Legal Juice

Dude could have earned $100 many times over with all the effort he put into trying to collect $100 he claims a woman owes him. As reported at www.phillyburbs.com:

A Falls man is accused of sending a woman 75 text messages threatening to set her house on fire, bomb her house and harm the woman’s special needs child if she didn't pay off a $100 debt.

Say what? Let's break it down.

Edward Mellor, 40, at first was charged with disorderly conduct following a confrontation at the woman’s house on West Bridge Street in Morrisville Friday night. That's when he allegedly punched and kicked open the woman's front door, then fought with one of her friends.

Still, he didn't stop texting or calling her, police said.

Done? Nope.

He even posted a Facebook message saying that Morrisville police let him go Friday night and “there isn’t anything they can do,” according to the affidavit.

Mellor told the woman he would “put her in a grave” and get his “biker buddies” to “get her," according to a probable cause affidavit.

And it appeared - to Mr. Mellor - that it worked.

The woman called police and then sent Mellor a text message with a photo of a $100 bill and told him to come get his money. Mellor responded saying he’d be right over and wanted no cops, police said.

Right, no cops. Uh-huh.

But police in an unmarked car were waiting outside the woman's home and took Mellor into custody when he arrived.

Doh!

Mellor now faces charges of terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct. He was arraigned Saturday before Warminster District Judge Daniel Finello Jr. and sent to Bucks County prison in lieu of 10 percent of $100,000 bail.

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

It was widely believed that EVERYONE knew ATMs have cameras. Perhaps now, with the arrest of this man, that is indeed the case. As seen at thebrooklynpaper.com:

A man was arrested for attempting to steal money from the same automated teller machine on Bedford Avenue four times between April 4 and May 2 by sticking pliers up the money slot.

Four times! With pliers!

The owner of the building between N. Fourth and N. Fifth streets gave police surveillance video that shows the 31-year-old man trying to get money out of the machine at 2 pm on April 4, 7 pm on April 4, at noon on April 9, and at 2:38 pm on May 2. Each time, he damaged the machine.

The determined suspect was charged with several counts of attempted grand larceny, criminal mischief, possession of burglar’s tools, and attempted petit larceny.

Everyone knows nicotine is physically addictive. But check out what these gents went through just to get some cigarettes, per ThePoliceNews.net:

La Marque, Texas -- Police are looking for two men who pulled pistols on a convenience store clerk and made off with a supply of cigarettes valued at about $100.

The pair of black men, dress all in black and wearing ski masks pulled the robbery Wednesday morning at the Main Street Grocery Store in the 1600 block of FM 519, then fled on foot.

Police ask anyone with information about the two call La Marque Crime Stoppers (409) 938.8477

Ski masks and guns for $100 in cigarettes? That's a head-scratcher. Here's the source.

Nobody can argue that the internet has dramatically changed the world. Some folks, though, turn to it when they ought to just do things the old-fashioned way. For example, there's this woman in Santa Fe, Texas, as reported by kwtx.com ...

Police in Santa Fe in Southeast Texas say the mother of a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the leg in a videotaped incident didn't seek help for her injured son for seven hours while researching gunshot wounds online.

Say what?

Pete Jesse Rodriguez, 23, who was living at the family’s home, was jailed Thursday charged with injury to a child with intent to commit serious bodily injury, Santa Fe police said.

Capt. Wayne Kessler says the home's security video shows Rodriguez playing with a gun Tuesday night, tracking the boy and firing.

And then ...

Police say the mother and teenager checked WebMD.com before going to a hospital.

Really? Fortunately ...

The boy was in stable condition Thursday.

Here's the source.

Everyone craves some type of food at one time or another. And although you may not consider Cheez-Its to be food, a New Hampshire man had a serious craving, and apparently no cash. So, according to The New Hampshire Union Leader ...

Officer Jacob Tyler was on patrol when he stopped to check on the business. When he pulled up, the clerk came out to tell him he had just been punched in the face. The officer noted redness around the clerk's eye.

The clerk told Tyler he saw a man go out the door after hiding a three-ounce bag of Cheez-It in his pants. The clerk confronted him outside, the two got into a struggle, and the shoplifter punched him in the face and then ran off.

The thief is described as a white man, 6-foot to 6-foot-2 and weighing about 220 to 230 pounds. He wore a black hat and black shirt, both with white designs on them. He also wore black jean shorts with a white belt and white socks.

