Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International, Uncategorized

Indian Rape Victim Forced To Balance Heavy Stone On Head To Prove Her Virtue

a-rape-survivor-in-india-must-balance-a-heavy-rock-on-her-head-to-prove-her-purity-body-image-1438974892We have been following the plight of women in India from an epidemic of rape to discrimination in marriage and advancement. The medieval mentality found in some parts of India was on display in the Gujarat High Court, which asked a rape victim to balance a 40kg rock on her head in order to ‘prove her purity’ and reside with her husband again. It is part of the bizarre ritual called “Agnipariksha,” or “test of fire.”

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Society

Judge Offers Defendant Choice Between Shotgun Marriage and Jail

shotgun-winchester-m1897By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Over the years our host featured numerous articles presenting questionable, if not abusive, novel sentences for defendants convicted of crimes. Now, Smith County Texas Court Judge Randall Rogers hoisted himself to national attention for giving a man convicted of simple assault the choice between marrying his girlfriend within thirty days or going to jail.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics

Washington Judge Authorizes Recall Measures Against County Prosecutor

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Mark Lindquist
Mark Lindquist

Earlier we featured the story of the Washington Supreme Court reversing the murder conviction of Odies Walker after an attorney with the Pierce County Prosecutor’s office made inflammatory and especially prejudicial power point slides during closing arguments. Citing an unacceptably large number of reversals and substantiated accusations of Prosecutorial Misconduct and Vindictiveness, Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Jay Roof ruled that there was sufficient cause to proceed with gathering signatures for a recall election. A ruling of this nature is required under the Washington Constitution to recall an elected official.

Organizers will need to gather 39,000 signatures for the recall to be held in an election to recall County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist.

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Criminal law

Seattle Police Shooting Likely Will Be Ruled Justified

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

dash-cam-spd-shooting-20150717On July 17th of this year a Seattle Police Officer used deadly force resulting in the death of man sought in an earlier felonious assault against another officer. It is the opinion of your author that this shooting will be held to be a justified use of force based on the circumstances made available to the public at this stage. It shows both an example of what constitutes a “Justifiable Homicide” by state law and how little time officers often have to make such decisions on its use.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Jury Agrees With Insurance Company That Lesbian Couple Faked Hate Crime In Burning Down Their Own Home

2B24880000000578-3186742-Carol_Ann_and_Laura_Stutte_reduced_their_own_house_to_a_pile_of_-m-3_1438851728009There is an interesting case in Tennessee where a federal jury found that a lesbian couple faked a hate crime to describe their torching of their own home. Carol Ann and Laura Stutte however were never charged with arson or filing a false police report.

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Criminal law, Politics

Two State Attorneys General Charged Criminally In Same Week

Kathleen_Kane_AG_croppedUnknownWe have previously discussed the criminal investigation of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane for alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Kane, once a rising Democratic star in the state, has now been charged with leaking grand jury information and lying about it to a grand jury. She is not alone however. In Texas, her counterpart was also charged this week with criminal acts of securities violations. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is now a criminal defendant facing two counts of his own.
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Criminal law, International, Religion

UN Envoy: Women and Girls Sold By Age By ISIS “Like Barrels of Petrol”

200px-flag_of_the_united_nationssvgFlag_of_the_Islamic_State.svgThe stories coming out of ISIS strongholds continue to disgust people around the world. Indeed, the extremist view of Islam applied by these terrorists often seems hard to believe but, when a United Nation’s envoy releases such stories, there are credible sources for some of these incredible accounts. UN’s special envoy for sexual violence in conflict, Zainab Bangura has released a report that ISIS published ‘price list’ of captured Yazidi, Christian sex slaves for its fighters and customers. In addition, the group has reportedly executed 19 women for refusing to have sex with its fighters.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law

Santa Ana Police File Lawsuit Alleging Violation of Their Rights After Store Videotape Allegedly Catches Them Eating Marijuana Products And Disparaging Disabled Woman

nsjjps-b88477454z.120150803213939000gt7b82gh.10There is an interesting case out of Santa Ana this month where police officers were allegedly caught on camera wolfing down pot products in a raid on a medical marijuana dispensary. The officer reportedly disabled all but one of the security cameras. They are now arguing that there rights were violated by being videotaped without their consent.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Penal Implant: Florida Man Arrested After Allegedly Removing Penile Implant And Leaving Victim Disfigured

bad-surgeon-640x400There is another gruesome case of practicing medicine without a license in Florida where Mark D. Schreiber, 60, is accused of mutilating a patient’s penis while attempting to remove an implant from it. Schreiber crossed over from a penile implant to a penal implant after holding himself out as a doctor when he was reportedly stripped of his license years ago.

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Bizarre, Science

Urine For A Surprise In San Fran: City Tests New Paint That Causes Public Urination To Splash Back On Violators

Seal_of_San_Franciscono.pee_.urinate.sign_In the movie Naked Gun, one scene showed Detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) watching a demonstration of a wall that could protect itself from graffiti by spraying teenagers who try to spray paint its surface. San Francisco has come up with a similar solution for those who urinate on city walls and streets. Public urination continues to be a serious problem in cities, even though New York politicians recently moved to decriminalize the offense. The city is testing a pee-repellant paint on walls in areas with high public urination problems. The specially treated walls cause the urine to spray back onto violators.

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Environment, Society, Travel Blog

The Roaring Camp and the Beauty of the Redwood Forest

IMG_3028We continued our trek down the California coast from Northern to Southern California and went from Yosemite to the old growth Redwoods outside of Monterey. It was overwhelming in its beauty and we took a ride on an over 100 year old steam train through the redwoods. Again, it passed the bored teenager test with the kids — the highest possible recommendation for families on vacation.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Florida Police Dispatcher Arrested For Alleged Sexual Relationship With II-Year-Old Boy

2B19AEC800000578-3185463-Amanda_Chandler_pictured_40_of_Palm_Bay_has_been_charged_with_ei-a-4_1438741090786There is an interesting case out of Florida where a dispatcher for the Palm Bay Police Department is accused of having a sexual relationship with an 11-year-old boy. Amanda Chandler, 40, is married and a mother of two young children ages 10 and 8. What caught my eye was the account of her husband.

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Bizarre, International, Media, Society

Japanese Olympic Logo Designer Accused Of Plagiarism By Belgian Designer

n-olymplogo-a-20150731-870x590There is a controversy in Japan that may rekindle questions about the increasing claims of trademarks and copyrighted material. Belgian designer Olivier Debie has accused Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano of stealing the basic design of his emblem for a Belgian theater as the official logo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There is no question that the letter has similar geometric elements, but it is also true that Sano’s design is indicative of the minimalist tradition of Japanese art. To claim all future minimalist representations of an “T” raises the same concerns as common words or images being declared private property. By the way, I like the Sano design and I think it captures the character of the host nation and its artistic traditions.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Justice

Fourth Circuit Remands Al-Timimi Case In Light Of New Evidence

US-CourtOfAppeals-4thCircuit-SealThis afternoon, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit remanded the appeal of Ali Al-Timimi, the accused head of the so-called “Virginia Jihad” or “Virginia Paintball” case. The remand was based on evidence that was discovered by the defense after the appeal was filed. I am lead defense counsel for Dr. Al-Timimi and serve with co-counsel Thomas Huff and Allison Wood. We have long argued that the government has withheld evidence in the case.

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