Thursday - August 06, 2009
Judicial Loonies
The nine Senate Republicans who voted to confirm her were Sens. George Voinovich of Ohio, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Kit Bond of Missouri, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Lugar of Indiana and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
Is there any other aspect of this story that’s even newsworthy? Not really. It was a done deal from the get-go. Now let’s see just how wise a Latina she is. I’ll be watching really closely.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/06/2009 at 04:51 PM
Filed Under: • Judges-Courts-Lawyers •
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Permalink • Military Loonies
Via Theo’s, a post at Stormbringer on the situation in Afghanistan. It’s a letter from his brother, currently on duty there. Go, read; 2 minutes tops.
if the russians ever knew how big of a bunch of ass clown pussies nato really was they would have attacked us without hesitation and overran europe in about a week.
His brother also anticipates the whole country going to hell in about a week, when elections start there. I hope he’s wrong. But it sounds like NATO has screwed the pooch, pulling near defeat from the jaws of near victory, pulling troops back into Fort Zinderneuf situations? This is not what I’m hearing on the news ... but aside from body counts, I’m not hearing much about Afghanistan on the news. Certainly no nightly reports from a series of embedded reporters in the field.
Hey, all you history buffs - what was the model name of those little forts the British built before WWII in Egypt, and I think in Trans-Jordan as well?
Posted by Drew458
on 08/06/2009 at 04:17 PM
Filed Under: • Military • War On Terror •
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Permalink • Hollywood Loonies
Paula Abdul decided this was the year she wanted an answer — straight up, in the words of one of her biggest pop hits.
As the eighth season of “American Idol” began to draw to a close last spring, Ms. Abdul’s representatives told Fox Broadcasting and two companies that produce the popular series, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, that she wanted a significant raise from the $2 million in salary plus another $1.5million in expenses and other benefits that she was then earning a year as a judge on the show.
What she deserved, her representatives said, was a package that would put her closer to parity, if not on par, with Simon Cowell, who earns an estimated $30 million annually from “American Idol.”
In the end she got an offer of close to $5 million a year, far below what Ryan Seacrest, the show’s host, got last month when he signed a contract with 19 Entertainment for $10 million a year in salary and another $15 million over three years for other production deals and rights to his image.
Feeling unappreciated, Ms. Abdul said on Tuesday that she would rather walk away from the biggest stage on television after eight years. Shortly after telling the “Idol” producers that she could not accept their offer, and with auditions of potential contestants for the ninth season scheduled to begin this weekend, Ms. Abdul told the world via Twitter that she was leaving “American Idol.”
A person close to negotiations tells The Times that the producers had offered Abdul, 47, a 30 percent raise and a total multi-year deal worth more than $10 million.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Abdul asked for about $20 million to continue with the show.
She “felt unappreciated” in recent months, The Times reports. Ryan Seacrest had inked a three-year $45 million deal, and Simon Cowell, who has suggested he may leave at the end of his current deal, is already in talks to sign a deal for a reported $100 million a year.
Holy shiite. Ok, on the one hand I can understand her thinking on this. The host and the other judges earn far more than she does, and there is obviously a huge pile of money to spread around. But on the other hand, $3.5 million a year to sit on your ass for a few hours a week and mouth cotton-fluffball encouraging inanities? I’d do that ... let’s see, call it 10 hours a week max ... give myself a nice fat raise ... I’d do that for $25,000. And so would you (assuming that the stage was near your home), and so would 99.997% of the entire population of the planet. $50/hr to do nothing is damn great money. You give me her job, at her current wages and benefits level, for ONE YEAR and I’d be set for life. FOR LIFE. Ok, let’s make it 2 years, what with Obama’s tax plan and all. But still.
Hollywood is insane. They’re even more insane than the ‘roided up performing monkeys of professional sports.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/06/2009 at 11:56 AM
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Permalink • A Family Heirloom is created
Louis Haros is a Vietnam veteran. His son, Paul, has been serving in Iraq. Father Louis vowed to fly the flag until…
“I made a promise to him that it won’t come down until he’s home,” Haros told FOXNews.com on Tuesday. “Well, it’s still there. I feel if I bring it down and something happens to him … I don’t know.”