Two things: Clerk, you pursued a good-sized man over a bag of Cheez-Its? and Thief, you punched a guy in the face over a bag of Cheez-Its?

A man and a woman were also with him, the clerk said. Police located them in front of the Carpenter Memorial Library, 405 Pine St.

One of them, April Skinner, 18, of 800 Union St., was arrested after police say she became agitated, repeatedly shouted obscenities and refused to quiet down, drawing the attention of others inside the library.

She was arrested after a brief struggle with officers on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Perhaps the group is bound together by their common lack of good judgment.

Police said they expect to obtain warrants for the arrest of the shoplifter, who they declined to identify.

Here's the source.

Hey, even The Juice fought a traffic ticket (and won, um, thanks to Officer No-Show). In all seriousness, The Juice had a valid legal defense. And perhaps this guy did too. But if you were dealing drugs, would you show up in court to fight a traffic charge? As reported by phillyburbs.com.

An arrest warrant had been issued Monday for Corey McCloud, 36, of Gentle Road, for allegedly selling to a confidential informant .29 grams of suspected cocaine Jan. 29 in Bristol Township.

He apparently didn't know that, and was arrested when he appeared at a Bensalem district court for a hearing on a charge of driving while his license was suspended or revoked, Bristol Township Lt. Terry Hughes said.

Doh!

The drug charges stem from drug deals in the 7100 block of Bristol Pike in January and February, according to police. In addition to allegedly selling cocaine in January, McCloud sold a confidential informant crack cocaine on three other occasions on Feb. 5, 12 and 22, according to a probable cause affidavit.

He was arrested and arraigned before Bristol Township District Judge Robert Wagner Jr. on four counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver. He was sent to Bucks County prison in lieu of 10 percent of $20,000 bail in each of the drug cases.

Here's the source, including a mug shot.

Sorry, The Juice gets worked up when a cyclist is involved. He gets that a lot of people just don't like cyclists, though he doesn't fully understand why. But this? As reported by wdrb.com (Louisville, KY):

A Louisville man is accused of assault after police say he intentionally struck a bicyclist with his vehicle.

Now you can see why The Juice is very angry.

Police say 19-year-old Gage A. Dela Cruz was driving in that area when he "intentionally" struck the bicyclist, causing injuries serious enough that the bicyclist had to be taken to the hospital.

Why?

The victim allegedly told police that, "he was operating his bicycle on the left-hand side of the street, and the vehicle being operated by the defendant came from behind and struck him."

Sure, that explains it?

Police say Dela Cruz stopped his vehicle and the bicyclist recognized him. According to the arrest report, a passenger in Dela Cruz's car then leaned out the window and yelled, "That's not all. You have more coming to you!" That's when Dela Cruz drove off, according to police.

Now that explains it. They're just mean.

Officers caught up with him at his home Friday morning and arrested him. He's been charged with second degree assault.

Here's the source, including a mug shot.

Almost everyone uses the remote control on their car key to lock the car. And it's then alarmed too. What a great technology! Remotes have really come a long way. So you're safe, right? Well, no. And here's why, per wmbfnews.com:

Apparently thieves are targeting those keyless entry remotes by using a device to de-code the signal and break into vehicles.

Come again?

"On national news they've had coverage about these devices. If people are using their remote controls for their car locks they have this device that can pick it up and mimic the code so they can get into the vehicle after you leave," according to Captain David Knipes with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.

Damn!

Captain Knipes believes this crime is just another reminder to be careful and aware of your surroundings, "If you can take that extra time to manually hit the door lock than that's something you should do."

Not gonna happen. The Juice will not be altering his behavior (although it's usually not an issue since he commutes to work by bicycle.) You can read a little bit more here.

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. He gets very angry if you do not respect his authority.

Maybe it's because texting or posting something on Facebook, or leaving a voice mail message (Mel Gibson!) is so easy. Whatever the reason, people really do a lot of stupid things with technology. A recent example is brought to you by The Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat.

An Alton man faces charges for allegedly posting what officials called an "alarming message" on a social networking site.

Go on.

Madison County Sheriff's deputies arrested 29-year-old Joshua Michael Clark Tuesday after they were tipped off to a possible threat posted on Clark's Facebook page.

According to police, Clark had posted, "Hey Madison County Courthouse, tick, tick, tick...boom."

