Former Utah Attorneys General Swallow and Shurtleff Arrested

220px-John_Swallow220px-Mark_ShurtleffWe have been following the investigation of former Utah Attorneys General John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff. When I first met Mark Shurtleff, he was Utah Attorney General leading the case against my clients, the Brown family in the Sister Wives case. After years of abusive investigations and public statements, we challenged the state criminalization of polygamy and Shurtleff fought to defend the law. He was then replaced in the case by Swallow. Now both have been arrested and taken into custody. For the Browns who were threatened with arrest and the loss of their children, it must be a truly ironic moment.

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Former Michigan Prosecutor Accused Of Murder For Hire Scheme To Kill Lawyer

Gomery, Clarence MugFormer prosecutor Clarence Gomery is in jail after a court imposed a $5 million bond for his release pending trial on charges that he tried to arrange to have attorney Christopher Cooke killed in a murder-for-hire scheme. The bad blood with Cooke is believed to stem from his representation of Gomery’s former business client in a heated litigation.

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55 People Arrested In Nigeria For Drinking Alcohol In Violation Of Sharia Law

No_alcoholIn Kano, Nigeria, 55 people have been arrested and convicted for alcohol consumption in violation of Sharia law. Making the violation more serious in the view of the Sharia “judges” is the fact that they were drinking during Ramadan. They received four months in prison for failing to live up to the religious demands of their government.

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California Appellate Court Reinstates Case Against Couple Who Delayed Calling Police After A Drunk Friend Fell Over Cliff

gavel2There is an interesting ruling out of California where the Third Appellate District has reversed a dismissal of tort claims against two defendants who were sued by their former friend after he fell off a cliff while drunk. The appellate court ruled that there are triable issues in the culpability of Zachary Gudelunas and Sarah Koivumaki in bringing Jason Michael Carlsen to the cliff knowing that he was drunk and then waiting for hours before calling police after he fell off the cliff in Redding above the Sacramento River.

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Texas Jury Refuses To Indict Man Who Shot and Killed Officer During “No Knock” Raid

Adam SowdersHenry Goedrich MageeWe have previously discussed our concerns over the seemingly exponential increase in “no knock” raids in the country where police give no warning before raiding a home. (here and here and here and here and here and here). Now in a remarkable ruling, a Texas grand jury has refused to indict Goedrich Magee, 20, who shot and killed a law enforcement officer, Burleson County Sgt. Adam Sowders, 31, during a no knock entrance into his home. Magee said that he thought he was being robbed and acted to protect his pregnant girlfriend and children. The grand jury “no billed” the case in February.

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Durham Police Admit To Lying About 911 Calls To Enter Homes Without Warrants

chiefweb11USA_-_NORTH_CAROLINA_-_City_of_Durham_police_departmentWe have followed the scandals in Durham involving its police chief and former district attorneys. Now Durham police officers have been shown to have lied about non-existent 911 calls to enter the homes of citizens without a warrant. Despite this illegal tactic that was admitted on the stand, no officers have been fired. Instead, Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez (left) has sent out a memo. You may recall Lopez who earlier reportedly said that a public defender deserved to be shot.

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Target Employee Files Report On Alleged Shoplifting By Deputy . . . Employee Is Fired And No Charges Are Brought Against the Deputy

150px-Target_logo.svgThere is a disturbing case out of the Leesburg Virginia (near my home) where Dallas Northington, an eight-year employee of Target, has been fired as he reportedly caught a Fairfax County sheriff’s deputy shoplifting. He filed a report and was told that both his manager and the investigator recognized the culprit on a videotape. However, when he returned to work, he was canned by Target. In the meantime, despite the alleged identification and two color videotapes of the shoplifting, the police have yet to charge the officer (who reportedly left the force).

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Singapore Government Supports The Destruction Of Book Of Same-Sex Penguin Couple and Non-Traditional Families

220px-TangopenguinThe Singapore government is supporting the National Library Board in the plan to destroy a children’s book detailing the real-life story of two male penguins raising a baby chick in New York’s zoo. It appears that the government views “And Tango Makes Three” to be nothing more than penguin perversion.

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Corporate Veil and Hobby Lobby

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Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Weekend Contributor

We have heard the phrase for quite some time now.  “Corporations are people”.  It sounds so simple, but what does it mean in practice?  The corporate structure is designed to protect individual shareholder assets from creditors of the corporation.  If you maintain your corporate structure requirements and corporate book, the individual’s assets cannot be attached or claimed by a creditor of the corporation.

