News & Media
Hung Jury in Ira Isaacs Obscenity Trial!
A Los Angeles jury was asked to put filmmaker Ira Isaacs in prison because the government didn’t like his movies. AVN reports that the trial ended today with a hung jury (source). Sources say the jury was 10-2 to convict. Here’s a big Legal Satyricon shout out to those two patriotic Americans who upheld the principle that a free society
The "Nude Body Scanners" protect us!
I just got an email from a reader. Name: REDACTED Email: REDACTED@REDACTED.com Message: Mr. Randazza, I know your loathing of the TSA is something of legend among the blawg world, so I thought you might enjoy this little expose on the complete worthlessness of the airport scanning technology. http://tsaoutofourpants.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/1b-of-nude-body-scanners-made-worthless-by-blog-how-anyone-can-get-anything-past-the-tsas-nude-body-scanners/ Yup, pretty much. Enjoy it? In a sick “I want to
Mary holding the dead Jesus
I mean this without a shred of sarcasm: This is an absolutely awesome study of various images of what I was raised to call The Pietà.
Navajo Nation Sues Urban Outfitters for Trademark Infringement
Last week, the Navajo nation sued Urban Outfitters for trademark infringement, trademark dilution, unfair competition, and a violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act for selling products branded as “Navajo” at its stores. The products? “Hipster Panties,” socks, and of all things, a flask. Yes, a flask. Complaint here. The incredible un-coolness of that just stuns me. Urban Outfitters
Is animal conservation always a good idea?
Isn’t the point of natural selection to get rid of animals like this?
All Righthaven's Intellectual Property Are Belong To Us
So sayeth the Honorable Philip Pro of the District of Nevada. (source)
Lawyer billing rates
Law.com conducted a survey of lawyers’ billing rates. Nationwide, partners averaged $661 per hour, returning to their 2009 average after a dip to $639 per hour in 2010. Average for associates last year was $445 per hour, up six bucks from the year before. (source) I gotta raise my rates….
How much for a blowjob in a Florida trailer park?
Usually about twenty bucks according to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.
TSA Agents DO have a choice
My hatred for the TSA is well documented. Examples here, here, here, and especially here. For those of you who say “they are just doing their jobs,” well they have a choice. They can quit, like this guy did.
Quiz: Which religious cult slices up its babies' genitals and then sucks on them?
There’s this strange cult where they cut off a piece of a little girl’s genitals, and then the witch doctor who does it sucks the little girl’s vagina. Isn’t that disgusting? Barbaric? Stone age? Oh, wait, its not little girls, its little boys. The “cult” is a sect of judaism. As part of the ultra-orthodox Jewish circumcision ritual—known as metzitzah
Leaked stripper video leads to extortion charges in New Mexico
In what has been dubbed “Lapdance-gate” by local New Mexico media, Sunland Parks’ mayor pro-tem and city manager entered not-guilty pleas for extortion charges. District Attorney Amy Orlando alleges that City Manager Daniel Salinas and Mayor Pro Tem Jaime Aguilera attempted to blackmail mayoral candidate Gerardo Hernandez into withdrawing from the race with a recording of Hernandez receiving a lapdance
Judge rules court has no personal jurisdiction over Faceporn.com
U.S. District Court Judge Nathanael Cousins recently denied Facebook’s motion for default judgment against Faceporn.com, a website operating out of Norway, for trademark infringement. Judge Cousins said the court lacked personal jurisdiction over the defendants and recommended that the case be dismissed. Facebook originally brought suit against Thomas Pedersen and Retro Invent citing ten causes of action, including trademark dilution,
My Friend Dahmer
John Backderf, author of the comic strip, “The City” was buddies with Jeffrey Dahmer in high school. On Thursday, he is releasing a graphic novel about Dahmer’s high school years. (source) He says he waited 21 years because he didn’t want to jump on any exploitative bandwagon. It’s been 21 years, so it’s not like exploiting the story for personal
(Former) Judge Willie Singletary – Preacher Mode? Judge Mode? Its all Crazy Mode
When Willie Singletary ran for traffic court judge in 2007, he was described as “a scofflaw of major proportions” by the Philadelphia Inquirer. As of primary day, Singletary, 26, owed $11,427.50 for 55 violations, including reckless driving, driving without a license, careless driving, driving without registration, and driving without insurance. In fact, a bench warrant had been issued for his
This is not what I'd call "game"
CBS Pittsburgh reports that John Jardini, 26, really liked a girl. He liked her so much that he robbed her, took $60 from her, and asked for her phone number. (Which she gave him, for some reason). After he robbed her, he called her twice trying to get her to go out with him. Police used cell phone records to
Woman sues school because her roommate got laid too much
A woman is suing Stonehill College in Easton, MA because her roommate had too much sex in the room. Lindsay Blankmeyer, who says she suffers from depression and attention deficit disorder, is seeking $150,000 from Stonehill, claiming the college violated state and federal laws because housing officials did not give her reasonable alternatives for escaping a bad living situation. (source)
Sheriff Mike Scott vs. The Media (again)
Lee County, Floriduh: Sheriff Mike Scott, (who I wrote about here) didn’t like being questioned about a federal lawsuit filed against his department. To show everyone that he’s boss, he decided that the Fort Myers News Press will no longer have the right to ask questions at press conferences, and he’s decided to severely limit press access to his department.
D.C. Judge Smokes out a First Amendment Violation
The “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act”, Pub. L. No. 111-31, 123 Stat. 1776 (2009) gave the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Under that law, Congress mandated that the DHHS must “issue regulations that require color graphics depicting the negative health consequences of smoking.” It also required that the
Did Rush Limbaugh Defame Sandra Fluke?
Update: A more complete analysis is here. I received an inquiry asking if Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke a “slut” would be the proper basis for a defamation claim. I do not believe it would be. In order to have a valid defamation claim you must have: A false statement of fact About the plaintiff That harms the plaintiff’s reputation