Well, admittedly, the flag is looking pretty tattered now, and under normal circumstances, I’d have consigned her for ceremonial burning. See for yourself:
Yep, a candidate for proper disposal, yes?
NO!
Mr. Haros has created, whether he knows it or not, a family heirloom.
I was looking to find an email address for Mr. Haros. I failed, but I did find a a blog and posted the following as ‘Anonymous’:
I would have to say that I’m in total support of Mr. Haros.
I go further. Mr. Haros has just created a family heirloom. Think of that. When his son does come home, I’d wish that Mr. Haros did NOT dispose of the flag. Instead, it should be folded as best it can, and presented to his son in honor of services rendered.
You know, there is a practice where the Government hoists flags to fly for ten seconds or so over the Capitol building or the White House, and then Congressmen or Senators will send said flag out to constituents. Meaningless flags, when you get right down to it.
The Haros flag has meaning. It flew for however long, the provenance is known, and should be considered a family heirloom, passed down with the stories of why it was flown, and the feats of Mr. Haros’ son attached.
That’s what I wish for this flag. Mr. Haros, I salute you.
What do you think? Would you treasure such a flag? Is it more meaningful than some generic flag that flew over the White House for ten seconds?
Really, it’s just such small things that create such great family treasures and stories.
BTW, Drew, need a Family category.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. Original FOX story is here.
Posted by Christopher
on 08/06/2009 at 12:13 PM
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Permalink • Left Coast Loonies
Is this true? If it is, Horry Clap!
But, according to the press, they were shut down because of anti-gay practices!
Next time you’re at Union Square and are just dying for some peanut brittle, get ready for a shocker: See’s Candies, which for years has provided a chocolaty outpost in one of the kiosks in the plaza, could not meet city demands and left Union Square.
See’s originally leased the kiosk from the San Francisco Parks Trust, but the kiosk was later transferred to The City, said Rich Hillis, deputy director of Recreation and Parks.
After it changed hands, See’s lease came up, at which point The City discovered that See’s was not providing all of the same benefits for domestic partners that it does for spouses – something The City requires of all companies it does business with.
See’s declined to change its policy and the lease was not renewed, Hillis said. The last candy morsel was vacated from the premises June 5.
Famous chocolate vendor See’s Candy chose to close one of its most prominent and historic outposts in Union Square, the heart of San Francisco, rather than comply with the city’s nondiscrimination requirements.
See’s Candy refuses to offer equal benefits to LGBT employees, which makes it ineligible to renew its lease from the city under San Francisco’s 1996 landmark equal benefits law. Originated and orchestrated by EQCA’s own Geoff Kors, it was one of the first ordinances of its kind, and inspired similar measures across the country.
Yeah, right, sure. In the heart of San Francisco, the company, which has been there forever, is going to act like that. Um, no.
But according to See’s ...
See’s Candies was mentioned in an article in the San Francisco Examiner written by Katie Worth that was published on June 20, 2009. We first learned of the article on Monday June 22nd. The article is factually untrue and the inaccuracies were addressed with the Examiner which prompted them to edit the story.
For years See’s Candies has provided domestic partner benefits including health insurance, with some of these benefits negotiated in labor agreements with unions representing See’s workers. These benefits continue to be offered today to union and non-union employees of See’s.
Recently, our Union Square location lease was taken over by the City of San Francisco who has additional requirements for benefits beyond those offered by See’s. As any change to the benefits offered would require opening all related union contracts for negotiation, and the added benefits required were relatively minor and not consistent with our overall benefit plan, See’s attempted to seek a compromise with the City on its required benefit package. Unable to agree, and not wishing to renegotiate the union benefits offered to a single store in San Francisco, we elected to not renew our Union Square lease when it expired.
See’s was not “evicted”, and we do offer health and welfare coverage for domestic partners on the same basis as for spouses. The allegations in the article were not discussed with See’s prior to the article being run.
So, unable to comply with YET ANOTHER layer of demanded/required benefits, they did a John Gault and closed the shop. In a way, GOOD FOR THEM. They do a killer mail order business anyway. Brick and mortar storefronts probably cost more than they take in.
