Academia, Society

Eleven Year Old Boy Suspended For Using Word “Gun” On Maryland School Bus

Calvert_county_md_sealWe 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. In the latest case, an 11-year-old boy was suspended from school for talking about guns on a school bus. That’s right, for saying the word “gun.” The boy reportedly said that he wish he could have defended the school with a gun to stop the massacre.

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

Ultra Orthodox “Modesty Patrol” Attacks Women And Police Over Immodest Appearances

israel1We have previously discussed the striking similarity between religious extremists in the Islamic and Jewish faiths. This week we have yet another example after a group of ultra-Orthodox men on a “modesty patrol” attacked a car carrying ultra-Orthodox women who were viewed as dress immodestly. We have previously seen the work of such immodest patrols as well as vigilantes on buses and prayer areas.

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

Republican Candidate For Virginia Lt. Governor Denounces Yoga And Mediation As Tool Of Satan

220px-Bishopewjacksonsr_takenatrally220px-Shiva_Bangalore_Yoga appears to be the new menace these days with Catholic priests and Muslim clerics (here and here) warning of its satanic appeal. Now, E.W. Jackson, a Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor in Virginia, is campaigning against the practice yoga and meditation as making people vulnerable to Satan.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Lawyering, Society

Fast Food Justice: Ohio Judge Sentences Man To 90 Days After He Fails To Carry A Sign That She Personally Made

carr_pinkeyI have repeatedly written against the use of shaming and novel sentencing by judges around the country (here and here and here). Judges often thrill the public by imposing their own forms of justices — departing from conventional criminal sentences to force people to clean courtrooms with toothbrushes, wear demeaning placards, or carry out publicly humiliating tasks. These judges often develop a taste for such power and the public acclaim that unfortunately comes from humiliating people. Cleveland Municipal Judge Pinkey Carr is a case in point. Carr garnered clearly welcomed public attention by requiring a woman to wear a sign to punish her for reckless driving near a school bus. Now, Carr has taken to making such placards herself and, when citizens do not comply as marionettes, throwing them in jail. Such is the case with Richard Dameron who refused to carry an “idiot” sign hand crafted by Carr. In the hearing, Carr appropriately compared herself to the Burger King of the justice system.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Media, Politics, Society

Learning To Love The Matrix: Feinstein Defends Warrantless Surveillance of All Citizens

225px-dianne_feinstein_official_senate_photoAs expected, in facing yet another attack on civil liberties by the Obama Administration, Democratic members are choosing personality over principle. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., CA) has come out to assure the public that it is a good thing that the Administration is spying on them and encourage them to accept such surveillance as the new normal. In the meantime, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R, Ga), insists that the surveillance must be fine because “to my knowledge we have not had any citizen who has registered a complaint relative to the gathering of this information.” Of course, it has been secret and just last February the Administration succeeded in blocking an effort of dozens of citizens and groups challenging such surveillance programs before the Supreme Court.
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Media, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Obama Administration Confirms Massive Surveillance Program Of U.S. Citizens

President_Barack_ObamaWhile the media in the United States (with some notable exceptions) have been criticized for relatively soft coverage of attacks on civil liberties by the Obama Administration, the British press appears to be filling the gap. The Guardian is reporting on a massive surveillance program by the Obama Administration where the government has ordered Verizon (and presumably other carriers) to turn over all calls made within the United States and calls between the United States and other countries. The surveillance was conducted under an order from our controversial secret court, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and demanded by the Justice Department and the FBI. The Administration has confirmed the existence of the program — another blow to civil liberties under Attorney General Eric Holder and this president. It also adds another area where Obama officials appear less than candid with Congress. [Update: USA Today first revealed aspects of this program in 2006]

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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics

Sen. Lindsey Graham Questions Whether Bloggers “Deserve First Amendment Protection”

Graham-080106-18270- 0035Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shocked many yesterday when he went public to muse over the question of whether bloggers “deserve First Amendment protection? These are the issues of our times.” Actually, it may be a question for Lindsey Graham but it is not a question of our time. Bloggers are clearly entitled to first amendment rights as are other citizens. Graham appears to be trying to raise the question of whether they are entitled to protections accorded journalists under a federal shield law.

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Criminal law, Media, Politics, Society

Holder Tells Intelligence Community Lawyers That He Wants Crackdown On Media Sources To Continue And Remain “Aggressive”

holderericFor those who believe that Attorney General Eric Holder is in any way repentant for the crackdown on journalists and whistleblowers, think again. If you recall, while Obama sacked the head of the IRS for its scandal, he only sent Holder to a confab with the media. After Holder insisted on the meeting being off the record, principled media organizations refused to attend. Holder proceeded to propose meaningless changes that actually would allow the very same investigation of reporters. Now, Holder has given a speech and his people made sure to leak it to the media. Holder told top lawyers in the Administration to continue their scorched earth campaign against leakers. This Administration has surpassed even Nixon in its pursuit of people who speak to the media and Holder wanted people to know that it will continue unabated.

