News & Media
Group honors LGBT business leaders
The Arizona Republic reports that Phoenix attorney Beth Hutchens, who is of-counsel to Randazza Legal Group and managing attorney of Hutchens Law Offices, will be honored by ONE Community, a group that promotes partnerships between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and businesses. Angela Hughey, president and founder of ONE Community, said of the honorees: “They are amazing individuals that are doing great things for the businesses and the organizations they represent, and… the larger community as well.” Read More…
Strip Scribbles: Food Fight
Robin Leach reports in the Las Vegas Sun about Las Vegas food critic Al Mancini’s right of publicity dispute with nightclub Krave. Attorney Marc Randazza, who represents Mancini in the dispute, said, The owners of Krave Massive never sought permission to use Mr. Mancini’s image; they violated Mr. Mancini’s right of publicity in his image and his copyright in the photo. Read More….
Let the punishment fit the crime?
This year, Highland Middle School in Anderson, Indiana purchased iPads as an enhancement tool for student education. Unfortunately, the teachers weren’t given a crash course on how iPads work before the tablets were introduced to the kids. One teacher at the school decided to take some topless photographs of herself on her iPhone and proceeded to accidentally sync her naked pics to one of the school’s iPads. Inevitably, four boys borrowed the offending iPad, opened up iPhoto, found themselves confronted with their teacher’s boobs, and did what any 13 year old boys would do in that situation. They turned the
1) Zumba, 2) Prostitution, 3) Profit!
A Zumba instructor in Kennebunk, Maine took the exercise / art form to its logical next level and apparently offered sex for money as part of the deal. (source) The Zumba instructor pleaded not guilty to 106 counts of prostitution. What makes the story really interesting is the public access to records issue. The police initially released 21 names out of a presumed 150 name customer list, and intend to release more names as summonses are issued. This release reportedly “created havoc for some innocent men who shared names with the accused.” Addresses, ages and other identifying information of the
Welcome to the Legal Satyricon's Weather Report
heh heh… heh… [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jeL6_cAWeU8]
Bird, Bird, Bird… Bird is the Word
Two U.C. Berkeley School of law students may soon find out that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay off character and fitness applications. Las Vegas Metro police arrested Eric Cuellar and Justin Teixeira on charges of conspiracy and malicious, willful torture of wildlife after police observed them throwing around the head of a guinea fowl in Flamingo Las Vegas’ Wildlife Habitat. (Source). (Why they gotta say “guinea fowl?” It can’t be an Italian American Eagle? -ed) Video surveillance on the scene captured the two men chasing the bird around, and then following it into some trees. A witness says
From engagement photo to political attack ad…
In May of 2010, Thomas Privitere and Brian Edwards, a gay couple, hired a photographer to take pictures of the two men in a New York City park. Their favorite photograph displayed the two men kissing and holding hands with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. The couple liked the picture so much that they posted it on the Internet as their engagement photo. Cut to Spring of 2011: Public Advocate of the United States, a conservative nonprofit, needed a photograph for a political flyer to take a Republican State Senator from Colorado to task for voting to approve same-sex
A Minister Speaks about the Separation of Church and State
If only all clergy members were as enlightened as this one.
More Legal Stupidity – Brought to you by "The Innocence of Muslims"
The Innocence of Muslims seems to be the place wehre really stupid free speech positions intersect with the Arab-Israeli conflict. In the latest installment, we have the dumbest copyright infringement suit filed by anyone whose name does not end in “haven.” Actress Cindy Lee Garcia appeared in the now-infamous online film “The Innocence of Muslims.” She first filed a lawsuit in California state court, trying to get a state judge to order YouTube to remove the film from publication. (Complaint) She claimed that the director told her that she would star in a “desert adventure film,” but the actual movie
Happy Banned Books Week!
In 1982, the Supreme Court found that students’ First Amendment rights were violated when the Island Trees School District removed Slaughterhouse Five and eight other books from library shelves. This served as the inspiration for a week-long celebration of the freedom to read, and thirty years later, Banned Books Week is still going strong. Source. Sadly, book banning is not something that has been relegated to the dark days of an intolerant past. There are plenty of pearl clutchers and busybodies out there who work diligently to make sure that theirs is the only viewpoint that matters. You know…to protect
Is there room for exceptionalism in the case of anti-Semitic speech?
