Legal Commentary

Bathroom Break: Religious Groups Launch Ad Campaign Against Transgender Potty Rule

Posted on January 11, 2009
In Gainesville, Florida, conservatives have begun a campaign reminiscent of the Proposition 8 campaign in California to overturn a ruling in favor of same-sex marriages. This city-wide campaign, however, is about 100 resident transgender citizens and where they can go potty...

Soprano Cast Member Lillo Brancato Sentenced to 10 Years

Posted on January 11, 2009
Former Soprano cast member Lillo Brancato Jr. received 10 years in prison for his role in a burglary that resulted in the death of off-duty New York police officer Daniel Enchautegui. Brancato was able to convince a jury that he did not know that his friend, Steven Armento, 51, had a gun and [...

Separation of Church and Mate: Church Official Uses Funds to Pay For His Own Vasectomy

Posted on January 11, 2009
Former church director of finances, William Jeremiah, has been arrested for theft and fraud after $276,000 went missing from the Lakeview Wesleyan Church in Marion, Indiana. Prosecutors allege that some of the money went for a church-subsidized vasectomy...

And the Bus Driver Goes Glug, Glug, Glug . . . : Bus Driver Takes School Bus Full of Kids on Liquor Run

Posted on January 11, 2009
A Billing. Montana bus driver took her kids on an unscheduled field trip when she stopped at a liquor school to load up and then asked a student to help hide a bottle when the cops stopped the bus. Billings Public Schools Superintendent Jack Copps said that the driver wisely resigned before any administrative action was [...

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Holder Nomination Runs Into Opposition Over Clinton Pardons

Posted on January 11, 2009
The confirmation of Eric Holder, Jr. is running into some trouble with the planned appearance of witnesses about his role in some of the infamous pardons by Bill Clinton. Some of the greatest abuse of the pardon power occurred in the final week of the Clinton administration, including his use of official power to [...

Man Arrested at LAX With 16 Guns and 1000 Rounds of Ammunition

Posted on January 11, 2009
Phillip Dominguez describes himself as “a law-abiding, taxpaying gun enthusiast.” That should be with an emphasis on “enthusiast.” Dominguez is facing charges are a search of his car uncovered 16 guns and 1000 rounds of ammunition...

Freeman: Chattanooga Police Department Declines to Charge Officer Who Allegedly Threw a 71-Year-Old Man to Floor and a Good Samaritan Through a Glass Door

Posted on January 10, 2009
The Chattanooga Police Department has decided that an officer who assaults two people, including pushing one through a plate glass window, will not be criminally charge. Det. Kenneth Freeman is truly a free man after, on Christmas Eve, shoving 71-year-old Wal-Mart greeter Bill Walker to the ground...

Pay to PlayStation: Baltimore Mayor Indicted on Corruption Charges

Posted on January 10, 2009
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has been indicted Friday on 12 counts of corruption in the same investigation that resulted in the indictment of a councilwoman last week. She faces four counts of perjury, two counts of misconduct, three counts of theft and three counts of fraudulent misappropriations...

Inmate Pulls Out Only Good Eye and Eats It: State Insists He Is Perfectly Sane Under Texas Standards

Posted on January 10, 2009
Andre Thomas is perfectly sane according to Texas prosecutors. The view has not changed despite his habit of pulling out his own eyes. Before his trial for murder in 2004, Thomas pulled out his right eye. Yet, despite a history of mental illness, he was viewed as sane under Texas standards...

Lawyers Stole Kisses: Woman Continues Seven Year Fights Against Animal Shelter Confidentiality

Posted on January 10, 2009
Recently, we have seen cases where people have fought to overcome confidentiality of reporters and Internet companies. Now, there is a raising the limits of animal shelter confidentiality. Darlene Feger is continuing a seven year struggle to force the Warwick Valley Humane Society of New York to reveal who adopted a cat that [...

Thou Shalt Party On: Daily Show Segment Introduced in Case Over the Validity of the Church of Universal Love and Music

Posted on January 09, 2009
The Daily Show of Comedy Central has often taken news and turned it into comedy. However, in a Pittsburgh case, a comedy segment is becoming news after lawyers have sought to introduce it as evidence in religious exercise case. The Church of Universal Love and Music does not want an interview (shown below) [...

IRS Sued Over Firing Sikh Wearing Kirpan

Posted on January 09, 2009
Kawaljeet Kaur Tagore has sued the Internal Revenue Service in a free exercise case involving the wearing of the kirpan, the ceremonial knife of Sikhism. Devote Sikhs wear five articles of faith: Kesh (uncut hair), which is kept covered by a distinctive turban, the Kirpan (religious sword), Kara (metal bracelet), Kanga (comb) and Kaccha [...

Over-Stimulated: Town of 194 People Seek $375 Million in Economic Stimulus Package

Posted on January 09, 2009
With the promise of unlimited spending, lobbyists and politicians are lining up for their share of the windfall. The good people of Edwardsville, Alabama do not intend to be left out. While only 194 living in the town, they are asking for $375 million, the equivalent of $2 million per resident...

Court Orders Man To Pay Child Support of Twins Even After DNA Tests Show That He Is Not The Father

Posted on January 09, 2009
Madam Justice Katherine van Rensburg of Ontario Superior Court does not appear to believe that being an actual parent to have to pay child support. Pasqualino Cornelio began paying child support for the twins after separating from Anciolina Cornelio, but later demanded DNA testing...

Bush Administration Seeks to Hold Iraqis in Violation of Prior United Nations Agreement

Posted on January 09, 2009
The Bush Administration appears intent to go out on a low note. The United States has asked for as many as 15,000 Iraqi prisoners to be held without charge in Iraq even though the authority to hold the prisoners expired at the beginning of the New Year...

