Legal Juice

Okay, The Juice ran out of material, so he just flat-out made this up. Ha! No, loyal readers, sadly this is a true story. From The Toronto Star, we have this story of a tremendous waste of government resources.

On a Monday evening in October 2011, 62-year-old Kathryn David returned to her home near Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Eglinton Ave. She pulled into the shared driveway between her home and that of her neighbour, Kevin Cooper. According to the judge’s decision, she got out of her car to move Cooper’s hose that went along the side of Cooper’s house and under a tall wooden gate to the backyard. Eventually, she tugged on the hose, causing it to catch on a patio chair in Cooper’s backyard and tear.

No big thing, you might think? What if The Juice told you this, this awful act was caught on videotape? Right, still no big thing, or ... was it?

The incident was caught on video surveillance cameras set up by Cooper and he called the police to report property damage. David was then handcuffed and taken to a police station in the back of police car, says her lawyer, Erec Rolfe.

What? Why?

That is standard procedure, says Toronto Police spokesperson Victor Kwong, adding that “if the public wants us to be police and not be judge and jury, we go ahead with the charge regardless of dollar amount. And then it’s up to the courts to decide whether to mediate this or go to trial with it.”

The Juice isn't blaming the cops, just the geniuses who set up this ridiculous, overly-inclusive procedure.

“The criminal charges were laid against our neighbour following a detailed police investigation and an independent decision by the Crown prosecutor to pursue those charges,” said Cooper and his wife Sylvia by email late Tuesday night.

So what happened?

“Fortunately for the Toronto Police Service, the Supreme Court of Canada has said that stupidity in relation to the law and negligence is not a case for malicious prosecution.” said Provincial Court Justice William Wolski before dismissing the charge, according to a transcript. “Why these charges were laid is still a mystery to me.”

Next case! Here's the source, including a photo of the scene of the crime.

It's a big world, and there are lots of different fighting styles - boxing, kung fu, jujitsu (jiu-jitsu), MMA, taekwondo, to name a few. And then there's this gent's fighting style, unlikely to be replicated by anyone, ever. As reported by The Santa Cruz Sentinel:

A 24-year-old Santa Cruz man was arrested Sunday after police got a call complaining that a drunken man was being disruptive and challenging people to fight, police said.

Officers arrived near West Cliff Drive and Pelton Avenue near Lighthouse Field about 1:45 p.m. and found that Dimitri Z. Storm had encountered an opponent who took him up on his challenge to fight, Sgt. Dave Perry said.

Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

When the man didn't back down, Storm dropped his pants, exposing himself, and then inserted a finger in his own rectum, Perry said.

Whoa. That's going to make it kinda hard to fight, don't you think?

Police also found him with a small pair of brass knuckles and arrested him on suspicion of indecent exposure, with a prior, being drunk in public, fighting and possession of brass knuckles, records show.

Maybe he was reaching for the brass knuckles and missed, badly? You'll find the source here.

This is not a question a court security officer should be asking. But hey, what are you supposed to do with that thing when you go to the restroom? Clearly, not this. As reported by The New Hampshire Union Leader:

According to New Hampshire State Police, officers from Troop D responded to Concord District Court at 1:30 p.m. Friday to investigate a report that a court security officer had a sidearm that was unaccounted for.

Uh-oh.

Court Security Officer Julie Bickford reported that her sidearm was missing from her holster, and that she believed that she might have misplaced the gun while using a bathroom.

Not to cast aspersions, but really? You just up and lost your gun? While on duty?

The courthouse was searched by troopers, a K-9 team, and court security personnel, but the weapon was not located.

Let's go to the videotape ...

State police reviewed Concord District Court security tapes and identified a female, Courtney Rojek, 24, of Pittsfield, seen exiting the women's bathroom with a handgun in her hand within minutes of Bickford exiting the women's bathroom.

Police said Rojek was seen placing the semi-automatic handgun on a table in the vestibule just outside the bathroom, and motioning a male subject over to her, identified by police as Jacob Noury, 33, of Barnstead.