But is it the truth? Is there another, darker motivation at work here? Some think so, and given the notice found stapled to the door, it may be. You see, See’s peanut brittle is the favorite candy of Warren Buffett. And Warren Buffett was involved with Enron ... [ step 1: collect underpants. step 3: profit! ] and was therefore the cause of 9/11. So the Troofers got their revenge! Laughing Squid provides all the details, and even an association map.
Twisted humor? Major sarcasm? Could be. But the shop was smack dab in the middle of tinfoil hat Mecca. Anything is possible.
BTW: See’s Candies is attempting to comply and renegotiate with the city. No word on whether they will return to that particular location if negotiations succeed.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/06/2009 at 10:39 AM
Filed Under: • Gay Gay Gay! • Humor •
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Permalink • SOMETHING JUST A BIT DIFFERENT FOR BMEWS. THE SAME SUBJECT BUT SOMETHING NEW.
Bit of legal history from a book called “Gangland Lawyers” by James Morton
Anyone who reads BMEWS on a regular basis, not just the brave few who leave comments, but everyone, already know my views on what we laughingly call the Criminal Justice System. More Criminal then justice. Just ask any victim.
In line with that attitude, an article in our morning paper today claims that victims of crime are not well served by the justice system. The actual headline reads, JUSTICE SYSTEM FAILS VICTIMS.
Well then, if it indeed does that, and we know it does, then it is not a “justice system” at all. I’m not sure exactly what to call it, but justice has little to do with it.
Many of us both here and in the USA have ranted and raved about slick lawyers and how often bad guys are out on the streets doing the same thing they were jailed for originally. And we’re all agreed ( I think we are ) that lawyers are well versed in making the worst appear the better cause, and get away with much. Or their clients are.
Which brings me to my posting here.
We are used to how things are and have been for a number of years. The Twinkie Defense comes to mind and of course there was OJ but those are the cases that make national news and we all complain how awful things are and how deceitful and manipulative lawyers are these days. These days? Just these days?
Of course it started long ago when a miserable SOB murdered the guy who designed the Madison Sq. Garden. Stanford White. An architect famous in his day. The killer’s lawyer used the insanity defense for the first time and got his client off with a few years in a mental ward somewhere. Well, I learned an expression many years ago in the music industry and probably used by other professions as well.
“There’s nothin’ new.”
There was a lawyer back in the 1920’s named Chippy Patterson who died in 1933.
The guy was always broke and lived between feast and famine. Apparently he was a whiz in court and had quite a track record getting freedom or very reduced terms of incarceration for his clients. He was truly a gangster’s lawyer and here’s just one very unbelievable and truly bizarre case and jury verdict.
In 1930 Patterson won six acquittals and five manslaughter and second degree murder verdicts for his 11 clients. His last great defense came in June that year when he represented a guy named Pete Valenti. Valenti was a a burglar and drug dealer who was on parole after serving just two years of of a ten to twenty year sentence for armed robbery.
Valenti was accused of a grocery story robbery-murder on April 9th. The prosecution reasonably thought it had a good case and a simple one.
Valenti and his partner, Vincent Minotti, neither of who were masked, held up the store and without warning, Valenti shot the owner. Both Valenti and Minotti accused the other of firing the shot, but the prosecution regarded Minotti’s version as the more reliable and he gave evidence for the state.Unexpectedly, Patterson made NO objection when the prosecution introduced Valenti’s criminal record in evidence. Instead, he waited until his closing speech to the jury when he laid the blame for the killing at the feet of the judge who had paroled Valenti. Here from the transcript are Chippy Patterson’s words.
“Valenti is no good. His record proves it.
If society releases this type of man it deserves just what it gets. Damn the law for this, but don’t damn the prisoner.”The jury agreed, working on the curious thinking that if Valenti had not been paroled he would not have been able to commit murder. Instead of the electric chair he was sentenced to separate and solitary confinement for the remainder of his natural life.
Not one BMEWS reader will believe the following but it’s true. This story isn’t over.
