Our close ally, Egypt, continues to lay waste to free speech this month with the absurd sentencing of a Facebook user to three years in jail for simply putting Mickey Mouse ears on a picture of president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Amr Nohan was charged with an “attempt to overthrow the regime” for the comical Facebook posting and tried in a military court.
Yesterday, Professor Luna Turley taught her first law school class at George Washington University to immediate acclaim and rave reviews. Luna helped teach animal liability and is shown here with a few students answering questions after class. One small concern was the observation that a few students were slipping Professor Luna treats to gain her favor. That could be an issue for the Tenure and Promotion Committee, but her pedagogical technique was flawless.
Continue reading “Professor Luna Teaches Historic Torts Class To Widespread Public and Academic Acclaim”
The meetings this week between President Xi Jinping and British leaders came with a clear instruction from the Communist regime: do not raise the issue of human rights. The Chinese told British diplomats that any questioning about the regime’s continued denial of basic human rights would be viewed as a hostile act. As always, the Chinese just want to talk about business and not people. What is most striking is that many countries have become so dependent on China that they follow such outrageous dictates.
Continue reading “China to Britain: Do No Raise Human Rights Or Risk Ruining “Golden” Relationship”
Albuquerque police have announced that they have arrested the man responsible for the killing of Lilly Garcia, 4, in a road rage incident. Tony Torrez, 32, reportedly confessed to the crime and the police hit him with a long list of charges that should guarantee that he remains in jail most if not all of his life. Indeed, even a plea agreement at this point would likely place the sentence near the maximum level but, if Torrez confessed, there is little in terms of a defense to present without striking the confession on some grounds.
We have previously discussed the infamous former Hungarian camerawoman, Petra Laszlo, who was shown tripping refugees trying to enter the country. She has been fired and faces criminal charges. However, in an apparent effort to secure the “Worst Person In The World” award, Laszlo has announced that she plans to sue one of the refugees that she tripped . . . and then possibly move to Russia where true freedom reigns. I expect most Hungarians would gladly help Laszlo and her husband pack and then transport them to the border. I guarantee no one will try to trip her to keep her from leaving.
It is a common lament these days that we seem a hopelessly divided country on virtual every major issue from immigration to health care to climate change. The exception appears to be marijuana. Not only are record numbers of citizens reporting that they use pot, but a new Gallup poll puts support for legalization at 58%. That is up seven points from just one year ago. In addition to the public support, there appears increasing investments and tax revenues associated with marijuana sales. That combination could make it difficult for Congress or the next Administration to reverse this trend toward legalization.
Continue reading “Gallup Poll: 58% Of Americans Want Marijuana Legalized”
Yesterday, I took my annual Fall hike up Old Rag Mountain near Sperryville, Virginia. I hike Old Rag a couple times a year and it is always spectacular. This is one of the most challenging hikes in Virginia but it is worth the effort of the long climb up to the summit. The best time is in the fall when the forest looks like a Monet painting. It takes a full day to get to the trail and take the long trail up the mountain, over the rock scramble, and down through the forest floor. However, as tired as your legs will be, it is truly rejuvenating for the tired urban soul. Having just hiked the Wasatch Mountain in Utah (yes, it is bizarre to be able to climb mountains in Virginia and Utah in roughly the same week), I wanted to tackle Old Rag before it became too cold. Yesterday was ideal with temps in the 70s (after starting out in the 30s) and dry conditions.
Ibn Hunter, 25, is one person that Atlantic City could do without. Hunter was arrested after he starred in a vicious video posted on YouTube where he taunts and then knocks out a 45-year-old homeless woman. The videotape below is disgusting and all the more disturbing by the utter lack of reaction of people around them.
Alabama Judge Marvin Wiggins is under fire this week after he offered to trade blood donations for judicial fines or fees while threatening those without money or blood donation receipts with arrest. The Southern Poverty Law Center filed an ethics complaint The SPLC obtained audio tapes, including people complaining that they felt forced to give blood by Wiggins.
Continue reading “Alabama Judge Under Fire For Blood-for-Fines Trade”
LAX worker Ronaldo Owens is demanding $5 million from actress Halle Berry and her actor husband, Olivier Martinez. That is pretty steep even for an alleged assault by Martinez. After Rodney King received only $3.8 million for being beaten by multiple officers with batons. The $5 million assault? Martinez knocked over Owens with a child safety seat.
Everett Middle School in San Francisco’s Mission District is teaching its students a thing or two about democracy . . . or the lack of it. Parents were informed by Principal Lena Van Haren (left) that the winners of the recent student elections would not be announced (or possibly honored) after the election failed to produce a sufficiently diverse selection. The school is composed of 80 percent students of color and 20 percent white students. The students however appeared to pick their representatives based on their individual qualifications rather than their race and that was a problem for Van Haren who told parents that the results were “concerning to me because as principal I want to make sure all voices are heard from all backgrounds.”
Michael Santiago, 25, is under arrest for felony child endangerment after his 6-year-old son accidentally shot and killed his 3-year-old brother. Santiago kept the .32-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver fully loaded on top of the refrigerator.
Massachusetts attorney Karen J. Andrade, 51, may be an example of the over-use of social media. Southampton police say that Andrade had thae standard lawyer links like LinkedIn but also links as “Rose,” a prostitute. Andrade, who was suspended from practice in 2014, is accused of running a escort business out of her home.
Continue reading “Massachusetts Lawyer Accused Of Being Prostitute”
This afternoon, Judge Rosemary Collyer issued her ruling on the motion by the Administration to forego a ruling on the merits in the United States House of Representatives v. Burwell, a challenge brought by the House to unilateral action taken by the Administration under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). After losing its motion to dismiss the case on standing grounds, the Administration sought (over the objections of the House) to remove the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia without ruling on the merits of the case. Judge Collyer denied the motion and set the case for final briefing and ultimately a final ruling.
Continue reading “FEDERAL COURT DENIES ADMINISTRATION MOTION AND SETS ACA CASE FOR FINAL RULING”
There is an interesting story coming out of CBS this week where the network has refused to air advertisements for Truth by Sony Pictures Classics. The problem is that the film starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford places CBS in a negative light in exploring the network controversy over airing the 2004 news story on former President George W. Bush’s military service record. The story was discredited and CBS fired producer Mary Mapes. Anchor Dan Rather later retired from CBS. [For full disclosure, I worked for CBS as an on-air analyst with Rather and thought very highly of him in our work on the Bush v. Gore coverage].