Legal Juice

You be the judge. Over a period of years, Florida Judge Sheldon Schapiro engaged in the following conduct [which he admitted to in a Stipulation submitted to the Court] which is set forth in the Florida Supreme Court's opinion.

A motorcyclist killed a child and fled the scene. At the bond hearing for the motorcyclist [to determine if he could post bond and leave jail pending trial], the child's mother was present. The assistant state's attorney told the Judge that the mother of the victim wanted to address the court. The Judge responded by saying "What do I need to hear from the mother of a [dead] kid for? All she will tell me is to keep the guy in custody and never let him out." (The Judge says he used the word "deceased," not "dead." Sure.)

An assistant state's attorney, who was 8 months pregnant, was hospitalized due to pregnancy complication on the third day of a trial before Judge Schapiro. Due to the hospitalization, she requested a continuance. HE DENIED IT! Against doctor's orders, the attorney returned to court to finish trying the case.

That same attorney was arguing a motion to revoke bond [to force someone charged with a crime to post bond or go to jail pending his/her trial] before Judge Schapiro. He "summoned [her] to the backroom behind [his] bench and told her that she needed to emulate the style of male attorneys when addressing the court because male attorneys did not get as emotional about their cases as the female attorneys did."

As a criminal defense attorney was making an argument in a sexual battery case, you cut him off and said, 'Do you know what I think of your argument'...at which time you pushed a button on a device that simulated the sound of a commode flushing.

When the Judge thought an attorney was talking, he said "Why do I always have to treat you like a school child?" The attorney responded that the Judge routinely treated everyone in his courtroom like a school child. He was ordered out of the courtroom.

There's more - but you get the idea. The Florida Supreme Court found that

In violation of Canon 1, Canon 2A, and Canon 3B(4), you have fallen into a general pattern of rude and intemperate behavior by needlessly interjecting yourself into counsel's examinations of witnesses; embarrassing and belittling counsel in court; and questioning the competence of counsel by making remarks such as, 'What, are you stupid?"

So what was the Judge's punishment? Lose his job as a judge?

Continue reading "Does Nasty, Belittling Judge Get His Due?" »

Why would The Juice presume that no celebrities would stay in James City County, Virginia? Because they have a law prohibiting the use of a fake name when registering at a hotel. Here it is:

Sec. 15-38. False registration by guests.

It shall be unlawful for any person to write, or cause to be written, or knowingly permit to be written, in any guest register in any lodging place in the county, any other or different name or designation than the true name of the person registered therein, or the name by which such person is generally known, or to enter false information regarding any vehicle. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Surely all those law-abiding adulterers give their real names ...

In Newport News, Virginia, and some other fun-loving locales across the country, it is illegal for anyone over the age of eleven to trick or treat! This is truly one of the dumbest laws The Juice has encountered (and that's saying something). Here's the law:

Sec. 28-5. - Prohibited trick or treat activities.

(a) If any person beyond the seventh grade of school or over twelve (12) years of age shall engage in the activity commonly known as "trick or treat" or any other activity of similar character or nature under any name whatsoever, such person shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting any parent, guardian or other responsible person having lawfully in his custody a child twelve (12) years old or younger, from accompanying such child who is playing "trick or treat" for the purpose of caring for, looking after or protecting such child. However, no accompanying parent or guardian shall wear a mask of any type.

(b) If any person shall engage in playing "trick or treat" or any other activity of similar character or nature under any name whatsoever after 8:00 p.m., such person shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.

Here's a link to the City of Newport News Code of Ordinances (see Chapter 28).

Let's say you're in a car crash, and you go to see your dentist. It must be bad because, in one day, the dentist performs SEVEN root canals! Now see if you can guess how many should have been done. NONE!

Oh, and not only were the SEVEN root canals unnecessary, dentists who testified at Dr. Lawrence Ho's hearing said they were done improperly, and required five additional procedures to repair the damage. And, after the 7-bagger, Ho continued to treat the man, Wayne Chalazan, for four more months, doing additional work, none of which relieved the pain! Did I mention that Ho also pulled 2 teeth without sufficient evidence that it was necessary? What about the dental panel's finding that Ho overcharged for this butchery? And that he misdiagnosed Mr. Chalazan, and didn't keep proper records of the tests, treatments or anesthetic he gave him? And that, since this took place in 1999, Mr. Chalazan has continuous pain, and can only eat soft foods?