In Slate, William Saletan asks “How can we ban hate speech against Jews while defending mockery of Muslims?” By “we” he does not mean America — but the entire West. Saletan correctly points out that it is, certainly, less tolerable to engage in “hate speech” that offends Jews than “hate speech” that offends Muslims. He thinks this is deeply hypocritical, calling for equal treatment of this kind of speech — ban it all or tolerate it all. This logic resonates with me as a free speech advocate. But, is it correct? Is there a rational basis, or even a compelling
Awfully Convenient…
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the director of the “Innocence of Muslims” movie, which has been blamed for setting off riots and murders in Islamic countries, has (conveniently?) been arrested for violating the terms of his probation. Among the terms of his probation: He was not allowed to se the Internet or a computer, which I presume he had to do in order to create and distribute his film. (source). From the sounds of it, the guy isn’t the most savory character in the world. So yeah, it seems to me that he probably violated his probation. Greg Pollowitz at The National
A Pox on Both Your Houses – Suppressing Speech is Not the Same as Expressing Speech
The New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority recently came under fire for allowing advertisements on the New York subways that say, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” The MTA initially refused to run the ad, claiming that it was “demeaning.” However, in July a Federal Judge schooled the MTA on the meaning of the First Amendment. (Order) The MTA, a government authority, does not get to pick and chose which messages it wants to accept. With the MTA having no choice in the matter, Pamela Geller was free
Arizona Supreme Court determines tattoos are protected by the First Amendment
The Supreme Court of Arizona recently held that obtaining a tattoo is pure speech and is therefore subject to the highest protection by the First Amendment. The plaintiffs in Coleman v. City of Mesa (Case No. CV-11-0351), requested a Council Use Permit (CUP) from Mesa, Arizona, to open a tattoo parlor. The city zoning commission recommended to the city council that the CUP be approved; however, the city council voted to deny the permit after several speakers came to the meeting and expressed support or opposition to the parlor. The plaintiffs filed suit against Mesa, claiming that the CUP was denied on
Righthaven foe says cases are key to free speech
VegasInc recently interviewed attorney Marc Randazza about his work on the Righthaven cases, as well as intellectual property law issues throughout the legal field. Randazza said in the interview: The real soul of our law firm is protection of free expression. Read More…
Las Vegas lawyer’s clients include porn sellers and Chinese news service
VegasInc reports on attorney Marc Randazza’s recent work on copyright and defamation cases. Randazza said: We don’t want courts making value judgments about intellectual property. It could be rap music next or some new medium of expression we can’t even envision. Read More…
Why Audio/Video Recording Law Enforcement is Necessary and Protected by the First Amendment
By: Jonathon C.A. Blevins If anything is protected by the First Amendment, audio/video recording a public servant in a public place while performing a public function is protected. One does not need to be a First Amendment scholar to conceptualize the basic foundation of this concept. However, a respected jurist, Judge Posner of the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, seemed puzzled. Chris Drew was arrested in 2009 for selling artwork without a permit. Apparently, this is an arrest- able offense in Chicago, IL. While being arrested, Mr. Drew recorded the events. Unfortunately for Mr. Drew, the act
Adult Industry Attorney Marc Randazza Honored as a VegasInc 2012 Top Lawyer
AVN writes that adult industry attorney Marc Randazza has been named a VegasInc Top Lawyer for 2012. Read More…
Adult Biz Attorney Randazza on VegasInc Top Lawyer List
XBiz Newswire reports that attorney Marc Randazza recently was named a Vegas Inc. Top Lawyer for 2012. Randazza said: While being recognized as a top lawyer in Las Vegas is a great honor, it is even more so when I look at the other great lawyers who were also named to the list. Read More…
I told you that Florida was backward…
I frequently write about how my former home state of Flori-duh is backward. Well finally, someone agrees with me. Meet Carlos Romero, 31, charged with (oh shit) “sexual activity involving an animal.” According to Local 10, a man spotted Romero “doing sexual acts with his miniature female donkey.” According to the article, Romero didn’t seem shy about his actions. He allegedly told deputies that he “performed sex acts” with the donkey 5 or 6 times, and that, “Florida is a backwards state and people frown on zoophilia here.”