Legal Commentary

Maine Court Annuls Adult Adoption of Lesbian Couple in Dispute Over IBM Fortune

Posted on July 08, 2008
In Portland, Maine, a court has annulled an adoption of an adult by a lesbian couple in a dispute over the beneficiaries of the fortune of Thomas Watson, Jr. — founder of International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. His daughter Olive Watson adopted Patricia Spado in 1991 to create something akin to a legal family [...

Jefferson Abridged: Bush Deletes Line from Jefferson Quote that Criticizes Religious Superstition

Posted on July 08, 2008
President Bush has been unsuccessful lately in abridging the Constitution with stinging loses in the last month before the Supreme Court and lower courts. He appears now to be attacking the problem at its source: the Founders. In a July 4th speech at Monticello, Bush cleaned up a famous quote by Jefferson by [...

Study: Openly Gay and Lesbian Have No Significant Impact on Morale or Fighting Capability

Posted on July 08, 2008
A new study concludes that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law does little in terms of actual military readiness and that openly gay soldiers would not significantly diminish morale or fighting capability in the U.S. military. If raised by reporters, the study could put pressure on Barack Obama, who is trying to move to the [...

Screech, Scream, and Sue: Chinese Firework Recalled for Dangerous Noise

Posted on July 07, 2008
They are called Black Cat Screech and Scream — a firework that is supposed to make a loud noise with s fountain of fireworks. I almost bought a couple this weekend with a purchase of a huge amount of ordinance for the Fourth of July. What I did not know was that they [...

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Walking Wounded: Soldier Made Famous in Iraq War Picture Dies of Overdose

Posted on July 07, 2008
For many, Army Pfc. Joseph Dwyer was the face of the United States invasion of Iraq: captured in a famous picture carrying an Iraqi child to safety. He has now become the face of the tens of thousands of walking wounded. This week he was found overdosed in an apartment after spending years [...

Coping a Plea in the Holy See: Vatican Court Tries Cases From Fake Priest to Drug Possession

Posted on July 07, 2008
An interesting little article has revealed that the Vatican has been using its sovereign status to conduct actual trials, including one of a fake priest trying to hear confessions in the Vatican and a drug case. Who knows a television executives might soon discover “Vatican Court” and the new reality based program...

I?ll Have the Dessert and a Defibrillator, Please: Wisconsin Man Accused of Having Fake Heart Attacks to Avoid Payments

Posted on July 07, 2008
Going on a date with Robert P. Farnam is generally fun until the very end. That is when the check arrives and he has a heart attack. Indeed, cab rides can be equally stressful (so you might want to drive). According to Wisconsin police, Farnam is a habitual faker of heart attacks [...

Details of $8.7 Million Court Loss of Scientology Revealed

Posted on July 07, 2008
In a long-delayed piece in Village Voice, Tony Ortega reveals the details of the tactics and loss of the Church of Scientology in a case against former member Lawrence Wollersheim. After allegedly blocking access to public documents and filing retaliatory lawsuits, the church finally paid $8,674,843 to cover the $2...

Culture Shock: Father Allegedly Kills Daughter Who Complained About Arranged Marriage

Posted on July 06, 2008
In Jonesboro, Georgia, Chaudry Rashad has been arrested for allegedly kiled his 25-year-old daughter, Sandela Kanwal, after she said that she was unhappy with an arranged marriage. Sandela had had no contact with her arranged husband in Chicago for three months...

Discovery of Ancient Stones Cause Controversy Over Biblical Account of Jesus

Posted on July 06, 2008
The discovery of a three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew is causing a controversy. The tablet speaks of a messiah rising from the dead after three days. That would seem to confirm the account of Jesus’ resurrection except for the fact that the tablet was written decades before his birth...

Bush To Go to the Olympics: Tibet and Crackdown on Dissidents No Reason to Avoid Celebration

Posted on July 06, 2008
It is unclear whether it is a demonstration of his own disregard for human rights or the new power China holds on the world, but President George Bush has decided that he will go to the opening of the Olympics. Various human rights groups encouraged Bush not to attend — a modest show of [...

Settlers Accused of Assaulting Palestinian Teacher and Then Tying Him to Post

Posted on July 06, 2008
In Hebron, a mob of Israeli settlers are accused of attacking 30-year-old teacher, Midhat Abu Karsh, from the southern West Bank village of As-Samu. They allegedly dragged him to a nearby settlement outpost where he was tied to an electricity pole. Settlers are also accused of setting fields of wheat on fire...

Researchers Links High Intelligence with Atheism

Posted on July 06, 2008
A British researcher, Richard Lynn, claims to have found a correlation between intelligence and relgious scepticism. In a study spanning 137 countries, Lynn found that high intelligence produced an extremely high likelihood of the rejection of religious faith...

Lord Chief Justice Endorses Use of Sharia Law in Some Cases

Posted on July 05, 2008
Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips has declared that Islamic legal principles can be applied by courts to resolve certain family, marital, or contractual cases. In a speech at an East London mosque, Lord Phillips said that Sharia can be applied so long as it does not conflict with English law...

Bush Judicial Nominee and Law Professor Accused of Plagarism

Posted on July 05, 2008
There is an unexpected dust up over the nomination of George Mason law professor (and former Senate Judiciary Committee chief counsel) Michael E. O?Neill. The former aide to Sen. Arlan Specter has been accused of plagiarism in his legal publications and now may failed in his confirmation bid...