All this, and the guy gets ... a 2-month suspension (plus $102,000 in legal costs and other fees) from The College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan! Absurd. They should have sentenced him to SEVEN root canals, and 2 pulled teeth (plus 4 months of pain and unnecessary treatment). Hopefully Dr. Ho will feel some pain in his wallet. Mr. Chalazan has filed a civil suit seeking at least $100,000.

The last word will go to Mr. Chalazan: "Basically, I was tortured." (You can read more here.)

Maybe "Plaxico Burress lite" would be a better description of what transpired in Seattle, Washington, as reported in The Highland Times police blotter:

Police responded to a call for medical assistance in the 12000 block of Ambaum Blvd. A man accidentally set off a bottle rocket firework in his pants. He was transported to Harborview by ambulance to be treated for superficial burns on his groin, face and hand. No other injuries were reported.

So how exactly do you set off a bottle rocket in your pants?

Sure, all families argue. Thankfully, most of them don't try to resolve their differences the way a few Kashmiri brothers recently did. As reported by the Kashmir Dispatch:

In a bizarre incident, brother-in-laws [?] of a woman on Monday chopped off her finger over a land dispute in Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu.

Yeowwwwwwwww!

Reports said, Sukh Ram and Mahinder, sons of Balwant Raj chopped off a finger of their sister-in-law, Champa Devi at her residence in Raja Sayot area of Akhnoor this morning. Bittu Ram, husband of the victim was not present in the house when his brothers attacked Champa. After chopping her finger, the accused fled from the spot. The injured woman was rushed to the nearby public health centre. She received five stitches.

If you're wondering how five stitches could possibly reattach a finger, so is The Juice.

Soon after the incident, a police party reached the spot and recorded the statement of the woman.

“We have registered a case Fir No 247/2010 under section, 341, 323 RPC against the accused. We’ll get them soon,” Abid Bukhari, a police official said.

Click here for the source.

If you don't know when to say when, at least know when to take a cab. As reported by The Murfreesboro Post:

Officers stopped a vehicle driving on the center lane traveling down Maple Street early Saturday morning.

When asked for her license, the woman driving the car handed the officer a credit card.

The driver agreed to attempt a field sobriety test, which she was unable to pass.

She was placed under arrest and informed of her rights and the implied consent law, to which she replied, “No, I am going to call a police officer.”

Okay, if that's how you want to use your one phone call ...

How long was the Complaint filed by a Vancouver, Washington attorney against GMAC Mortgage, et al.? 465 pages! You probably won't be surprised to hear that the Defendants filed a Motion for a More Definite Statement (in laymen's terms, "What?"). Here's a paragraph from the Complaint. Do you think Judge Leighton granted the Motion?

Plaintiffs, for a Fifty-Fourth Claim for Relief, reallege and incorporate herein Paragraphs 1 through 105, including the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, Twenty-Third, Twenty-Fourth, Twenty-Fifth, Twenty-Sixth, and Twenty-Seventh Claims for Relief alleged under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 [“RICO”][Title 18 U.S.C.A. §§1961 et.seq.], and the Twenty-Eighth, Twenty-Ninth, Thirtieth, Thirty-First, Thirty-Second, Thirty- Third, Thirty-Fourth, Thirty-Fifth, Thirty-Sixth, Thirty-Seventh, Thirty-Eighth, Thirty-Ninth, Fortieth, Forty-First, Forty-Second, Forty-Third, Forty-Fourth, Forty-Fifth, Forty-Sixth, Forty-Seventh, Forty-Eighth, Forty-Ninth, Fiftieth, Fifty-First , Fifty-Second, and Fifty-Third Claims for Relief.

Okay, now breath. Judge Leighton granted the Motion, using the following prose:

Plaintiff has a great deal to say,

But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a),

His Complaint is too long,

Which renders it wrong,

Please re-write and re-file today.

Nice. Here's the Order.

Back in December, a Costa Mesa, California woman, who was herself going through a rough patch, allowed a woman to sleep in her car. Upon returning to the car, she reports that the sleeping woman had died. So what did she do? Nothing! Here's what happened, and how the police just discovered the body, as reported by The Orange County Register:

Investigators said the driver of the car had befriended the woman at Mile Square Regional Park and allowed her to sleep in the car overnight in December. That was the last time she saw Signe [a transient woman from the Fountain Valley area] alive, Everett said.

After finding the body inside the four-door vehicle, the woman [who said she was a 57-year-old former real estate agent who at one time lived in a home in Corona del Mar] told investigators she was afraid to report the body to police, and instead decided to continue using the vehicle while the body sat covered in clothes on the passenger's side.