On video, state police say Noury was seen handling the handgun and then placing it in Rojek's waistband. Rojek and Noury are then seen exiting the court and leaving in a vehicle.

Did it really not occur to them that there are cameras in the courthouse?

Arrest warrants were initiated for Rojek and Noury for Class A felony charges of theft of lost or mislaid property and Class b felony charges for possession of a firearm in a district or superior court facility.

State police, along with Chichester police, located both Rojek and Noury at a tattoo parlor owned by Noury on Route 4 in Chichester Saturday evening. Both were taken into custody without incident.

A search warrant was requested and granted for Noury's residence in Barnstead. A search was conducted and the missing sidearm, a Glock 40mm semi-automatic pistol, was located inside the residence, according to police.

Noury and Rojek were held on $10,000 cash bail at the Merrimack County Jail. They are due to be arraigned Monday, in Concord District Court.

It's not known whether Officer Bickford was disciplined, though it's hard to imagine the consequences of losing your gun, while on duty in the courthouse, would not be severe. Here's the source.

So you don't like our clothes. What are you going to do, call the "clothes police?" Well, pretty much. And in Kuwait, they'll come, and you'll go. As reported by The Arab Times:

Acting on information [snitch!] police rushed to a shopping center in Salmiya and took into custody three unidentified young women who were scantily dressed, reports Al-Rai daily.


According to security sources some shoppers who were curious at the behavior of the women who were dressed in a vulgar manner and when the owner of a shop requested the women to leave and not to create chaos in his shop, the women refused saying they have the right to choose how to dress.

Chaos? No, Black Friday at Best Buy is chaos.

The director of the shopping mall then called the Operations Department of the Ministry of Interior.

 A case of ‘obscene act’ has been filed against the women.

Appreciate your freedom, folks.

In addition to squirrel hunting and self defense ... add to the list of things an AK-47 is handy for ... disciplining your children! As reported by the Star Tribune:

A St. Paul man who recently purchased an assault rifle out of fear of an impending gun ban threatened his teenage daughter with it because she was getting two B's in school rather than straight A's, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday. Kirill Bartashevitch, 51, was charged in Ramsey County District Court with two felony counts of terroristic threats after alleging pointing an AK-47 at his daughter and wife during an argument over high school grades on Jan. 13.

Bartashevitch had recently purchased the rifle because he thought that such guns soon will be banned, the complaint said. He admitted to St. Paul police that he had pointed the gun at his wife and daughter but said it wasn't loaded and that he had checked the chamber beforehand.

He was just trying to scare them is all. What's the big deal?

"Any gun owner in America will tell you that's incredibly irresponsible," said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. "You just don't point guns at people." Threatening someone with a gun is a crime of violence regardless of the type of weapon or whether it's loaded, Choi said.

Uh, um, sorry?

The incident took place at the family's house on Englewood Avenue. The girl's concerns came to light four days later at Central High School when a social worker received a report from a parent who was monitoring her son's electronic communications and read a message from the girl.

"Mom on Facebook saves the day!"

According to the complaint, the argument began when Bartashevitch berated his daughter for not making straight A's at school. The girl swore at her father and stated that she "hated" him. He then pointed his new AK-47 at the girl, the complaint said.

The mother said that when she tried to protect the girl, her husband pushed her to the floor.

And what does the dad do for a living? He works for the Minneapolis Public Schools. Maybe he can be reassigned as an armed guard ... Here's the source, including a photo.

Judges can do many things to end up facing discipline. They can skip out on work too much. They can treat parties poorly. They can disrespect lawyers who appear before them. Or, as a Pennsylvania disciplinary court found regarding Allentown District Judge Maryesther Merlo, all of the above, per The Morning Call.

Regarding attendance:

Merlo had a habit of calling out of work when dozens of hearings were scheduled and litigants, police and attorneys were assembled in her courtroom, her staff testified. According to the decision, Merlo missed 116 days of work from September 2007 to December 2009.

"This is not to mention that on the days when [Merlo] did come to work, she was never on time — she was always late," the court added.

