Legal Commentary

Faux Veterinarian Arrested in Bizarre Cross-Dressing Case of Fraud

Posted on January 16, 2009
A New Jersey man is in custody on a bizarre case of practicing medicine without a license. Daniel C. Tyce, 26, was arrested for allegedly claiming to be Danielle Smith - a real licensed veterinarian. Tyce, an ex-convict, is accused of committing the fraud to pay for estrogen treatments and a sex [...

Sully Sullenberger: An Example of the Experience of Older Pilots

Posted on January 16, 2009
Politicians are heralding the actions of the pilots of the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River — an effort described as “miraculous” by Chelsey B. “Sully” Sullenberger, a former Air Force fighter pilot, has been with US Airways since 1980...

New Law School Rankings Released By Cooley

Posted on January 16, 2009
U.S. News and World Report has long been the dominant ranking of law schools. However, there is competition from groups that disagree with the factors weighed by the magazine. One such competing ranking is done each year at Cooley Law School, which released the annual results this week below...

Wing Nuts vs. Doughnuts: Pro-Life Advocates Blast Krispy Kreme Over Inauguration ?Abortion Doughnuts?

Posted on January 16, 2009
Krispy Kreme thought that it was just getting into the Inaugural fun with a promotion of a free doughnut. The “freedom of choice doughnuts” is being labeled “abortion doughnuts” by the American Life League, which charges that Krispy Kreme is glazing over Obama’s pro-choice views...

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A Bit Regal for a Recession? Obama Inauguration To Run $160 Million

Posted on January 16, 2009
There has been little attention to a shocking figure placed on the Obama Inauguration: $160 Million. At a time of millions without work and a crumbling economy, it is fair to ask if spending that record amount of money sound the wrong signal to the country...

Freeh: Holder Allowed Himself to Be Used

Posted on January 16, 2009
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh testified today that the Marc Rich pardon was “corrupt” and that Attorney General-designate Eric Holder allowed himself “to be used” by the Clinton White House in January 2001. I am currently scheduled to discuss today’s testimony on Countdown tonight...

Former Lawyer Held 14 Years Without Charge on Civil Contempt

Posted on January 15, 2009
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on the abuse of civil contempt in this country including the story of H. Beatty Chadwick, a former Philadelphia-area lawyer, who has been behind bars for nearly 14 years without being charged. I have handled civil contempt defenses and it is one of the most abuses [...

Sarah Palin Announces Her Intention to Sue to Block Protections of Endangered Whales

Posted on January 15, 2009
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is going to court to block protections for the diminishing population of Cook Inlet beluga whales off of her state. In an announcement from her office, Palin has again taken the lead in attacks on environmental protection policies...

Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell, Don?t Speak: Obama To Get Rid Of Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell

Posted on January 15, 2009
While the war crimes controversy continues and questions linger over Barack Obama’s willingness to allow such crimes to be investigated, he is planning a major change that should please civil libertarians: he will reportedly rescind the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy put into place by Bill Clinton...

Christian Files Complaint Over Buddha Statutes at Kansas City Zoo

Posted on January 15, 2009
Christians are often confronted over their desire to have crosses and nativity scenes on public property, so David Engle of Overland Park, Kansas has filed a complaint over two Buddha statues in an Asian-themed area of the Kansas City Zoo. While peevish, it could make for an interesting constitutional case over entanglement questions...

Mehserle Arrested and Charged With Murder in BART Transit Shooting

Posted on January 15, 2009
Former Bay Area Rapid Transit Officer Johannes Mehserle, 27, has been arrested and charged with murder in the such publicized shooting of Oscar Grant III at an Oakland, California transit stop. It is another case where YouTube appears to have driven the official response as outrage grew with the playing of videos [...

Mein Kake: Adolf Hitler Seized in New Jersey

Posted on January 15, 2009
A couple weeks ago, we followed the story of how a store refused to make a birthday cake for a three-year-old boy named Adolf Hitler Campbell due to his name. Now, the boy and his two sisters — JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell — have been taken from their [...

Holder Calls Waterboarding Torture ? But Falls Short of Committing to Enforce the Law

Posted on January 15, 2009
Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. began on a high note this afternoon by acknowledging that waterboarding is torture — an admission that Mukasey refused to make. However, he did not commit to the obvious implication of that statement: he will enforce federal law and international law that makes torture both a crime and [...

Big Box; Small Brain: Father and Son Arrested For Allegedly Butting in Line ? and Then Assaulting an Officer

Posted on January 14, 2009
If researchers are looking for evidence of nature over nurture to rebut Skinner, they need to look no further than the father and son team of Edward R. Pluhar Sr., 61, and Edward R. Pluhar Jr. 26. Junior reportedly did not want to wait in line at Wal-Mart in Muncie, Delaware, so he [...

Bush Official Admits That Administration Tortured Detainees

Posted on January 14, 2009
With congressional Democrats and the Obama campaign struggling to avoid the investigation and prosecution of torture, a Bush official just made it a bit more difficult. Susan J. Crawford has publicly admitted that they did engage in clear torture at Guantanamo Bay...

Pornotots: Teens Charged With Pornography For Sharing Photos Of Themselves

Posted on January 14, 2009
Prosecutors have discovered another hotbed of child pornographers: Greensburg Salem High School. Prosecutors have charged teenagers with child pornography for sharing nude and seminude pictures of themselves over cell phones. The girls are 14 or 15 and the boys are 16 or 17...

