 200-year-old National Museum has been reportedly gutted in a catastrophic fire. According to reports, the museum has begged the federal government for funding of the aging building, including the need for a fire prevention system. Continue reading “Rio Spends Billions On Olympics . . . Then National Museum Burns Due To Lack Of an Adequate Fire Prevention System”
If Paul Manafort needed any further indication of his rapidly reducing future, it came in a new filing in New York last week. No it was not Special Counsel Robert Mueller, it was his daughter Jessica Manafort, 36, who wants now to be known as Jessica Bond. Continue reading “The Name Is Bond, Jess Bond . . . And Definitely Not Manafort”
A curious thing happened this Labor Day weekend when one of Robert Mueller’s most recent cooperating witnesses may have burst into flames on national television – but no one seemed to notice. Former Republican lobbyist and Paul Manafort associate, Sam Patten, only pleaded guilty on Friday, but on Sunday a world leader leveled a serious allegation of criminal conduct committed after his plea bargain. Obviously, this is only one side and Patten could well deny either the email or its meaning. However, the implications of the allegations aired on national television are very serious not only for Patten but Mueller. Update: a complaint has now reportedly been made to the FBI. Continue reading “Mueller Witness Accused Of Blackmailing World Leader After Plea Agreement [Updated]”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the departure of White House Counsel Don McGahn. Trump is now strongly suggesting that he may allow Attorney General Jeff Sessions to remain but only until after the approaching November elections. At that point, the situation could change rapidly and dangerously with a divided Congress. With the expected departure of both McGahn and Sessions, the next chapter appears a paraphrase of Dick the Butcher in Henry VI ”The first thing we do, let’s kill fire all the lawyers.” Obviously, much will depend on their replacements but Sessions’ removal (and the reason for the removal) is far more problematic. Continue reading “In Search Of The “Happier Prospect”: Trump Moves Toward The Removal Of McGahn and Sessions”
In San Antonio, a man appeared intent on answering the most obvious question of “ax versus train.” He found out when his ax bounced off the train and injured him. Continue reading “Man Throws Ax At Train . . . Train Wins”
As I always do, I watched my Chicago Cubs play last night against the Phillies. In the Eighth inning with the game all but over with a 5-1 Cubs lead, a curious thing happened. Third base umpire Joe West came out as Addison Russell was batting. He called out Phillies pitcher Austin Davis for something that was not clear — something that brought out manager Gabe Kapler. It turned out that Davis was using a crib sheet or scouting card and pulled it out to check out the stats on Russell who was brought in to pinch hit for Kyle Schwarber. That was in violation Rule 6.02(c)(7) and the sheet was taken away. Now, the Phillies are seeing a convoluted way to try to negate the one-sided loss. It is my dream come true: law has finally made it into an actual baseball game. Before I address the legal issue, I simply want to repeat my willingness to suit up as the Cubs pinch lawyer to call all future legal hits, strikes, and balls. Since I am already responsible for winning the 2016 World Series (and I clearly already have a uniform), I think that this is a signing that needs to happen this season. Joe Maddon, I am ready to start as the designated lawyer. Send me in, coach.
Continue reading “Foul Play: Phillies Protest Decision Not To Expel Its Own Pitcher[Updated]”
Saudi Arabia continues to struggle between modernity and absurdity. While trying to resemble a modern country in allowing women to actually drive, the country continues to enforce medieval Sharia justice while criminalizing basic forms of speech like satire. The Kingdom has