Congress, Constitutional Law, International, Politics, Society

DOJ Memo: Obama Administration Claims Broader Authority To Kill Americans

PresObamaWe have previously discussed the President’s “kill list” policy under which Obama claims the right to be able to kill any American based on his sole judgment and discretion. A confidential Justice Department memo now sheds more light on that policy and states a broader basis for such killings than previously suggested by the Administration. It is also not clear why this memo was kept secret by the Administration since it deals only with legal interpretations — not classified operational information.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Florida Disciplines Officers Found To Be Ignoring Emergency Calls To Finish Lunch, Coffee, or Just Chat With Friends

aircheckMyriamMiamiDadeofficers_8627079_722x406_17394243614Miami has fired or disciplined officers found to ignored emergency calls. In one case, an officer ignored an emergency call about an unconscious 5 month year old child so that he could finish his coffee in chatting with other officers, including his sergeant.

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Academia, Bizarre, Politics, Society

Prince George’s School Board Considering Claim of Copyright Over All Work Produced By Students and Teachers

250px-PGCPS_Logo_2011220px-Finger_PaintingWe have had a running discussion of the expansion of copyright and trademark laws in this country. Now, the Prince George’s County Board of Education is moving toward claiming copyright to work created by staff and students that would include everything from a teacher’s lesson plan to a toddler’s finger painting project. This would make the county the first to claim such ownership over the work of students and teachers. It is part of the ever-expanding balkanization of work in this country into propriety material — backed up by draconian civil and criminal penalties.

Continue reading “Prince George’s School Board Considering Claim of Copyright Over All Work Produced By Students and Teachers” →

Bizarre, International, Society

City Workers Paint Disabled Parking Box Around Woman’s Car And Then Tow The Car As Illegally Parked

494px-Handicap_parkingThis is an extraordinary video below out of Tel-Aviv where a woman parks legally. City inspectors then appear and paint a handicap parking box around the car. They then tow away the car because it is illegally parked in a disabled parking spot.

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Bizarre, Courts, Criminal law, Society

Illinois Judge From Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity . . . And May Now Return To The Bench

We previously discussed the bizarre case of Cook County Judge Cynthia Brim, a judge in Markham, Illinois who has been barred from entering the courthouse without police escort and has a prior arrest for assault. Despite long opposition from bar groups and her claiming insanity as a defense to the charge, Cook County voters returned her to the bench in a recent election. Now, Brim has been cleared of the criminal charge by reason of insanity and can now be cleared to resume judging other people in Cook County . . . thanks to voters who clearly reelected her on a basis other than competence, record, or sanity.

Continue reading “Illinois Judge From Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity . . . And May Now Return To The Bench” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

YouTube Video Raises Outcry Over Alleged Elder Abuse

A video released on YouTube has lead to calls for an investigation in elder abuse after a man was confronted at 2am in the morning picking up his elderly mother after allegedly forcing her to beg for money for several hours in the cold. This confrontation occurred at the UCI Town Center shopping center in Irvine California and the man becomes increasingly unhinged an irate.
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Academia, Constitutional Law, Society

Arizona School Suspends High School Student For Picture of Gun

article-2273230-1757A615000005DC-561_634x354We have yet another case of the “zero tolerance” policies being imposed in our school as an excuse of zero judgment or though by school officials.We have been discussing the steady stream of absurd actions taken by school officials under “zero tolerance” policies. For a prior column, click here. Now, Daniel McClaine Jr., a freshman at Poston Butte High School in Florence, Arizona, has been suspended for simply choosing a picture of a gun as a desktop background his computer.

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International, Religion, Society

Baby Burkas: Saudi Cleric Issues Fatwa For Babies To Wear Burkas To Avoid Tempting Saudi Men

baby_burkasSaudi cleric Sheikh Abdullah Daoud reportedly has a solution to the sexual molestation of baby girls in the Islamic world: force babies to burkas. It is the latest fatwa on Islamic morality from the extremists in the Kingdom — the problem is not Saudi men who molest girls but the fact that babies do not cover themselves out of modesty.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Lewis: God Cleared Me Of The Double Murder Charges

211px-Ray-Lewis-2008-Steelers-regseason-game

god
god

I enjoyed the Superbowl yesterday, which proved a classic game with the 49ers roaring back in the second half for a close game. However, the thing that most captured my attention was an interview shortly before the game by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis is the face of the Baltimore Ravens and many have complained that he is hardly an inspiring figure given his prior indictment for a double murder. Lewis was asked about this continuing controversy and he came up with a curious claim of proven innocence: God cleared him. It appears that in sports and morality, nothing succeeds so much as success.

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Society

Super Bowl XLVII: Highs and Lows

200px-Super_Bowl_29_Vince_Lombardi_trophy_at_49ers_Family_Day_2009The 2013 Superbowl between the Ravens and 49ers was no disappointment as these two teams played to their different strengths for a close game. The 49ers continued their signature slow start and roaring finish to almost clinch a record 6th Superbowl win. We gathered around a pot of my slow-cooked steak chili and a pitcher of wasabi Bloody Marys with friends. Now, to facilitate discussion, time for my highs and lows.

