A Boston Judge said that a woman who had 60 frozen cats in her apartment can keep two that were seized by the city. Cat breeder Heidi Erickson was charged with animal cruelty after officials found five malnourished cats, one malnourished dog and more than 60 dead cats in her apartment in 2003. While the criminal case against her was pending, a judge ordered that four live cats and two dead cats that had been seized by the city be returned to Erickson.
MADISON, Wis. -- Bloggers and free speech advocates are calling on prosecutors not to file charges against a teacher arrested for allegedly posting an anonymous comment online praising the Columbine shooters. Some were disturbed by the post police say the teacher left on a conservative blog, but other observers said it was a sarcastic attempt to discredit critics of education spending. The suburban Milwaukee high school chemistry teacher was arrested last week for the Nov. 16 comment left on a blog on Wisconsin politics. The comment, left under the name "Observer," came during a discussion over teacher salaries after some commenters complained teachers were under worked and overpaid. He allegedly wrote that teacher salaries made him sick because they are lazy and work only five hours a day. He praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School
."They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!" he wrote, adding they should be remembered as heroes.
. The comment disturbed at least one teacher, who called police in West Bend, 40 miles north of Milwaukee and home of the blog's administrator Police traveled to arrest the teacher at his home, last week after the blogger gave them the anonymous poster's IP address. He was released on $350.00 bail.
The Washington County District Attorney is considering whether to charge the teacher with disorderly conduct and unlawful use of computerized communication systems.
Source: R.Foley, AP
This is a transcription of a handwritten letter from a juror to the judge during a civil trial. They deleted the juror's name and inserted paragraph spacing for reading convenience, but everything else (including errors) is reproduced faithfully.(Source: Lawhaha.com)
Anyone who has ever sat through an entire trial can appreciate this poor juror's frustration. I assume the judge had to boot the juror, but was probably nodding while he read the missive, saying, "I'm with you, brother."Your Honor
I am tired of spending day after day wasting my time listening to this bull crap. This is cruel and unusual punishment. The plaintiff is an idiot. He has no case. Why are we here? I think my cat could better answer these questions . . . and he wouldn’t keep asking to see a document.
I’ve been patient. I’ve sat in these chairs for 7 days now. If I believed for a second this was going to end on Thursday I might not go crazy. This is going to last for another 4 weeks. I cannot take this. I hate these lawyers and prayed one would die so the case would end.
I shouldn’t be on this jury. I want to die. I want to die!! Well not die for real but that is how I feel sitting here. I am the judge, you’ve said that over and over, well I am not fair and balanced. I hate the plaintiff. His ignorance is driving me crazy. I know I’m writing this in vain but I have to do something . . . for my sanity. These jury chairs should come with a straight jacket.
An entire day today and we are still on the same witness. The defense hasn’t even started yet and we have 3 days left 3 days my ass. Not that the defense needs a turn considering the plaintiff and his lawyer (who looks like the Penguin) have no case!!!! Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. Please keep the disordelies nearby. I may need them.
Juror #5
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A jury has decided that a woman should be put to death for killing a retired Florida couple who were buried alive.
The jury deliberated for about 40 minutes last week before reaching its decision on Tiffany Cole, 25, who was among four people charged in the slaying of Reggie and Carol Sumner, both 61.
The couple were found buried in a shallow grave in Georgia near the Florida state line in July 2005. Cole and the others used the Sumners’ bank card and PIN number to withdraw money from their bank account, prosecutors said.
Defense attorney Greg Messore had showed jurors more than 100 photos of Cole to illustrate that the killing was an aberration in an otherwise meritorious life. Two Duval County jail corrections officers described her as a model inmate who volunteers to clean the jail and pass out meals.
Circuit Judge Michael Weatherby has the final say in Cole’s sentencing, but Florida law says he must give great weight to the jury recommendation. Cole could be sentenced to life in prison without parole instead. A sentencing date has not been set.
Cole met the Sumners in Ladson, S.C., where her stepfather was their neighbor. The Sumners had recently moved to Jacksonville.
Also convicted in the crime were: Cole’s boyfriend, Michael Jackson, who has been sentenced to death; Alan Wade, for whom a jury has recommended the death penalty; and Bruce Kent Nixon, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, robbery and kidnapping after leading police to the bodies.
By agreeing to testify against the rest, Nixon avoided the death penalty and faces 52 years to life in prison.