Corporations are also afforded special tax breaks and tax rates that individual persons cannot take advantage of.  How has the Hobby Lobby decision altered or not altered the corporate veil protection provided to corporations?  Continue reading “Corporate Veil and Hobby Lobby”

Elephant Tears

By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor

rajuRaju got freed from an imprisonment in India last week after a 50 year sentence. Shackled with iron bindings studded with spikes and starving, the captive at first winced then cried tears of joy when his rescuers finally relieved him of the pain. That wasn’t the first time Raju cried. He cried when he was caught and then throughout his ordeal when he was sold and beaten. He cried when he was forced to stand outside of temples begging for food.

Raju’s story isn’t unique in a part of the world where life is cheap, especially non-human animal life. Raju, you see, is an elephant and elephant’s don’t have emotions were are taught. They are chattel in the mind of the law and any similarity between them and the dominant species on the planet is purely coincidental.

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Guess Who Loves Obamacare By A 3 to 1 Majority? Republicans!

By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor

Full Waiting Rooms Signal Scary Times For The GOP
Full Waiting Rooms Signal Scary Times For The GOP Leadership

Even as the GOP struggles to hold onto to its wacky Tea Party base and appease the country clubbers who finance the show, it finds it can unite on one thing: It Loves the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). That’s right, the party who issued dire warnings over death panels and runaway costs, and rationing, and lost jobs just heard from its grass-roots and … they LOVE it. According to the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that “aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable,” polling shows 74% of persons who had the guts to identify themselves as Republicans “said that they were very or somewhat satisfied with their new insurance plan.” And even more remarkably for that “sky-is-always-falling” crowd, they’re optimistic .. yes, optimistic, that  “new health coverage will improve their ability to get the care they need.” What ? No waiting lines, no rationing of health care ? No shadowy board saying Grandma must die because she needs hormone replacement therapy? Continue reading “Guess Who Loves Obamacare By A 3 to 1 Majority? Republicans!”

Congressional Candidate Blasts Elephant Piñata With Shotgun In Campaign Ad

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Estakio Beltran Ad

Democrat congressional hopeful Estakio Beltran published a rather unique campaign ad on YouTube. In the video he declares: “They call me a long shot. They say I can’t win in this district. But what happens to an elephant when it stands around, doing nothing, for too long?”

The camera panned to an elephant piñata, and then back to Estakio, who blasted it the face with a pump-action shotgun.

“My name is Estakio Beltran,” he said. “And I approved this message.”

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In Legal States Defeating The Marijuana Black Market Likely Will Be Through Economic Forces

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

“I don’t think there’s a lack of supply in Washington State.”—Rick Garza, Director, Washington Liquor Control Board.

Marijuana LeafMarijuana Retailers in Washington ran out of their cash crop after three days of sales. A few were never provided a supply before their grand opening. The Liquor Control Board blames licensees for causing the delays but the first licensees were given their licenses via e-mail around 1:30 AM on the opening day. The board issued the first licenses for growers / producers after the optimal time to begin marijuana cultivation and even went so far as to restrict certain growers by reducing their capacity due to what the board described as “over supply issues.” Prices remain high. It seems the command economy will continue for a while and the black market in all likelihood remains largely untouched.

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Seattle Trauma Center To Test Experimental Drug On Unconscious Patients Without Consent

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Harborview Medical Center LogoPatients with brain injury brought in to the emergency department of Harborview Medical Center could be subjected to enrollment in a drug trial experiment while they are unconscious and without their express consent.

The hospital, having the largest and most capable trauma center in Washington, frequently admits patents statewide for traumatic brain injury, often of the most serious circumstances. The hospital regularly participates in studies of medications like other hospitals but a new study to test a medication currently prescribed for other hemorrhage disorders in other parts of the body is undergoing human trials for brain injury. The study is bringing forth some opposing views within the realm of medical and legal ethics as to patient informed consent, medical research, harm reduction, and individual rights.

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LA Dodgers Hit With $14 Million Judgment Over Beating of Giants Fan in 2011

Los_Angeles_Dodgers_Logogavel2A jury found the Los Angeles Dodgers partially responsible for a Giants fan’s savage beating in a stadium parking lot in 2011 and that partial liability will cost the team must nearly $14 million. The team was found 25 percent responsible for the extensive injuries to Bryan Stow, 45, which comes to precisely $13.9 million for their share when all of Stow’s medical bills and lost earnings are factored in.

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