- Suit by Hurricane Katrina victims against Army Corps of Engineers set for trial April 20 [WSJ law blog, Frankel/AmLaw Daily, earlier]
- Some criminal defense arguments are creative, which doesn’t mean they’ll work [Ambrogi/Legal Blog Watch]
- Words to avoid in real-estate ads: safe, quiet, family-friendly, bachelor’s, walking distance [UrbanDigs.com, New York Post] And better not mention the quadruple murder in the house either [Fountain]
- The questionable science of repressed memories [Joann Wypijewski, The Nation]
- National coverage of 14 states’ ban on fish-nibble pedicures [WSJ via OpenMarket; earlier]
- States move to revoke medical license of Dr. Ray Harron, accused of falsely diagnosing thousands of plaintiffs in asbestos cases [(Chamber-backed) SE Texas Record]
- Conan tales are public domain in New Zealand, but online reading of them there draws nastygram anyway [BoingBoing and followup]
- “Wrestler stages a fall at 7-Eleven in attempt to collect $50,000” [Obscure Store, Philadelphia Daily News]
Filed under: advertising, asbestos, copyright, Katrina, New Zealand, real estate, taxpayers
2 Comments
First there is a risk of back-alley brazilian waxing and now fish pedicures may have to go underground. Thankfully no one has tried to combine these two procedures (at least not publicly, that is) [yikes].
The Joan Wypijewski piece is terrific. Lots of money changed hands during the priest pedophilia scandal. Everybody knew there was something there, so rules of evidence were set aside and payments were made to those with a good enough story. To doubt a plaintif was to add to the injury of the victim.
To my knowledge there were only two trials about the crimes. One involved Father Coughlin who may have, and probably did, goose an 11 year old boy in a swimming pool. The judge gave him 4 years. This turned into a death sentence because Father Coughlin was murdered in Prision. I believe the accuser, his mother, the jury, and the judge murdered the man.
The other case was of Father Shanley, the most notorious child molester of the time. The trouble was that Father Shanley’s accuser made no sense during the trial. The jury convicted anyway because, in my opinion, juries attempt to do thier duty to the culture, and the culture knew Father Shanley was guity. Similar dynamics played out in the day care center cases.
Ms. Wypijewsk shows how Father Shanley’s conviction rested on the decredited repressed memories theories. I just can’t understand how Judge Neel could have been ignorant of the repressed memories problem in litigation. What a fool! There is no real evidence at all that any priest did anything wrong. Had evidence existed at the time of the alledged molestations, there would have been some criminal cases. People took settlements and priests were transferred.
There have been references in Overlawyered comments to congress people who are proud of CSPIA. It’s the same as with the priests. Everybody is certain that the lead that may be in ink or ball point pens actually pose hazards as did the Chinese manufatured toys. There is no evidence to support these beliefs. It is just another Salem Witch Trial.
Now I am thouroughly depressed,