International, Military, Politics, Society

Biting The Hand: Afghan Government To Tax United States Aid

The Washington Post is reporting that the Afghan government is moving to tax U.S. aid to his country — notifying U.S. contractors that the government wants a piece of the aid given . . . to them. The Karzai government is taking this action over the objections of the Administration and conflicting U.S. law. It is also taking this action after Karzai has shutdown corruption investigations against his government. The Karzai family has been denounced as a virtual criminal enterprise with his brothers stealing anything that they can lay their hands on.

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Criminal law, International, Society

English Woman Sentenced To Two Years For Accusing Four Men of Raping Her

Under pressure from women’s groups, English officials recently backed down in giving the same anonymity protections to men accused of rape as they do to their alleged victims. Emma Blunden, 21, of Reading, Berkshire should give them second thoughts. Blunden received two years after repeatedly accusing men of raping her.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International

Czech Prosecutors Issue International Warrant For Arrest of Qatari Royal Accused of Child Molestation

We have another Middle Eastern royal on the lam. Various sites are reporting that a Prague court has issued an international arrest warrant for Prince Hamad bin Abdallah bin Thani al-Thani, a Qatari prince convicted of sexually abusing Czech girls.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, International, Religion, Society

Irish Justice Orders Baby Saved Over Objections of Religious Parents

Justice Gerard Hogan of Ireland’s High Court held a novel hearing on December 27th in his own home. Hogan ordered that the government give a lie-saving blood transfusion to a baby boy born in August 2010. His parents are both Jehovah Witnesses and had refused the procedure to save their son.

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Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Society

Cheney: Obama Has Adopted Bush Policies on Torture and Gitmo

As many of us expected, President Obama’s decision to block any investigation or prosecution of war crimes has led Republicans to rehabilitate George Bush’s legacy.  The latest claim came from former Vice President Dick Cheney who previously boasted about the torture program in public — unconcerned about any prosecution from Attorney General Eric Holder.  Now, Cheney is boasting that Obama has “learned from experience” that some of the Bush administration’s decisions on terrorism issues.

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Academia, Bizarre, Society, Torts

College Student Goes to School Officials To Complain About a Hidden Camera in Her Apartment . . . And Is Committed To Mental Hospital (Before Camera is Found)

This is an amazing story. Brooklyn College student Chinemerem Eze, a Nigerian national, was convinced that her landlord had hidden a camera in her apartment. She complained to school officials, who proceeded to arrange for her being committed to a psychiatric ward . . . Then later she found the camera.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Justice, Lawyering, Politics

“Spiritual Corruption”: Chávez Jails Judge Who Granted Bail To Banker

Hugo Chávez continues his assault on political and legal protections in Venezuela. In a move that has been denounced internationally, including by Amnesty International, Chávez demanded the arrest of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni after she granted bail to an accused banker. He is demanding 30 years in prison even though his prosecutors could find no bribe (as he originally alleged on the radio). Instead, they found “spiritual corruption” and threw her in jail with many convicts that she previously incarcerated.
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Academia, Bizarre, Environment, International, Science

Are Males Obsolete? Female Dragonflies Go It Alone

OK, this is bad. Just as many wives are at their wits end with husbands who have turned to couch potatoes during the playoffs, scientists have found another species that made males obsolete. Spanish investigators have discovered that dragonflies are capable of parthenogenesis, asexual reproduction without fertilization by a male. While plenty of women are avid football fans, the announcement of this discovery during the playoffs can only be viewed as a direct threat to the male gender.

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Courts, Justice, Supreme Court

Are Michael Mukasey, Tom Ridge and Rudy Giuliani Aiding and Abetting the Enemy?

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

 

I realize that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, but when organizations are added to the Federal government’s list of Terrorist Organizations, the Supreme Court has determined that any assistance to that organization is a criminal act. Even a speech in support of that particular group can be a criminal act.  http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1498.pdf   http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/opinion/03cole.html?_r=1   It seems that in December of 2010, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey along with former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Rudy Giuliani, a former Mayor of New York City and a former Presidential candidate, all spoke at a conference in Paris in support of the Mujahedeen Khalq.  The Mujahedeen Khalq is an Iranian dissident group that the State Department has labeled as a terrorist organization.  http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm 

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Academia, Constitutional Law, International, Justice, Military, Politics, Society

Their Rights As Englishmen: A Brief History of the Second Amendment-Part I

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Few words have sparked as much emotion on the blog –and may have even cost it a victory lap in the ABA blog voting this year — as the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Seems the history of the Amendment was just as jumbled and ferociously fought, or so contends Law Professor David E. Vandercoy, in his short history of the Second Amendment.

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Academia, Bizarre, Justice, Society, Things That Tick Me Off

Tacoma Student Sent Home For Wearing Wrong Jersey: Bears Gain New Fan

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Only on rare occasion do I disagree with our host on interpretations of law. On football, well that’s another matter. An unabashed Steeler and AFC fan, I run head long in Professor Turley’s (shall I say it?), obsession with those “Monsters of the Midway,” the Chicago Bears. Today, all that changed.

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Religion

A Tangled Web

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

 

For those not familiar with William Lane Craig (WLC), he is a Christian apologist and a Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He debates atheists and he usually wins. He doesn’t win on the merits of his arguments but he is a skilled debater, while his opponents are not.