Legal Juice

It's 3:30 a.m. What's the rush? That would be a good question to ask Mr. Warren Melamed. As reported by www.newschannel5.com:

Mount Juliet Police say the two ambulance drivers were taking a patient out of a home on a stretcher at 3:30 Saturday morning, when they say, Melamed, attempted to drive the ambulance away.

"They immediately laid the patient down and asked the gentlemen to get himself out from behind the wheel," said Wilson Co. Emergency Management Director John Jewell.

Police say the Brentwood resident was angry because the ambulance was blocking him in, and he was trying to move it.

The Juice concurs with this neighbor.

"What's the urgency at 3, 3:30 in the morning? Why do you have to leave that quickly that you can't wait until they load this man up and get him where he needs to be," said neighbor Amanda Hamblen. "That person having that emergency right then is the only person that matters."

So, what happened to Mr. Melamed?

[He] was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, unauthorized use of a class A vehicle.

Hmm. And who is this fellow anyway?

Online Melamed lists himself as CEO of Oral Health Management, a local chain of dentist offices. Calls Tuesday for comment weren't returned.

Oh my. That's not going to be good for business. Here's the source, including a photo of Mr. Melamed.

The Juice is not aware of any stats on the quickest violation of a protective order. If any such compendium existed, this case would have to be near the top. As reported by sonomanews.com:

Deputies didn't have to go far to arrest an individual who had violated a court order – he was still in jail. The man had been arrested earlier that morning on a domestic violence charge and was served with an emergency protective order forbidding him or any third party from having any contact with his wife. The man called his wife three times from the county jail, leaving messages on her answering machine. The man's grandmother also called the wife and left a message saying she was going to bail her grandson out. The man, who was still in jail, had a probation violation and disobeying a court order added to the charges he's facing.

A two-fer! Violations by calling directly, and through granny. Brilliant!

Generally, when you get plastered, it's a good idea to just sleep it off. Ah, but it's very important where you chose to do so. Just ask this gent from Kentucky. As reported by wdrb.com (Louisville, KY):

According to the arrest slip, around 6:30 a.m. Saturday police responded to reports of a vehicle facing north in the southbound lane near the 4400 block of Shepherdsville Road. When police arrived at the scene, they found 21-year-old Cruz Santiago at the wheel.

Okay. They found him at the wheel. So what's the problem?

Police say the 2008 Pontiac was running and in gear, and that Santiago was asleep at the wheel with his foot on the brake as the car inched forward. When confronted, Santiago said Santiago smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet.

Big, big problem. Dude could have killed someone.

Santiago failed a field sobriety test, police say, and registered .184 on a portable breathalyzer test.

He was arrested and charged with one count of DUI.

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

If you're this lady, you plunder her home! And then do it again! The plunderer's timing wasn't the best, as reported by The Tampa Bay Times:

At first, on Wednesday, she helped herself to some craft supplies. And a knife. A purse. One hundred CDs. The window curtains.

Shellie Leonard wanted more, authorities said, and on Thursday she went back to her neighbor's house on Dalwood Drive with plans to steal a computer and electronics. Her neighbor was incarcerated at the Pasco County jail.

But, and this is a big "but" ...

But Thursday happened to be the day the neighbor came home — and caught Leonard stealing, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said.

Doh!

Leonard, 43, of 4004 Darlington Road in Holiday, was arrested and charged with two counts of burglary.

Leonard remained Friday at the Pasco jail in lieu of $10,500 bail.

Should be an extra charge for hitting someone when they're down. Here's the source.

Even if you like sweet and sour sauce, ain't no way you like it as much as this Washington State man. As reported by The Highline Times:

A man entered a fast food restaurant at the 14800 block of 4th Ave. S.W. asking for some condiments. The clerk told him no. That angered him so he pulled out a knife and demanded they hand over some sweet and sour sauce. There were no reported injuries and it was unclear if they had the suspect in custody.

Clearly a head-scratcher.

The Juice thinks this breathalyzer must be busted. Why? Because this dude blew way too low considering the circumstances. As reported by The Tampa Bay Times:

The deputy saw sparks and smoke coming from Kevin Blazer's Lexus just after 1 a.m. Wednesday and pulled the car over on Little Road near Trouble Creek Road. The driver was so intoxicated, the Pasco sheriff's deputy later wrote in a report, he didn't realize he had been driving with his left front tire missing. Blazer, a 34-year-old college student, was arrested and charged with DUI. His blood alcohol level was between 0.129 and 0.131, according to the Sheriff's Office. The state presumes impairment at 0.08.

Blazer, of 4039 Vista Verde Drive in New Port Richey, was released from the Pasco Jail on Wednesday.

Kudos to Mr. Blazer for returning to college while in his 30s. A big black mark for Mr. Blazer for not maturing much in the intervening years.

