Bizarre, Courts, Lawyering, Society

Texas Judge Sanctioned After Keeping His Own Divorce On His Docket

gavel2383rd District Judge Mike Herrera apparently sees nothing wrong in his action that led to a sanctioning by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. Herrera kept his own divorce case on his docket for months but insists that it “made no difference” that the case was before him even though he was one of the litigants. In reality, there may have not been any action taken but Herrera’s utter failure to see the conflict (and appearance) issues is rather shocking. The case itself shows a real mess in representation and conflicting accounts.

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Academia, Bizarre, Free Speech, Society

Kansas Professor Cleared Of Racial Insensitivities In Use of The N-Word In Lecture . . . Then Asked to Undergo Retraining and Other Changes

Andrea_Quenette_OPT(1)We have been discussing the worrisome trend of professors being subjected to investigations and discipline for “micro aggressions” or hostile environment in classrooms. These actions raise serious concerns over academic freedom. One such case involves University of Kansas Assistant communication studies professor Andrea Quenette. Quenette was subjected to a four-month investigation after using a racial slur in class as part of her lecture. Now, she has been cleared of the offense but she is still being asked to comply with special training and remedial actions.

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Animals, Criminal law, International

Thousands of Tigers Continue To Be Harvested For Their Bones To Make Tiger Wine For Chinese Customers

tn_th_tiger31The appetite of Chinese consumers for endangered and threatened species is considered one of the greatest threats facing environmentalists and animal activists. Even Chinese diplomats have been accused of massive violations of laws protecting these species. As Chinese consumers acquire more disposable income, the demand for such products is increasing. The results are disgusting and no better example is the illegal production of Tiger wine, an aphrodisiac which sells for more than $500 a bottle. The wine is made from the bone of tigers who are raised in shocking conditions, including near starvation.

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Bizarre, Society

Sixth Grader In New Jersey Subject To Anti-Bullying Investigation After Criticizing Vegetarianism Of Fellow Student

220px-ClassroomWe have been discussing the increasingly draconian rules in our schools under zero tolerance policies. Incidents that were once handled by a stern conversation or the calling in of parents are now more likely to result in a formal disciplining or suspension or even criminal charges of a student. A case in point is out of New Jersey where a sixth grade has been found guilty of bullying and given punishment for poking fun at a vegetarian classmate.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law

“I’m A Drunk”: Florida Supreme Court Rules That Drunk Juror Was Entitled To Counsel In Contempt Proceeding

Florida_Supreme_Court_Seal_2014There is an interesting ruling out of the Florida Supreme Court where a trial court’s order of contempt was overturned due to the failure of the trial court to afford a lawyer for potential juror Noel Plank. He was held in contempt for allegedly appearing at court drunk. The exchange with the Court is detailed in the opinion, which reaches an interesting distinction between direct and non-direct criminal contempt.

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Academia, Media, Politics

Study: Presidential Candidates Speak From Seventh To Tenth Grade Level

495px-Donald_Trump_by_Gage_SkidmoreBernieSandersFor those who believe that candidates engage in little better than baby talk or talk down to voters, a new study may support you. Carnegie Mellon University has studies the speeches of all of the presidential candidates and found that they speak at a low of a seventh grade level for Donald Trump to a high of a tenth grade level for Bernie Sanders. For my part, Sanders scores big time whenever he uses the word “oligarchy” and sends millions online in desperate searches.

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Academia, Bizarre, Religion, Society

“From Noah’s Flood To My Front Yard, How Much Better Can It Get?”: Texas Man Claims To Have Found Fossil From The Ark

Noahs_ArkWe have previously discussed the increasing difficulty faced by creationists who believe that the earth is just a few thousand years old or that dinosaurs walked at the same time as humans. However, Wayne Propst insists that he has proof and he had to walk no further than his front year. The creationist in Tyler, Texas insists that he has found fossils from Noah’s Ark buried in his yard. “From Noah’s flood to my front yard, how much better can it get?” Not much, Propst, not much.

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Bizarre, International, Society

Introducing The RRS Boaty McBoatface

15583117-1458567987-640x360Democracy can be a tricky thing in presidential elections and ship namings. When the National Environmental Research Council decided to enlist the public in naming its new $300 million boat to be launched in 2019, the public was delighted. The top name? “Boaty McBoatface”. Yes, Boaty McBoatface could soon set sail and I for one cannot wait for the christening.