How was the body discovered?

It wasn't until Monday that the body was found by police, after receiving a call of a car partially blocking a driveway at the 2000 block of Tustin Avenue.

Officers were able to smell a foul odor coming from the car, and after seeing a leg underneath a pile of clothing on the seat, broke a window to get access inside.

Inside the car, officers also found a box of baking soda that the driver used to try to dissipate the smell.

Could the good samaritan be charged? Maybe.

An autopsy has revealed no obvious signs of foul play, but the cause of death is still unknown, he said. Officers are also looking at whether there were any health code violations due to the fact that the driver was transporting a corpse, he said. The driver has not been cited or arrested.

Click here to read the full story, which includes photos and a video.

It's axiomatic that the more you drink, the worse your judgment becomes. Hell, some folks can't even tell their own house from someone else's. Take this bloke, for example ... Per The Northern Territory News:

A woman at home alone was terrified when she heard someone having a shower in her house.

Police later found a red-faced neighbour who was so drunk that he went into the house because he thought it was his own.

Perhaps red-faced, but at least clean ...

The man got lost on the way to his house in Katherine on Wednesday night. He walked into the home and took a shower in an attempt to sober up.

The 34-year-old householder was asleep upstairs. She woke up, heard the water running and frantically rang the police.

When officers arrived, they found the 42-year-old sitting on the woman's verandah - dressed again.

He said "sorry" to the police and woman many times after realizing his mistake. The man was taken into protective custody to sleep off his big night.

"Excuse me, sir. Northern Territory News. So what happened last night?"

The man sobered up yesterday but was too embarrassed to talk to the NT News.

As you might imagine, this has happened before.

A couple once found a man cooking breakfast in their kitchen in the early hours.

And a woman in Darwin's northern suburbs was watching TV when a drunk strolled in through the front door thinking it was his house. He left when she screamed.

Oops. Here's the source.

Man, this crime thing is easy. They'll never catch us! Hey, I need some new jeans. Let's head over to Walmart ... Well, that's what 20-year-old Dustin Matthew Marshall and 19-year-old Lindsey Samantha Scholl apparently did. And Mr. Marshall got his jeans. But when he took off with the new ones, he left the old ones behind in the dressing room ... with his wallet in the pocket! As reported by NewsChannel5.com (Nashville, Tennessee):

Police said they arrested two people in a string of thefts after one of the suspect's literally left his identification behind.

... Matthew ... and ... Scholl were arrested and charged with charged with burglary, three counts of theft from a motor vehicle, two counts of theft under $500 and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said they were able to identify the pair as suspects in a string of thefts since October 14 after Marshall allegedly stole a pair of jeans and left his old jeans, containing his wallet with his driver's license inside, behind in the dressing room at Walmart.

On Saturday night, police said the suspects fled the Longhorn Steakhouse in Gallatin without paying for their meal and left behind evidence that linked them to one of the auto burglaries.

The police never had it this easy.

Officers later located the pair outside their home on East Prince Street and subsequently obtained a search warrant which produced evidence connected the suspects to the remaining auto burglaries and a burglary at the Christian Towers Apartments.

Both Marshall and Scholl were arrested and booked into the Sumner County Jail.

Here's the source, including photos of the accused.

The public library is a terrific place for a 92-year-old man to ... hook up? So thought Florida resident Herbert Johnson. The library's employees were not flattered. Per nbcmiami.com:

Stuart resident Herbert Johnson, 92, has been ordered to stay out of Martin County public libraries after waging an amorous campaign toward female employees.

His offensive included, for one librarian in particular, a letter left on the front desk "containing sexually explicit language stating what (he) wanted to do to" her.

Authorities say Johnson also sent the woman "innapropriate" gifts and letters, which she either refused or destroyed. A second employee reported Johnson made unwanted advances toward her, as well.

You're really not going to tell us what the "inappropriate" gifts were? Not cool.

A Martin County deputy visited Johnson at home, handing him a trespass warning for all county libraries.

Banned! Here's the source.

Remember the "wet bandits" from the movie "Home Alone"? Their m.o. was to flood a house after burglarizing it. So, caught for one, caught for them all. While this Rhode Island gent did not flood any houses, he had a very revealing clue in his pocket. As reported by WPRI (Pawtucked, Rhode Island):

Police said MCU detectives arrested Jimmy Honeycutt and his girlfriend Stephanie McDole Wednesday.