Brilliant!

Deputies interviewed Clark, and said that he confessed to posting the message. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.

Did he mean it?

Police said the threat was not legitimate and there was no bomb or device found.

You'll find the source here.

How bad are things in the UK? Even Batman has crossed to the dark side. As reported by
news.scotsman.com:

A man who handed his friend in to a police station while dressed as Batman has been charged with burglary.

Stan Worby, 39, made headlines around the world last month when pictures were released showing him taking Daniel Frayne to a police station in Bradford while wearing the Caped Crusader costume.

Clearly Robin, er Mr. Worby, did not hold a grudge.

Worby and Frayne, 26, have now both been charged with burglary after police stopped a vehicle containing suspected stolen property.

The men were arrested shortly after 4am on Sunday on Milner Ing, in the Delph Hill area of Bradford.

Last month, Worby, a Chinese takeaway delivery driver, explained how he had returned from watching Bradford City play in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley in his Batman suit when Frayne asked him to accompany him to the police station in relation to other matters.

Say what? Here's the source, including a still from that first trip to the police station.

Yes, Mr. 9-year bus driver, they are. As reported in The State Register-Journal:

A Springfield Mass Transit District bus driver received a one-day unpaid suspension recently for wearing a pink tie to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

The driver had to serve the suspension, but his action also led to the SMTD agreeing that employees could wear pink on Fridays in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

William “Bill” Jones, 46, said he didn’t think wearing a pink tie on the first Friday of the month would be a problem, since National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a nationally recognized event.

Incredible, no?

Yeah, it does seem like an oxymoron. Decide for yourself. (Please, MADD, no emails. Of course The Juice is against drunk driving. Is anyone in favor of it?) Here's the skinny, per TheIndyChannel.com:

Just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, the Jasper County Sheriff's Department received a 911 from a man reporting that he was drunk and needed to be taken off the roadway.

Say what? He must have been stinking drunk to do that, right?

A trooper found Matthew Devore, 24, in his vehicle on the side of Interstate 65 northbound near the 226 mile marker. Devore told the trooper he was sick of Indiana so he decided to go for a drive. Police determined Devore lost control of his car and drove into the grassy median.

He was able to drive out, but he told police he realized one of his tires was flat and decided to call 911 to report himself.

So how drunk was he?

Devore's blood-alcohol content tested at 0.09 percent, police said, and he was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

The legal limit in Indiana? .08. Here's the source, including a mug shot.

Some might say this story is dripping with irony. The Juice respectfully disagrees, believing instead that it is dripping with poetic justice. As reported by The Santa Cruz Sentinel:

A thief stole the bike of a teenage boy as the teen and a friend were being arrested for allegedly trying to pawn a stolen violin Friday morning, Santa Cruz police reported.

Boom! You would think that this kid, especially this kid, would know that, hey, people will steal things, especially unlocked things.

The boys, both 17-year-old Santa Cruz residents, went to a Mission Street music store and tried to sell the violin, which had been reported stolen during a car burglary on the Westside the night before, police said.

A store employee alerted police and an officer came to arrest the teens on suspicion of possessing stolen property. While that was going on, someone stole one of the boys' bikes, which was outside the music shop, police said.

The boys were booked into Juvenile Hall. Their names were not released because they are minors. The stolen bike wasn't found, but the violin was returned to its owner.

Here's the source.

If you guessed that this bakery burglar was caught because he left a trail of crumbs, you'd be ... wrong! Per the The Hamilton Spectator (Ontario):

After breaking into a bakery in the area of Barton Street East and Sherman Avenue North Sunday night, a bumbling burglar left a trail of coins which allowed police to follow him to a nearby address and made a quick arrest.

Seriously? A trail of money? Brilliant!

Police say the man was caught red-handed and in possession of property from the bakery including an undisclosed amount of cash and unique coins, also stolen from the business.

Jason Healey, 38, of Hamilton has been charged with break and enter and possession of stolen property valued under $5,000.

You'll find the source here.

Most folks know there are cameras EVERYWHERE. The US is becoming more like the UK this way with each passing day. Apparently this Florida woman is not aware of the phenomenon. Per the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office:

A Charlotte County Sheriff's deputy arrested a Port Charlotte Target employee Tuesday after security went back through surveillance video that showed her steal cash from her register 14 times totaling $2,300. Arrested for Grand Theft was Melissa A. Sayre, 29, 11798 Van Loon Avenue, Englewood East.

