Legal Commentary

Fieger Loses in Appeal Over His Lack of Civility

Posted on January 21, 2009
Controversial lawyer Geoffrey Fieger has lost a critical appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which reversed a lower court decision in his favor. At issue is a state code requiring “civility for lawyers in their dealings with judges...

Mother Declared Terrorist Threat for Spanking Children on Airplane

Posted on January 21, 2009
There is growing concern over the use of the Patriot Act against passengers on air flights. In one case, Tamera Jo Freeman was declared a threat to national security and lost custody of her children after she spanked her children on a Frontier Airlines flight...

Letting God Sort Them Out: National Park Service Cuts Down Gettysburg ?Witness Trees?

Posted on January 21, 2009
The National Park Service has a curious way of protecting history. The Service cut down four “witness trees” from the Gettysburg battlefield. The white oak trees were between 160 and 229 years old and were present at the battle. They were supposed to be protected, but the NPS appears to chop now and [...

OUR 44TH PRESIDENT

Posted on January 20, 2009
Washington is electric this morning. It is morning in America as literally billions around the world celebrate the Inauguration of our 44th President. Last night, I made it through the crowds to discuss the torture issue with Rachel Maddow on the mall...

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Hagar The Horrible: Son of Leading Reform Rabbi Declared Non-Jew

Posted on January 20, 2009
Israel is caught up in an interesting controversy involving a Rabbincal Court. Rabbi Yissachar Dov Hagar, a judge on Jerusalem’s Rabbinical Court, ruled that Yossi Fackenheim, son of the famous Canadian academic and Reform Rabbi, Emil Fackenheim, is not really Jewish...

Shell Game: Man Charged With Eating Lobster, Piecing Shells Back Together, and Returning Lobster to Store

Posted on January 20, 2009
In Amsterdam, New York, police have charged Walter U. Tessier with a unique case of petit larceny after he bought a lobster, eat it, glued the pieces together, and returned the lobster. He may have gotten the wrong idea from the name of the star: Price Chopper...

Human Rights Lawyer and Russian Reporter Assassinated in Moscow

Posted on January 20, 2009
Stanislav Markelov, a leading human rights lawyer, and reporter Anastasia Baburova have been assassinated in Moscow — the latest fatalities of critics of the government. This assassination was done with a silencer on a public street just a half of a mile from the Kremlin — as if meant to send a message to [...

Seldom Seen Sheldon: California Juvenile Judge Accused of Playing Hooky From Court ? Again

Posted on January 20, 2009
The Wise and The Commission on Judicial Performance in California is worried about the work ethic of Riverside Superior Court Judge Christopher Sheldon. Years ago, Sheldon was admonished for spending too much time jogging on the courthouse stairs and too little time judging in the courthouse...

Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Using White Prosphorous in Civilian Areas in Violation of International Law

Posted on January 20, 2009
Amnesty International has entered the controversy over Israel’s alleged use of white phosphorus in civilian areas of the Gaza Strip. The use of white phosphorus in a civilian area — let alone a compacted urban area like Gaza — would violate international law...

Dutch Treat: Tourist Sues Museum After Javelina Attack

Posted on January 19, 2009
There is a very interesting tort case filed in Tucson over a Dutch tourist, a javelina, and a desert museum. Rene Zegerius experienced a real desert encounter when he was attacked by a javelina, a pig-sized member of the peccary family. While the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has javelinas, they insists that this [...

Crazy as a . . . : Woman Takes Repair Man Hostage Over Failure to Fix Washing Machine

Posted on January 19, 2009
You have to love this false imprisonment case. Tracey Fox, 42, snapped when a repair man told her that he could not fix her washing machine, which had broken down twice this year. Fox then took matters into her own hands and locked the man in the house and would not let him [...

Iraqi Shoe Thrower Seeks Asylum

Posted on January 19, 2009
A Swiss lawyer has cited threats to the life of Muntadhar al-Zeidi and beatings in custody as the basis for a request for political asylum in Switzerland. The Iraqi journalist is still in prison after throwing his shoes at George W. Bush. Geneva-based lawyer Mauro Poggia is pursuing the request with the Swiss government...

Purse or Curse: Lithuania Turns To Witch To Pursue Deadbeats

Posted on January 19, 2009
Skolu Isieskojimo Biuras, a Lithuanian debt collecting firm, has announced that it has retained the services of Vilija Lobaciuviene, the country’s most famous witch, to pursue people who do not pay their debts. The firm in Vilnuis expects a touch of witchcraft will help the bottom line...

Lèse Majesté: Thailand Sentences Australian Writer To Three Years in Prison for Insulting Royal Family in Book

Posted on January 19, 2009
In yet another outrage by the Thai government’s use of the country’s Lèse majesté (prohibiting offenses against the crown), Australian writer Harry Nicolaides has been sentenced to three years in prison for insulting the crown in his 2005 book Verisimilitude...

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Jim Gunter Sanctioned For Attack on Sister

Posted on January 19, 2009
In what appears the first time that an Arkansas Supreme Court justice has been reprimanded, the Court sanctioned Justice Jim Gunter for hitting and shoving his sister of hitting and shoving at his father’s home in September 2007 in Hope, Arkansas...

