Criminal Mind, The

Vote-Buying, Appalachian Style

The mayor of Appalachia, Virginia, a town of 2,000 in southwest Virginia, has been charged (along with 13 others) with election fraud and corruption.  The scandal includes charges that a slate of three candidates bought votes from hundreds of residents…


South African Police Shoot Invisible Man

On Friday, an East Rand flying squad shot a man wearing muti after he stole a bakkie from Limpopo. I know: not again. The translation (and I did have to do some research), is that a South African special police…



Mahjong: That Loving, Brutal Game

Legal consequences involving the Chinese tile game mahjong were in the news twice today. First, the AP reported that petty criminals in Taiwan are increasingly being given the choice of either paying a fine or engaging in community service.  ("Petty…


“CSI” Fans Possibly Better at Crime

For years, police and prosecutors have complained about the effect of law-and-order shows (like — well, like "Law and Order") on juries.  They say that having watched the shows, jurors expect certain things from the attorneys at trial, and in…



FYI: Judge Mockery Should Not Be Done On-Line

Here we thought kids understood the concept of the "Internet," but at least some do not get the fact that what you post there can be seen by anybody, including the judge who previously let you off with probation.  They…



How to Collect from a Stubborn Client

This one’s easy: you just kidnap him until the family pays the ransom, I mean fees.  Works best on the client’s wedding day. Police in Waco, Texas, said that Paula Allen, a 51-year-old attorney who had defended Rolando Castelan from…


Afternoon, Your Honor . . . D’oh!

Jacob Vandeven, 27, of Whitewater, Missouri, got off relatively easy after he was charged with drunk driving and causing an accident in which people were injured. Charged with a felony, he was allowed to plead guilty to a reduced misdemeanor…