Legal Commentary

Oregon Case Expands Definition of Sexual Assault

Posted on May 20, 2008
Adam Serafin, 26, has made a little of legal history in the most disgusting possible way. He was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse in Texas without any skin-on-skin contact as previously required. He was found guilty of masturbating on a friend’s wife in December...

Saudi Female Newscaster Takes on Religous Leader in Televised Debate

Posted on May 20, 2008
In a relatively rare exchange, a female newscaster in Saudi Arabia took on a religious leader who insisted that female newscasters should be entirely or most covered if they go on television. The 2006 debate on Memri TV is just now being circulated. Saudi newscaster Buthayna Nasser offers a very compelling retort to cleric [...

I Didn?t Apologize and You Can?t Make Me: White House Denies that Bush Apologized about Use of Quran for Target Practice

Posted on May 20, 2008
The White House is directly contradicting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who told Iraqis that President George Bush had apologized for the use of the Quran for target practice. While the distinction may be lost on many between “deep concern” and an “apology,” it will not likely be lost on the Iraqis who are [...

Rep. Vito Fossella To Leave Congress After Disclosure of Affair

Posted on May 20, 2008
Rep. Vito Fossella (R., N.Y.) has announced that he is leaving Congress after this term in the wake of the disclosure of an extramarital affair and a child born with the woman, former Air Force Colonel Laura Fay. Fossella’s undoing began with a ticket for running a red light...

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Student Charged Criminally for Using the Word ?Cult? to Describe Scientology During London Protests

Posted on May 20, 2008
One of the great divides between the United States and England is the scope and protection given to free speech, particularly when it comes to the media. Now, it appears that even a speech during a protest is regulated by the government. An unnamed teenager was charged criminally after he held up a [...

The New High Noon: Two Men Draw Tasers and Shoot Each Other

Posted on May 19, 2008
In Boulder, Colorado, two men arguing over a parking spot drew tasers and shot each other. Restaurant owner Harvey Epstein of Mamacitas was charged in the incident with fellow taser-slinger Casey M. Dane, the supervisor for Colorado Security Services...

Max Mosley Prostitute Turns Out to be Wife of MI5 Spy

Posted on May 19, 2008
It turns out the Max Mosley’s Nazi-orgy fantasy may have been only half as interesting as reality. Unbeknownst to Mosley, one of the prostitutes in the orgy appears to be the wife of a MI5 spy. For those who work in the national security field, it is a surprising development given the background checks [...

New Jersey Couple Sues Metal Bat Manufacturer

Posted on May 19, 2008
The parents of Steven Domalewski are suing Little League Baseball, Sports Authority, and the manufacturer of metal bats over his injury from being hit in the chest with a ball hit by a metal bat. The injury caused brain damage and his severe disability...

Pining for Yew: Man Arrested for Having Sex with Picnic Table

Posted on May 19, 2008
Arthur Price is charged in Ohio as a serial violator of . . . . picnic tables. He was allegedly filmed three times having sex with the picnic table in a public park. He is not unique, however, in his selection of paramours as the man-on-bike and man-on-gate stories below indicate...

Laying Hands Upon the Kinder: Megachurch Pastor Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Posted on May 18, 2008
Another pastor of a megachurch has been busted. This time it is Joe Barron who was captured in an undercover Internet sting allegedly trying to meet with a 13-year-old girl following sexual communications. The 52-year-old paster of the 26,000 member Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano was actually speaking with a detective...

Agent Denies Abusive Tactics in Feiger Case

Posted on May 18, 2008
The FBI agent in charge of the campaign-finance probe of Southfield lawyer Geoffrey Fieger denied that he was abusive to possible witnesses as they have claimed. Jeffrey Rees said that he was merely trying to get them to tell the truth. There has been no action taken against Rees, even though some of these [...

Iraqi Outcry After Quran Used for Target Practice by U.S. Troops

Posted on May 18, 2008
A week ago, Iraqi militiamen made a shocking discovery: a Quran (Koran) used for target practice, riddled with bullets, and the words “F*** yeah” scrawled inside. U.S. officials are scrambling to make amends in fear of a major backlash across Iraq...

Pakistanis Burn Robbers Alive in Growing Trend

Posted on May 18, 2008
In Karachi, citizens carried out their own justice after finding two men stealing from a bus. The beart them severely and then set them on fire. Previously, three robbers were burned alive. [Warning: the link below has graphic images] Crime in Karachi is on the rise with deaths reported in cases where thieves rob [...

Now That Hagee is Reformed, How About Rev. Rod Parsley?

Posted on May 17, 2008
For many, the conversion of virulent anti-Catholic Rev. John Hagee to a new pro-Catholic lover of mankind was a bit forced and opportunistic, here. Nevertheless, the sudden reformation of the bigoted preacher de-fused a controversy for John McCain, who sought Hagee’s endorsement...

No Laughing Matter: Dutch Arrest Cartoonist for Insulting People

Posted on May 17, 2008
In another serious move against first speech, the Dutch have arrested a cartoonist for insulting before on the basis of their race and religion. It is a core free speech issue and, while the cartoonist known as Gregorius Nekschot may be obnoxious, it should be a matter of concern for those who believe in [...