Detectives pulled over the pair in the city because their car matched the description of a vehicle wanted in connection with a similar robbery at a Getty gas station the day before in Attleboro.

Wait for it ...

Major Martins of the Pawtucket Police Department says Honeycutt was found with evidence linking him to the robberies. In his pocket police discovered torn pages from a phone book, with asterisks next to some of the businesses robbed this month.

Boom! It doesn't get much easier than that.

Police said during two of the earlier robberies, the suspect used a syringe to threaten the clerks.

The charges?

Honeycutt is charged with five counts of first-degree robbery. McDole is charged with two counts of first-degree robbery.

Click here for the source, including a video.

Well, when you're "managing" something, you still have to use it, right? Maybe that's what happened when a woman allegedly stabbed her classmate during an anger management class! As reported by The Seattle Times:

Bellevue police say Faribah Maradiaga [age 19] "blew up out of control" and stabbed the classmate's arm and shoulder several times after the two women exchanged words.

Police said Maradiaga, who already has a pending assault charge, told them that the other woman had threatened her first, according to charging documents.

Maradiaga walked into a classroom on the Bellevue College campus, where a court services agency rents space for the anger management class, around 9 a.m. Saturday while a video on anger management was being shown, according to the charges. Maradiaga started complaining about the movie and disrupting the class, according to the documents, when the victim told Maradiaga "the video was good and to give it a chance."

That's the provocation?

Maradiaga, who was sitting two rows behind the victim, then stood up and started talking "trash" before pulling out a knife with a 3-inch blade and stabbing the other woman, police and prosecutors say.

Of course. Everyone brings a knife to anger management class. You might need it to defend yourself if someone snaps ...

The charges [second degree assault] say Maradiaga then threatened to kill the victim's family. Maradiaga is being held on $50,000 bail in King County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 25.

The family too? Yikes. Here's the source.

Whatever you do, make sure you don't grab Mr. Green's raincoat!

Mr. Ryan, an Illinois attorney, was on his way into the courthouse. As described by the court (Mr. Ryan is the "Respondent"):

Deputy Kennealy, who was assigned to first-floor security at the Daley Center during May of 1999, testified that she was on duty at one of the security stations on the morning of May 24, 1999. At about 9:20 a.m., the Respondent approached the security checkpoint and emptied his pockets into a property tray. Kennealy recalled that the Respondent placed a pack of cigarettes and a napkin and, possibly, a set of keys in the tray. (Tr. 19-23)

Kennealy reached into the tray and picked up the pack of cigarettes the Respondent had placed inside, in order to conduct a search for weapons. At that point, she stated, the Respondent tried to grab the cigarette pack out of her hand and remarked, "Oh, shit, I have to get out of here." (Tr. 24-26) The Respondent turned and began to walk back through the metal detector, and Kennealy and another deputy brought him back. (Tr. 24) Kennealy felt that the Respondent was attempting to flee at that time because he tried to walk out "fast." (Tr. 31)(emphasis added).

Kennealy then looked inside the cigarette pack, and found a white powdery substance which was later determined to be cocaine. (Tr. 25-26, Admin. Ex. 6) She placed the Respondent in custody and took him downstairs to the lockup area. In a search of the remainder of the Respondent's property at the lockup, Kennealy found cannabis in the napkin the Respondent had placed in the tray. (Tr. 25-26, Admin. Ex. 5)

So it's not looking too good for Mr. Green. Just what did he have to say for himself? Do you think the court will buy it?

Continue reading ""Oh Sh*t!" Attorney Says: That Coat With The Cocaine And Marijuana ... It's Not Mine! " »

It's at least a mildly interesting strategy - hiding in plain sight. And sometimes it even works on TV and in the movies.In real life? Not so much, as Floridian Bryan Hartman discovered. Per The Orlando Sentinel:

A St. Cloud man was arrested Monday after drug agents found marijuana growing in his front yard, they said.

Seventeen plants, from 2 feet to 7 feet tall, were growing in planters in front of the home of Bryan Hartman, 45, the Osceola County Investigative Bureau said. The house is in the 1100 block of Mississippi Avenue.

Hartman gave permission to search his home and was arrested on a charge of cultivation of cannabis, agents said. He was being held at the Osceola County Jail.

Doh!

Or else what? If you don't like The Juice on Facebook, and/or follow him on Twitter (@LegalJuice), expect a visit from Officer Cartman.