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Bizarre, Free Speech, Media, Society, Torts

A Matter of Free Speech or Privacy? Jury Awards Hulk Hogan $115 Million In Sex Tape Case

Gawker220px-Hulk_Hogan_Pointing A Florida jury has handed down a massive privacy violation award in favor of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea. The jury of four women and two men voted to give Hogan $115 million in damages against Gawker Media, Gawker founder Nick Denton and former editor Albert Daulerio for violating his privacy by publishing an excerpt of a sex tape. It is a shockingly large award when one considers that the jury could still add punitive damages on top of the award. Notably, Hogan was seeking $100 million in the lawsuit.

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Bizarre, Society

QI’yaH!: Paramount and CBS Studio Sue To Claim Ownership Of Klingon Language

KlingonInsignia.svgWe have another example of copyright and trademark laws have boldly going with no logic has gone before. The latest lawsuit is by two movie studios which contend that a crowdfunded Star Trek fan film has violated copyright law by using the Klingon language, among other alleged violations. To use the Klingon profanity (which cannot be translated on a family-oriented blog): QI’yaH!

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Criminal law

Police Under Fire Over Videotape Showing Alleged Excessive Force In St. Patrick’s Day Arrest

Screen Shot 2016-03-19 at 8.31.58 AMThere is a controversy in Royal Oak, Michigan where a group of police officers are seen arresting a 25-year-old man on St. Patrick’s Day. The man, at least when outside of the bar, does not appear to be resisting but officers are shown pulling the man in different direction, dropping him to the ground, and using a taser.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Tennessee Man Leads Police To Thief After Discovering Gaming Device Still Playing Off His Wifi

c0464ad6-68ef-4584-bb99-b450dc0149be-large16x9_PhillipBookerMetroPolice.pngThere is an interesting story out of Nashville, Tennessee where an alert, tech-savvy victim was able to solve his own crime. The man, a committed gamer, was shocked to return from a vacation to his apartment to find it ransacked. Gone were various valuable items including his PlayStation 4, PS4, two televisions, a laptop, and other assorted items. Then he noticed something odd: the PS4 was still connected to his wifi.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Media, Politics, Society

Where Have All The Birthers Gone? Cruz Is Running

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor.

Ted_Cruz,_official_portrait,_113th_CongressI guess I will defer to Pete Seeger’s lyrical talent to explain through verse the disappearance of our friends pejoratively referred to as “birthers”: that is, those who assert President Obama was born in Kenya and as such is ineligible for office due to not being a “natural born citizen” as required by the US Constitution.

Now that Mr. Obama is in the final year of his presidency, one would think that Birthers would be legions to storm forward and attack presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, who by his own admission and clearly established facts, was–are you ready for this–born outside the USA!

It begs of course the question…Where have all the Birthers gone?
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Media, Society

Crowdsource Request: Help Identify This Asahel Curtis Photo

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

asahel-curtis-41231aI recently acquired an Asahel Curtis photographic negative and ask your help in determining where it was taken and possibly who are the persons depicted.

Asahel Curtis was a prolific photographer who captured numerous cultural and scenic aspects of Washington, Oregon and Alaska during his career spanning from the early 1890s until 1941.

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Environment, International, Society, Torts

Imported Chinese Products Continue To Contain Lead and Cadmium: This Time Its Children’s Jewelry

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Cadmium
Cadmium

The occasional, and in many ways perennial, Chinese, Mexican, and Chilian export containing hazardous material continues to be a concern for child safety. This is often the result of lackluster quality controls overseas and indifference or lack of initiative on the part of children’s toy wholesalers to test products accordingly. It is a problem associated with “Just in Time” shipping methods where a domestic company simply relies on foreign manufacturers to label, ship, and distribute products to market without actually taking possession of the items to perform quality control. The situation is exasperated by lack of oversight by foreign governments and especially from the manufacturers themselves.

Time and money is needed for toy companies in the US to place quality control technicians overseas, and the temptation to avoid this cost and logistic leads to children receiving harmful doses of heavy metals and pathogens.

The latest find comes from children’s jewelry.
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