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Uncategorized

Super Bowl Musings

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

godaddy-super-bowl-adSome thoughts about our biggest secular holy day:

Beyonce’ Knows: For anyone who decried the lip syncing Beyonce’ at the Inaugural,  you gotta admit at least you could hear the song. I’m amazed with all the technical clout in Hollywood, we still couldn’t make out one word Beyonce’ sang live  at halftime. As for that outfit, that was real!

Lights Out:  New Orleans had a chance for a “lights out” performance at the Super Bowl and boy did they deliver. Who needs a rain delay when you’ve got a light delay. Officials even now are checking with former Mayor Ray Nagin to see if he either forgot to pay the light bill or one of his cronies was in charge of the Super Dome electrical grid tonight.

Making the Most of A Bad Situation: There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that all the field referees checked their wallets following the lights out as Ray Lewis walked back to the sideline. No need to thank this Steeler fan, you lovables in Raven Nation.

Colin Who? After all the hype, we’ll get to see if San Fran QB Colin Kaepernick is made of the right stuff. Down 28-6, he’ll have his work cut out for him after an abysmal first half performance. I’ll take Richmond’s own Russell Wilson as the best QB in the NFC. Make a note of this opinion.

Brothers in Arms: Looks like sibling rivalry is alive and well. With all the fighting going on in the game, the Harbaugh parents must be fondly remembering those car trips to school. Don’t make me stop this game!!

Hope For Us All: Best Super Bowl ad? See above. Go Daddy, indeed.

 

~Mark Esposito, GuestBlogger

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Justice, Lawyering, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Privatized Prisons a Bad Idea Gets Worse

Submitted by: Mike Spindell, guest blogger

HK_Central_Statue_Square_Legislative_Council_Building_n_Themis_sI don’t usually hold with simplified solutions to certain problems we all face but one comes to mind based on an article I read just now. A reasonable person should vote against any, I mean ANY, politician who has done, or is willing to do anything positive towards continuing the practice of privatizing the prison system on any level of government. From a standpoint of our Constitution I believe that the concept violates it, in spirit, if not in fact. From a fiscal point of view I believe that there is no cost effectiveness in privatizing a prison system. From an ethical position I believe that punishment by our criminal justice system is a government function and can not be given to private contractors without abuses coming. Finally, from a humane standpoint I believe that running a prison on a for-profit basis will never live up to the standards of humane treatment even the worst of prisoners deserve. The institution of a private prison system is a call for corruption just as in the case of the two Pennsylvania Judges convicted of wrongly accepting bribes to sentence minors to a private prison run for minors. This was the infamous “Kids for Cash” case which resulted in prison for these venal, loathsome jurists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_for_cash_scandal I believe that cases and corruption such as this are the inevitable result of prison privatization and I believe that we are going to see more and more of it today.

The article which appears in today’s Huffington Post is titled: “Lake Erie Correctional Institution, Ohio Private Prison, Faces Concerns About “Unacceptable” Conditions”. The issues discussed in this brief article highlight all that I think is wrong about maintaining a privatized prison system and about the abuses that spring naturally from the concept. The article even touches on why the initial cost benefit put forth by private companies and by the politicians they convince to back their idea, is unreal and actually leads to greater expense on borne by the government and its citizens. Continue reading “Privatized Prisons a Bad Idea Gets Worse” →

Justice, Religion, Society

A Start Or Plan B? Cardinal “Disciplined” Over Handling Of Child Sexual Abuse Cases [UPDATED]

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony
His Eminence Cardinal Roger Mahony

I suppose you’d have to say better late than never – but not much better. So much “not much better,” that some are questioning it’s veraciousness.  In an unprecedented move, Roman Catholic officials in Los Angeles have relieved their retired cardinal of public and administrative duties after the court-ordered release of 12,000 pages of documents pertaining to child sexual abuse at the hands of L.A. area priests. Cardinal Roger Mahony presided over the flock since the mid-1980s in the largely Hispanic and deeply religious world of southern California Catholics.  The documents reveal a steady stream of complaints of sexual abuse by priests under Mahony’s charge as well as cries for help. They response from the good cardinal was silence. 192 priests were eventually named in the ensuing litigation and the abuse spanned decades.

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Animals, Bizarre, Science

Man’s [Next] Best Friend?

MJ3d24TFor weeks, my son Jack has been demanding why our blog has not covered one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of our generation: the domesticated fox. Despite skeptical siblings, Jack insisted that foxes have been domesticated and may be purchased as pets. Finally, our crack team of researchers was assigned to the question and sure enough mad scientists in Russian have developed a domesticated fox out of the Siberian white fox (the picture above is just a red fox someone met and put on YouTube). The real pets are shown below and they are awfully cute.

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Academia, Free Speech, Politics

Threat To Academic Freedom At Brooklyn College

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Brookllyn_College_LogoThe Political Science Department at Brooklyn College voted to co-sponsor a forum on the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement. The BDS movement claims to be a campaign “to stop Israel’s rapacious occupation, colonization, and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The all-but-unknown BDS movement has gained no traction in the U.S., but thanks to Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, it has achieved a new amount of publicity.

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