The author of the book who, no surprise, was a gangland lawyer writes an update in the footnotes with regard to Valenti by stating as follows:
“It is pleasant to be able to relate”
that … Valenti was released in the late 1940s.
He married and had three children. He was thought of as a reliable and trustworthy employee, who eventually became foreman of a small printing works.-end-
Posted by peiper
on 08/06/2009 at 09:40 AM
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Permalink • How a bat can drive you to despair.
Hey I do have a soft spot for feathers and fur and stuff. Can’t help it. BUT ... this gets a tad outta hand. Read this and see if they aren’t a bit OTT here.
No wait. Maybe a LOT OTT. And all over a teaspoon of what?
I caught this in the property section of the weekend paper and have posted all of it here.
Have fun with this one folks. Oh yeah ...
Wardmama take note. This guy shouldda called on you.
Property: How a bat can drive you to despair
It was when a conservationist found a teaspoon of bat dung in the barn that the nightmare began.
By Christopher Hudson
The nice woman in a tweed skirt came to our back door with a teaspoon, and for the next three months it drove us to the edge of despair. We were selling our house, and early in the year, a couple had fallen in love with it and made an offer that we accepted. They were going to convert our open cart barn into an annex for a housekeeper: something for which we had planning permission, but had never got around to doing ourselves.
However, somebody on Ashford Council, leafing through documents, must have clocked the word ‘’barn’’ on our renewal form. Wheels spun. Alarm bells rang. Barns might be the habitat of protected species: this could be a conservation issue. They wanted photographs. We gave them photographs, clambering into the brick loft space and shooting pictures from all angles. No sign of bats.
But in the meantime the council had passed the matter over to Natural England, the environment watchdog charged with protecting bats and other protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. A young woman from the agency wrote back: “I have reviewed the photographs with our species specialist and it is possible that bats and owls could be using the building. The open bays may be too draughty for roosting bats, but they may use this part as access to the brick building, which appears more enclosed and which may also have potential for bats within the roof tiles, ridges, loft spaces, etc. We would therefore recommend that a bat and owl survey is carried out of the entire structure.”
Enter the woman in the tweed skirt. Philippa, as I shall call her, arrived on our doorstep and asked if she could take a look around outside – and perhaps in our attic? We settled on outside. She came back half an hour later from the barn, holding two minute objects in a tiny cup. As she wrote later, one was half a teaspoonful of disintegrated bat droppings. The other was a single butterfly wing. “Not much of anything there,” I joked. Philippa agreed with a smile. “But I’m afraid I have to make a note of it, or I wouldn’t be doing my job.”
That was at the end of January. No problem. There were months to go before we had to exchange contracts with our purchasers. But we hadn’t reckoned on Natural England. You don’t need to see bats, or owls: simply to detect the potential presence of one on or near the planning application site is enough to set the watchdog slavering. Its remit is to survey trees, unoccupied buildings and other structures where bats or owls, might roost. Failure to comply with the rules – and I am quoting Natural England – can result in fines or a custodial sentence.
A butterfly wing and a half-teaspoonful of dessicated bat dropping were enough for Natural England to object to our application for renewed planning permission “pending results of a bat and owl survey” – since it threw in the possibility of barn owls although there was no trace of them, as Natural England later admitted. With this, the long nightmare began.
By this time, late January had slid into early March. “I’m not going to move house again until I’m carried out in my coffin,” vowed my wife. Our buyers were generously willing to delay completion – there were other unresolved issues – but we could not expect them to wait indefinitely. On March 22, our Natural England bat survey arrived. It began with a primer on the 16 species of bat to be found in Britain – how they were insectivorous and nocturnal, and did not vandalise people’s homes by chewing wires or the fabric of the building. We were further informed that each bat demands a specific ambience for its home, and abhors dirt and cobwebs. Turning the page, we came to Natural England’s conclusions.
It confirmed the single butterfly wing and the half-teaspoonful of disintegrated bat droppings, from which it hypothesised that a solitary brown long-eared bat had passed this way on its way to somewhere else. It dropped the barn owl, but spotted instead two derelict swallows’ nests. These would require us to build artificial swallows’ nests in the barn which would have to be constructed outside the breeding period of April-June. As for the hypothetical bats, we agreed to build a bat loft along the top of the lodge bays which would offer “significant enhancements” for them should they deign to visit our home.
