Legal Commentary

Hounding Baset Apologizes to Bulldog: Squash Player Under Fire for Scene on Squash Court

Posted on February 24, 2010
Baset Chaudhry of the Trinity Squash team has apologized for screaming in the face of Yale opponent Kenneth Chan. Trinity beat the Bulldogs in the finals, but the win was spoiled by Chaudry’s taunting of at the end. One can understand that Chaudhry was pumped up but it was not exactly good sportsmanship on [...

Dubai Identifies 15 More Suspects in Assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh

Posted on February 24, 2010
Dubai has released the names of new suspects in the alleged Israeli hit on Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. They identified 15 new suspects including six new British names, as well as the names of three more Irish passport-holders, three French and three Australian...

The Shameful Sixty-Eight: CIA Papers Reveal 68 Members Knew of Torture Program

Posted on February 24, 2010
Ever wondered how many members it would take to be told about torture before anyone went public or cried foul? Well, we now know it is somewhere above 68. The CIA has revealed that at least 68 U.S. lawmakers between 2001 and 2007 were briefed on torture...

Writer Appeals Defamation Ruling For Commentary Criticizing Chiropractic Treatment for Certain Ailments

Posted on February 24, 2010
There is an interesting libel case out of England that once again shows what I believe is the fundamental flaw in the system’s treatment of defamation cases. Simon Singh is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) for his criticism of their profession in what would be treated as non-defamatory opinion in the United [...

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Dr. Rank: Kentucky Psychiatrist Held in Stabbing of Woman

Posted on February 24, 2010
In Kentucky, Dr. Douglas Rank, 51, is being held in the stabbing of a woman, Misty Luke, 32. The psychiatrist is charged with first degree assault. Rank was being held by witnesses when police arrived at the scene and found Luke with stab wounds in the chest...

How Not To Throw A Smoke Grenade

Posted on February 23, 2010
This is one video that is unlikely to make the German training films. We never see real life moments like this in the movies.

Harvard Fellow Accused of Calling For West to End ?Pro-Natal Subsidies? to Palestinians to Reduce Their Birthrate

Posted on February 23, 2010
There is an interesting controversy that has erupted over a recent speech by Martin Kramer, a fellow at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. Critics at what is considered an anti-Israel site, Electronic Intifada, denounced Kramer’s speech as a call for genocide when he called for the West to end support for Palestinian [...

Church Secures Exemption from Proposed Arizona Law To Eliminate Statute of Limitations for Child Abuse

Posted on February 23, 2010
Arizona State lawmakers in the Senate approved a measure to get rid of the statute of limitation for victims of child abuse to file lawsuits. However, this lifetime right to sue has one notable exception: for the church and school districts. If you are suing the Church for its failure to act [...

Another D.C. Metro Driver Caught Texting While Driving

Posted on February 23, 2010
A website called unsuchdcmetro has released pictures of another D.C. metro driver texting while operating a vehicle. The pictures were taken by a passenger on a crowded bus. This follows the video posted recently of a Texas driver crashing while texting, here...

Silver Medalist Gets Gold Filling: Defective Olympic Medals Cause German Luge Athlete to Receive Emergency Dental Care

Posted on February 23, 2010
I have long argued that torts professors should be assigned to the U.S. Olympic team Now, a German athlete has been injured by the fact that Olympic medals omit the warning that “biting into this medal may cause dental injury.” The victim, David Moeller was the unwitting victim when he bit into his [...

Surgeon Mistakingly Removes Infant?s Bladder But Insists She DId Not Commit Misconduct Warranting Serious Discipline

Posted on February 23, 2010
An English surgeon who mistakenly removed a baby?s bladder in an operation is fighting to keep her license. Pierina Kapur, 43, a consultant pediatric surgeon, insists that her surgical performance was “inadequate” but that she did not engage in misconduct that should result in serious discipline...

Felonious Verses: Louisville Man Charged With Threatening The President In a Poem

Posted on February 22, 2010
An alleged neo-Nazi in Louisville is pushing the constitutional envelope with a poem that resulted in a criminal charge as a threat to kill the President. Johnny Logan Spencer Jr. is charged with threatening the life of the President with his poem that refers to killing a black president but not Obama by [...

Video: Bus Driver Crashes While Texting

Posted on February 22, 2010
We have previously seen stories (here) on bus drivers texting while driving. Now, we have a video of a driver, Adrian Perez, who crashes while texting. A recent study found texting increases the chances of a crash by 23 times, here. This video is from last year of a driver in San Antonio, Texas...

Saudi Arabia to Allow Women To Argue Limited Cases and Execute Minor Legal Procedures

Posted on February 22, 2010
While we often follow the painful stories of mistreatment and discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia, there is a story today that shows some progress. The Kingdom is about to release a law that would allow women to argue limited cases in court and even perform some simple legal procedures without a male guardian...

Dog Walker: Maryland Man Arrested for Dognapping Scooby and Scrappy

Posted on February 22, 2010
According to Montgomery County Police, Najie Walker, 21, is the worst kidnapper in the world. Walker is accused of kidnapping a poodle named Scrappy and a golden retriever named Scooby and then holding them for ransom. He contacted the owner, Gloria Chicas, in Silver Springs to demand $300...