Former Lehigh County President Judge William H. Platt and Court Administrator Gordon Roberts testified their efforts to address her work habits fell on deaf ears. The disciplinary court noted Merlo's explanation that her absences were excused because she never took vacation was belied by the fact she did take 49 days of vacation during the period at issue.

Excellent work habits. How did she treat parties and witnesses?

In one case, Merlo described a young man who appeared in court with his mother on a traffic offense as "a dog who needs to be retrained." In another case, she ordered deputy sheriffs to arrest a woman who had been counseled by her lawyer not to testify to avoid incriminating herself, according to the decision.

[There was also testimony about] bizarre courtroom behavior, including an episode in which she ordered a defendant to call himself "scumbag."

And the court examined Merlo's conduct in 10 cases and found six in which her demeanor constituted a violation of the rules of conduct. Witnesses testified Merlo's behavior was often demeaning, intimidating and offensive.

Okay. But what about Judge Merlo's side of the story?

In each of the six cases, the court found the witnesses who complained about Merlo's behavior to be more credible than the judge.

Doh! That hurts.

The state disciplinary court examined Merlo's demeanor during truancy hearings, noting her practice of continuing cases to give the kids "a second chance" interfered with the district's efforts to discipline students with attendance problems. Her own tardiness set a poor example for the students, the court noted.

Suzette Arcelay, a school counselor, testified Merlo's behavior was often rude and erratic, including an episode in which Merlo told her to "shut up."

Judge Merlo has the option of appealing the findings. You can read more here.

Update: Judge Merlo was removed from the bench. She has appealed this decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. You can read more about it here.

A pack of cigarettes! She stole a pack of cigarettes! 22 years ago! People! Where is your sense of proportionality? As reported by wesh.com:

A mother of two sits in jail Monday unable to post bail after being put behind bars for the 1991 theft of a pack of cigarettes.

Jail? You couldn't release her on her own recognizance for this?

"Back in 1991, I shoplifted cigarettes from Walmart," Hall said.

So how'd they catch her now?

That 22-year-old crime followed her to Port Canaveral Thursday, where she was wrapping up a dream vacation with her husband and two kids.

The family had cruised aboard the Disney Dream, and authorities were waiting for her when they got back. "I was pulled to the side and told I had a warrant," Hall said.

Authorities said Hall had failed to pay the $85 in court costs when she was 18; and when authorities checked the ship's passenger list for terrorists, they found a warrant for Hall.

And to this even more ridiculous, check out the exemplary life Ms. Hall has led since her days as a career criminal ...

Since the theft, she had put herself through college, receiving a degree in architecture, and now she helps design jet engines for Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut.

Clearly she's a flight risk, right? What is wrong with these people? Here's the official explanation:

The Brevard County Jail will not let her post bail because it's an Orange County charge and she has to be transferred. However, because of the weekend and holiday, that might not be until Thursday.

That's a bunch of bureaucratic bullshit. The Juice is not pleased with this "case." Here's the source, including a video news story.

There she goes again, doing stuff for other people. Sure, the breaking-into-homes-to-clean-them part isn't cool, but this? As reported by fox19.com:

Susan Warren also known as "The Cleaning Fairy" was back in police custody today but this time it wasn't for breaking into homes to clean them; this time she was shoveling driveways without permission.

My snow! Not my snow! You beastly, wicked woman!

Elyria Police went to a home on Brandtson Avenue today for a report of a "suspicious female" shoveling a driveway without the homeowner's consent.

Really? You couldn't figure out that she was looking for some money by shoveling the driveway?

During questioning, the officer discovered that 53-year-old Susan Warren had a warrant through Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office for probation violation.

Oops.

In November of 2012, Warren was sentenced to one year of probation for breaking into a Westlake home, cleaning it and leaving a $75 bill for the homeowner on a napkin.

She said that it wasn't uncommon for her to go into homes and clean them and that she never had a problem before that.

Now it's getting a little creepy. But back to the snow shoveling ...

Although Warren was arrested on the warrant, no charges were brought up for shoveling the snow.