The Juice really, really dislikes liars. Everyone screws up. When you do, just own up to it, and accept the consequences. A drunk-driving English lawyer took a different approach. As reported by The Independent:

Francis Bridgeman, 43, attempted to create an elaborate web of lies to cover up the drink-driving offence ... Bridgeman's Land Rover Sport was found locked and in a ditch in Shovers Green, Ticehurst, East Sussex, at about 1am on April 7, 2010, having crashed into a telegraph pole, police said.

Officers traced the Land Rover to Bridgeman's home in Wards Lane, Wadhurst, but the lawyer claimed armed men had kidnapped him in the car park of Wadhurst railway station, before driving him off at knifepoint with a bag over his head in another vehicle and then dumping him in Cousley Wood

And, as an officer of the court, you're sticking with that? Really?

Sussex Police said a breath test carried out at his home proved he was just over the drink-drive limit and he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Barely over! So he can't even claim that he came up with such a lame story because he was shitfaced!

Police launched a kidnap investigation but Bridgeman's recollection of events could not be substantiated, police said.

And physical evidence?

Bridgeman's DNA was found on the Land Rover's airbag, showing that he must have been driving the car when it crashed, Sussex Police added.

Curse you, DNA!

He was charged with perverting the course of justice, drink-driving, driving without due care and attention and failing to report a road accident.

After a 5-day trial, guess how long it took for the jury to find him guilty? 45 minutes! So what was the sentence?

Judge Guy Anthony banned Bridgeman from driving for 18 months and ordered that he pay £4,200 costs.

Additionally, Bridgeman was sentenced to 12 months in jail.

Quoting a line from Sir Walter Scott's poem Marmion, [the Judge] said: "Oh, What a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive."

He added: "You wasted valuable police time and public expense in order to escape a drink-driving offence when you should have had the courage and decency to plead guilty from the outset. To pervert the course of justice is a serious offence and warrants a custodial sentence."

Hear, hear, your Honor. Hear, hear. You'll find the source here.

What kind of person would rough up a swan? Well, this kind of person, as reported by myfoxorlando.com:

A man is behind bars after police say he roughed up a swan. John Wynne is accused of grabbing a swan by the neck from Lake Eola. Orlando Police arrested him for animal cruelty and grand theft. He is being held in the Orange County Jail on $1,000.00 bond.

Totally uncool. Here's the source, including a mug shot.

Just to be clear, we're talking about using chalk to write on the sidewalk. In Orlando, that can land you in jail. Really. Just ask Timothy Osmar. As reported by The Orlando Sentinel:

Just before Christmas, OPD [Orlando Police Department] arrested 25-year-old Timothy Osmar for "writing or painting advertising matter on streets or sidewalks"

The criminal "advertising" in question? Slogans like "Justice Equals Liberty."

Advertisting? Really? UFB, as is this ...

As of Friday, Osmar was still in jail ..

Through Christmas and New Year's! Mayor Dyer?

Dyer's office was unapologetic, saying city codes clearly outlaw chalk writing.

Please, tell me this guy isn't a lawyer. You can read more (a fair amount) here.

Hmmm. The Juice was working on this post and thought this name sounded familiar, so he checked the archives of 1,854 Legal Juice posts and found this one about Judge Willie F. Singletary. The story on philly.com was now not so surprising.

The state Supreme Court yesterday canned Philadelphia Traffic Court Judge Willie F. Singletary, suspending him without pay after he allegedly showed a woman cellphone pictures of his genitalia two weeks ago.

Yikes.

But this isn't the first time Singletary has made headlines. In 2007 his driver's license was suspended for unpaid tickets [a BOATLOAD of them - see Juice post above], and two years later he was reprimanded for promising favors in exchange for campaign donations.

That's quite a record in just the past 5 years.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court ordered that Singletary be "relieved of any and all judicial and administrative responsibilities as a judge of the Philadelphia Traffic Court."

Might consider another line of work.

Is it just me, or does "Friday" evoke positive thoughts for you too? For most folks, it's the end of the work week, and the beginning of the weekend. Well sir, an Italian court took a different view of "Friday." As reported by the BBC News:

Italy's top court has banned a couple from naming their son Venerdi (Friday), saying such a "ridiculous" name could expose the boy to mockery.

That's not all, though.

The judges also ordered that the boy be renamed Gregorio - after the saint's day on which he was born.

What the hell is going on in Italy? Do you think the parent should appeal? This was the appeal!

The Cassation Court upheld earlier rulings by lower courts that Friday was too reminiscent of the name of Robinson Crusoe's native servant in the classic shipwreck novel.

And what's up with my Italian brethren?

Gian Ettore Gassani of the Italian Association of Matrimonial Lawyers backed the ruling.

Not cool. Here's the source.