Why is this not your average dog bite case? Well, because a man bit a dog. And not just any dog, but a police dog. Yikes. As reported by NBCConnecticut.com:

West Haven officer Scott Bloom was on patrol with his K-9, Onyx, near the Rite Aid on Elm Street early Thursday morning, when he noticed Roderick Lewis walking toward him.

Lewis yelled out "I need a bag of dust," referring to Angel Dust, according to police.

That's when things went south, for all parties concerned.

Lewis, 23, walked toward the officer and reached into his waistband. The officer grabbed Lewis' arms and told him to stop. That's when Lewis punched officer Bloom in the face, according to police.

Woof, woof! [Dog-to-English translation: Oh no you din't!]

Onyx, the police dog, jumped from Bloom's cruiser and attacked the suspect, latching onto his leg, according to police.

But then Lewis did his own chomping, biting into the dog's side, police said. Lewis didn't let go until the officer had to physically pull him off the dog, police said.

The charges?

... assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and cruelty to animals.

Here's the source, which includes a mug shot.

Sadly, it's often not the case that "as ye sew, so shall ye reap." The latest case involves a Canterbury, New Zealand doctor. He began treating a 13-year-old girl, who then began babysitting his children. When the girl was 16, she was raped. Not surprisingly, the girl's mother took her to this doctor after the rape. As reported in The New Zealand Herald:

A sexual relationship developed with the doctor and lasted for about three months in 1985.

So this man preys on his patient, a 16-year-old rape victim whose mother placed her trust in him. Surely this man had his medical license revoked? Nope. After being found guilty of "disgraceful conduct," his license wasn't even suspended! And, his name will remain a secret! Here's his "punishment":

... he has been censured by the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal which fined him the maximum $1000.

The GP was also required to be mentored by a health professional for three years and ordered to pay $62,666.86 in costs.

How could he get off with a slap on the wrist for this abominable conduct?

The tribunal in its decision said there was no evidence the doctor had behaved inappropriately before or since.

It said the "proved conduct of the charge (was) entirely out of character" and granted the doctor permanent name suppression.

The victim, Ms. A, has it exactly right:

"The argument seems to be that seeing as he got away with it for so long, he might as well get away with it forever."

May fate serve up a dose of justice for the doctor. Here's the source.

Everyone does things they regret (or should), including doctors. That's why there are a variety of sanctions available when a doctor violates the applicable code of conduct, including the permanent loss of one's medical license. Check out the actions of Dr. Gregory James Wilks (Victoria, Australia) as reported by Adelaide Now:

The Victorian Medical Board had found that in 2004, Wilks made inappropriate comments to two young women during consultations and later propositioned one of them in a text message.

Bad stuff, right? But, absent aggravating circumstances, probably not something that should be punished with a lifetime ban. How about this?

He later entered into a sexual relationship with another female patient, while the woman and her husband were consulting him about sexual issues.

Flat-out despicable. Though he should have been banned for life, he wasn't.

...[in 2007] Wilks was banned from registering in Victoria until December 17 this year [2010] ...

Not being able to work in Victoria, the good doctor sought work in South Australia. Incredibly, he was offered a job at a hospital in Cooper Pedy. So he applied for a medical license in South Australia. Displaying much better sense the the aforementioned hospital ...

The SA Medical Board refused that application, and Wilks appealed to the Supreme Court.

Dr. Wilks represented himself, but guess who helped? The woman he victimized when he was treating her and her husband! And he's still in a relationship with her! He lost, big time.

In dismissing the appeal, Justice Thomas Gray said allowing Wilks to register in SA before the Victorian ban ended would "shock the public conscience".

"There is a need to protect the public from unprofessional medical practitioners, particularly those who are indifferent to basic professional standards," Justice Gray said.

"The doctor-patient relationship is one of trust and power, and one that demands both neutrality and professionalism."

Amen. This guy is a predator. Here's hoping the authorities recognize this when his ban ends on December 17. Here's the source.

So maybe, maybe when the police find a body, they miss a small stab wound. But, and this a big "but," what if the knife is still in the body? Could they miss it? Yup. As reported in The Medway Messenger:

Police failed to spot a dead pensioner had been murdered - until undertakers found a knife in his back, an inquest heard.

Officers were called to the home of Antoine Denis, in New Road, Chatham, after neighbours raised the alarm.

The 66-year-old was pronounced dead by a police nurse when he was found slumped on his bedroom floor.

