Q: Does a Criminal Defendant Forfeit His Right to Counsel by Punching Said Counsel in the Face?
Yes.
Criminal
Everything’s Bigger in Texas — Including Bad Checks
Saying he was planning to start a record company, Charles Fuller tried to cash a large check at a bank in Fort Worth last week. Problems with this story included: One does not normally start record companies using cash; and…
UPDATE: “Duct Tape Bandit” Pleads Guilty
The improbably named "Kasey G. Kazee," better known to history as the "Duct Tape Bandit," pleaded guilty on April 29 to robbing a Kentucky liquor store. The robbery failed despite the fact that Kazee had carefully prepared for the robbery…
Charges Dropped in “Weekend at Bernie’s” Case
New York prosecutors dropped charges today against two men who had been charged with a number of offenses resulting from an attempt to cash a Social Security check in January. The problem, as you may recall, was the body they…
Arguments Commence in New Zealand Spear-Assault Trial
“You’ve got an arrow sticking out of your head, bro.”
Court of Appeal Upholds Right to Private Drunkenness
A man’s woodshed is his castle’s outbuilding. Or something like that.
Escaped Prisoner Mocks Police, Insists They Recapture Him
A 31-year-old Estonian thief who escaped from a Finnish prison on February 29 was "recaptured" a week later, but only after going to some trouble to arrange it. It’s not entirely clear whether Martin Vaiksaar had decided he wanted to…
A Doughnut Drama in Three Acts
Act One.A small town in Oregon. Two men in "cowboy garb," Adam and Vincent, are eating doughnuts. Enter two sheriff’s deputies. DEPUTY ONE: A burglary has been reported.DEPUTY TWO: Yes, we must hurry to the scene of it.VINCENT: …
Japanese Bikini Model Uses Self as Exhibit
Serena Kozakura was convicted last year of property destruction, after a man accused her of kicking a hole in the door of his room so she could get inside. Since Kozakura is a well-known pin-up and bikini model in Japan,…
Police Say Shooting Designed to “Get Some Time Off Work”
Most of us have "called in sick" at one point or another, when we probably could have dragged ourselves into the office but had other priorities. But who among us has been as creative, determined, and stupid as Daniel Kuch,…