Of all the reasons to fire somebody, this has got to be among the most idiotic. As reported by China Daily:

Two women have been fired from their jobs for refusing to drink at a company party.

No doubt they would have been fired had they gotten shitfaced. Maybe each employee should get a breathalyzer, along with guidelines for the acceptable BAC range...

He, an executive manager of an auto parts company in Hanyang, and her assistant refused to drink alcohol when their boss made a toast at their company's New Year party.

They were fired the next day on grounds of incompetence.

"This is not fair at all," He, who joined the company just a month back, fumed after receiving her termination letter.

Actually, Dayton, Ohio resident Tony Henderson only thought the woman he propositioned was a prostitute. Unfortunately for him, she was a police officer. So what happened that fateful night in April 2006? As reported by the Court of Appeals of Ohio, Dayton Police officer Dyan Briggs was working as a prostitution decoy. She testified that

Mr. Henderson asked me if I was working, to which I replied I was. Mr. Henderson then stated, come on, and motions for me to follow him back across the street ... And I said what do you want. And he said I want to make love. And I said, okay, you want to have sex. What do I get. He said what do you get. I said, yeah, what do I get.

A fair question, but it raised a red flag for Mr. Henderson.

"He's like man, you sound like a cop. [Walk away, dude. Walk away.] I was like I'm not a cop. And he's like, well, I got some candy. [Doh!] And I said you have candy. And he said, yeah, I got candy. And I said what kind of candy do you have. He said bubble gum. I said what flavor. He said bubble gum. I said is it grape or what. And he said it's strawberry. I said is it sugarless.

Mr. Henderson apparently grew tired of the chit-chat.

"And he's like, fuck you. And I said, you offered me candy. And at that point Detective St. Clair drove up in his car and I believe he placed Mr. Henderson in a set of handcuffs."

Snap! Busted for soliciting a prostitute by offering a stick of gum! Fast forward: Mr. Henderson is before a Judge, and arresting officer Raymond St. Clair testifies:

I asked Mr. Henderson why he asked her, being Officer Briggs, for sex, and Mr. Henderson replied because she's a whore. And I asked why did you offer her bubble gum for sex, and Mr. Henderson replied because I have no money."

Click here to find out the judge's decision.

Continue reading "What Happens If You Offer Gum To A Prostitute?" »

Have you ever heard of an ice cream truck driver - while parked - getting hurt on the job? Well, you're about to. And it's a strange one. As reported by The Salt Lake Tribune:

A Taylorsville woman is accused of spraying an industrial-strength cleaning solution in the eyes of an ice cream truck driver because she thought the treats were too expensive.

The Juice doesn't even know where to begin with this one.

The driver’s "eyes burned," and she was hospitalized after the Aug. 7 confrontation at an apartment complex near 700 West Mackinac Drive, police wrote in charges filed Monday.

According to court documents, the suspect approached the driver and ordered her to leave. When the driver did not leave, the woman sprayed the truck’s windows then sprayed the driver multiple times in the face with Mean Green cleaner, police wrote.

Clearly this is a woman with major issues.

The woman later told police she sprayed the ice cream truck driver because "she charges too much for ice cream," investigators wrote. When the officer arrested her, she tried to pull away and threatened him, saying she would "sock [the officer] in the face" and "kick [the officer] in the balls," police wrote.

So, instead of paying an extra, say, dollar, she's looking at charges of ... "assault, assault against a peace officer, interference with an arresting officer and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child." Brilliant! Here's the source.

It's not like Ms. McCollister (of Garnerville, Nevada) just gave her son the keys and said "drive." She had him sit on her lap! How drunk was she? .299! To put that in context, having simply read a BAC that high, you should be buzzed. How did Ms. McCollister get to this point? As reported by The Record-Courier:

McCollister told District Judge Dave Gamble on Tuesday that she had been drinking all that weekend. She said she invited an acquaintance to stay at her home because she was in the process of obtaining a temporary restraining order against her husband and she was afraid to be alone.

“He (the houseguest) kept pressuring me to take him home. He drove himself home, and we were in the car. I was pretty much passed out all the way. He pulled into his driveway and just left us there. There was another lady with us, but she didn't have her glasses, so she refused to drive. I had my son get on my lap and drive us,” McCollister said.

Other than lying, there may be nothing judges despise more than the failure to accept responsibility for your actions. Judge Gamble is no exception:

“You just gave me the identities of three or four people whose fault this was, and none of it was yours,” Gamble said. “As long as you think this was anyone else's fault but yours, I have no reason to show any leniency toward you, and you'll get no good out of this.

“All that conspired from your perspective to force you to commit felony child abuse. That's nonsense,” Gamble said. “Next time you're in here, I hope I don't hear a pocketful of excuses for the absolute evilness and irrationality of putting your son on your lap while you're drunk and driving you home.”