But an inquest was told the weapon and a stab wound were only found by undertakers as they prepared to move his body on January 9.

DC [Detective Constable] Linda Robb told coroner Roger Sykes the knife was missed because it was dark in the flat and Mr Denis was lying on his back.

What, you expected that a police officer would turn the body over? Don't be ridiculous.

Recording a verdict of unlawful killing, Mr Sykes said Mr Denis had died from a single stab wound, which penetrated his lung due to "the unlawful act of a person whose identity has not yet been established".

The perp? Still at large.

Kim Albone, of Luton Road, Chatham, was charged with murder on January 21, but was later released after a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service. Officers are still hunting Mr Denis' killer.

Here's the source.

A handcuffed man (behind the back!) escapes from your patrol car, and you're going to include a charge of stealing handcuffs? Are you sure that's a part of the case you really want to highlight? Pick one: "Fugitive escapes!" or "Handcuffed fugitive in back of patrol car escapes, and steals $29 handcuffs that are supposed to be restraining him, under the nose of the officer who should be watching him." As reported by The Daily News (Washington State):

A DOC officer arrested Eric Mitchell Lair on a felony warrant Oct. 1, according to a Longview police report. On the way to Cowlitz County jail, "Lair was able to open the back of (an) unmarked DOC caged vehicle and flee," the report said.

"Lair was handcuffed behind his back at the time of escape," the report said. Officers from multiple agencies conducted an "extensive search" of the area, but couldn't find Lair.

On Thursday, a Superior Court judge issued a warrant for Lair's arrest on suspicion of first-degree escape.

Police also noted that the handcuffs Lair escaped with are valued at $29 and requested he be charged with third-degree theft.

Not the handcuffs! Cut your losses! HT: The Daily News.

Sorry, but it's that "Ellen" thing. That's essentially why Heartland Inns of America fired Brenna Lewis, according to Ms. Lewis. But Ms. Lewis may have the last word, as reported by Courthouse News Service.

An Iowa hotel clerk who describes herself as "slightly more masculine" can sue her former employer for allegedly firing her because she wasn't pretty enough and she lacked "the Midwestern girl look," the 8th Circuit ruled.

Here's the background:

Lewis said she was fired in 2007 for not conforming to sex stereotypes and for questioning recent policy changes.

Lewis has "an Ellen DeGeneres kind of look," according to her former manager, Lori Stifel. "Lewis prefers to wear loose fitting clothing, including men's button-down shirts and slacks," the ruling states. "She avoids makeup and wore her hair short at the time. Lewis has been mistaken for a male and referred to as 'tomboyish.'"

BFD. Apparently it was, to Ms. Barbara Cullinan, director of operations...

Cullinan allegedly said Lewis lacked "the Midwestern girl look," and stressed the importance of having a "pretty" desk staff.

When Cullinan told Stifel to move Lewis to the night shift, Stifel allegedly stuck up for Lewis, saying she had been doing a "phenomenal job at the front desk."

Well done, madam.

The next week, Cullinan asked Stifel to resign and implemented stricter hiring rules, explaining that "hotels have to have a certain personification and appearance," Lewis claimed.

No good deed goes unpunished. But Judge Diana Murphy had the last word, at least for now.

"Cullinan's criticism of Lewis for lack of 'prettiness' and the 'Midwestern girl look' before terminating her may ... be found by a reasonable factfinder to be evidence of wrongful sex stereotyping," she wrote.

Here's the source.

I doubt a beat cop ever goes an entire shift without being flagged down by a citizen in need. How often, though, do you think a cop is flagged down by a citizen who wants to know if there are any warrants for her arrest? At least once. It happened in Ohio, as reported in The Cincinnati Enquirer.

... in Lockland when 44-year-old Selma Elmore stopped Officer Dan Lyons on South Wayne Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Friday, police said.

Elmore asked the officer: Is there a curfew for adults in Lockland?

No curfew, Lyons responded.

Second question: Is there a warrant for my arrest?

Yes, in fact there is a warrant, the officer told her after a quick check.

Here's another question: WHY WOULD YOU ASK THAT?

Lyons had discovered Elmore was wanted for allegedly failing to pay a fine as a result of a drug-related conviction, said Sgt. Patrick Sublet.

Ms. Elmore didn't take the news very well. Not only did she bolt, but when Sgt. Sublet caught her, she shoved him into a building. Brilliant! And now ...

She faces a new charge of resisting arrest.

Doh! Here's the source, including a photo of Ms. Elmore.

