Facing criminal charges for driving under the influence can be scary and confusing. While a plea bargain deal may appear to be very attractive, most deals require a person to admit guilt or plea “nolo contendre,” which allows the court to adjudge a person as guilty. When it comes to “winning” your DUI case, some might consider getting a good plea bargain as a win, while others will only accept an outright dismissal or not-guilty verdict....
As noted earlier this week in this blog, several of the civil suits filed by Iraqi citizens for the actions of Blackwater guards during the Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad in 2007, were settled. As of yesterday, the Los Angeles Times followed up with reports that the plaintiffs are unhappy with the amounts they have received and are charging they were coerced and duped into settling with the company. The Times reports the plaintiffs say they were told that Blackwater (now known as Xe) was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy and the government would seize the company’s assets, leaving them with no chance for a monetary settlement....
Everything in moderation, including moderation. It’s generally a good rule in life, as well as when it comes to imbibing alcohol. And one distillery thought they had some even better advice: drink our vodka, infused with “safe additives that provide protective effects.” There’s just one problem – the regulatory agencies in control of labeling weren’t too keen on some of the statements included on the vodka bottles. So now the company is suing, claiming the agencies violated the company’s First Amendment rights as well as their own internal policies....
Though she was only a passenger in the car driven by her reportedly drunk boyfriend, Christina Aguilera was arrested and cited for public intoxication earlier this week. The falling pop star’s brush with the law has a lot of people wondering about public intoxication and just what constitutes an offense. Here’s a quick explainer. In addition to behavior, the public intoxication or disorderly conduct must happen in, well, public. This is where the law gets a little murky....
This week, “The Good Wife” delved into a car crash and also dealt with issues surrounding medical marijuana laws. Count on CBS to turn an ordinary car accident case into a whodunit-style mystery. Recap: ‘Invitation to an Inquest’ In the latest episode of “The Good Wife,” Alicia gets contacted by a friend, Janie, whose late husband Roger Ludwig once sat on the bench. The judicial widow is now haggling with the insurance company, playing tug-of-war....
New Rules being implemented by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) require airlines that charge fees for baggage handling to refund those fees for lost bags, as well as bags that are delayed. While the bill passed by congress advises that bags delayed more than 12 hours (or 15 hours for international flights) should qualify passengers for a refund of any bag fees, DOT may be able to adjust the hours when the final regulations are written....
Accused cop killer Eric Frein now faces two terrorism charges on accompanying allegations that he killed a Pennsylvania state trooper as part of a “revolution.” Prosecutors added these new criminal charges Thursday, joining several other charges relating to the shooting death of one police officer and the severe wounding of another by Frein. NBC News reports that the terror allegations arose after investigators uncovered a suspicious letter on Frein’s hard drive; the letter allegedly stated that “only passing through the crucible for another revolution can get us back to the liberties we once had....
Add actor Armie Hammer’s mugshot to the ever-growing collection of Hollywood elites who’ve been busted for pot in a particular West Texas town. Armie Hammer, 25, who stars in the film “J. Edgar” and played the Winklevoss twins in “The Social Network,” was arrested in connection with marijuana possession at a border control checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, E! News reports. That’s the same town where Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson were recently busted for pot....
A babysitter in Massachusetts has been charged with 100 counts of child sex abuse, which should be a warning to all parents. John Burbine’s indictment accuses him of rape, assault and battery, and child pornography. He worked as a babysitter though his wife’s childcare service, Waterfall Education Center. Perhaps the saddest part about this case is that this isn’t Burbine’s first offense against children. But the families affected wouldn’t have known that....
A bagged salad recall has expanded nationwide after a sample tested positive for Listeria contamination, the Associated Press reports. River Ranch Fresh Foods of Salinas, Calif., initially recalled bagged salads shipped to stores in California and Colorado. But the recall has expanded to cover the entire nation, River Ranch announced Monday. The bagged salads in question are stamped with “best by” dates of between May 12 and May 29. They were packaged and sold under the brand names River Ranch, Farm Stand, Hy-Vee, Marketside, Shurfresh, The Farmer’s Market, Cross Valley, Fresh &; Easy, Promark, and Sysco, the AP reports....
