Academia, Constitutional Law, Lawyering

Sixth Circuit Rules Against Cooley Law Professor

The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ruled against professor Lynn Branham who challenged her firing as violating her guarantee of tenure. The case, Branham v. Thomas M. Cooley Law Sch., No. 10-2305 (August 6, 2012) 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 16266, contains some interesting language on the tenure and when it is more rhetorical and real. Ironically, Branham has relocated to the faculty of St. Louis Law School — just time for its dean to resign over the “disrespect” shown her by the University president. Cooley Law School has been getting a fair level of trial practice recently — as a defendant, plaintiff, or witness (here and here and here). That leaves the impression of a type of perpetual legal machine, producing lawyers who produce lawsuits in an endless loop of litigation.

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Academia

Dean of St. Louis University Law School Resigns After Being Treated With “Disrespect”

Annette Clark, the dean of St. Louis University’s law school has resigned after only a year on the job in a very public spat with the University president Father Lawrence Biondi. Clark released a letter stating “From the beginning of my deanship, you have evinced hostility toward the law school and its faculty and have treated me dismissively and with disrespect.”

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

Mein Chianti? American Lawyer Triggers Controversy Over Sale Of Hitler Wine In Italy

It appears the fight over Lebensraum is now being waged over liquor store shelf space. An American couple has triggered a free speech controversy in Italy after complaining about the sale of wine with the image of Hitler on the label or other labels for “Mein Kampf” wine or wine with the motto “Ein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer” (one people, one empire, one Fuhrer). Michael Hirsch, a lawyer from Philadelphia, complained about the sale of such items. In Italy, prosecutors are looking into the matter for possible criminal charges. The question is whether the producer should have a right to supply such bottles and customers should have the right to buy such bottles.

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Academia, Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

Louisiana School Requires Pregnancy Tests and Expulsion for Pregnant Girls

Louisiana education officials are moving to block a decision by the Delhi Charter School to ban pregnant students and require pregnancy tests for students suspected of being pregnant. The state-funded school in Delhi, Louisiana implemented its “Student Pregnancy Policy” to remove pregnant girls from school — requiring them to either find another school or study at home.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

New Jersey Man Arrested For Dressing As Superhero At Home Depot

There is an interesting case out of Mansfield Township, New Jersey where Matthew Argintar was arrested for dressing as a superhero and going to the Home Depot. Agintar, 23, was wearing a small mask, elbow and arm pads, bulletproof vest, and a cape when he appeared at the store. The charges caught my eye: disorderly conduct and unlawful possession of handcuffs.

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Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Media, Religion

Vatican Rejects Bulgarian Ambassador Due To Prior Book Depicting Gay Sex

The Vatican has taken the extraordinary measure of rejecting Bulgaria’s ambassador due to a prior book in which he depicted gay sex. Kiril Marichkov is a 39-year-old lawyer with two degrees, married to an Italian woman, and speaks five languages. He is also the grandson and namesake of the man appointed Bulgaria’s first ambassador to the Vatican after the collapse of communism in 1990. However, none of that matters to the Vatican which is upset with some of the scenes in his successful novel, Clandestination.

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International, Politics

Off With Their Riches: France Prepares A 75% Tax Rate For Top Earners

Various news organizations have been reporting an exodus of the superrich from France — often buying homes in England or surrounding countries to avoid the expected 75 percent tax rate proposed by the Socialist government of President François Hollande. While the rate would apply only to those making one million euros a year or more, I view it as a mistake. I admit that I tend to have great reservations about heavy tax hikes during economic crisis. We have debated the value and potential harm of such hikes on this blog. However, a 75% rate is in my view insane. As rational actors, top earners are likely to simply leave the country as they are doing. Hollande came into office on a wave of sentiment to soak “Les riches” and Hollande himself proclaimed “I don’t like the rich.” It is a bit too Robespierrean for my tastes as an economic policy.

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Bizarre, Free Speech, Religion, Society

“You’re on Your Toes with Cheerios”: Anti-Gay Activist Burns Cheerios (and Lawn) in Protest of General Mills

This video of former Christian radio preacher Michael Leisner’s protest of General Mills seems right out of Saturday Night Live. Leisner is upset with what he says is the support of General Mills for same-sex marriage so he decides to torch a box of Honey Nut Cheerios on their lawn . . . and proceeds to torch their lawn in Golden Valley, Minnesota. He did succeed in reaffirming the company’s new slogan: “You’re on your toes with Cheerios”

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Politics, Society

White House Press Secretary Deflects Polygamy Question

White House press secretary Jay Carney is expected to answer an array of questions from taxes to Iraq to unemployment. With a critical motion depending in the Sister Wives case, one reporter decided to ask a simple question: “How does the president stand on polygamy?” Carney responded with stony silence and moved on.

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Bizarre, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Not On The First Date: Putin Recoils As Russian Priest Seeks To Kiss His Hand

It appears that after years to clearly cultivating a cult of personality with action-hero photo ops and staged acts, Putin is still uncomfortable with kisses from his subjects . . . well at least on the hand. Putin seemed truly alarmed when a Russian Orthodox priest tried to kiss his hand while visiting a 14th century monastery on Russia’s northern Valaam Island. It was a particularly telling moment after Putin created an alliance with the Church to support his authoritarian government. Putin has particularly pleased the Church leaders after his government continued a widely condemned prosecution of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot after they carried out a brief demonstration in a church.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Deaf Woman Calls Police Who Tell Her To Come Outside And Then Taser Her and Jail Her For Not Responding To Commands

Lashonn White is a deaf woman in Tacoma, Washington who recently used a special typing machine to call police to tell them that she was being attacked. Within six minutes police were in front of her door. White was then told to come outside by police and then tasered and thrown to the ground. She was jailed for three days because the police could not find an interpreter. I am not sure why the police did not have a simple special video-equipped phone (like the one in White’s home) or why the basic facts could not be established through writing.

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Bizarre, International

Question of the Day: Why Are Female Gymnasts Allowed To Stop A Vault But Not Male Gymnasts?

Last night I was watching the women compete in the vault exercise and watched as one gymnast stopped her run and returned for a second try. I was surprised to hear that females are allowed to stop in their run, but males are not. Why?

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