Should a judge be allowed to clearly flout the Constitution with impunity? The Juice certainly hopes not, because Mississippi Chancellor [a Judge in the Chancery Court] Talmadge Littlejohn deserves, at a minimum, to be reprimanded. Why? A lawyer in his court would not recite the Pledge of Allegiance. And when Judge Littlejohn tried to force him to recite it, attorney Danny Lampley held his ground.

If you think that a judge would know that you can't force someone to say the Pledge, you would be wrong. Perhaps in his reading of the Constitution, Judge Littlejohn skipped the first amendment? So what happened to Mr. Lampley for asserting his constitutional right in a court of law? Per The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal:

At 10 a.m., Lampley was in jail garb. By 2:30 p.m., Littlejohn ordered his release and return to the Lee County Justice Center to continue their business.

4 1/2 hours in jail! Here are Mr. Lampley's choice words for the Judge:

Lampley said he was worried the judge would send him back to jail.

Simply put, the attorney said he and the judge have a "different point of view" about things, like loyalty oaths and the pledge.

"I have a lot of respect for him," Lampley said, "I'm just not going to back off on his.

"I don't have to say it because I'm an American," he said about the 31-word pledge. "I hope he's not too angry with me."

"It's a problem, but it's for the judge and me to work out."

Yeah, different "points of view." One based on the law, one not. Don't blame Mr. Lampley for not taking on the judge. The man has to represent clients in that courthouse, and before that judge, for years to come. But that doesn't mean the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance should let this slide. What did Judge Littlejohn have to say about the incident?

After the hearing, Littlejohn's assistant said the judge had no comment on the matter.

Perhaps the decisions get better as the day goes on... You can read more here.

So this woman was walking her dog in Belmont, Massachusetts when, according to her, a car came speeding by. What did she do? As reported in the Belmont Citizen-Herald:

According to a police report, an officer on Oct. 1 met with a Belmont man who stated he was driving down Stone Road the previous morning when an object came through his open window and hit him in the face. He soon realized the projectile was “a flying bag of dog feces that splattered across his face, and the remaining matter soiled the front of the car,” the report said.

The Juice's first thought: Helluva shot! Second thought: If the car is going so fast, how does she pull that off? Backstory:

The day before, on Sept. 30, an officer was dispatched to Stone Road to take a report from a woman about a speeding complaint. The woman reported she was walking her dog down Stone Road and threw a bag at a dark-colored sedan that was allegedly speeding down Stone Road, almost hitting a person on a bicycle.

The woman told police she ran to hid in a neighboring yard after throwing the bag, which she admitted was filled with feces, because the vehicle remained in the area.

The charges?

... assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, vandalism to property and disorderly conduct ...

Yes, a "dangerous weapon" ... Click here to read more.

Artistic license, as it relates to the Philippine national anthem and flag, is about to be seriously curtailed. After the Senate votes (it was 196-0 in the lower house - think it'll pass?), improper singing of the national anthem - Lupang Hinirang (Beloved Land) - and unpatriotic displays of the Philippine flag will get you in some serious trouble. Per Reuters:

"Our Congress has given more teeth to government's campaign to invigorate patriotism, respect and love of country by singing our anthem properly," Representative Salvador Escudero, the bill's principal author, told reporters.

He lamented that Filipino artists and singers had been changing the anthem's military march melody and beat, and that the flag had been made into shirts and short pants.

If the Senate passes the law, the first approved by the lower house since the change of administrations in June, violators face up to two years in jail and a fine of 100,000 pesos ($2,280).

Paul Ewing was certainly a stand-up guy to admit killing his neighbor's plants with Roundup (in what has to be a unique way - see below). But was it really necessary to tell the police why he was mad at his neighbor? From The Bradenton Herald:

To get back at his neighbor for owing him money, Paul Ewing resorted to a series of drive-bys toting a water gun filled with Roundup weed killer, the Bradenton Police Department reports.

He told investigators that he was upset because his neighbor owed him more than $200 for drugs.

Brilliant!

The 35-year-old, who lives in the 100 block of 10th Street West, confessed to his actions after he was pulled over Thursday for driving with a suspended license.

In the front yard, Ewing gunned down flowers and bushes, the report stated. To get to the plants in the backyard, he filled water balloons with the weed killer and tossed them onto his neighbors property. Ewing estimated the landscaping damage to be about $250.

The Bradenton Police Department had been investigating the incidents that began May 1 and lasted until July 1.