The Christian dating website ChristianMingle.com is at the center of an alleged rape investigation. Police arrested Sean Patrick Banks, 37, of Del Mar, California, on suspicion of raping a woman he’d met on ChristianMingle.com. Banks may have been trolling the website in search of prey as he traveled around the country looking for work, reports ABC News. Banks also allegedly used fake names online. Police are looking for other potential victims....
Rap star Lil’ Wayne gets another false start. The rapper had been expected to start a one-year jail term but his sentencing was delayed yet again due to a courthouse fire. According to the Associated Press, his sentencing was postponed for a second time because of a basement courthouse fire in Lower Manhattan. The 27-year-old rapper pleaded guilty in October to attempted criminal possession of a weapon, as previously discussed. The charge stemmed from a 2007 New York traffic stop of his tour bus where a loaded ....
You cannot judge a person’s character or qualities by their title or standing in society, and Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is proof positive of this. The longest-serving Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives today admitted to abusing at least one student while he was a high school wrestling coach decades ago. The admission came during a sentencing hearing on his plea of guilty to charges of illegally structuring bank withdrawals to evade reporting rules for large transactions....
It looks like rapper DMX will have a new conviction to sing about. While it may not be as conventional as rapping about weapons or drug charges, his recent conviction for tax fraud has earned him some new prison time. Now, for the next year, he’ll only be able to sing “X Gon’ Give it to Ya” and “Where the Hood At” from behind bars. Years of Tax Evasion Prosecutors accused DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, of avoiding taxes from 2000 to 2005, and 2010 to 2015....
The woman who falsely accused three Duke lacrosse players of raping her was charged Monday with murder in the stabbing death of her boyfriend. Crystal Mangum was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder and two counts of larceny, the AP reports. Before he boyfriend died, she was originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Crystal Mangum has been in jail since April 3, when police charged her with assault in the stabbing of 46-year-old Reginald Daye....
It’s no secret that children depend on the adults around them to keep them safe. Whether you’re a teacher, coach, nurse, or someone else who works with children, you have a responsibility to look out for their well-being. This responsibility includes speaking up when you suspect a child has been abused. But is failing to report child abuse a crime? The answer is: it depends. Some people have a legal obligation to report child abuse based on their occupation, such as teachers and police officers....
A lot has been said about Katie Holmes since she married then-crazy Tom Cruise and birthed his love child. But until recently, the former Dawson’s Creek star let it go. But when celebrity tabloid Star Magazine insinuated that she was turning to drugs to help cope with the world of Scientology, she sued. And now that $50 million libel suit has settled. In January, a Star article about Katie Holmes discussing her recent appearance at Scientology counseling sessions was accompanied by a cover that read “Addiction Nightmare....
A California man hired two hit men to kill his wife to avoid the high cost of divorce, prosecutors allege. Nearly nine years later, Magdi Girgis has now been charged with murder. Police always suspected Girgis in the stabbing death of Ariet Girgis, his estranged wife, at her home in Westminster in 2004. Girgis, a physician, has been charged with planning his wife’s murder and hiring at least one man to carry it out....
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Marine’s defamation case against Rep. John Murtha must be dismissed because the congressman made the allegedly defamatory comments in the course of his official duties. The case arose after Murtha accused the squad that Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich commanded in Iraq of committing “cold-blooded murder and war crimes” in Haditha. Wuterich sued and the district court made a ruling allowing limited discovery to determine whether Murtha’s comments came during his official duties....
A federal judge in Montana has struck down most of a state law that required government officials to check the immigration status of those applying for state services. The law was passed by voters in 2012 and required that Montana state officials run an immigration check on anyone applying for a wide array of state services, including unemployment benefits and crime-victim assistance, reports The Associated Press. Why did the federal judge take issue with Montana’s law?...