And that's as it should be. Click here for the source, including a photo of Ms. Warren.

If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Okay, so maybe that doesn't really apply to robbing banks. But still, the same sunglasses? Every time? As reported by The Belleville News-Democrat:

A serial bank robber responsible for more than a dozen bank robberies spanning seven states, including two in the metro-east, is now behind bars, according to FBI officials.

The robber dubbed the "Ray Bandit" for his tendency to wear Ray Ban-type sunglasses was identified as Jeremy Evans of Carol Stream in DuPage County.

Tendency?

The description of the "Ray Bandit" in all these robberies was similar: a white male, approximately 5-foot-8 to 6-foot tall, heavyset, wearing disguises ranging from a beard, either black or blond hair usually covered with a hat of some type, a plaid shirt and Ray Ban-type sunglasses.

So the dude changed all these other things, but wore the same shades each time? Brilliant! You can read more (a lot) here.

Prison? Marry this boy? Prison? Marry this boy? This is just so wrong. As reported by wgntv.com:

A school teacher in North Carolina had sex with a 15-year-old boy, but she avoided going to prison because she married him.

42-year-old Leah Gayle Shipman waited until her divorce was final, then married Johnny Ray Ison six days later. By that time, Ison was 17, and his mother had to give permission since her son was still a minor.

Shipman was facing 15 years in prison on charges of statutory rape; but now, under North Carolina law, Ison can’t be compelled to testify against his new wife.

Without his testimony, prosecutors have no case.

Here's the source, including a video news story.

It wasn't always like this. But on this day, everyone was feeling good, and a little hungry. As reported by The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office:

Alex Miller, DOB 2/25/90, 3040 Hawthorne Street, Sarasota, [was arrested] for growing marijuana at his home.

Me?

A deputy on patrol last night was flagged down and alerted to a fire behind Miller’s home. He requested that the fire department respond, and upon entering the back yard they noticed several large marijuana plants growing in planters.

Doh!

Deputies notified detectives with the Special Investigations Section who obtained a search warrant for the house. They located 16 plants outside, and multiple bags and jars containing marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia inside the home. In all they seized 2050 grams of cannabis. Miller was charged with Cultivation of Marijuana and released on $5,000 bond.

Here's the source, with a mug shot.

You may be wondering: "Can you break that?" Unfortunately for Mr. Doe, the answer is "yes." And yes, it gave rise (sorry) to a lawsuit. The case, out of Massachusetts, is John Doe v. Mary Doe.

Facts. The summary judgment record, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, Coveney v. President & Trustees of the College of the Holy Cross, 388 Mass. 16 , 17 (1983), establishes the following facts. The plaintiff and the defendant were in a long-term committed relationship. Early in the morning of September 24, 1994, they were engaged in consensual sexual intercourse. The plaintiff was lying on his back while the defendant was on top of him. The defendant's body was secured in this position by the interlocking of her legs and the plaintiff's legs. At some point, the defendant unilaterally decided to unlock her legs and place her feet on either side of the plaintiff's abdomen for the purpose of increasing her stimulation. When the defendant changed her position, she did not think about the possibility of injury to the plaintiff. Shortly after taking this new position, the defendant landed awkwardly on the plaintiff, thereby causing him to suffer a penile fracture.

Yeowwwwwwwwwwww! So, did Mr. Doe make the case that Ms. Doe negligently broke his, well, you know? Nope. You can read the opinion here.

Craigslist is a great resource. However, as has been demonstrated all too often, it's susceptible to abuse by all kinds of strange and bad folks. As reported by The Union Leader:

A Hooksett man with a history of faking a brain injury to get home care workers to change his diaper has been indicted for his latest alleged ruse in Hampton.

Eric Carrier, 24, is facing a single count of attempted indecent exposure and lewdness for his encounter with a home care worker in Hampton on Sept 12. A Rockingham County grand jury handed up the charge while deliberating earlier this month in superior court, according to an indictment made public this week.