Ewing was released from Manatee County jail Thursday after posting a $500 bond. He has been charged with criminal mischief with property damage.

Here's the source.

Do not trifle with Judge Reggie Walton of the United States Court for the District of Columbia. He will let you have your say. Rest assured, though, that you're going to hear what he has to say too. When 12 of Scooter Libby's pals asked for the court's permission to file a brief supporting Scooter, it was granted, but with this little cherry on top:

It is an impressive show of public service when twelve prominent and distinguished current and former law professors of well-respected schools are able to amass their collective wisdom in the course of only several days to provide their legal expertise to the Court on behalf of a criminal defendant. The Court trusts that this is a reflection of these eminent academics' willingness in the future to step to the plate and provide like assistance in cases involving any of the numerous litigants, both in this Court and throughout the courts of our nation, who lack the financial means to fully and properly articulate the merits of their legal positions even in instances where failure to do so could result in monetary penalties, incarceration, or worse. The Court will certainly not hesitate to call for such assistance from these luminaries, as necessary in the interests of justice and equity, whenever similar questions arise in the cases that come before it.

Bam! The 12 gents are: Robert Bork, Alan Dershowitz [!] Vikram Amar, Randy Barnett, Viet Dinh, Douglas Kmiec, Gary Lawson, Earl Maltz, Thomas Merrill, Robert Nagel, Richard Parker, and Robert Pushaw.

You can read the order here. HT: The Next Hurrah

Didn't I just tell you not to tell me that? But no, you just couldn't resist! As reported by news.com.au:

A robber wearing a transparent plastic bag over his head has held up a service station on the Gold Coast.

Pure genius.

Police said the man entered the BP service station at Labrador about 3.53pm yesterday wearing the plastic bag, and wielding a large carving knife, according to the Courier-Mail.

He approached the male attendant and demanded cash.

In response, the worker placed the money tray from the register on the counter and the robber helped himself.

At least someone was thinking clearly. (Get it!) Now this may surprise you, given the awesomeness of the disguise:

The worker was able to give police a good description of the bandit. He was described as about 170cm tall in his mid-20s and wearing three-quarter length denim shorts, a white T-shirt and a sky blue baseball cap.

And?

The man handed himself in to police today. Police expect to charge the man over the robbery.

This gent is up there with the wet bandits.

Except for Rich Sanchez (see photo above and video below), nobody wants to get tased. But how far would you go to avoid it? Hopefully there is not another soul out there who would go to this length. As reported by The Macomb Daily:

A judge in Mount Clemens has sentenced a father to a year in jail and parenting classes after he used his 2-year-old daughter as a shield during a confrontation with a Taser-wielding police officer.

27-year-old Joseph Cox of Belleville ... pleaded no contest to misdemeanor child abuse and guilty to home invasion and obstructing an officer.

He was accused in March of breaking into his ex-wife’s Warren home. The child was held in front of a Taser pointed at Cox by an officer. The officer didn’t fire.

Clearly, Mr. Cox is no Rick Sanchez.

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Moment of Zen - Sanchez Taser
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a tasering you probably remember ...

Lots of people eat fish. Probably most people. Is it really so bad to eat a goldfish? Apparently so, as Briton Chris Caswell found out the hard way. As reported - with no slant whatsoever[!] - in The Sun:

Cruel Chris Caswell was arrested yesterday over the sick stunt that was videoed by his giggling pals and posted on Facebook.

Damn you Facebook!

The lout, 30, paid £1.99 for a fish then asked staff to put it in a glass he had brought along, claiming he lived just across the road.

A puzzled shop worker agreed - then watched in horror as he downed the fish in one swallow.

Oh the humanity!

After Caswell ate the creature, his pal doing the filming crowed: "Goldfish down the hatch!" The yobs then marched out of the shop cackling and joking.

Police were alerted after the appalling footage was posted on the web.

Roofer Caswell was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, yesterday on suspicion of cruelty to animals.

Really? A "raid"?

He was quizzed at a police station for an hour then released.

Should have asked President Obama for special dispensation to send the gent to Guantanamo Bay.

The yob last night insisted he was an animal lover and it was just a prank.

He bleated: "It was over a year ago. We had been out drinking at a friend's party. I can't remember much about it. I have just got a puppy. I like animals."

If Caswell is found guilty of animal cruelty he could face a £20,000 fine or six months in jail.

This guy is a criminal? Sounds more like a prankster. Here's the source, including video of the incident.