Legal Commentary

Afghan Women Pelted With Stones During Protest of Law Legalizing Marital Rape

Posted on April 16, 2009
In a rare demonstration, 300 women marched in Kabul to protest a new law that legalized marital rape and restricts the ability of women to leave their homes. Over three times the number of counter-demonstrators formed in response and showered the women with stones...

Obama Orders Release of Secret Memos But Strongly Signals That He Will Block Any War Crimes Investigation

Posted on April 16, 2009
To his credit, President Barack Obama has rejected efforts at the CIA and National Security Council to prevent the disclosure of memos detailing torture techniques. However, the statement below appears to lay the groundwork for a decision to block any investigation into war crimes...

Video: Susan Boyle Shows There is Still No Substitute for Talent

Posted on April 16, 2009
I have never watched American Idol (perhaps the last human being) or any reality show in my life (the God’s honest truth). However, this video has gone viral and I wanted to share Susan Boyle with anyone on this blog that has not seen her. Susan Boyle is a 47-year-old unemployed worker [...

Regulating Pedophilia: Justice Minister Announces Intent to ?Regulate? Child Brides to Avoid Abuse

Posted on April 16, 2009
Saudi Arabia has been hit with a torrent of criticism over the practice of arranged marriages involving children often ten or even younger. In a spasm of reform, Justice Minister Muhammad Issa has now announced a major reform: the government will “regulate” such marriages to avoid abuse...

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Report: NSA Violated Congressional Authorization in Intercepting E-Mails and Telephone Calls ? Sought to Intercept Member of Congress

Posted on April 16, 2009
A new report establishes that the National Security Agency’s violations of federal law are much broader in scope than previously known, including the interception without warrants of the emails and telephone calls of American citizens. Once again, the question is where the congressional intelligence committee were during these continued violations and why citizens should [...

Rankings of Part-Time Law Programs: Georgetown and George Washington Take Top Honors

Posted on April 16, 2009
US News and World Report has issued the national rankings of part-time JD programs, giving first place to Georgetown and George Washington in the top two spots. I teach in both the full-time and part-time program and have a particular love for the latter program...

Appellate Court Throws Out Murtha Defamation Lawsuit On Immunity Grounds

Posted on April 15, 2009
A federal appellate court has tossed out the lawsuit by Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich sued Rep. John Murtha for defamation after the congressman said that his Marine unit killed Iraqi women and children “in cold blood” in Haditha. Wuterich’s, 26, lawsuit was filed after Murtha (a former Marine) cited stress and other factors in the alleged [...

Family Court Bars Father From Giving Shotgun to 9-Year-Old Under Visitation

Posted on April 15, 2009
Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza in Washington state has granted a temporary restraining order against Sean B. Fawcett to prevent him from giving his 9-year-old son access to a shotgun. The mother, Laura Vissydas, argued that her son came back with bruises on his shoulder and that Fawcett is unable to fully protect her [...

?Judge? Mathis Goes Video: Fun With Prison Rape and Other ?Justice Issues?

Posted on April 15, 2009
I have long been a critic of the faux judges on television who turn criminal justice into a form of caricatured entertainment. Now, “Judge” Greg Mathis is opening his own video game to compete with such games as Grand Theft Auto. His game includes such fun risks as prison rape...

Report: Container Ships Produce the Same Pollution 760 Million cars and Cause 60,000 Deaths Each Year

Posted on April 15, 2009
There is an interesting report offering striking figures on the level of pollution caused by container ships, which use extremely low-grade fuel. United States researchers have found that a single container ship can release the equivalent of 50 million cars and that these ships kill 60,000 people a year in the U...

Minnesota Pet Sitter Sentenced to Probation for Allowing Pet to Eat Like a Pig

Posted on April 15, 2009
Mary Beesecker, 53, has been sentenced to a year’s program and compensation of veterinary costs after a court agreed with the owner that she engaged in animal cruelty by allowing the pet of Michelle Schmitz to eat like a pig. The pet, Alaina Templeton, is a pig but tripled in weight while in Beesecker’s [...

Annie Hull: Company Challenges Value of Woody Allen?s Endorsement in Tort Case

Posted on April 15, 2009
American Apparel over the use of his image in ads for the company. The company ran a picture of Allen from the movie Annie Hall where he is dressed as a Hasidic Jew. They are now claiming that he is entitled to little of the $10 million that he sought in the lawsuit [...

Leading the World by Example: Obama Legal Position on War Crimes Adopted for Taliban in Pakistan

Posted on April 15, 2009
After his recent trip to the Middle East to reach out to Muslims appears to have born fruit. A Pakistan leader has adopted the position of the Obama Administration on war crimes. Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi chief Sufi Mohammad has announced that Taliban murderers who have been accused of such crimes as burning schools, throwing acid [...

W.A.R. (What is He Good For?): Sarah Palin?s Attorney General Triggers Firestorm

Posted on April 14, 2009
There are reports that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may be backing off of her nomination of Wayne Anthony Ross for state attorney general Palin’s nominee has long been a controversial and far-right figure. Various groups have come forward with extremist and bizarre statements attributed to Ross, who like to drive around in [...

Taliban Executes Young Couple for Trying to Elope

Posted on April 14, 2009
Taliban forces in Afghanistan meted out their brand of Sharia justice this week by executing a 19-year-old woman and 21-year-old-man for the crime of wanting to elope. The couple were shot by a firing squad before witnesses. The couple was going to try to get to Iran but may have been turned over by their [...

