Legal Commentary

Until Nothing Remains: Scientology Accused To Trying To Block Film on Church Abuses

Posted on March 15, 2010
Bis Nichts Mehr Bleibt, or Until Nothing Remains, is a movie based on an account of how a German family was ripped apart by its associations with Scientology, which is depicted as authoritarian, abusive, and cult-like. The Church is being accused of campaigning to block the airing of the film on German television and [...

Ugh! Popular Ugg Boots Criticized For Causing Foot Problems

Posted on March 15, 2010
We now know why they are called Uggs. Dr. Ian Drysdale, head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine and known for his sensible shoes, has gone public with criticism of Ugg as causing ankle, knee, hip and back problems. Doctors are seeing rising problems in girls who wear the boots due to their [...

Pope on a Rope: New Allegations Connect Pope To Abusive Priest in Bavaria

Posted on March 15, 2010
The Church abuse scandal has now touched Pope Benedict XVI directly with an allegation that he was directly involved in a decision to allow an abusive priest to continue pastoral duties — leading to additional crimes against children. When the priest was found to have abused children, he was sent into therapy in Munich rather than [...

A Kiss Before a Flogging: Western Couple Arrested for Kissing in Public In Dubai

Posted on March 15, 2010
One must take care how you say Goodbye in Dubai. A British couple was spotted kissing in public in Dubai by an Emirati mother and quickly arrested. The British man named Ayman Najafi and female friend now face a month in jail for indecency. Public flogging, beheadings are perfectly moral family entertainment [...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

What Inquiring Prosecutors Want To Know: Rielle Hunter Offers Details on Edwards Affair ? And A Potential Criminal Prosecution

Posted on March 15, 2010
With reports of an expected indictment of former presidential candidate John Edwards for use of campaign funds on his mistress, it would not exactly be the time for a tell-all interview from the mistress. However, Rielle Hunter gives a highly damaging account to Gentleman’s Quarterly that could play a role in any prosecution...

Over Exposed: Utah Man Arrested After Allegedly Taking Abuse of Infant Son Pictures to Walgreen to Be Developed

Posted on March 15, 2010
In Utah, Sergio Diaz-Palomino, 34, is accused of not just being a sexual deviate, but a moronic sexual deviate. He was arrested after he allegedly photographed himself sexually assaulting his infant son and then took the pictures to be developed at a Walgreens store...

Wife of Clarence Thomas Organizes Tea Party Group

Posted on March 15, 2010
Virginia Thomas, wife of Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, forms tea party group. Virginia Thomas told a recent panel “I am an ordinary citizen from Omaha, Neb., who just may have the chance to preserve liberty along with you and other people like you...

New York Man Arrested After Videotaping Torture of Cat and Then Posting the Video on YouTube

Posted on March 14, 2010
Eric Estrada, 18, has been arrested in Syracuse, New York after he posted a YouTube video torturing a cat with an electric shaver and blow dryer. A 16-year-old friend video-taped the abuse — thereby presenting the police with all the evidence they need to secure a well-earned conviction on animal cruelty...

Boy Toy: Two-Year-Old Boy Climbs Into Claw Machine

Posted on March 14, 2010
Customers interested in using a claw machine to secure a candy or prize were a bit surprised in Perth, Australian to find Cohen Stone, 2, staring back at them from inside the machine. Stone had climbed through the hatch of the machine in search of candy and become trapped...

Woman Declines to Cooperate With Police in the Investigation of Her Partner So Police Report Her to Air Force as a Lesbian

Posted on March 14, 2010
Jene Newsome, 28, had succeeded in leaving under the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy of the Air Force for years despite the fact that she lived with her lesbian partner in Rapid City, South Dakota. However, her nine-year career as a an aircraft armament system craftsman came to an end when members of [...

Chavez Calls For the Regulation of the Internet

Posted on March 14, 2010
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has continued his campaign against free speech and the free press with a new call for regulation of the Internet. Chavez (like his mentor Fidel Castro) wants to control both the media and any public forums of information...

The Art of the Canine Conversation

Posted on March 14, 2010
Humans continue to try to transcend the language barrier with dogs. I will remind you of the Farside cartoon where a scientist spends his whole life perfecting a Dog translator only to find that dogs are saying “Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey . . .”

?Open The Door, I?ll Get It Myself?: James Brown?s Body Reportedly Goes Missing

Posted on March 13, 2010
LaRhonda Pettit, 48, daughter of James Brown claims that the singer’s body has gone missing from its crypt. Brown, 73, died in December 2006 and she claims his body is being hidden to prevent a a full autopsy being carried out. She has always challenged the claim that he died from pneumonia...

In Hot Water: Utah House Majority Leader Goes Public With Hot Tub Incident With 15-Year-Old Girl

Posted on March 13, 2010
Rep. Kevin Garn, Majority Leader of the Utah House of Representatives, has disclosed that he had a nude hot tub experience with a 15-year-old employee in 1985 and later paid Cheryl Maher $150,000 if she would keep quiet. He was running for Congress at the time...

English Woman Arrested After Videotaping Her Car Splashing Children With Roadside Water

Posted on March 13, 2010
I just saw this video of a driver who has been charged with purposively splashing school children with water. Kerry Callard, 29, was arrested. The voice that you hear is her male companion. In the video, you hear the passenger say “Here we go, ready to drench the kids…” The man excitedly exclaims “puddle at [...