And if you're wondering how she got caught, not surprisingly, it turns out a 12-year-old drives a lot like a drunkard.

She was arrested Oct. 17 near the intersection of El Dorado Drive and Village Way in Gardnerville after a Douglas County reserve deputy reported seeing a brown Buick headed north on Highway 395 weaving in and out of the travel lane and varying its speed.

The witness said he passed the vehicle and saw a child in the driver's seat. According to the sheriff's report, he and a deputy contacted McCollister after the vehicle stopped near her residence.

So what is she looking at? ... up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine at her Dec. 14 sentencing [after pleading guilty to attempted child abuse or neglect]. And if the situation wasn't bad enough ...

A woman and a 7-year-old child also were in the vehicle.

And ...

McCollister is to appear Jan. 5 in East Fork Justice Court for sentencing on a second conviction of driving under the influence to which she plead guilty Oct. 20.

It's not that The Juice is unsympathetic to this woman's problem with alcohol. It's just that there is no excuse for putting the lives of your child and others in jeopardy. Here's the source, including a photo.

Yup. A 30-year-old Toronto man was riding the bus. After making eye contact with the man next to him, the friendly guy said "hello." This was too much for the unfriendly guy, who, as reported in The National Post, then asked

Why do you say hello to me? I don't know you.

Um, er, okay. Nevermind. No such luck for the friendly guy.

The victim apologized on the bus, and again when they got off, but the man pulled out a knife and stabbed him. The victim was taken to hospital and received numerous stitches.

Friendly guy is doing alright. Unfriendly guy remains at large.

Is this guy the worst son of the year? If he's not, he's certainly a nominee, The Juice thinks you'll agree. As reported by wtsp.com:

A concerned neighbor called deputies to the home of Sandra Newkirk and her 45-year-old son Ramey, after Sandra allegedly told the neighbor her son had beaten her.

Responding deputies say they found Sandra's face bruised, but the 65-year-old woman was reluctant to tell investigators what happened, because she claimed her son had threatened to kill her if she told.

Meanwhile Ramey Newkirk claimed his mother got her injuries in a robbery on her porch a week earlier and never reported it because she "did not want to be bothered with it."

Are you sure she didn't fall down the stairs? Walk into a door?

Deputies continued speaking with Sandra, who eventually told them her son did indeed hit her with a glass eggnog bottle about a week earlier. She also claimed Ramey hit her in the head with a metal oxygen tank and was struck several times with a stun gun.

Damn! A bottle, a metal tank, and a stun gun? You're probably wondering why a son would do this to his mama.

After being given his Miranda warning, deputies say he admitted to hitting his mother with a glass bottle. Ramey allegedly said he blacked out and was not sure why he did it.

Guess you'll have to keep wondering. The charges:

Newkirk was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older. He also faces charges of tampering with a witness and grand theft.

Here's the source, including a mug shot of Mr. Newkirk.

A 13-year-old kid was busted for burping, so says the lawsuit!

It's just a fact: you're not always going to get along with your neighbors. As they say, that's what axes are for.?.?.? As reported by myfoxny.com:

New York State Police troopers arrested Erna Kostanoski, 66, of Bloomingburg on Sunday. They say one of her neighbors was attempting to remove wooden stakes that marked the property line.

So, naturally ...

Kostanoski ... hit her neighbor in the head with a small axe or hatchet. She apparently used the blunt end of the weapon because the neighbor only ended up with a lump to her forehead. It's unclear if she was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Police arrested Kostanoski on assault charges. She was due to appear in the Town of Mamakating Court on Dec. 6, 2011.

And some people say violence isn't the answer! Go figure. Here's the source, including a mug shot.

A 14-year-old Canadian girl was arrested for being drunk and disorderly (she later pleaded guilty) and was placed in a cell. Maybe it's just me, but how much of a threat can a girl that age - in a jail cell - be? As reported by canada.com:

Roberts [the family's lawyer] said the two officers used the conductive energy device after the girl had been “sporadically peeling paint from the walls of her jail cell.” The lawsuit said she “remained motionless for nearly an hour.”

You taser a girl in a cell for peeling paint? I know, that's the family's lawyer talking. Well, there is a video of the whole thing, which the girls father has seen, but the police won't release. Hmmm.

Roberts said a surveillance video taken in the jail cell that has been viewed by the girl’s father and the native band chief allegedly showed the girl scream as she was pinned down and Tasered for three seconds by the officers. He said police have refused to turn over the video to him.

I'm with the family's lawyer on this one.

“This is not a matter of us being anti-cop because we know that most cops do a great service for us every day,” he said. “This tool is something that is to be used only in emergency situations, and now it is being used frequently. I don’t understand why they feel the need to apply an electric shock to a 14-year-old girl presenting no danger to herself or anyone.”

Not cool.