Prosecutors Jail Deadbeat Dad with 14 Kids With 13 Women

Posted on April 14, 2009
Thomas Frazier, 42, has a novel claim. If he is (as alleged) is the father of 14 children by 13 different women, he simply cannot afford half million dollars of unpaid child support. Frazier was arrested in Iowa after being pulled over for a broken taillight in his Mercedes Benz...

Spanish to Seek Criminal Charges Against Six Bush Officials While Court Asks If Obama Will Investigate

Posted on April 14, 2009
Spanish prosecutors reportedly will seek criminal charges against Alberto Gonzales, Federal Appeals Court Judge and former Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, University of California law professor and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo, former Defense Department general counsel and current Chevron lawyer William J...

Obama Opposes Right for Detainees in U.S. Military Prisons to Challenge Their Detention

Posted on April 13, 2009
After seeking adopting Bush positions on unlawful surveillance last week, President Obama has adopted another controversial Bush policy: opposing basic legal rights for detainees held in U.S. military prison in Afghanistan. Some of the most egregious allegations of torture and abuse have focused on such prisons as the one at Bagram Air base...

Shiite and Sunni Religious Leaders Support Afghan Law Legalizing Marital Rape

Posted on April 13, 2009
Both leading Shiite and Sunni religious leaders have come forward to defend the infamous Afghan law that legalized spousal rape. Mohammad Asif Mohseni, a top Afghan cleric and one of the law?s main drafters, insists that the law is actually a progressive reform and proudly notes that the law was a major reform of [...

The Lupe Vélez Defense: Husband Faces Second Trial Over Toilet Murder

Posted on April 13, 2009
Wisconsin prosecutors are considering perjury charges against their own witness in the prior murder trial of Douglas Plude, 42, in Wisconsin while planning a new trial that will seek conviction on the basis of a new expert on alleged use of a toilet as a murder weapon...

Phil Spector Convicted of Second Degree Murder

Posted on April 13, 2009
Music Legend Phil Spector has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson. The jury composed of six men and six women returned the verdict after 30 hours. Recently, the defense was hit with a series of negative rulings by the court...

Baptist Church Accused of Using Florida Detective to Uncover and Identify Critical Blogger

Posted on April 13, 2009
Thomas A. Rich was an anonymous blogger on www.fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com who complained to other parishioners about such things as First Baptist Church Pastor Mac Brunson’s huge $300,000 salary, his construction of a lavish office for himself, and his putting his wife on the payroll...

Le Whif is Good for Les Hips: Harvard Professor Announces Creation of Inhalable Chocolate

Posted on April 12, 2009
Just in time for Easter, a Harvard professor David Edwards has announced that he has invented “Le Whif”: the world’s first inhalable chocolate. Not only can you now take in your chocolate with an inhaler, but “whiffing” comes with no calories...

No Briefs, No Ruling: Law Student Strips in Protest of Ruling on Sale of Leavened Bread

Posted on April 12, 2009
Religious yeshiva student Aryeh Yerushalmi had a novel way of protesting a decision of an Israeli court to allow the sale of leavened grain products. The Court ruled last year that the Israeli law only prohibits the sale of hametz (bread and leavened grain products) in public on Passover...

Saudi Court Upholds Marriage of 47-Year-Old Man to 8-Year-Old Girl ? Barring Divorce

Posted on April 12, 2009
A Saudi court has ruled that the marriage 47-year-old man to an 8-year-old girl — upholding the controversial decision in December. Sheikh Habib Al-Habib rejected the mother’s effort to secure a divorce for her child. Since the mother is separated from the girl’s father, the court ruled that she is not a legal [...

Unholy Mess at the Holy See: Vatican Rejects Three Candidates For U.S. Ambassador Over Abortion Views

Posted on April 12, 2009
The Vatican has reportedly rejected at least three of President Obama’s candidates for the position of U.S. ambassador to the Holy See because they support abortion. It appears that the representatives of the United States must agree with the policies of Pope Benedict XVI...

Happy Easter!!!

Posted on April 12, 2009
Happy Easter to Everyone on the Turley Blog. The Easter Bunny came as expected this morning, bringing sugarly foodstuffs . . . and even edible grass this year! The Turleys are preparing our annual Easter Egg hunt for neighborhood kids — a scene reminiscent of the locust swarms of Oklahoma in the 1930s...

A Tired Bunny

Posted on April 12, 2009
While many of us think little of the level of effort needed for a single bunny to bring candy to all of the Goyim boys and girls each year, this picture shows that the holiday takes its tool on Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha. This picture means different things to different people, of course...

Can You Hear Me Now? Texas Police Officer Breaks Nose of Deaf Man Who Did Not Follow Orders

Posted on April 11, 2009
A Fort Worth, Texas police officer broke the nose of a deaf man when he failed to heed warnings at a routine traffic stop. As shown in the video below, Christopher Ferrell, 43, was reaching for his card explaining that he was deaf when Officer J.A. Miller slammed him into his car...

Michele, Michele, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Posted on April 11, 2009
Michelle Obama’s garden must go or she needs to add some good American chemicals. That appears to be the view of chemical and agricultural companies who view her organic garden as a threat to the nation’s agricultural industry. Lobbyists and corporate officials have been peering over the fence in worry and disgust as [...

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