Fools Convicted
Conviction affirmed, technically, but I liked the sound of this headline better. Kurt Johnson and Dale Heineman were accused of scamming homeowners by promising to get rid of their mortgage debt for a fee. They did get rid of it,…
Brilliant Arguments
Fat Rapist Claims Confession Was Coerced by Junk-Food Offer
Big-bellied rapist Bruce Tuck, a flabby 275-pounder who was somewhat uncreatively nicknamed the "Big-Bellied Rapist" during a string of crimes he committed in Tennessee, has now argued in court papers that his confession was coerced because a detective offered him…
No Suing Your Getaway Driver for Crashing, Court Rules
Sure, he was negligent, but you were all engaged in a felony.
Not Fooling Anyone
Here are just a few of the people who were not fooling anyone this week: Jean Marc Viau, an Edmonton man who claimed an officer beat him up after a traffic stop, when asked in court if he had been…
“Carlos the Jackal” Still Worried About His Image
Convicted terrorist and murderer Carlos Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez, also known as "Carlos the Jackal," is still upset about how he is portrayed in the new movie, "Carlos," which premiered at Cannes in May. Ramirez is fuming about the movie from…
No Waiting for Dubious Arguments at the Blagojevich Trial
The corruption trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich started this morning, but he fired the first salvo before even walking in the front door. It missed. His lawyers filed a motion prior to opening statements arguing that Blagojevich had…
Paying Restitution More Important Than Plastic Surgery, Says Judge
Last week, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick got his probation upgraded to jail time after a judge found he had been hiding assets to avoid paying restitution. Kilpatrick was supposed to be paying back $1 million of the $8.4 million…
Google Maps Made Me Walk Onto the Highway, Woman Claims
In my opinion, mapping software paired with GPS technology is one of the more remarkable developments of the modern age, but you know what? You do still need to look where you're going occasionally. Please remember this if you are…
Man Offers Medical Explanation For What May Have Seemed Like Peeping
Here's one I drafted last summer but, for some reason, never got around to posting. It still seems worth mentioning, though, because of the remarkable defense argument involved. In July 2009, 30-year-old Sultan al-Sayed was sentenced to nine weeks in…
“Gay Dog” Defense Fails in Discrimination Case
A restaurant that refused to seat a blind patron because its workers allegedly believed his seeing-eye dog was gay has been fined $1,500 by the Australian Equal Opportunity Tribunal. The restaurant, located in Adelaide, also agreed to provide a written apology to…