Academia, Bizarre

GW Law School Rocked After Professor Receives Dead Fish and Threatening Note

George Washington Law School was rocked this afternoon by allegations of threats and ethnic profiling after Contracts Law Professor and former acting Dean Gregory Maggs received fish wrapped in a newspaper with a note of cut out newspaper print reading: “Its Curtains For You. Sign a Donor Card.” With the much heralded Torts versus Contracts Paintball competition scheduled for Friday, accusing fingers have been pointed at me based on the most flimsy circumstantial evidence and obvious suspicion raised by my Italian heritage.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Lawyering, Politics

California Judge Slams Prosecutors For Allegedly Striking Potential Juror Due To His Sexual Orientation

Superior Court Judge Joan Weber slammed prosecutors in San Diego on Tuesday for allegedly striking a potential juror from a trial because he is gay. However, prosecutors insist that the juror was struck because he admitted to previously protesting in favor of gay rights in a case involving gay protesters. Weber called the San Diego City Attorney’s Office move to block the juror as “shocking,” but if the prosecutors are telling the truth, is it so unreasonable to bar such an individual from a jury based on past similar conduct?

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Animals, Bizarre, International

A Little Bird Told Me: Parakeet Supplies Police With Address To Be Returned Home

For years, I have warned clients of the dangers of parakeets and their ability to give evidence against you.  We have an example of this testimonial capability out of Sagamihara, Japan, though with a happy ending.  Piko-chan was lost and simply gave police his address.
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Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics, Religion, Society

Fighting Sioux Cannot Sue: Federal Court Throws Out Tribe’s Challenge Of NCAA Rule

We previously discussed the controversy over the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname. The NCAA has banned the use of such tribal names and members of the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe and Standing Rock Sioux sued to try to restore the use of the name — something they find not insulting but complimentary to their tribe. I have been critical of the NCAA rule. A federal court has now thrown out the lawsuit over the use of the team’s name over standing.

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Academia, Society

Introducing The 2012 Torts Paintball Team

We are now just 24 hours away from the greatest contest known in the Western jurisprudential world. On Friday, I will lead four brave torts students to a Virginia paintball field where we will battle Professor Gregory Maggs and four contracts students. Professor Maggs and I auctioned off the opportunity in the George Washington Law School public interest auction — raising almost $3000 to support public interest work by our students. Of course, that worthy purpose pales in comparison with the final showdown between contracts and torts.

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Bizarre, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Report: Fifteen Percent Of Earth’s Population Believes the World Is Coming To An End In Their Lifetime and Ten Percent Believe The Time Is Now

You know those nut jobs in Times Square proclaiming the end of the world is coming? It appears they have company. A lot of company. According to a worldwide polls, nearly 15 percent of people believe the world will end during their lifetime while 10 percent believe that the Mayan calendar shows that it will end in 2012. Once again, I will simply note that sea otters appear far more advanced than humans in every meaningful way.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Lawyering, Politics, Society

China Beats and Imprisons Human Rights Lawyer . . . Then Demands Apology From U.S. For Allowing Him Into Embassy

Well, at least China expects someone to apologize . . . just not itself. After keeping a blind Chinese legal activist in continual house arrest and denying him access to the outside world, China has demanded that the United States apologize for allowing him to enter its embassy after his inspiring escape. In the meantime, it has rounded up every Chinese person believed to have helped Chen Guangcheng. Chen has been allowed to go to the hospital and is expected to return home and presumably to his caged existence.

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Bizarre, Religion, Society, Torts

eDivinity: Is Promising To Find “God’s Choice” For Your Mate Misleading Advertising?

Recently, I have been seeing more commercials for Christian dating. We have previously discussed new dating companies offering racially correct matches and the implications of such trends. However, ChristianMingle.com raises an interesting legal question in telling subscribers that they can “find God’s Match for You.” When does such an appeal to consumers become deceptive advertising as opposed to hyperbole?

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Society

Religion Versus Free Speech: Koran Burning Re-Ignites Demands For Prohibitions On Koran Burning

Dr. Terry Jones is back with his lighter fluid and Korans. In what he called a worldwide campaign of Koran burning, Jones torched the Islamic holy book and a picture of Muhammad in the name of fighting religious intolerance. He and his supporters claim that they are only trying to help Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani who was convicted of apostasy in Iran, a case that we have been following. Of course, the action will only harden the demand to put Youcef Nadarkhani to death by irate Muslims in Iran and other countries. But, few people believe that Youcef Nadarkhani is anything more than an excuse to engage in such hateful demonstrations.

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Criminal law, Lawyering

Winner Takes All: Georgia Attorney Arrested In Alleged Jailhouse Drug Conspiracy

Georgia Attorney, Michael Stuart Winner, 45, has been arrested in an alleged series of crimes where he traded drugs with female inmates in exchange for sexual favors like looking at their breasts or being able to expose himself to them while they were in attorney-client conferences at the jail.

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