Pakistan has again shown the dangerous affiliation of religious discrimination and censorship. The Central Board of Film Censors in Pakistan has banned the movie Raanjhanaa due to a “controversial plot” in which a Muslim girl falls in love with a Hindu man.
As discussed in the media (Washington Post and Associated Press), the plaintiffs in the World Bank case have filed their final proposed findings before the Special Master, including recommendations that D.C. Attorney General Irving Nathan and top aides be referred to the Bar for investigation. The case (Chang v. United States) has been going on for over ten years and involves the mass arrest of bystanders without probable cause during demonstrations against the World Bank and IMF. The case has been under investigation by Special Master John M. Facciola, United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, who is looking into the loss or destruction of key evidence in the possession of the District of Columbia as well as false statements and filings made before the Court by District officials. Because I am co-lead counsel in the case with Dan Schwartz of Bryan Cave, I must remain circumspect in what I can say about the case. To relieve the burden on my secretary, I am posting the filing this week which is in the public record.
As many of you know, we lost our beloved Molly a few months ago after she was hit by a SUV. We planted a beautiful “Molly bush” in front of the house and have had a hard time getting over her loss. We decided to get another goldendoodle like Molly for sentimental reasons (as well as the need for a hypoallergenic dog for some friends). This earlier picture shows the puppy that we will pick up next week. She is a bit bigger now but you get the idea. We are divided on the name so I turn to my blog community for guidance. Below are the contenders, though you can suggest alternative names as well in the comment section. While we reserve the right of self-determination, the Turley family is looking to the wisdom of the greatest blog for the greatest dog in the world.
Prosecutors in the George Zimmerman trial are facing a collapsing case and renewed question over whether Angela Corey succumbed to the political pressure and overcharged the case. The prosecution’s case has thus far been a disaster and many are now questioning whether charges should have been brought at all, let alone charged as second degree murder. For some inexplicable reason, the prosecutors led with Rachel Jeantel, who was one of the least compelling witnesses that they could have called from earlier perjury to ever-changing testimony. Now Angela Corey (right) and her office appear to be turning toward alternative areas of prosecution involving the daughter of one of the defense counsel.
I previously wrote a column how our country seems to have developed separate rules for the ruling elite and the rest of us. There is no better example than the lack of response of the Senate to the admitted perjury of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper before Congress. While the Justice Department has prosecuted people for the smallest departure from the truth, including testimony before Congress, no one in the Senate is calling for an investigation, let alone a prosecution, of Clapper. For his part, Attorney General Eric Holder is continuing his political approach to enforcing the law and declining to even acknowledge the admitted perjury of Clapper. Now, in a truly bizarre moment, Clapper has written a letter of apology like an errant schoolboy to excuse his commission of a felony crime . . . and it appears to have been accepted. What is curious is that we do not have letters from senators like Dianne Feinstein apologizing to doing nothing when they were all aware that Clapper was lying in his public testimony. Welcome to America’s Animal Farm.
We have previously discussed stolen valor cases where police arrest people for pretending to be former decorated veterans and heroes. But what if the man is not only the police but the police chief? When Robert Kerkorian joined the Waukegan, Ill., police department 26 years ago, he said that he was a Navy Seal (a common claim for stolen valor cases). That may have remained his secret until he was promoted to chief and a little checking led to a big embarrassment. Kerkorian was in the Navy for only six months and never even made it to Seal training.
Continue reading “Stolen Valor: Illinois Police Chief Demoted Over False Claim Of Being A Seal”
An Indiana police officer is under investigation in a novel controversy. Witnesses say that he gave his gun to a stranger to shoot a young deer on the side of the road because he did not have the heart to do it. It appears that the bystander may have been Associate Justice Elena Kagan or at least she claims prior experience for such a job.
Continue reading “Passing the Buck: Indiana Policer Officer Gives Gun To Bystander To Shoot Deer”
This is yet another video of a citizen confronting a police officer about his taking her iPad because she was using it to film him in the course of a stop or arrest. The officer tells her that she can pick it up tomorrow and that she is risking an arrest by continuing to confront him.
Continue reading “Officer Seizes iPad and Threatens Arrest After Being Filmed in Public”
Something to get you ready for the morning commute
We have previously seen how Christian leaders like Pat Robertson routinely attributed natural disasters like Katrina to God’s revenge for everything from gay rights to abortion to secularism. Not to be outdone, according to various sites, Colorado pastors Kevin Swanson and Dave Buehner have informed the faithful that the recent deadly forest fires were punishment for gay rights and abortion even though they struck the conservative areas of Colorado Springs rather than places like Boulder. Presumably, God also wanted 19 fire fighters killed in Arizona under the same theory.
Continue reading “Christian Pastors: Colorado Fires Were God’s Retribution For Gay Rights and Abortion”
We have discussed cases of the use of tasers or pepper spray as first responses by police when alternatives seem obvious. This video shows a confrontation between an officer and a squirrel where the officer pepper sprays the squirrel over the objections of onlookers.
Continue reading “Cop Versus Squirrel: Students Object To Police Officer Pepper Spraying Squirrel”
We previously discussed the finding of a Minnesota judge that the leading firm of Covington & Burling committed a serious conflict of interest in representation in a large environmental case against 3M corporation. Now, a state appellate court has upheld the disqualification — an embarrassing blow for the law firm, which continues to generate bad publicity in the litigation for its current and future clients.
Noor Basra, 16, and Noor Sheza, 15, and their mother were delighted to have rain in their area of Northern Pakistan recently. Two teenage sisters began to dance in the rain and a video was shown of them dancing in traditional dress with younger children. Local men saw the video and proceeded to kill the girls and their mother in an “honor killing.” Police have detained their step brother as part of the murder plot.
We previously discussed the case of Jeff Olson, Chalk Menace. Olson, 40, was charged with an excessive 13 counts for writing a protest on the sidewalk in front of a Bank of America location. A former aide to the U.S. Senator from Washington, Olson used water-soluble statements like “Stop big banks,” and “Stop Bank Blight.com” outside Bank of America branches last year to protest the company’s practices. The bank’s security contractor (a former police officer) demanded charges from the police and prosecutor who hit the protester with charges that would have allowed 13 years in prison. After Olson was dragged into court, the judge barred him from even mentioned terms like “free speech” or “the first amendment.” I am happy to report that a California jury made quick work of this excessive prosecution and acquitted Olson. It appears that, even with the gag of the court, the jurors could recognize free speech when they saw it.
Continue reading “California Man Chalks Up A Victory For Free Speech In Bank Of America Case”
Village of South Holland police Officer Chad Barden and other unknown officers are being sued in federal court over another dog shooting. In this case, the police arrived at the scene of a report of a dog off its leash in a suburb of Chicago. While they had dog catching poles, one of the officers shot Randy Green’s Cane Corso dog, Grady, who was sitting on the front porch of his family home when they arrived. Green says that a videotape shows that the dog did not threaten or lunge at the officers before they and Barden shot him three times.
Continue reading “Police Respond To Call Of A Dog Off Leash . . . And Proceed To Shoot The Animal In Front Of Family Home”