Carrier allegedly responded to an advertisement the woman posted on the website craigslist.org, claiming he was a 22-year-old disabled man. When the two met in Hampton, Carrier claimed he needed help changing his soiled diaper in an attempt to expose himself to the woman, police said.

As for the other charges ...

Carrier was charged last year by Hooksett police with indecent exposure for soliciting five other women by posing as a disabled person on Craigslist, according to police. He was convicted of indecent exposure on July 30, police said.

Court documents suggest that Carrier may already be negotiating a plea deal following his latest arrest. A conviction in his latest case could land him in state prison for up to 3½ to seven years. It's unclear whether he may face additional punishment for a subsequent conviction.

Hampton police say Carrier claimed he could not control his bowel movements due to a brain injury. A 30-year-old Nashua woman who met Carrier on Sept. 12 grew suspicious of his behavior and later notified police, according to a court complaint.

Hooksett police said they received reports from several other women during their investigation last year, but could not go forward with those cases because they were beyond the statute of limitations. Carrier will be arraigned on his latest charge in Rockingham County Superior Court on Jan. 31.

Looks like he'll be out of commission for a while. Here's the source, including a photo.

So what kind of DUI was it? Per the Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania):

An Ohioville police report said a 911 call came in at 1:40 p.m. Thursday for an “out-of-control male” in the 6000 block of Tuscawaras Road.

Hmm. Seems pretty average so far.

On the way to the location, the officer spotted Mark Grove, 44, of 146 Valleyview Drive driving a lawn tractor down the middle of the road, the report said.

Go on ...

Grove smelled of alcohol, was slurring his words and was nearly unintelligible, the report said. There was also a coffee mug sitting on the tractor that was leaking beer, the report said. Grove told the officer, “I’m drunk. Just take me home,” the report said.

Once in the patrol car, Grove tried to kick out the window of the car and then kicked the officer three times, the report said. Grove then threatened to “tear up the hospital” and head-butted the partition between the front and rear seats of the patrol car, the report said.

Now you're really not getting that ride home.

At the hospital, Grove refused to take a blood-alcohol test or sign any forms, the report said. Once back at the police station, Grove attempted to escape from police custody and damaged a bench and the floor of the station, the report said.

As Mr. Sulu would say "oh my."

Grove is charged with drunken driving, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, institutional vandalism, resisting arrest, escape, disorderly conduct, driving under suspension, habitual offender for driving under suspension and disregard for traffic lanes.

Here's the source.

Ah roommates. If you've ever had a roommate, and you say you've never had an argument, you're lying. Still, a knife? As reported in The Brooklyn Paper:

The victim told police that he knocked on his roommate’s door at their apartment between Norman and Nassau avenues at 12:30 am and asked him to lower the volume of his tunes.

Seems like a reasonable request.

The two then started to fight ...

Uh oh.

... at which point the housemate grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed the victim in hand, and then punched him in the head and face, cops said. The victim suffered a deep cut on his hand and bleeding and swelling to his face and was taken to Woodhull Hospital.

It wasn't enough to stab him?

Police say that when they arrived at the house, they found the knife in the kitchen sink.

Hey, at least he's not a slob too. The charge: assault. "Wanted: Quiet, considerate, non-knife-wielding roommate."

When a drug deal goes south, doesn't everyone head to the police station? Well, that depends. In this case, it sure looks like the right call. Per the website of The City of Tampa, Florida:

Milton Coley and Louis Xavier Ruiz-Machado arranged to meet at 109th Avenue and Lantana Avenue to conduct a drug deal around 12:40pm on 1/11/13. Coley walked up to Ruiz-Machado who was driving a 2003 Dodge Ram pick-up truck. Ruiz-Machado handed over the marijuana, but Coley refused to pay. Ruiz-Machado fired a shot and Coley fled on foot. He then called a friend to pick him up. As Coley got into his friend's Nissan Altima in the 2200 block of Bougainvillea Avenue, Ruiz-Machado began chasing them in his pick-up truck. The friend feared for his safety and drove to the Tampa Police Department's District 2 Office for help.

