Let’s say you’re a Bob Dylan fan because sometime in his storied career he spoke to your soul. Spoke, not sang, because the man sings only a little better than Fergie sang at the NBA all-star game. But that’s just one critic’s opinion. The point is, we choose our rock stars because something they do appeals to us. So why not have a rock star judge? “Political Rock Stars” Some critics, however, want us to stop treating Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg like a rock star....
Bankrupt Hostess Brands Inc. heads into mediation with its bakers’ union today, as junk-food fans fear the Twinkie as we know it may soon disappear. But does that mean the “Twinkie defense” will go the way of the dinosaurs too? The “Twinkie defense” is one of the more famous pieces of criminal lore, since it’s fairly ridiculous. It comes from an old murder case in which the defendant allegedly tried to argue that he was driven crazy by Twinkies and shouldn’t be found guilty....
The “Don’t tase me, bro!” guy should change his moniker to “don’t Socratic method me, bro!” guy. Andrew Meyer, 24, made himself famous with those four words when he became a bit excited, agitated - and apparently to the cops, unruly - at a John Kerry forum at this alma mater, the University of Florida. Meyer graduated from UF in 2008, and instead of going to journalism school (he was a telecommunications major), where he could have done something noble with his life, he enrolled in Florida International University at their law school, reports The Washington Post....
Should the term “Linsanity” be trademarked? Apparently there’s an app for that – an application for a trademark, that is. But it’s not by the NBA’s newest phenom Jeremy Lin. Instead, a California man made the first play for a “Linsanity” trademark, Bloomberg reports. Yenchin Chang, 35, of Alhambra, filed his trademark application Feb. 7, the day after Jeremy Lin finally got a chance to prove himself as the New York Knicks’ starting point guard....
Lawrence Ponoroff, dean University of Arizona law school, might be popping a champagne bottle soon. After all, he needs to toast his victory: his May DUI charge was recently dismissed. But Ponoroff should probably get a designated driver to escort him back home after his celebratory toast. He wouldn’t want to run the risk of repeating the events that led to the DUI charge in the first place. It all began when a Tucson police officer noticed that Ponoroff was speeding May 6....
Charles Oakley, New York Knickerbockers legend, was kicked out of a Knicks game last February, after which James Dolan, current Knicks owner and executive chairman of Madison Square Garden, speculated that Oakley may have a problem with alcohol and anger management issues. Those assertions, and the forcible removal of Oakley from MSG that night, were a step too far for the power forward, who sued Dolan and MSG for defamation, libel, slander, assault, battery, and false imprisonment....
How do you define disabled? It probably involves (among other things) an inability to carry out one’s work duties, right? And if you have been assigned to a light-duty position, and have been able to fully perform that job’s duties without limitation, you aren’t disabled, are you? If you are a California Highway Patrol officer, you might be. The CHP requires that its officers be able to perform “14 critical tasks,” including removing a 200-pound person from a vehicle and dragging him 50 feet, and subduing and handcuffing a resisting subject....
In plaintiff’s action contesting the eligibility of defendants for election to positions on the Alameda County Republican Central Committee under Election Code sections 16100(b) and 16440(a), trial court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s action is reversed where an election of party central committee members is not a primary election, and thus is governed by a 30-day time limit to file a contest to elections other than primary elections. Therefore, plaintiff timely filed the election contest....
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims’ (Veterans Court) judgment affirming the decision of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals rejecting petitioner’s claim for an earlier-effective date for entitlement to benefits is affirmed as the Veterans Court gave the petitioner adequate notice of the earlier denial of his claim. Read Edwards v. Shinseki, No. 08-7078 Appeal from: United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Decided September 24, 2009 Judges...
Q: What is the difference in Richmond, Virginia, between a fortuneteller and a spiritual advisor? A: A background check, five character references, zoning restrictions, and a $300 business license tax. This distinction is unconstitutional, according to one spiritual advisor and her legal advisor. According to a report by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Sophie King of Richmond, Va., is suing in U.S. District Court in Richmond for the failure of the local government regulations to make a distinction between a run of the mill fortuneteller and a spiritual advisor, and that failure is a violation of her constitutional rights of free speech, free exercise of religion and equal protection....