Florida Man Drags Dog With Car Down Road: Dog Survives; Man is Caged.

Posted on July 05, 2008
In Pinellas Country, Florida, 53-year old Jack Q. Brown used a leash to drag his 1 1/2 year old male bichon-yorkie mix named Riley down the road with his car. Despite going under the car and bouncing off the sides, Riley survived and Brown is now in a jail for animal cruelty...

Police Officer, Wife, and former Sheriff Employee Charged with Running Prostitution Ring

Posted on July 05, 2008
In Greenwood, Indiana, an Indianapolis Metro police officer, his wife, and a former Marion County Sheriff employee have been arrested in a prostitution bust. Lori Vernon-Lee, 36, is accused of recruiting the women and running the business out of her home...

Grumpy Wants a Gun: Disney Refuses to Allow Guns on Property in Showdown With NRA and Florida Legislators

Posted on July 05, 2008
In the wake of the recent Supreme Court victory over the Second Amendment and a new Florida law, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is taking on the mouse. Disney is refusing to allow employees and guests to bring guns to their parks — claiming a rather stretched exception to a Florida law allowing citizens [...

Paper Tiger: Chinese Officials Admit that Photo of Rare South China Tiger Was a Fake

Posted on July 05, 2008
It appears that after destroying their own environment and poisoning their own food system, the Chinese government has been reduced to luring tourists with actual paper tigers. Chinese “netizens” on the Internet showed that a recent picture of a South China Tiger was actually a poster propped up in the forest...

Fourth of July Video Memorial: Navy Seal Michael Monsoor

Posted on July 04, 2008
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, it is important to remember the families who will have an empty seat around their family tables today. While only one of the thousands lost, Navy Seal Mike Monsoor’s story is one of pure patriotism and bravery...

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Posted on July 04, 2008
Happy Independence Day! Not to disappoint our regular bloggers on this site, I offer a fireworks tort case to celebrate our national birthday. The case of Shermans of Nebraska shows why holidays are truly days for celebration for personal injury attorneys...

Court Rules that Bush Surveillance Program Was Unlawful

Posted on July 04, 2008
Just as Democrats are leading the effort to extinguish lawsuits against telecommunication companies for unlawful surveillance of citizens, a federal judge has ruled that President Bush and his aides violated federal law in conducting the surveillance program...

Rachael Ray Show Sued for Being Anti-Anorexic

Posted on July 04, 2008
First, Ray is accused to shilling donuts for terrorists, here, now her show is accused for harassing staff with eating disorders. Former accountant Aaron Ferguson has sued for his treatment by Ray’s show as he battled anorexia. He is seeking $1 million in damages...

Election Day Sale: Minnnesota Student Charges After Trying to Sell Vote for $10

Posted on July 04, 2008
University of Minnesota student Max P. Sanders, 19, has been charged with a long felony for putting his vote in the presidential election up for sale on EBay. While he insists that it was a joke, the prosecutors insist it was a crime. Sanders states a $10 minimum bid, but the rest of the offer [...

Shock Video: Georgia Teen Charged with Child Cruelty After Posting YouTube Video

Posted on July 03, 2008
A YouTube video showing a baby being launched across the room has been traced to a Georgia teen who has been charged with child cruelty. The Lee County Sheriff has decided not to charge the other teen who filmed the stunt shown in the video below. It is a disturbing video of moronic teens causing [...

Pope Given Over 4000 Years in Prison in Texas

Posted on July 03, 2008
In Weaterford, Texas, James Kevin Pope has reason to be pessimistic about his release date. The child molester received 40 life terms for each sexual assault conviction plus another 20 years for three other crimes with children. The grand totalfrom tate District Judge Graham Quisenberry: 4...

Democratic Party Officials Arrested in Satanic Ritual Case

Posted on July 03, 2008
This one could only have been written by Karl Rove. In North Carolina, police have arrested two democratic officials for their involvement in Satanic rituals involving shackling people to beds, caging people, and deyning people food and water. Joy Johnson, 30, a third vice-chairwoman of the Durham County Democratic Party and vice chairwoman [...

Mother Charged with Withholding Cancer Medicine from Autistic Child

Posted on July 03, 2008
In Salem, Massachusetts, Kristen Anne LaBrie, 36, has been charged in a novel case. She is alleged to have withheld cancer medication from Jeremy Fraser, her 8-year-old autistic son, allowing the return of his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. LaBrie faces a charge of reckless child endangerment...

Holy Nuisance: Houston Residents Upset with Free Qurans Left on Doorsteps

Posted on July 03, 2008
Houston residents are up in arms after receiving free Qurans from the Book of Signs Foundation. While free bibles are routinely left at homes and businesses, residents found the Quran to be outrageous. The campaign was an effort of Muslims to help people get a better understanding of them and their religion...

Former Reporter and Talk Show Host Guilty of Murdering Wife with Antifreeze

Posted on July 03, 2008
In Massachusetts, former radio reporter and talk how host on KLIK-AM, James Keown has been found guilty of killing his wife, Julie Keown, with antifreeze in her Gatorade. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder — purportedly committed for Julie’s $250,000 life insurance policy...

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