The pick-up truck chased them twice through the parking lot at a high rate of speed. Ruiz-Machado fired at least one shot and then fled as officers exited the district office with guns drawn. A short time later, officers boxed in Ruiz-Machado on the University of South Florida campus at Bull Run Drive and Elm Drive. USF Police, Florida Highway Patrol and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office helped detain the suspect. They recovered a 9 mm inside the vehicle. At District 2, witnesses saw Coley throw two large baggies with 59 grams of marijuana into the parking lot. He was charged with possession of marijuana. His friend who was driving did not face charges. Officers recovered one 9 mm shell casing in the parking lot.

Yikes. Here's the press release.

If you don't follow Legal Juice on Twitter (@LegalJuice), the bird gets it. And rumor has it that Mr. Wile E. Coyote is ending his longstanding relationship with Acme for "a more reliable supplier." When asked if maybe he's the problem, not the equipment, Mr. Coyote maintained his characteristic silence.

And don't forget to like Legal Juice on Facebook.

Sometimes "fans" truly are "fanatics." Something happened during the Falcons-Seahawks game this weekend that set a strange chain of events in motion. Per tcpalm.com:

According to an arrest affidavit, the family was watching the game when the 56-year-old Crawford made rude comments about an unidentified player. That led to a family argument and his threatening other people in the house. The argument continued outside where, according to the affidavit, he was quoted as saying he was going to kill everyone "by breaking their necks and spitting on their grave.

Whoa there buddy. How do you get from comments about a player to spitting, er, mass murder?

He allegedly spit on someone just before police arrived and arrested him [for domestic battery] at 2:45 p.m. at the home in the 1300 block of Southeast Floresta Drive.

Thank goodness he just did the spitting part.

On Monday he remained in jail under a $1,500 bail bond.

Click here for the source.

With everything that's available on the internet, legally, do you really need to do this to people? This is just creepy. As reported in The Kennebec Journal (Maine):

The arrest [of William Tibbals, 31, of Pepperal Street] followed a long investigation triggered by reports by customers that a man with a camera in his shoe was capturing images up women’s skirts, said Scarborough Police Detectives.

Can you believe people noticed a guy with a camera in his shoe, hovering around females with skirts? Who would have guessed that? The charges?

... a felony count of visual sexual aggression against a child under 12 and multiple counts of violating privacy.

Tibbals is being held at the Cumberland County Jail. 

You'll find the source here, including a mug shot.

Question: How petty was it? Answer: a sticky bun! As reported by WPTV:

A Florida man was arrested by police Monday after allegedly stealing a sticky bun from Walgreens, according to a Boynton Beach Police Dept. report.

Police say James Gomperts fled from police and then crashed his bicycle into a patrol car.

No! A fellow cyclist!

Gomperts was later taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where he was charged with the theft of the bun and resisting officers.

Here's the source, including the mug shot.

Who burgles a joint and leaves a perfectly good laptop behind? And in case you're wondering, it was out in the open, as you will soon see. As reported by tcpalm.com:

In a case police are calling unique, a homeowner used his laptop computer video camera to capture a photo of a suspect breaking into his home.

Boom!

The homeowner left the computer on while he was gone. The footage led to the arrest of a friend, a 28-year-old man the homeowner has known since they were roommates in college, according to a sheriff's report.

Former "friend," that is.

Normally, investigators end up with just footprints or fingerprints and are left wondering if those prints are linked to a crime. This time, they had a visual recording of the incident and the homeowner's identification of the person led to the arrest of Eric Rayburn, 28, of the 1900 block of Southeast Bellevue Avenue, Port St. Lucie.

Rayburn voluntarily came in for questioning and deputies quoted him as saying he goes to the house all the time and was dropping by to talk.

Bet the cops enjoyed this next bit.

Then investigators showed him the camera recording.

Bam!

Rayburn, who said he works in medical supplies, told investigators he was delivering a Federal Express package. Investigators challenged that, saying there was no package in his hand in the video that was running at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2012.

Then he asked to talk to an attorney and stopped talking with deputies.

He is charged with burglary of a dwelling [a cash box was reported missing] and second degree theft.