14 times!

Target security began checking archived surveillance video after Sayre’s cash register came up short starting Feb. 7 and continuing until Mar. 15. Sayre was called to the Target Offices to discuss the shortages; she admitted that she stole the money and was immediately terminated. The deputy arrived and arrested Sayer who said she took the money out of need to pay her rent and fix her car.

Here's a link to the story, which includes a mug shot.

Not only did this young woman visit her husband in the Penitentiary, but she also brought their infant son, and ... a gift! The folks at The Lincoln Journal Star reported it this way:

A state prison inmate's wife faces a charge herself after allegedly getting caught trying to deliver marijuana during a visit in January. Lakeisha Davis, 20, of Omaha is accused of delivery of marijuana, which carries a one- to 20-year sentence if she's convicted.

In an affidavit for Davis' arrest, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Officer Benny Noordhoek said Penitentiary staff confiscated a small package of marijuana from Michael Benson during a visit Jan. 13 with his wife and infant son.

It would appear that they may have gotten away with it, but ...

About 20 minutes after the visit started, he said, staff became suspicious of how Benson and Davis were behaving.

A check of video surveillance showed Davis putting something in Benson's pants pocket, Noordhoek said. He said prison staff took Benson to a strip search room, where Benson threw a bag of marijuana to the floor.

Fortunately for their infant son ...

Davis was allowed to leave that day. Earlier this month, a warrant went out for her arrest.

Whatever you think about weed, it's still illegal in most states. This was just plain idiotic, even more so for a presently single mom. Here's the source.

The source for today's Juice? A Change.org petition that came The Juice's way. No doubt this law will end homosexuality in Alabama... Clearly a class adhering to the requirements of this law cannot be called sex "education." The law is Section 16-40A-2 of the Alabama Code:

MINIMUM CONTENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN SEX EDUCATION PROGRAM OR CURRICULUM

... (c) Course materials and instruction that relate to sexual education or sexually transmitted diseases should include all of the following elements:

... (8) An emphasis, in a factual manner and from a public health perspective, that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under the laws of the state.

This is just stupid and wrong on so many levels. Who is this "general public" referring to? Not the American public. And "homosexual conduct is a criminal offense"? Sure, some of it is (sodomy). But what about two men holding hands? You can read the full text of this small-minded, bigoted law here.

Where is the absolute best place for a fight to occur? Think about access to medical care. From The Arab Times:

KUWAIT CITY, March 16: Four citizens, including two youths, sustained serious injuries when two families of 30 Kuwaitis engaged in a bloody fight at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, reports Al-Qabas daily.


Sources said police rushed to the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital after the Operations Department of the Interior Ministry received information about the fight, and arrested several participants and referred them to Jabriya police station.


Apparently, the fight started due to a dispute between a man and his ex-wife, and sources said the man was in hospital for treatment due to injuries he sustained in a traffic accident. The man is said to have argued with his ex-wife who happened to be in the hospital at that period and he started beating her, so members of the two families rushed to the hospital and started fighting.

Yikes.

In the world of 911 operators, this probably wasn't even that wacky of a call. Still, it was really stupid. It's almost like you'd have to be drunk to do something this dumb. Per clickorlando.com:

A Brevard County mother was arrested after she called 911 and asked dispatchers to sends officers to scare her children, police said.

You know, it's not so easy raising teenagers. Wait, the kids are how old?

According to jail records, Melissa Townsend, 27, was arrested Tuesday after making the call to emergency officials about her kids, ages 1 and 3.

Doh.

"I need a police officer to come out and scare the (expletive) out of my kids," Townsend said on the 911 call. "They're not listening to me and they need to learn respect. They need to learn that lesson."

Yeah, if you start letting them disrespect you at age 1, who knows how they'll turn out?

The dispatcher told the upset mother that police would not do what she asked. "We don't come out and scare kids," the dispatcher said.

Police responded to Townsend's Indian Harbour Beach home and found the mother drunk, officials said.

And if this behavior wasn't troubling enough, check this out:

Police said when they tried to arrest Townsend she kicked an officer in the groin multiple times.

That there's about the worst kind of resisting arrest.

Townsend was booked into the Brevard County Jail on several charges, including child neglect and battery on a law enforcement officer.

Click here for the source, which includes a mug shot.