Bloggers: Start Your Week With Care

Posted on February 22, 2010
Warning: how you begin this week could dictate how you end it. French skier Marion Rolland secured a tragic but memorable moment in history this week by crashing after only five seconds in the downhill competition. That is why the blog wants to be sure that all of our bloggers start out right...

Almost 90 Percent of People Believe the Government Is Broken

Posted on February 22, 2010
We have yet another poll showing virtually unanimous dissatisfaction with our political system. A CNN poll shows an impressive 86 percent who say that the government is broken. What is fascinating is how the two parties are now moving to join the chorus — to control the debate and prevent serious reforms...

Virginia Legislator Attributes Birth Defects To God?s Punishment for Women Who Have Had Abortion

Posted on February 22, 2010
Prince William Del. Bob Marshall, R-13th, has offered his own rather dark explanation for birth defects and child disabilities: divine retribution for women who have had abortions. Marshall told a crowd that the Bible says that the first born is a gift to God, resulting in “special punishment” for those who have abortions...

Russian Dancers Accused of Cultural Insult and Disrespect Over Outfits

Posted on February 21, 2010
Olympic skater outfits continue to trigger protests. First there was the controversy over U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir’s wearing real fur as part of his outfit, here. Now aboriginal advocates in Australia are protesting the costumes of Russian ice dancers Oksana Domnina and Maksim Shabalin...

Dolphin May Possess Cure to Diabetes

Posted on February 21, 2010
While dolphins continue to be slaughtered in Japan (here and here), those same humans may have their lives saved by a new discovery that dolphins can turn on and off diabetes. Scientists believe that humans may have once had this ability and that dolphins could lead to a breakthrough treatment for humans...

Honey, Why Is The Peanut Butter Runny?

Posted on February 21, 2010
Rex had a secret talent that his owners were unaware of until one fateful night . . . It is not clear if the extended tongue evolved before or after the introduction of cylindrical peanut butter jars.

Newspaper: British Passports Were Copied By Airport Official in Tel Aviv For Hit in Dubai

Posted on February 21, 2010
The Sunday Telegraph has published a report that the false passports used in the assassination of Mahmoud al Mabhouh in Dubai were copied by airport officials from the originals in Tel Aviv. The allegation would add evidence of a government plan to steal the identities of the British citizens living in Israel...

Getting Hyer: Mayor Arrested for Selling Pot

Posted on February 21, 2010
Olympia Mayor Pro Tem and incoming Thurston County Treasurer Joe Hyer was arrested this week for allegedly selling pot on the side. Hyer, 37, was arrested after a two-month investigation that involved both undercover agents and an informant. The informant said that he bought drugs twice from Hyer in the mayor’s own version of [...

Poll: One-Third of Texans Believe Men Once Co-Existed With Dinosaurs and Over One-Third Believe That Man Was Created by God 10,000 Years Ago Without Evolution

Posted on February 20, 2010
A University of Texas and Texas Tribune poll has found that roughly one in three Texans believe that humans and dinosaurs walked the Earth at the same time and more than half reject the theory of evolution. According to the poll, 38 percent agreed with the statement “God created human beings pretty much [...

Palin: Tea Party Members Must Pick Between The Two Major Parties

Posted on February 20, 2010
If you wanted further evidence of the self-perpetuating work of the duopoly, Sarah Palin (after wooing the Tea Party) has told Tea Party members that they have no choice but to side with one of the two major political parties — presumably the Republicans...

Amy Bishop?s Lawyer Expresses Regret For Calling His Client ?A Wacko?

Posted on February 20, 2010
The defense lawyer for professor Amy Bishop has been under fire from lawyers for surprising statements made shortly after his appointment to represent her. Roy Miller told the press that Bishop was a “wacko” — a statement that he now says “went overboard...

Britain Denies Report That It Knew of Use of False British Passports in Dubai Assassination

Posted on February 20, 2010
Britain has denied the story in the Daily Mail British officials knew about the use of false British passports (and reportedly stolen identities) for the hit on Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai (here). An Israelis agent reportedly stated that MI6 was told in advance that Israel would use the passport for an “overseas operation” — an operation [...

Pennsylvania School Accused of Equipping Computer with Surveillance Devices and Spying on Students At Home

Posted on February 20, 2010
A Pennsylvania school is accused of an remarkably abusive intrusion into the lives of its students. Papers Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) et al, state that the laptops given to high-school students were equipped with webcams that can be covertly activated by the schools’ administrators...

Dios Mío: Leading Soccer Player To Be Punished for Blasphemy

Posted on February 19, 2010
Juventus‘ goalie, Gigi Buffon, is facing punishment for saying “Dio” or “God” after a critical play went poorly. You cannot use the Lord’s name in vain in Italy was officials have used replay tapes to determine if he said “Dio” or, as he now claims, “Zio” or “uncle...

Malaysia Canes Three Women For Illicit Sex Under Sharia Sentences

Posted on February 19, 2010
Malaysia has continued its application of Sharia law with the caning of three Muslim women for having illicit sex. This follows the earlier sentence of a woman to caning for drinking a beer in public under Islamic law, here. The widespread use of caning and harsh Sharia sentences has alarmed people inside and outside of [...

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