Here's the source.

It's clear that, in planning this crime, location was not a consideration. Per The New Hampshire Union Leader:

The robbery happened at 12:55 a.m. at Tedeschi Food Shop, 245 Maple St., directly across the street from the Manchester Police Department's new building on Valley Street.

Doh!

Sgt. Paul Thompson said two men robbed the store and a knife was shown. "Units responded quickly, obviously," Thompson said.

Police immediately set up a perimeter in the Valley and Maple street area, and Officer Ben Foster and K-9 Moose were brought in to track down the men.

Thompson said the men saw the dog and ran, directly toward other officers. Arrested were Jesse Reidy, 19, of Manchester, and Brannon Collins, 18, of Manchester.

You can read more (a little bit) here.

You list a car on Craigslist, and get a check for almost twice the asking price. Are you suspicious? You should be. This scam has been around for a long time. As reported by The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, South Carolina):

The victim said Thursday she listed her vehicle [on CraigsList] back in December. She said she was contacted online and via cell phone.

On Dec. 5, she received a check from someone in Cleveland for $2,200 for the vehicle. She was only asking $1,200, the report said.

HUGE RED FLAG!

The victim said she was instructed to deposit the check and then send the buyer $1,000 of it to pay for the towing, the incident report said.

Don't do it! It's a ...

She said she sent $1,000 through Western Union to a woman in California on Dec. 16.

... scam!

The callers are still trying to scam her for more towing expenses, the victim said.

And why wouldn't they? That's what they do.

The Juice wasn't there, but that's never stopped him from passing judgment before. This seems like a harmless prank. What do you think? As reported by The Sun News (at Cleveland.com):

A Northfield boy, 17, was arrested Dec. 17 and charged with disorderly conduct after he alarmed shoppers at Nordstrom in Beachwood Place.

The boy's method of alarming involved putting on a Batman mask and red sunglasses on his face and a hood covering his head and then running full speed through the shopping area. Police were called and took the boy from the store.

The Juice doesn't see the harm, though he does see the source, which is here.

It's only fitting that a man who was watching a woman who was not aware she was being watched, was caught because, while he was watching, he was also being watched. Get it? Sure, it would have been easier (though much less satisfying) to say "peeping Tom caught by camera." As reported by wmbf.com (Myrtle Beach):

It was just after midnight on Wednesday when a woman living on Pridgen Road noticed a man peering through her bedroom window with his face "only inches away from the glass," states the incident report from Myrtle Beach Police.

The woman was on the phone with her boyfriend at the time, and believes a passing car scared the man away. But moments later the man was spotted again looking through the woman's kitchen window.

Go home!

Later in the day, the woman reported what she saw to the manager of her apartment complex who was able to view the incident on the surveillance cameras. The video shows the man looking into two different windows in the victim's apartment, then entering an apartment in the same building.

Hmm.

A neighbor of the victim viewed the video and identified the man as her husband, who left their home when he learned the victim had called police.

Yet another problem solved by just avoiding ... wait, this just in ...

Myrtle Beach Police sought warrants against the suspect, 23-year-old Tony Darin Hayes. He was taken into custody late Thursday night and charged with peeping tom, eavesdropping or peeping.

Here's the source.

Hey, if you've got something against the joint's pizza, there are alternatives to this. As reported by courierpostonline.com (Cherry Hill, New Jersey):

Friends and neighbors Saturday came to the aid of a pizza shop owner whose store on Marlton Pike in Pennsauken was heavily damaged when a Jeep Grand Cherokee smashed into the building. Not once, but twice.

Stephanie Boese, owner of Roman’s Pizza on the 3600 block of the pike, said video captured the Jeep slamming into the store around 3:30 a.m. Saturday. The vehicle then backed up and drove into the shop again. The driver fled the scene.

Twice? Not cool. Did they at least catch the perp?

Boese said Pennsauken police told her they had captured a suspect, but she had no other details. An officer who answered the department’s phone late Saturday evening said he had no updates on the incident.

Boom! You can read more (a fair amount) and see a photo of the damage here.