N.Y. Taxi Driver Slits Rabbit?s Throat and Leaves it on Ex-Boss?s Doorstep

Posted on May 17, 2008
Gerard Skills was upset that he was not view stable or skilled enough to drive a taxi, so he should his employer that he was wrong to fire him by slitting a rabbit’s throat and leaving it to die on his doorstep. The driver is now looking at charges of criminal mischief, aggravated animal cruelty and [...

MySpace Sexual Assault Case Thrown Out by Fifth Circuit

Posted on May 17, 2008
As prosecutors seek to prove a difficult criminal theory in the Lori Drew MySpace case, here, MySpace won a critical case against it in New Orleans. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that MySpace could not be sued by a Texas girl and her family over a sexual assault by a man [...

Ex-UCLA Cadaver Program Head Indicted in Body Part Scheme

Posted on May 17, 2008
This week, another major body part case was announced. Henry Reid, the former head of the UCLA cadaver program was indicted with Ernest Nelson in a scheme for sell body parts that netted $1 million dollars. Head of the Empire Anatomical Company, Nelson took the UCLA body parts and sold them to client...

Court Rules on Secrecy in Al-Timimi Case

Posted on May 17, 2008
Below is part of the on-going coverage in the case of Dr. Ali Al-Timimi. We do not know when to the conference planned by Judge Brinkema and the security officer on the ex parte communications. She indicated that she wanted the conference to occur soon...

Goin? Campin? on Sunday

Posted on May 17, 2008
There will be a delay on Sunday in new postings due to a camping trip with two of the rugrats. For those who feel empty and lost in the morning, take heart: imagine going camping with a dozen second and third grade cub scouts. Feel better? You know that you have urban children when [...

Police Allegedly Raid Wrong Home, Tore Apart Apartment, Ripped Out Man?s Catheter, and Assault Innocent Man

Posted on May 16, 2008
Andrew Glover, 60, of New Britain, Connecticut is a bit unhappy with the local police. He alleges that he was sitting at home when the police broke into his apartment illegally, ripped out his catheter, tosses the apartment, and generally assaulted him...

HIV-Positive Man Gets 35 Years for Spitting on Officer

Posted on May 16, 2008
Willie Campbell, 42, is a homeless man who is HIV-positive. In May 2006, he spit in the face of three Dallas police men who arrested him. He was sentenced to 35 years for harassing a public servant with a deadly weapon: his saliva. It is a very disturbing sentence given [...

The Lori Drew Indictment ? More Questions Than Answers on the Basis for the Criminal Charge

Posted on May 16, 2008
The Lori Drew indictment in the Megan Meier case is finally out and it makes for interesting reading. However, as indicated earlier, I remain a bit skeptical that the prosecutors can make this one stick. The disturbing facts of this case have already been discussed on this blog, click here...

Please Use Only Your Designated, Non-Flaming Toilet: Flight Attendent Arrested After Starting Fire in Airplane Bathroom

Posted on May 16, 2008
Eder Rojas, 19, was in court this week after being accused of starting a fire in an airplane bathroom during a flight. That is weird enough. What makes it weirder still is he was the flight attendant on Compass Airlines (a subsidiary of Northwest Airlines)...

Court Rules with Defense on Access to Classified Material in the Case of Dr. Ali Al-Timimi

Posted on May 16, 2008
Due to the classified status of the case, I have been limited in what I can report about the progress in the case of Dr. Ali Al-Timimi. However, today’s hearing was public and thus some additional information can be disclosed. Today was a very positive day for the defense...

Buona Giornata: United States Jails a Man Without a Record or a Crime Who Merely Sought to Visit his Future Wife and In-Laws in Virginia

Posted on May 15, 2008
While Osama bin Laden remains at large, the Administration was able recently to catch infamous international criminal suspect Domenico Salerno. Salerno, an Italian lawyer, thought that he could confuse our security by trying to visit his Virginia fiance and having no record or known criminal connections...

Top Ten On Television Meltdowns ? An Early Holiday Collection Package

Posted on May 15, 2008
From Bill O’Reilly to Sue Simmons, on-air meltdowns by television personalities is now the rage on the Internet, so Gawker put together the collection below. A few of these gems are already shown in full here and here For the video, click here

Serve and Protect: Police Give Lighter to Man Who Doused Himself in Kerosene

Posted on May 15, 2008
Japanese police appear helpful to a fault. Hifumi Kubota, 45, was arrested after he doused himself with kerosene. He refused to change his clothes and the Japanese police did not insist on the change. Instead, when he asked at the station, they gave him his only request: a lighter...

Lawyers, Paralegal and Trainer Testify Against Geoffrey Fieger

Posted on May 15, 2008
The trial of controversial lawyer Geoffrey Fieger for illegal campaign contributions to John Edwards 2004 campaign is in full swing with the testimony of his paralegal and trainer. Despite his all-star defense team, Feiger’s defense seems pretty lame: he admits that he reimbursed employees for contributions but did not realize that it was [...

Video Taunt Leads to Arrest: End of the Road for ?Bird Road Rudy?

Posted on May 15, 2008
Rudy Villanueva, 31, known as Bird Road Rudy, had a brief but illustrious career as a filmmaker. The gang leader made a clip for YouTube where he taunted the Miami Police while holding guns, inviting them to “come and get some.” They did and not Bird Road Rudy is going to jail for six years...

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