Then came the whammy. In its conclusion, Natural England ordained that, “to ensure no potentially damaging works are carried out, it is recommended that no works are carried out on the cart lodge until after the May repeat bat survey”, warning that DEFRA would need to be consulted before any conversion of the barn could begin. Meanwhile, a further four bat surveys would have to be carried out during the next six months, and a recommended annual inspection of the bat lofts and artificial birds’ nests for the next five years.
In vain did we explain to Natural England that the sale of our home could only go ahead if there were no legal constraints on the property. In vain did we protest that our whole future was at stake for the sake of a butterfly wing and a fingernail’s worth of ancient bat droppings. The agency was already looking forward to providing “a substantial increase in current nesting areas for swallows and roosting sites for bats” where currently there were no bats or swallows at all. The borough council took its cue from Natural England. By the time we had built the “bat palace”, as we named it, in the eaves, and given the swallows their artificial nests, and Natural England had withdrawn its objections, it would have been too late to sort out the planning consent before the exchange of contracts.
We were dead lucky. The couple who liked our house wanted it enough to steer through the barn’s planning permission themselves. For all I know, they are still annually hosting a surveyor crouching bat-like in the barn’s roof space to count the bats during their annual “emergence”. Good luck to them.
Posted by peiper
on 08/06/2009 at 08:20 AM
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Permalink • Wednesday - August 05, 2009
Join The Angry Mob
With thanks to Frank J and Harvey, CBullit, BrandTJen, and the LOLkatz Builder site.
You can click the last link and create your own. Spread them around, make it go viral. After all, I don’t want to be in those camps all by myself.
UPDATE from Red State:
For fear of being ‘ambushed’ by Republican “lynch-mobs,” Democratic Congressman Brian Baird (WA-3) said he refuses to hold in-person town hall meetings over the summer’s month-long Congressional recess.
Citing the G.O.P.’s “Brown Shirt tactics” as the impetus for his decision, Baird told the Columbian he will instead host a telephone town hall, thereby lessening the ability for “extremists”—which ostensibly is anyone expressing legitimate dissent—to “shout and make YouTube videos.”
Baird’s aggressive, albeit obtuse, rhetoric is the newest installment in the Republican and Democratic parties’ debate as to the nature of the protesters – organic reactions versus highly-orchestrated mobs of extremists.
While Baird’s patently offensive Nazi SA comparison is indeed more aggressive than the DNC’s portrayal of protesters as mentally unstable conspiracy theorists bent on proving Obama’s Kenyan birth, the sentiment is not wholly unlike the opinions expressed by Lanny Davis and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Speaker Pelosi categorically rejected the notion that conservatives could oppose the President’s domestic agenda on legitimate grounds and maintained that critics of Obama’s health care overhaul were brandishing “swastikas and symbols like that” at town hall meetings.
Echoing Pelosi’s ridiculous opinion, Davis said in a posting on Politico’s Arena the Republican “shout-downs” were a classic example of “fascist tactics” and were a detriment to civil debate.
A greater detriment to civil debate, as it turns out, is the decision to not engage in one, like the case of Congressman Baird.
Community organizing is only acceptable as a singular means to effect liberal change. Critics of Obama’s “Great Society,” however, are pitch-fork toting, NASCAR loving, civil debate hating, Nazis.
In the absence of a public town hall, Baird’s pitch-fork toting, NASCAR loving, civil debate hating, Nazi constituents can reach the Congressman’s D.C. office by phone at (202) 225-3536.
The famous John Paul Jones quotation comes to mind “I have not yet begun to fight!”
The left is going bugshit because the smallest amount of their own tactics have been used against them. Well, boo freakin’ hoo, too friggin’ bad. It’s about time. Formal Republican leadership is non-existent. RINOS and cheese eating surrender monkeys fill the elected ranks. They won’t fight. They don’t know how. So it’s up to the citizens. And we’ve had 8 solid years of daily, hourly schooling to learn exactly how it’s done. IT IS TIME. Get the images out, get the word out. Don’t bother with logical discussions, go straight to emotional appeal and ad hominem attacks. Use simple catch phrases constantly, until they become the norm: We are fighting Obam-unism.