Missing Body of Christ Hospital: New Jersey Hospital Throws Out 8-Month-Old Dead Baby In The Trash

Posted on January 08, 2009
In what will most certainly end up a torts case, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey has reportedly admitted that it threw out the body of a dead eight-month-old baby in the trash. The still grieving mother, Kalynn Moore, 26, was informed that they cannot locate the body of her son Bashere [...

Federal Judge Jails Alabama Sheriff Who Profited After Inmates Went Hungry

Posted on January 08, 2009
U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon in Alabama took the extraordinary step this week of ordering Morgan County Sheriff Greg Bartlett to be locked up in his own jail after testimony showed that he had deprived inmates of adequate food while profiting from the meager diet...

Villagers Burn Another Woman As a Witch

Posted on January 08, 2009
Around the world, there seems to be an increase in witch burnings, or at least the reporting of such crimes. Recently. a stampede was caused in the Congo due to a rumor of witchcraft in the area. The latest incident occurred in Papua New Guinea where villagers bound, gagged, and then tied a [...

?Skanks in NYC?: Former Vogue Model Sues Google to Uncover Anonymous Sources

Posted on January 08, 2009
Former Vogue cover model, Liskula Cohen, 36, is about to make some interesting law. Cohen is suing to force Google to reveal the anonymous sources who said bad things about her in a “Skanks in NYC” blog. Cohen wants a court order so that Google will reveal the names of her critics so [...

The Dumb Supper Abridged: Eighth Circuit Upholds Restriction of Prison Wiccan Ceremonies to Three Hours

Posted on January 08, 2009
The Eighth Circuit has ruled that Wiccans need only three hours to celebrate their faith. Wiccans Lawrence T. Gladson, Darrell Smith, and Scott Everett Howrey at the Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) in Fort Madison, Iowa brought the challenge and particularly challenged the denial of a full eight hours to celebrate Samhain?the most important of [...

If You Get the Kids, I Get the Kidney: New York Doctor Seeks Return of Kidney From Allegedly Cheating Wife

Posted on January 08, 2009
Dr. Richard Batista, 49, and his wife Dawnell Batista, 44, are finally splitting up. The messy divorce involves the division of assets, but there is one thing that Dr. Batista insists on getting back: his kidney. He gave his kidney to his wife in 2001...

Judge Samuel Kent Indicted on New Sexual Abuse Charges

Posted on January 07, 2009
U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent will be arraigned this morning on the new charges. He was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on new charges of sexually abusing another court employee and lying about it to prominent federal judges who investigated a misconduct complaint against him...

Christine Beatty Sentenced To Only 120 Days In Jail for Perjury

Posted on January 07, 2009
In a remarkably low sentence, Wayne County Circuit Judge Timothy Kenny sentenced Christine Beatty , the former aide to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, to just 120 days in jail for her false testimony about their affair. She also faced the less than impressive punishment of being denied the right to attend or get credit [...

Mobbed Up: Democrats Attacked on Pork Including Mob Museum for Las Vegas

Posted on January 07, 2009
The GOP has suddenly emerged as the anti-pork party despite years of defending pork from people like Sen. Ted Stevens and others. However, they have a good case to make with the Democratic stimulus package and planned legislation, which is allegedly loaded with pork including a Mob Museum for Majority Leader Harry Reid’s [...

Canadian Man Wins $135,000 in Lottery and Then Told It Was a Misprint

Posted on January 07, 2009
Thomas Noftall, 27, was overjoyed to win $135,000 on four scratch-off lottery tickets in Toronto, but the lottery is now saying that tickets were part of a “misprint” and it will not honor the prize. It would make for an interesting case since, regardless of the error, the lottery sold the tickets with [...

Former Harvard Medical School Professor Hangs Himself in Jail Cell

Posted on January 07, 2009
Richard Sharpe was once one of the most accomplishment medical academics, holding a seat on the Harvard Medical School and earning millions from business enterprises as a dermatologist. However, the cross-dressing doctor killed his wife in 2000 in front of witnesses and was sentenced to life in prison...

Leverage: New York Lawyer Given Three Years Suspension for Attempted Sex with Minor

Posted on January 07, 2009
Steven J. Lever, a former associate at Kirkland & Ellis has been given a suspension of just three year from practice by the New York appeals court in a 3-2 decision. Lever was nailed in a sting operation where he attempted to have sex with a 13-year-old girl...

JetBlue and Transportation Officials To Pay Man $240,000 After Forcing Him to Cover Up Tee-Shirt With Arabic Writing

Posted on January 07, 2009
United States resident Raed Jarrar has received a major settlement of $240,000 from JetBlue and officials at the Transportation Security Authority for an outrageous action taken against him in August 2006 when he was forced to cover up a tee-shirt with Arabic script...

I?ll Huff and I?ll Puff . . . : Democrats Block Burris From Entering Senate

Posted on January 06, 2009
In one of the most dramatic moments in Senate history, the Democrats refused to let Roland Burris enter the Senate chamber today. Democrats do not want to recognize an appointment from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell the seat to replace President-elect Barack Obama...

Piste Off: Man Left Dangling With Full ?Northern Exposure? at Ski Resort

Posted on January 06, 2009
Now this will make for an interesting lawsuit. A man was riding a chairlift at Vail’s Blue Sky Basin when the chair flipped, pulled down his pants and left him dangling for 15 minutes like a Christmas ham. This would be an interesting exercise of count the torts...

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