Unnatural Law

German Love Witch Loses Appeal

In 2006, a court in Munich, Germany, confirmed that a local woman described as a "love witch" would have to pay back the 1,000 euros that she had charged another woman for various spells designed to get her ex-boyfriend to…



German Seeks Compensation for Alien Abductees

Given that Germany has a law granting kidnap victims the right to state compensation, it was only a matter of time before a creative attorney sought to apply that law to the many Germans each year who are abducted by…



Battle of the Bigfoot Researchers

From today’s Bay-Area-case-reporting service: Marin County Superior Court C. Thomas Biscardi v. Great American Bigfoot Research Organization Inc.; Carole Rubin aka "Ruby" Rubin; Robert Shorey; Does; CV062655 (filed 7/11/2006) Action for breach of contract, common counts and and unlawful appropriation…


Virginia Governor Pardons Witch

Last Monday, Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine pardoned Grace Sherwood, who was described as "Virginia’s only person convicted as a witch tried by water."  So I guess she may not have been the only person Virginia has tried that way, but…


Lowering the Bar Cited as International Precedent

As many of you know, I have long had two primary goals for this enterprise: to provide some entertainment for myself and other attorneys (and friends of attorneys) slogging away at their various billing stations, and to be cited as…


Ghosts Ruled Not Grounds for Denying Unemployment Benefits

An Iowa judge ruled this week that a former security guard could not be denied unemployment benefits after being fired on the grounds that he saw ghosts. Wade Gallegos was working for a security company in September when he called…


This Year’s Costumed-Criminal Stories

Every year some number of wiseass criminals commit crimes in costume for Halloween. This year at least one of them robbed two banks on October 31, dressed as a witch. The woman, who has apparently not yet been apprehended, robbed…


Undisclosed-Ghost Defense Asserted in Lease Case

The defendant’s lawyer says he “has deeply held beliefs regarding spirits and demons” that “require him to avoid encountering or having any association with spirits or demons.”