Man v. Toilet: Utah Man Shoots Toilet and Injures Both Himself and Nearby Woman at Carl?s Jr. Restaurant

Posted on January 19, 2009
Utah police have a novel case on their hands after a man shot a toilet at the Carl’s Jr. restaurant in Centerville, Utah. The man was in the men’s room and was pulling up his pants when his concealed handgun discharged — shooting the toilet, wounding himself, and sending a woman in a nearby [...

Bush Pardons Former Border Patrol Officers Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean; Nothing on Torture Pardons

Posted on January 19, 2009
On his last full day in office, President George Bush issued commutations for former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. These were notably commutations and not full pardons. He has not yet issued any pardons on the torture program...

Gen. Hayden Claims Obama Promised Not To Investigate War Crimes A Month Ago

Posted on January 18, 2009
Many of us have been alarmed by the obvious effort of the Obama staff to avoid any investigation of confirmed war crimes by the Bush Administration in the torture program. Obama and Attorney General nominee Eric Holder have been suggesting that a war crime investigation would be “uncivil” and “looking backwards...

God O Thunder: Former Head of Faith-Based Programs in Ohio Arrested on Prostitution Charges

Posted on January 18, 2009
Another representative of the faith-based political movement has been arrested on morals charges. Police have been looking for a man for years who solicited prostitutes on the Internet under the name “Sullivant Guy,” “Broad Street Guy,” “Toby” and “God O Thunder...

Arizona Legislator Charged Criminally With Stealing Campaign Signs

Posted on January 18, 2009
Sen. John Huppenthal (R., Chandler, Arizona) has been arrested and charged with stealing a campaign sign. Notably, Huppenthal has invoked legislative privileges to get the trial delayed. Huppenthal argued that any trial on the misdemeanor charges is barred by the Arizona Constitution provision that protects lawmakers from arrest during the session...

Former Lawyer Karyn McConnell Hancock Sentenced to Four Years

Posted on January 18, 2009
Former Toledo attorney Karyn McConnell Hancock, 38, is heading to prison for four year. Hancock became infamous when she faked her own kidnapping. Now, she has been sentenced for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her clients. She is a former Democratic Toledo city councilman and the daughter of sitting Toledo [...

Monster Truck Tort: Child Killed By Flying Debris At Tacoma Truck Show

Posted on January 18, 2009
There is an interesting and tragic torts case that is likely to emerge from a monster truck show in Tacoma, Washington. These shows routinely have debris that is thrown dangerously from the trucks. In a show last week, such debris into the crowd and killed 6-year-old Sabastian Hizey...

Criminal Defense Attorney Arrested in Minnesota Courthouse for Drug Possession

Posted on January 18, 2009
It appears that another of the bar brethren is in difficulties with the law over drugs. Around the same time that a Chicago lawyer was having his briefs searched at a prison, a Minnesota was having his briefcase searched in a courthouse. They found drugs in both cases...

Getting Reich With Jesus: Rick Warren Calls on the Faithful To Follow Jesus With The Passion of Nazis

Posted on January 17, 2009
A clip of Rick Warren from April 17, 2005 is making its way around the web on which the controversial preacher appears to call on the faithful to follow Jesus like Nazis. In the clip below, Warren cites the faith and commitment of young Nazis and suggests that Christians need to show the same [...

Supreme Court Takes Case of Girl Who Was Strip-Searched to Find Ibuprofen

Posted on January 17, 2009
The Supreme Court has taken the case of Savana Redding, who in 2003 was a 13-year-old student strip searched by the teachers at Safford Middle School in Arizona in a mad search for her hidden drug stash. . . Ibuprofen. It appears that “Ibu-heads” must be a major problem at the school among [...

Departed for 40 Years: Former FBI Agent Who Inspired Movie Character Is Sentenced for Witness Killing

Posted on January 17, 2009
Former FBI agent John “Zip” Connolly has received a 40 year sentence for his role in the killing of a witness who was going to testify against his associates in the Mob. Connolly was the inspiration of Matt Damon’s character in the movie “The Departed...

Rep. Steve King Calls Obama?s Use of Middle Name at Inauguration ?Bizarre?

Posted on January 17, 2009
Now this is a story that fits perfectly in our bizarre category. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) previously said that al Qaida would ?be dancing in the streets? if Barack Obama were elected president ?because of his middle name.? Now, he is again drawing criticism after reportedly calling it “bizarre” that Obama will use his [...

Lawyer?s Briefs Yield Contraband: Chicago Lawyer Arrested for Smuggling Drugs to Inmates

Posted on January 17, 2009
A 60-year-old defense attorney in Chicago has been charged with smuggling marijuana and cigarettes to an inmate. Cook County Sheriff officials alleged that Dave Compton was caught in a transaction with the inmate’s girlfriend, Angela Bell. She allegedly gave him $250 bucks for the pots and smokes, which were hidden in his underwear...

Saudi Grand Mufti Supports Marriage of Girls As Young As Ten

Posted on January 16, 2009
At a time of rising alarm over the marriage of girls as young as eight years old, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh has declared that such marriages are proper and moral under Sharia law. Indeed, he views such criticism as unfair to these girls despite the fact that such arrangements are [...

Catholic Church Sued for Faith-Based Program

Posted on January 16, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to greatly expand President Bush’s faith-based initiative program. He may would to consider a recent lawsuit where the Catholic church is accused of receiving a federal funding to assist sex trafficking victims but allowed to decline to provide contraceptive material or abortion services...

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