Bumper sticker images borrowed from Moonbattery. Obama Socialism poster borrowed from ... everywhere!!
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 11:35 PM
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Permalink • A Garden Variety Victory
Dispatch from the front:
Drew,
I have been successful and the Groundhog Wars are over. Actually what happened today is just a hilarious combination of events. [ sentence redacted for security purposes ]It was only in the 60s here and because we were having another monsoon, probably would not get much past 70 - so I was running around opening windows rather than running the ac all day. One of the ones in the livingroom was sticking and all of sudden it burst open with a pop (our windows open out rather than up). I saw something ‘fall’ out of the garden (we have 5 raised beds) and thought it was one of the neighbors cats until I saw it start to run down the hill rather than up.
The battle was on - I ran to grab the .22 and all of a sudden I heard the snap of the trap. It seems that instead of turning right and being able to run through a ton of weeds in the lowest section (actually the whole garden and back are tiered down the hill - some natural and some built by stone walls and walkways), my scared enemy turned left and ran directly into the trap. The jig was up and the war over with nary a skirmish.
[ redacted paragraph ]
I am victorious. Considered shooting - but the damn mesh on the trap is too small - which was nice as she was very ill tempered as I carried her up to her watery demise.
Corn and tomatoes are now safe across the whole county!
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 11:16 PM
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Permalink • This seems “Fishy” - Quick, somebody call the White House
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 11:10 PM
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists •
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Permalink • Too much Time on my hands…
So, while browsing Netflix I found this gem: The Gamers: Dorkness Rising
I admit it: I used to play D&D. Back when it was new and only had three or four mimeographed booklets. (I also grew up playing Avalon Hill wargames)
But this is priceless. At the age these guys are, I was either:
A) in the Navy or
B) married
Either way, I ‘played’ with girls.
These Dorks introduce a ‘girl’ into their D&D game…
Oh my, I may have to introduce my wife to D&D… after all, I get tired of role-playing with leather and whips and chains!
I’m going to Hell for that last comment, ja?
I’m going to Hell for this post, ja?
Posted by Christopher
on 08/05/2009 at 06:46 PM
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •
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Permalink • William Jefferson Guilty
Breaking - House Ways And Means Committee William Jefferson (D- LA), found years ago with $90,000 of marked bribe money in his ice box, has been found guilty on 11 of 16 counts. Details to follow.
Details:
Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted Wednesday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him.
A federal grand jury indicted the 62-year-old Democrat on June 4, 2007, on corruption charges, about two years after federal agents said they found $90,000 in his freezer. Authorities said the cash was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on video.
Jefferson pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts, which include bribery, racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
Jefferson was accused of using his congressional clout between 2001 and 2005 to solicit and receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes for himself and his family in exchange for promoting products and services in Africa, especially Nigeria, and elsewhere. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said Jefferson could have faced a sentence of up to 235 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The information on the cash, discovered in Jefferson’s Washington home in August 2005, was revealed in an affidavit used to obtain a warrant to search Jefferson’s office in May 2006.
Descriptions from the heavily edited affidavit and pictures of the alleged open freezer show bills wrapped in foil and tucked into frozen food containers, including a box for pie crusts and another for veggie burgers.
FBI agents told a judge the money was part of a $100,000 payment delivered by an informant in the bribery investigation, which led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former Jefferson aide.
Jefferson, who graduated from Harvard Law School, represented Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of the New Orleans area. He held office for 18 years, or nine terms, before he lost his House seat in the December 2008 election.
As a representative, he served on the House Ways and Means Committee’s subcommittee on trade and on the Budget Committee, and he co-chaired the caucus on Africa Trade and Investment as well as the caucus on Nigeria.
Earlier, the federal judge in the trial told members of the jury that it might have been “misled” by his original instructions.
“I may have misspoken” as many as four times, said U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, telling the jury “I want you to look at each of these corrections and decide if you were misled.”
