Francis Boyle is a Professor of Law at the University of llinois School of Law, where he currently teaches courses on Public International Law and International Human Rights. He was a part of the prosecution team that tried former US President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their legal advisors in absentia in Malaysia. Barack Obama, the current US President, is an accessory after… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Antemedius – Liberally Critical Thinking Discovery Date : 28/05/2012 14:34 Number of articles : 2
Gabe Watson, the accused and so-called Honeymoon Killer, who spent 18 months in an Australian jail for manslaughter, was acquitted today in an American court. Watson has been cleared in the 2003 death of wife Tina, who died on their honeymoon , suspiciously, and not even two weeks after the couple got married. Prosecutors in Birmingham, Ala., alleged that Watson, 34, shut off his 26-year-old wife’s oxygen supply while scuba diving in Australia to collect insurance money. But, when the prosecution rested after two weeks, the judge granted a defense’s motion for an acquittal on the grounds the prosecution failed to prove its case. “The evidence is sorely lacking that it was an intentional act,” Judge Tommy Nail told the courtroom, according to The Birmingham News . “The only way to convict him of intentional murder is to speculate. Nobody knows exactly what happened in the water. I’m sure we’ll never know.” Watson’s mother collapsed in tears outside court. Watson was being tried in Alabama because that’s where he had been married and where the alleged murder plan had allegedly been hatched. He stunned members of Tina’s family when he pleaded guilty in Australia in 2009 to a lesser charge of manslaughter. Australian authorities agreed to release him to the United States to face charges here after American authorities waived seeking the death penalty. In 2008, while still facing murder charges in Australia, Watson married Kim Lewis, with whom he had gone to high school.
Former University of Virginia lacrosse teammates of George Huguely V testified against him as the prosecution wrapped its case in his murder trial this week. Meanwhile, the defense brought its first witness , a doctor who said Yeardley Love, his fellow lacrosse player ex, died of suffocation, not blunt force trauma. Jan Leestma, a neuropathologist, contradicted the prosecution’s medical witnesses, saying he saw swelling on Love’s brain but no sign of blunt force trauma. “I could not conclude it is trauma,” he said. Instead, he suggested, she suffocated on a bloody pillow. The lack of oxygen to her brain likely caused the swelling, he claimed. Moreover, the rush of blood during resuscitation attempts caused the bruising. The prosecution argues that George Huguely murdered Yeardley Love in a May 2010 incident in which he shook her violently until her head banged a wall. The defense says it was a tragic accident, and that Huguely’s actions did not directly kill Love, his on-and-off girlfriend at the University of Virginia. One of the final witnesses for the prosecution, Ken Clausen, a former lacrosse teammate of Huguely’s, testified Wednesday that Huguely had lied about where he had been when he returned home from Love’s apartment the night in question. Clausen said that George Huguely’s demeanor had changed and that he was so drunk he wasn’t making any sense, Thursday’s Today show reports. Clausen said Huguely, now 24, claimed he had been downstairs in an apartment with two other teammates. But Clausen later discovered that wasn’t true. Other teammates also testified that Huguely had been drinking heavily all day, and that he had a blank stare on his face when he returned that night.
Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson, the children of the late Michael Jackson, have decided to instill a self-imposed boycott of Dr. Conrad Murray’s trial. The physician, accused of involuntary manslaughter, faces a long prison term if convicted. The trial, which began last week, is expected to last weeks. Sources say that for the kids, especially Prince and Paris, rehashing the details of how Michael died is just too hard, and they’re trying to tune it out . Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother and the kids’ guardian, is said to be relieved that kids aren’t more curious and desperate to pay close attention. After prosecutor David Walgren displayed the body of Michael Jackson in the opening statement of the Dr. Conrad Murray trial , the stakes were high. Katherine was unhappy and disturbed the shocking pic was displayed, and the 911 call placed after MJ was found unresponsive was also unnerving. At this point it’s unlikely that the kids will be called as witnesses against Murray, as the prosecution feels it has plenty of others to prove its case. The children certainly do not wish to be involved whatsoever. However, if asked to take the stand, Prince Michael will testify without complaint. [Photo: Fame Pictures]
She may cut her losses and take a short stint in jail or continue to fight what may be a losing battle. Either way, Lindsay Lohan will appear in court this week. The starlet is heading back to L.A. today with her brother Michael Jr., in what some sources say is a sign she is leaning towards accepting a plea deal after all. Lindsay stands charged with felony grand theft, having allegedly pilfered a $2,500 necklace. She faces up to a year in STATE prison if she’s convicted. She says she’s innocent, but it’s more complicated than that. Not only would myriad probation violations likely land her in hot water even if she were found not guilty, the prosecution will dredge up Lindsay’s klepto nature . If she doesn’t take the deal, which would require her to spend three months in jail (whittled down to much less with good behavior) her past will be an issue. That’s because with probation, a judge alone makes the call. She could be remanded into custody as she awaits trial, ensuring she’s locked up either way. In any case, she has until March 25 to take the plea deal on the table. If she passes, which she has to this point , a preliminary hearing will take place in April. Tell us: Should Lindsay Lohan accept the plea bargain?
A Texas law student who took a defense lawyer's $1 million challenge from a “Dateline NBC” interview is suing for the money he claims he is owed. Dustin Kolodziej of the San Antonio area said attorney James Mason offered in a “Dateline NBC” interview he would pay $1 million to anyone who could prove him wrong in claiming his client, Nelson Serrano, could have made it from Florida's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to the La Quinta Inn, a 3-mile distance, in under 28 minutes, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday. “I challenge anybody to show me. I'll pay them a million dollars if they can do it,” Mason told the interview. Serrano was convicted of killing four people in Bartow, Fla., in 1997 and the prosecution's case hinged on his ability to reach the inn in the time frame. Kolodziej said he got off a plane at the airport, took his car from the parking garage and made it to the inn in just 19 minutes, capturing the whole experience on a camcorder. However, Mason refused to pay the $1 million reward, claiming the offer was a figure of speech. Kolodziej's lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, alleges breach of contract, claiming Mason's statements on “Dateline” constituted a verbal contract. “What this case boils down to is would a reasonable person believe that this is legitimate,” said David George, a lawyer for Kolodziej. “Think about the context. He's on 'Dateline,' national TV, and his client is on death row. That is not a joking context.” added by: Stoneyroad
Filed under: Howard K. Stern , Anna Nicole Smith , Celebrity Justice , Dr. Sandeep Kapoor Prosecutors in the Howard K. Stern trial — in which Stern and others are accused of fueling Anna Nicole Smith ‘s drug addiction — want the judge to prohibit defense lawyers from telling the jury the two honchos involved in the prosecution are running… Read more
Filed under: juan carlos cruz , Shawn Chapman Holley , Celebrity Justice Juan-Carlos Cruz — the former Food Network host accused of trying to hire some homeless guys to kill his wife — sat in court this morning, as the judge inquired about a TMZ video featuring the prosecution’s star witnesses. The three homeless guys told… Read more
Charlie Sheen allegedly held a knife to the throat of his wife last year. Yet it’s the public that has so far been punished for this act. We’ve been forced to continually hear about this star, including the hefty raise he received from CBS to resign with Two and a Half Men . The drama was scheduled to end yesterday, as Sheen appeared in court and all reports indicated he has reached a plea deal that would send him to jail for 30 days – but the agreement “hit a snag,” sources say, and Sheen’s sentencing has been pushed back until July 12. “The prosecution discovered that Sheen does not qualify for work release because he is not a local resident. He does qualify for useful public service, which has stricter rules, which Sheen nixed,” said an insider. As pictured, Sheen appeared court in sunglasses, a dark suit and tie. When TMZ asked if he was content with the plea bargain, he said: “I guess. “As [happy] as I can be.” We have an idea for the prosecution: instead of any jail time, Sheen should be forced to watch reruns of his abysmal sitcom on an endless loop for a month. That will scare him straight.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice , Charlie Sheen In what could be a blow to the prosecution’s case against Charlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller is now in rehab for substance abuse … TMZ has confirmed.The criminal case in Aspen comes down to Charlie’s word against Brooke’s — she claims he put a knife to … Permalink