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Academia, Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics, Society

Judge Edith Jones Subject To Ethics Complaint Over Alleged Bizarre Comments At Federalist Society Meeting And Judicial Bias

Edith-Jones-Judge-Edith-H-Jones-Edith-Hollan-JonesThere have long been complaints about the temperament and civility of Judge Edith Jones of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Indeed, when I clerked on that court, Jones was rather infamous for her run-ins with colleagues and others.  Jones has been criticized for her extremely conservative views and, more importantly, her perceived intolerance (and hostility) for opposing views and colleagues.  This includes telling another judge to “shut up” in oral argument. Now, she is facing a formal complaint over a Federalist Society speech given at the University of Pennsylvania where she allegedly said that certain racial groups are predisposed to crime and that defenses like mental competence and actual innocence are “red herrings” among other bizarre claims.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Torts

New Jersey Woman Sues W Hotel After Beat Down By Prostitutes In Miami

Starwood_Hotels_and_Resorts_Worldwide_logo220px-10.3010_Torino-nightlife.v2There is an interesting tort case out of Miami where a New Jersey woman, Anna Burgese, is suing W Hotel (owned by Starwood) after a beat down by prostitutes outside of the hotel. Burgese says that the hotel is widely known as catering to a large prostitution business and failed to protect guests. Police believe that the prostitutes assumed that Burgese was a “working girl” intruding on their territory.

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International, Religion, Torts

Lawyer Sues Church For “Religious Malpractice” In Failing To Rid Home Of Flatulent Demons

220px-The_Papal_BelvedereThere are demon infestation problems and then there are problems like the one in the home of lawyer Madalin Ciculescu, 34. Ciculescu went to four priests to rid his home of farting demons that he and his wife insist are making their life miserable. When the flatulence continued, they sued the Bishop and church for “religious malpractice.” Putting aside the chance that this could be an “inside job” of one of the couple, it does highlight the fact that, even though money is exchanged, it is virtually impossible to hold religious officials to any objective standard for malpractice. Ciculescu was denied and hit with costs by the court.

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Bizarre, Religion, Society

Sole Searching: Television Prophet Discusses Miracle Shoes and Pasta Sauce

Cindy Jacobs is not just some other television prophet selected by God to guide mankind. Jacobs not only walks in the path of God, she wears magical shoes with holy soles that do not get holey. In explaining how the faithful are given miracles in her 10 Minute Prayer School, Jacobs explained “I mean, I remember one time that I had a pair of shoes that I wore and wore and wore and wore and it just — for years, these shoes did not wear out. And I wore them years and years and years.” She also describes how in having friends of her kids over, God would multiple food in jars as she spooned out lunches and snacks.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Society

Supreme Court Approves Involuntary DNA Samples From Suspects And Opens The Door To A Massive DNA Databank

225px-Anthony_Kennedy_Official220px-DNA_OverviewIn a blow to civil liberties, the Supreme Court yesterday voted 5-4 to allow police to collect DNA from suspects arrested in serious crime cases. The decision by Justice Anthony Kennedy opens the door for the collection and retention of a massive DNA databank by the states and federal government. The decision produced a strange lineup with Justice Antonin Scalia writing a dissent (with Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan) and normally liberal Justice Stephen Breyer joining Kennedy, Thomas, Alito, and Roberts. It is a disastrous case for Breyer to lose his bearings. His switch denied the creation of a bright line rule protecting privacy and forestalling such a databank.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Society

India Leaders Face Rape Crisis . . . By Banning Lingerie Mannequins

220px-LingerieThere are some obvious answers about the cause of the epidemic of rapes in India. There is the religious and culture treatment of woman in traditional areas. There is hostility of police to rape victims. However, the municipal council in Mumbai sees the cause elsewhere . . . lingerie mannequins. The council voted overwhelmingly to ban the ceramic vixens to prevent rape in the city.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Politics

Egyptian Activist Convicted Of Insulting President Mohammed Morsi

220px-MohamedMorsiPThe crackdown on free speech continued this week under President Mohammed Morsi (left) with a conviction of Ahmed Douma for insulting the leader. It is only one of a variety of cases against Egyptian journalists, bloggers, and others charged criminally for their criticism of Morsi and the imposition of authoritarian measures and Islamic laws in the country.

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