Ellis last week took more than two hours to instruct the jury, reading from prepared text. When a transcript was completed and made available Wednesday morning, Ellis said he had found at least four discrepancies.
Among the problems, Ellis suggested he mistakenly referred to the “defendant” instead of the “government” proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and another in which he referred to the “government’s intent” in the alleged wrongdoing instead of the defendant’s.
Ellis told prosecutors and Jefferson’s defense team that he believed the jury would have correctly interpreted the reference, but that they should note the correction.
The jury reconvened with a corrected transcript of his instructions for its fifth day of deliberations
Another corrupt government leader. Put him away forever. But my guess is that with the judge’s screw-ups, there will be an endless series of appeals.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 05:01 PM
Filed Under: • Crime • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists •
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Permalink • Stupid Kids Pay The Price
KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE — Knoxville police have identified a teenager killed this morning during an attempted home invasion in South Knoxville that ended in an exchange of gunfire.
Arsenio Wooten, 17, was found dead from a gunshot wound, Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. A second suspect may have been wounded in the gunfire, DeBusk said.
Wooten’s body was lying in a gully along the driveway of the residence at 814 Carls Lane off Cherokee Trail, where the shooting took place.
Wooten spent the last semester at South-Doyle High School after transferring from Fulton High School, according to South-Doyle Principal Rick Walker. Walker said Wooten was planning to return to Fulton for the fall semester.
The incident began when the homeowner said he heard someone knocking on his door about 5:25 a.m., according to DeBusk. The homeowner said he put a handgun in his pocket as he went to the door.
When he was opening the door, two men attempted to push their way in and he pulled the gun from his pocket and fired twice at them, DeBusk said he told officers. One of the suspects fired once at the homeowner, the man said. Both suspects fled in a vehicle, the man told police.
Naleway told police that two black men knocked on his door and then attempted to force their way into the home once the door was opened. Naleway then shot at the intruders. They fired back and then fled the scene. Police were called back to the scene just before 7:00 by the resident. He told police that the body of one of the intruders was laying in his driveway. Wooten was pronounced dead on the scene. Police are also searching for the second male suspect involved in the attempted home invasion, they say he could have been shot as well.
Investigators searched the Carls Lane home around 1 p.m. Wednesday and cleared the scene around 2 p.m. It’s not clear whether Naleway will face charges in the case. Police say it’s up to the Knox County District Attorney. A check of Naleway’s criminal history shows that he has no convictions or charges in Knox County.
Police have recovered the gun the assailants used, and confirm that it was fired at the tenant. The boy’s name struck me as a bit unusual, so I Googled him up and found such a person on Facebook, who mostly matches the description given by the police in the video here. But it could be someone else who just happens to be about the same age, size, and complexion.
This is the place where the break in occurred:
It’s a little shack up in the hills, a run down cabin in the woods. Maybe my “advanced years” give me more insight than a 17 year old city kid, but one look at that place and you know whoever lives there has a gun. They might be living on canned beans, but they have a gun. Guaranteed.
I’ve been known to celebrate Goblin Eliminations, but this one is kind of saddening. Just some damn stupid kid. But a kid who was acting as an animal, and went to that guy’s house before dawn with malice aforethought. And paid the price.
The stories all say that the renter told the police that 2 people got in the car and drove away, and that 2 people tried to bust down his door. Yet 1 was found dead in the gully alongside his driveway. And other reports say a 911 call came in a few minutes later alerting hospitals that a gunshot victim was en route, but nobody ever showed up. So my guess is that there were actually 3 guys involved, and the 2nd one died on the way to the hospital. So expect another body to turn up in the next few days.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 03:58 PM
Filed Under: • Crime •
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Permalink • CNN Needs Your Help
Polls closing tomorrow evening, so hurry over to CNN and Grade The Gov™ for their past 100 days performance. CLICK HERE.
CNN is running another one of those polls. Even at that strongly left leaning news site, Obama and the GovThugs aren’t doing better than a C- anywhere. On anything.
Don’t forget to enter your state when you submit Grade 1, so that the breakdowns are more accurate.
Posted by Drew458
on 08/05/2009 at 01:20 PM
Filed Under: • Government •
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