Many of us have questioned some of the response targeting Wikileaks and the dangers that they pose to journalists and free speech on the Internet. The CIA, it appears, agrees: naming its effort the “Wikileaks Task Force” or WTF.
Continue reading “WTF on the Wikileaks Crackdown? The CIA Agrees”
The Arizona state supreme court has suspended attorney Cynthia Leyh over a conflict of interest and other misconduct in her representation of her convicted boyfriend, Walter Stringer.
Well, our friend Lottakatz has certainly stirred up a hornet’s nest. Various posters on the blog have contacted me about the sudden surge of over 100 votes on Legal Satyricon to take it from just 15 votes to the lead in the ABA competition. There was a surge of over 100 votes in less than an hour. I have discouraged (and even deleted) a few postings on the issue to keep the matter civil. After all, this is just a fun distraction for bloggers and we tend to have more fun than most. However, with some sleuthing, Lottakatz appears to have found a campaign of misinformation on pro-gun sites where an alleged regular on LS claims that I am a leading anti-gun advocate. The false representation promptly made opposition to our blog as cause celebre for gun rights advocates. Given the emails from our regulars, I wanted to address the controversy.
Continue reading “Misinformation Campaign Alleged in ABA Journal Competition”
We have been following a spate of cases (here and here and here and here and here and here)where police officers have shot family dogs in what some are calling over-reactions to such animals. The latest is “Boomer,” a golden retriever who barked at an officer and ran toward him. The Clayton County Police officer “ordered the dog to stop” and then shot and killed it. The dog had an electric fence and was still near the front porch when shot.
Continue reading “Georgia Police Officer Kills Family Dog in Controversial Shooting”
Afshan Azad, 22, is a talented and beautiful actress who played Padma Patil, a classmate of Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series. She is now achieving equal notoriety in court after she sought protection from her father and brother who allegedly threatened her life over a association with a male Hindu. Her family is Muslim and allegedly wanted her to accept an arranged marriage. Her father — Abul Azad, 53– allegedly threatened her life and called her a “slag” and a “prostitute.” She also accused her brother — Ashraf, 28 — of making threats against her life. However, she then refused to give testimony in court as if the entire incident were wiped away with a memory charm.
Continue reading “Harry Potter Star in Court After Father and Brother Allegedly Threaten Her Life and Demand Arranged Muslim Marriage”
Law professors David Rudovsky of the University of Pennsylvania and Leonard Sosnov of Widener University have won an extraordinary verdict: $5.2 million in compensatory and punitive damages for defamation by West Publishing. At issue was a shoddy 2008 pocket part issued under their names. Rudovsky (left) called the update a “poorly researched ‘sham’ pocket part.”
Sufia Begum, 50, has become the latest victim of Sharia justice. The Bangladeshi woman died after being publicly caned for an alleged extramarital affair with her stepson.
Continue reading “Bangladeshi Woman Dies After Caning For Adultery”
We often discuss jury nullification in class, but usually such a controversial decision to refuse to convict someone on clear evidence of guilt comes at the end of a trial. Not in Montana this month when potential jurors announced that they would not convict a person of possession of a small amount of marijuana regardless of the evidence. In polling the potential jurors, District Judge Dusty Deschamps found only 5 of 27 were willing to convict someone on a small possession of pot.
Continue reading “Pre-Trial Jury Nullification? Potential Jurors in Montana Excused After They State That They Would Not Convict On Possession of Small Amount of Marijuana”
A new report found that drinking water in 35 cities across the United States contain hexavalent chromium, a probable carcinogen. The report of the Environmental Working Group, is the first nationwide analysis of hexavalent chromium in drinking water to be made public.
Continue reading “Carcinogen Found in Drinking Water of 35 Cities Across U.S.”
There is an interesting case out of Perkins, Oklahoma where Federal Reserve officials reportedly ordered a small bank (The Payne County Bank) to remove religious Christmas displays. I fail to see the authority of Federal Reserve officials to limit the free speech to a bank, particularly religious-based speech. If the bank wants to marginalize non-Christian customers through sectarian displays, I think it has a constitutionally protected right to do so. What it cannot do is actually discriminate in the establishment or handling of accounts.
Continue reading “Federal Reserve Bank Examiners Demand Removal of Crosses and Merry Christmas Buttons at Oklahoma Bank”
For Republican legislators in Iowa, it was not enough that three state supreme court justices who voted to strike down a ban on gay marriage were recently defeated in their reelection bids after being targeted by conservatives. Now, legislators want to impeach the remaining four justices from the unanimous decision.
Continue reading “Iowa Legislators To Impeach Iowa Justices Who Voted For Same-Sex Marriage”
SUBMITTED BY LAWRENCE RAFFERTY, GUEST BLOGGER
Earlier today, Vice President Joe Biden appeared on Meet the Press and gave David Gregory an interesting answer to Gregory’s questions concerning our exit strategy in Afghanistan. The Vice President not only confirmed that the Obama Administration still plans on beginning a drawdown of troops from Afghanistan starting in July of 2011, he also stated that we will complete the departure from Afghanistan in 2014. “We’re starting it in July of 2011. And we’re gonna be totally out of there, come hell or high water, by 2014.” http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/meet-press-biden-says-2014-were-out-a Leave it Vice President Biden to answer the question with such flowery language.
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
David (Nal) has been kind enough to provide us with some classic Christmas songs at the Turley Blawg to help get us into a holiday mood. I thought I’d add my two seasonal cents with a recipe for a delicious almond cake that I often make for holidays and special occasions. The cake is rich and moist. It calls for just four tablespoons of flour. I serve it with homemade raspberry sauce and whipped cream. It’s a favorite with family and friends.
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
A Massachusetts appeals court has let the sexually adventurous breathe a sigh of relief. When confronted with a man, discretely called “John Doe,” who alleged rather forcefully that his penis had been “fractured” by a particularly vigorous night of love-making, the Court accorded no relief. Doe alleged that his partner, Mary Moe (a pseudonym, I hope), had negligently engaged in sexual intercourse with him thereby fracturing his privates and rendering him “procreatively” dysfunctional. Damages for the injury were claimed of Ms. Moe, who defended Continue reading “Doe v. Moe: There is No Negligent Sexual Intercourse in Boston”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Recently, Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), the next chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told the Birmingham News, “my view is that Washington and the regulators are there to serve the banks.” As part of that service, Republican members of the bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, that was established to examine the causes of the current financial and economic crisis, are rewriting the history of the crisis.
They want to blame Fannie and Freddie.