Police might be closer to catching a notoriously elusive California robber: the “Geezer Bandit.” The robber has already struck around 16 different banks in the state. He also recently left behind a crucial piece of evidence: his day planner. The Geezer Bandit’s day planner was found in a parking lot after the criminal robbed a Bank of America branch in San Luis Obispo last week. A bank teller placed cash and some red dye in a bag before giving it to the robber....
Have you ever dreamed of arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court? If you’re a lawyer, you probably have, but you might not have ever been motivated enough to pursue that dream. Well, bad news first: If you’ve never done a SCOTUS case before, you might have to eat your fees the first few times, or maybe until you actually have a case accepted for review. But, if you can get some experience and become one of those elite attorneys that seem to make annual appearances before the High Court, you could be looking at a real nice pay day, whether you win, lose, or draw....
An immigration officer in Southern California has been indicted on charges that she took bribes in cash and egg rolls from immigrants seeking citizenship and green cards. Mai Nhu Nguyen, 47, of Irvine, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on three counts of solicitation of a bribe by a public official, reports the Associated Press. But how do they know it was a bribe? Bribery is the offer or acceptance of anything of value in exchange for influence on a government/public official or employee....
Anyone who’s sat through the Law School Admissions Test knows that it’s no walk in the park. But a group of prospective lawyers claim that it actually discriminates against people with disabilities. The group isn’t alone in their allegations. On Wednesday the U.S. Justice Department submitted a motion to intervene in the case on behalf of the plaintiffs. The lawsuit claims that the test isn’t just difficult; it’s discriminatory against people with disabilities....
The California government approved a $20 million settlement with kidnapping victim Jaycee Dugard last year, after the California Inspector General’s office determined that state parole officers had missed numerous opportunities to locate and rescue Dugard. Now, Dugard is suing the government again. Dugard filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government this week, claiming that probation officers failed to adequately monitor Phillip Garrido, the man who kidnapped and held her for 18 years....
Prosecutors have charged a Washington man in an April incident during which he hit a noisy kid in the face. The 10-year-old was apparently talking during a showing of Titanic in 3-D. The guy, identified as 21-year-old Yong Hyun Kim, simply wanted to watch his $15 worth of entertainment in peace. And to protect his girlfriend, it seems. He was also pretty mad that the boy and his two friends kept throwing popcorn in the theatre....
A New Jersey man who can’t use his arms is facing a gun possession charge based on a very strange arrest. Marcus Hubbard, 28, cannot use his arms because of a spinal condition, but that didn’t stop police from arresting him and three others based on constructive possession laws. As the Times of Trenton reports, police allegedly found a stolen handgun in a car that Hubbard and three other men were in, but since none of them copped to having the gun, they were all charged with possession....
On occasion, people may revile criminal defense attorneys for the somewhat outlandish defenses occasionally used in the attempt to have their clients declared not guilty by a jury. However, if you were the person in the orange jumpsuit, you might be grateful for any defense that your attorney might come up with. Take for example the case of Woody Will Smith, on trial for murdering his wife, Amanda Horsnby-Smith. One defense his attorney may raise is that Smith should be found not guilty by reason of caffeine insanity....
Sentence for failure to register as a convicted sex offender is affirmed where defendant’s indeterminate life sentence for failing to register within five days of moving does not violate federal and state constitutional prohibitions against cruel and/or unusual punishment as the failure to register thwarted the purpose of the registration act of being able to be located, and combined with the seriousness of his prior convictions and his sustained criminality, demonstrated that his sentence was not grossly disproportionate to his offense....
A lawsuit filed by the family of John Van Hoy Jr. claims that the man was killed in an incident that can only be described as the Sandals whirlpool death–he drowned after being sucked into a hot tub drain at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort in Nassau, Jamaica. The family is suing Sandals, its U.S.-based marketing company, and various hot tub part manufacturers for negligence, infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment and product liability, reports Courthouse News Service....