Let's just say this story involves seeking comfort from an animal, specifically, a donkey. You have been warned. As reported in The Sunday News:

In an incident that left the people of Filabusi dumbstricken, a 71-year-old widower was last week arraigned before the courts after he was caught raping a donkey.

The accused, Edwin Ndlovu, resides at Lunyame Village [in Zimbabwe] under Chief Bekezela Sibaya. He was charged for contravening section 74 of the criminal law (Codification and Reform Act) chapter 9:23, Beastility.

He appeared before Filabusi magistrate Miss Sheila Nazombe on 18 November and was found guilty.

Mr Jethro Mada for the state told the court that on 15 November at around noon the accused was caught having sex with a donkey in a bush near the fields.

The offence was discovered by the owner of the donkey, Mr Jeconiah Gumpi (62), who resides in the same village. Upon catching him at the scene, Mr Gumpi demanded an explanation as to why the accused was having sexual intercourse with his donkey.

The accused did not give a satisfactory answer, and the owner of the donkey reported the matter to the police leading to his arrest.

[scratching head] What exactly would qualify as a "satisfactory answer?"

The world did not end on December 21, 2012. Everyone, except perhaps Mr. Davis, is happy about this. As reported by timesonline.com (Beaver, PA):

A Rochester police report said Melanie Mountain, no age or address given, called 911 Dec. 21 and reported that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Michael John Davis, 33, of 3147 Brodhead Road.

The report said Mountain was driving her car and Davis was a passenger when he became upset with her for, "not being with him 'on the end of the world.'" Davis hit Mountain on the side of the head and face while she was driving near the area of Reno Street and Virginia Avenue, the report said.

Um, it didn't end. So how could she have been with you for something that didn't happen?

Mountain drove to Davis' mother's house on Lacock Street where Davis hit her again, took her car keys and broke her mobile phone, the report said. Mountain was able to get her keys back and drive to a phone, the report said.

Time for a new boyfriend.

Davis was charged with simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief.

Here's the source.

The chances that authorities would try to enforce this Massachusetts law? Squadoosh!

Section 36A. Whoever, having arrived at the age of sixteen years, directs any profane, obscene or impure language or slanderous statement at a participant or an official in a sporting event, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.

Here's the source.

Ma'am, that certainly is a nice television you have there... As reported by The Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Illinois)

12/30/12 - Theft -- First block of Kingery Court The victim reported the suspect came to her residence, struck up a conversation with her, and while she sat on the couch, he unhooked and unplugged her TV and walked out of the residence with it.

Um. Mister, watcha doing with my tee-vee?

This really is like the hen picking up the phone, calling the fox, and inviting him over for dinner. As for why this gent would call the police, consider what he was doing in his house. As reported by The Florida Times-Union:

Shaune Lawrence, 54, reported his Fleming Court home had been invaded by two men and gave deputies consent to search, the Sheriff’s Office said. Once inside, they instead found a spare bedroom and bathroom that were being used as “grow rooms” containing the plants and an elaborate setup of lights and chemicals.

Think he was baked?

Lawrence was arrested about 4 a.m., charged with cultivating marijuana, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Sheriff’s Office said the plants would have yielded 55 pounds for a street value of about $44,000.

Here's the source.

The queen of the McNuggets. The Juice blogged about Ms. Dushane previously, but at the time, the video of the incident had not been released. It has now, and here it is:

As reported by The Toledo Blade:

The video was made public, according to the Lucas County prosecutor's office, because Dushane did not appeal her July 7 sentencing by Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Linda Jennings to three years probation and 60 days in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.

She was ordered to pay $1,531.97 in restitution. Dushane pleaded no contest May 11 to one count of vandalism at McDonald's, 90 Main St.

The video shows her throwing a bottle through the drive-through window, which she then further breaks with a fist. She later admitted she was drunk.

Her quest began New Year's Day in the drive-through at the McDonald's, where she'd gone for chicken McNuggets. By her arrival, though, breakfast items - not McNuggets - were being served.

You can read a fair amount more here.