I'm probably being unfair, but it seems like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is a bit of a dumbass. (Or maybe, as fair Jennifer says, we should have listened to Anita Hill.) That's really the only way to account for his explanation of why it was okay for a school principal to order a strip search of a 13-year-old girl to try to find some ibuprofen. Thomas was the only … [Read more...] about Eminently Ignorant
Michael Jackson, R.I.P.
Now that Michael Jackson is dead, I'm not going to miss him. I didn't know him. I don't think many people did. I do, however, miss the Michael Jackson I once thought I knew, back before it all got so weird. You see, there was a time... I never really loved Michael Jackson's music, but I loved his music videos. Back in the early 1980s, creating videos for songs was still a new … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson, R.I.P.
Scattershot 2009-06-25
A few random shots around the web: When I heard that bartender-beating Chicago cop Anthony Abbate got a light sentence, I wondered if someone who wasn't a cop did the same thing, would he get off as easy? When Moser did some research, and the answers is probably yes. It was, after all, just a barfight. Savana Redding wins her case against ibuprofen-seeking perverts. I … [Read more...] about Scattershot 2009-06-25
Not Much Punishment For Abbate, Even Less For Conspirators
Chicago police officer Anthony Abbate---caught on video beating up a young woman bartender---has been sentenced. He got probation. Note that Abbate is still a police officer. The Independent Police Review Authority has recommended he be fired, and it sounds like he was convicted of a felony, which should disqualify him for the police force, but God only knows what the Police … [Read more...] about Not Much Punishment For Abbate, Even Less For Conspirators
Lawyer as Juror in a Murder Trial
Illinois's own Jeremy Richey does some actual journalism and interviews California civil attorney Brian Pedigo about his experience as a juror for a murder trial. He talks about deliberations, and what he thinks each side did wrong or right. By the way, he has one piece of advice for the prosecutor that I'd like to second if I'm ever on a jury again: When handling a firearm, … [Read more...] about Lawyer as Juror in a Murder Trial