Legal Commentary

Justice Thomas Accused of Reporting Violations

Posted on January 21, 2011
Common Cause has sent the letter below to Justice Clarence Thomas raising concerns over his failure to report his wife’s income in prior years. For full disclosure, I have conferred with Common Cause on this nondisclosure issue and participated as an independent expert in the press conference yesterday on the absence of binding ethics rules [...

FAREWELL KEITH

Posted on January 21, 2011
This evening my friend Keith Olbermann announced that he is leaving MSNBC and that Countdown will end this week. His departure will be a great disappoint for millions of viewers but I have little doubt that Keith will continue his unique brand of commentary and coverage in a different forum...

Utah Police Execute No-Knock Warrant on Home and Shot and Kill Man Holding Golf Club

Posted on January 20, 2011
This video was released by the Salt Lake Tribune of a drug bust gone bad where officers shot and killed Todd Blair, 45, when he appeared holding a golf club. The police had secured a no knock warrant for his roommate — suspected of selling drugs...

Hold Your Breath . . . Go Ahead Try It

Posted on January 20, 2011
This is a remarkable video that I saw on Reddit of a man diving and fishing. Oh yeah, he also holds his breath for 2:30 minutes. For Bears and Packers fans, this is good practice for this Sunday. Now here is the Packers joke of the day: Q: What’s the difference between the Green bay [...

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Should Scalia and Alito Be Retroactively Recused From Citizens United?

Posted on January 20, 2011
I just participated in a press conference for Common Cause on its letter (below) asking the Justice Department to look into alleged conflicts of interest related to Justices Scalia and Thomas in the Citizens United case. Common Cause identified extremely serious issues related to the participation of Scalia and Thomas in events organized by Koch [...

Alabama Governor Tells Voters That They Need To Believe in Jesus To Be His Brother or Sister

Posted on January 20, 2011
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley had a special message for non-Christian citizens immediately after his swearing in as governor: believe in Christ or do not consider me your brother. Here is Bentley’s uplifting message: ?Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I?m telling you, you?re not my brother and you?re not [...

Tuscon Restaurant To Serve Lion Tacos

Posted on January 20, 2011
A restaurant in Tuscon has hit upon a rather disturbing promotional gimmick: it is taking orders for African Lion tacos. The owner of Exotic Taco y Tequila, Bryan Mazon, sees nothing wrong with serving up lions and admits that he hopes that grinding up lions will bring him some publicity...

Reid Criticized for Calling Chinese President a ?Dictator?

Posted on January 20, 2011
Ok, I’m confused. I know that China virtually owns this country by holding billions of our debt. However, I fail to understand the criticism of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for calling Chinese President Hu Jintao a “dictator.” Hu is the head of a government that arrests dissidents, censures news, restricts the exercise of religion, [...

Vatican Warned Irish Bishops Not To Report Child Abuse in 1997

Posted on January 19, 2011
In a discovery that is being called “the smoking gun,” Irish media is reporting that they have a 1997 letter from the Vatican warning Ireland’s Catholic bishops not to report all suspected child-abuse cases to police. This was from 1997 — less then 13 years ago in the midst of the scandal...

Police Officer Tasers Unarmed Man in Traffic Stop Without Cause ? Receives Only 90 Day Probation for ?Official Oppression?

Posted on January 19, 2011
The video below has led to the sentencing of a Beaumont, Texas police officer for “official oppression” in the beating of a man at a 2007 traffic stop. James Cody Guedry stunned unarmed passenger Derrick Newman twice with a Taser in an Aug...

Fairfax Police Give $2 Million To Parents of Unarmed Man Shot and Killed By Swat Officer Outside of His Home

Posted on January 19, 2011
According to the Washington Post, Fairfax County (where I reside) has agreed to pay $2 million to the parents of an unarmed man who was shot by one of its officers five years ago. Optometrist Salvatore J. Culosi, 37, (shown left) was shot by SWAT officer Deval V...

Pittsburgh Settles Case of Man Allegedly Pistol-Whipped and Shot By Drunken Off-Duty Officer . . . The Officer is Reinstated To Force

Posted on January 19, 2011
This Pittsburgh case has me confused. Kaleb Miller, 22, has been given a $40,000 settlement after he was pistol-whipped and shot by an off-duty Pittsburgh police officer Paul Abel, 35. Abel was previously charged with drunken driving, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment...

Rep. Cohen Compares Republicans To Nazis and Calls Repeal Arguments to ?Blood Libel?

Posted on January 19, 2011
It is beginning to seem like “blood libel” has become the contemporary term of art. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) took the floor last night to compare the Republicans to Nazi propagandist Goebbels and their arguments to “blood libel.” Since Sarah Palin was just skewered over the use of the term, it will be interesting to [...

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

Posted on January 18, 2011
Under pressure from women’s groups, English officials recently back 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...

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

Posted on January 18, 2011
We have another Middle Eastern royal on the lamb. 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. The case is rather twisted both factually and procedurally...

Irish Justice Orders Baby Saved Over Objections of Religious Parents

Posted on January 18, 2011
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...

Cheney: Obama Has Adopted Bush Policies on Torture and Gitmo

Posted on January 18, 2011
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...

Biting The Hand: Afghan Government To Tax United States Aid

Posted on January 18, 2011
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...

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)

Posted on January 17, 2011
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 ...

Florida Man Acquitted in Shooting of Two Huskies Who Were Harassing Cows

Posted on January 17, 2011
This video was used as evidence in a controversial case in Florida where a judge has ruled that Christopher Comins was justified in shooting two Siberian huskies in a cow pasture who were harassing his cows. Comins insisted that he was justified in shooting Raley and Hoochie on May 19, 2008 and that they were [...

?Spiritual Corruption?: Chávez Jails Judge Who Granted Bail To Banker

Posted on January 17, 2011
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...

Are Males Obsolete? Female Dragonflies Go It Alone

Posted on January 17, 2011
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...

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

Posted on January 16, 2011
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 [...

From Massachusetts: Mug Shot of the Week

Posted on January 16, 2011
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger Tara L. Tobin, a 20-year-old woman from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, decided to ?mug? for her mug shot after police arrested her for drunk driving recently. Tobin’s mug shot brought to mind Carl Sandburg?s poem ?Phizzog...

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

Posted on January 16, 2011
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...

A Tangled Web

Posted on January 16, 2011
-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...

Is It DWI If You?re On a Horse?

Posted on January 16, 2011
This is a question faced by many municipalities. That question will be answered in Austin, Texas, where two men were arrested this week for DWI while one was riding a horse and the other was riding a mule. It is perfectly legal to ride a horse in downtown Austin...

Everybody

Posted on January 16, 2011
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger Everybody Today we have Tommy Roe in glorious STEREO!

And God said, Let the Bears Bring Forth . . . And It Was So.

Posted on January 16, 2011
Once again, God has reached down from heaven and blessed his chosen team, the Chicago Bears. In what can only be described as a Biblical contest between Good (Bears) and Evil (Packers), the NFC championship is set for next Sunday. The Sea Hawks chili was a hit (though quite hot) and the Bloody Marys followed [...

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

Posted on January 16, 2011
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...

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