Pubic Enemy #1: Woman Crashes Car After Allegedly Shaving While Driving

Posted on March 13, 2010
Megan Barnes may have succeeded in establishing the most bizarre case of distracted driving. Barnes is accused of crashing into a car in the Florida Keys on her way to visit her boyfriend. Police say that she was driving while shaving her bikini area — as her ex-husband held the wheel from the [...

Nebraska Man Found Too Drunk in Court To Be Sentenced for a DUI

Posted on March 13, 2010
Jason Botos, 30, had a novel defense to avoid being sentenced for drunk driving in Nebraska: he was too drunk. Botos showed up at the Papillion courthouse so drunk that his father needed help from deputies to get him from the car to the courtroom. After the prosecutor told the court that Botos was too [...

Suddenly the Olympic Games Seem Less Impressive . . .

Posted on March 12, 2010
Exactly how did this guy not make the U.S. ice dancing team? We should send this video to Ice Dancing Gold Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and ask them to send back the gold medals with an apology. I also demand that the “head drill” be added to the double and flying camel in competition...

Top Cop: Officer Remains Calm in the Face of a Deranged Motorist

Posted on March 12, 2010
We have seen too many videos of officers tasering or arresting people who give the slightest objection to a command. This video shows that many officers display a patience and restraint that is not just commendable but almost superhuman. I give you our choice for Officer of the Week...

Pride in His Work: Rove Publicly Rejoices in the Use of Torture

Posted on March 12, 2010
With President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder blocked any investigation or prosecution of those responsible for the torture program, Bush officials like Vice President Dick Cheney have been publicly celebrating the use of torture. Now, Karl Rove says that he is “proud” that the administration used torture “that broke the wile of [...

Onward Christian Soldiers: Pawlenty Accused of Diverting Money Supporting Troops to Office Supporting Religious Organization

Posted on March 12, 2010
Gov. Tim Pawlenty appears to have a broader definition of who constitutes his “troops” in Minnesota. Sen. Don Betzold, has accused Pawlenty of diverting funds from the ?Support Our Troops? license plate program to his Governor?s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives...

The No-Press Presser: California Candidate for Governor Throws Press Out of Press Conference When They Try To Ask Questions

Posted on March 12, 2010
Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for governor in California, had a curious way of calling a press event. Whitman invited the press and was then shocked to learn that they actually wanted to ask questions. It then went from bad to worse. This appears to be a trend started by Palin: the no-press press event...

Mississippi High School Cancels Prom When Lesbian Asks To Bring Her Girlfriend

Posted on March 12, 2010
Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student, asked officials at Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student, asked officials at Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton if she could attend her class prom with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo...

Sushi Chef Indicted For Sale of Whale Meat

Posted on March 12, 2010
It is official. The federal government has secured an indictment against chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, and his Hump restaurant for selling whale meat. The charges allege violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to sell any kind of whale meat...

ohio

Posted on March 12, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Police in Ohio say a man accused of striking children in the head with a key protruding from his fist while roaming a Walmart store did it for the thrill. Sixty-eight-year-old Ralph Conone (kuh-NOH’-nee) was arrested at a Columbus Walmart on Wednesday and charged with assault...

Vatican?s Chief Exorcist Claims Devil Is Gaining Ground Within the Church

Posted on March 11, 2010
The Vatican’s Chief Exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, has gone public with an allegation that “the Devil is at work inside the Vatican.” He also reveals that the devil has a playful side and often mocks him. Father Amorth says that he has handled 70,000 cases of demonic possession and sees satanic influences in the [...

Living (and Lethal) History: Teacher Accidently Fires Vintage Gun in History Class

Posted on March 11, 2010
Dwain Haggard, the superintendent of a rural Montana school district, gave students a realistic demonstration of a black powder muzzleloader when he accidentally fired the weapon in class and shot a ball through the “o” in North on the classroom map...

Polly Want a Crack Lawyer?: Bank of America Again Forecloses on Wrong House and Then Takes Woman?s Parrot

Posted on March 11, 2010
We have been following the astonishing list of cases where the Bank of America forecloses on the wrong homes and then litigates cases insisting that it acted reasonably. Now we have a Pittsburgh woman who has sued the bank after it allegedly improperly seized her home, damaged her property, and kept her pet parrot [...

Singer Faces Two Years in Prison For Tearing Up Bible and Insulting Catholic Church

Posted on March 11, 2010
We have been following the crackdown on free speech in the West and particularly the alarming trend toward Western blasphemy prosecution, here. Now, in Poland, one of the lead signers and guitarists in the heavy metal band Behemoth has been criminally charged with insulting Roman Catholics for tearing up a Bible on [...

Perils of the Press: Reporter Loses Temper After Flubbing Line

Posted on March 11, 2010
The only thing worst than flubbing a line is having the live camera capture your reaction afterwards. It is really the reaction of the anchor that makes this video a keeper. In Knoxville, WVLT Reporter Gordon Boyd clearly is not happy after quoting the subject as saying that “staying and doing nothing is as heinous [...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.