Just Another Vilan? No Charges Against Officer Who Killed Man After Grabbing His Girlfriend

Posted on January 14, 2009
The Riverside District Attorney’s Office has announced that it will not criminally charge Costa Mesa Police Department officer Scott Dibble after the officer shot and killed Shaun Vilan upset with his grabbing his friend. The incident was triggered after Dibble grabbed woman in the group with 30-year-old Shaun Vilan...

Report: Bush Official Violated Federal Law in Overseeing Civil Rights Division and Lied To Congress ? But Will Not Be Charged

Posted on January 14, 2009
A federal investigation has found that Bradley Schlozman, the former acting head of the civil rights division, made false statements to Congress and violated federal law in overseeing the agency’s civil rights division. However, he will not face charges in a continuation of the Bush Administration’s record of barring prosecution of its own [...

Justice Delayed; Justice Denied: Man Settles with County After Being Held Seven Months After Molestation Charges Were Disproven

Posted on January 14, 2009
Grant County in Washington has settled an exceptionally disturbing case involving false allegations of child abuse, allegedly ineffective representation by a public defender (later disbarred), and the holding of an innocent man for seven months after allegations were disproved...

Super Kay: Attorney Acts As Both Defense Attorney and Prosecutor for Local Businessman

Posted on January 13, 2009
Tim Kay is close to becoming a legal system unto himself. In the town of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Tim Kay defended Robert John “R.J.” Manders, a businessman, on his third drunken-driving conviction. One week later, he was prosecuting Manders for trespass...

Sixteen-Year-Old Pregnant Rape Victim Murdered by Family in Honor Killing

Posted on January 13, 2009
The world has another honor killing. This time the family of Naile Erdas, 16, decided that the family honor demanded that she be killed after she was raped and impregnated. This case, however, has a positive element: a Turkish court has handed down an appropriately harsh series of sentences of the father, mother, [...

School Board Fires Popular Math Teacher; Students Fire School Board

Posted on January 13, 2009
Students at Tioga High School in Groveland, California should receive extra credit for civics. The Big Oak Flat-Groveland School Board fired Math teacher Ryan Dutton for alleged plagiarism while a student teacher at Cal State Fresno. The University says the allegations were unfounded but the school board refused to reconsider its decision, so [...

Man Arrested for Allegedly Trying to Sell 14-Year-Old Daughter Into Marriage for a Dowry of 150 Cases of Beer, Meat, and Cash

Posted on January 13, 2009
Police in Greenfield, California are dealing with a considerable cultural disconnect. Macelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, was arrested after he arranged for a marriage of his daughter, 14, into a marriage for beer and cash. When his son-in-law, Margarito de Jesus Galindo, 18, stopped paying, he went to police to try to get [...

Strong Ruling: Jury Rejects Claims by Woman Who Went Into Hospital for Kidney Stones and Lost All Four Limbs

Posted on January 13, 2009
For those who insist that the American jury system is simply pro-plaintiff, you need to look at the case of Lisa Strong, 44. The mother of two went to a hospital for kidney stones and ended up losing both her arms and legs. A jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida rule in favor the [...

Two Men Stoned to Death and One Escapes After Iranian Sentence of Adultery

Posted on January 13, 2009
Iran has continued its medieval legal practice with two additional stonings. It was supposed to be three stonings, but one of the men named Mahmoud accused of adultery was able to dig himself out of the hole and run free. The stonings occurred in the city of Mashhad in late December...

New York Waiter Charged Criminally For Playing Arabic Chant at Jewish Wedding

Posted on January 12, 2009
Stephen Buttafuoco, 23, is the subject of a rather curious criminal charge. He was a waiter at a wedding at the Woodbury Jewish Center when the guests suddenly began to hear an Arabic chant praising Allah. Buttafuoco, who aptly lives in West Babylon, New York, insists that he was playing a recording for [...

Liquid Assets: Body of Drowned Somali Pirate Washes Onshore with $153,000 in Ransom Money

Posted on January 12, 2009
Authorities have discovered the body of a Somali pirate who drowned after receiving his share of a ransom to release a Saudi oil tanker. His is one of five pirates who reportedly drowned after leaving the boat when $3 million was dropped by parachute on to the vessel The five pirates drowned when their small [...

New York Lawyer Accused of Bigamy and Blocked From Evicting Ex-Wife

Posted on January 12, 2009
Keeping with the developing matrimonial theme this morning, an odd case has emerged from New York involving personal injury lawyer Joseph Rosenzweig, who has been blocked by a court from foreclosing on a loan to his wife, Radiah Givens, due to bigamy...

De Jesus: Court Divides Assets of the AntiChrist in Divorce

Posted on January 12, 2009
There is an interesting ruling in a divorce case out of Miami, Florida this week. Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda has developed a certain fame or infamy by first declaring himself to be Jesus Christ and then proclaiming that he is the Antichrist. Dividing up the assets of the Antichrist would seem a [...

Obama Indicates That He Will Not Investigate Bush Crimes

Posted on January 12, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama appears to be signaling that he is not inclined to investigate crimes committed by the Bush Administration. In an interview with ABC News program ?This Week With George Stephanopoulos?, he picked up on the recent Democratic spin that we should all “look to the future and not the past” [...

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