‘Helter Skelter’ Slayer Charles Manson Chats on ‘Cell’ Phone, Gets Extra 30 Days on Life Term

Among the thousands of contraband cell phones confiscated from California prison inmates in recent years was one found under the mattress of Charles Manson, the notorious architect of the 1969 slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and others at her home. It is a concern that an inmate convicted of…

Dec 4, 2010 1:09 AM CST

Fla. Gov Studies Doors Front Man’s Wild Miami Night, Prepping for Pardon Hearing

Jim Morrison urged his fans at a 1969 concert to “love your neighbor ‘til it hurts!” But did the Doors front man expose himself? That is the critical question outgoing Florida governor Charlie Crist is studying as he prepares with a thick notebook of material for a Clemency Board hearing…

Dec 3, 2010 10:26 PM CST

Voted Out of Kindergarten by Classmates, Autistic Boy, 5, Gets $350K Settlement

The family of a 5-year-old boy who, at his teacher’s suggestion, was voted out of his kindergarten class by the other children has won a $350,000 settlement of a federal lawsuit. About $150,000 of the money will be paid in structured settlement, starting in 2020, when Alex Barton is 18…

Dec 2, 2010 10:59 PM CST

Twitter Is ‘Force Multiplier,’ Could Help Nab Stolen Autos, Seattle Police Say

The Seattle police department made history this week by sending out its first tweet about a stolen vehicle. But that tweet at was soon followed by another, and the city’s cops plan to use the social networking site routinely to enlist the public’s help in looking for hot cars, reports…

Dec 2, 2010 8:02 PM CST

He Said, She Said: Lawyer Claims Cop Abused Authority in Relationship Dispute

A bad relationship between a Virginia civil rights lawyer and a Washington, D.C., police officer has become a hard-fought federal court battle, as attorney Matthew LeFande seeks to hold officer Carolyn Mische-Hoeges civilly accountable for allegedly abusing her authority by pursuing a criminal case against him. A federal stalking charge…

Dec 2, 2010 12:41 AM CST

Illinois OKs Civil Unions for Same-Sex—and Opposite-Sex—Couples

Following the lead of five other states that have already approved some form of recognized same-sex relationships, lawmakers in Illinois today approved a bill to provide for same-sex—and opposite-sex—civil unions. The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act approved today by the state senate says civil unions will be…

Dec 1, 2010 9:38 PM CST

Medical Marijuana Is No Get-Rich-Quick Scheme

Dec 1, 2010 7:48 AM CST

Glenn Beck’s Book Discovery Becomes Tea Party Constitutional Inspiration

A constitutional book author who argued international bankers are promoting a one-world government is inspiring some Tea Party candidates, thanks to a Fox News television personality. The late author, W. Cleon Skousen, is “the constitutional guru of the Tea Party movement,” according to a New York Times magazine column by…

Nov 30, 2010 12:00 PM CST

Fed’l Judge Puts Hold on Okla. Amendment Banning State-Court Use of Shariah Law

A federal judge in Oklahoma today issued a permanent injunction putting a hold on a new ban on the use of Shariah law in the state’s courts, until it can be determined whether the voter-approved state constitutional amendment that implements the ban violates the U.S. Constitution in multiple ways. “While…

Nov 30, 2010 1:03 AM CST

Judge OKs Rajaratnam Wiretaps in Galleon Insider-Trading Case

In a groundbreaking $20 million insider-trading case based on wiretaps, a federal judge has ruled that thousands of hours of secretly recorded telephone conversations may be used as evidence by federal prosecutors in a case against Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of Galleon Group. Although the defense argued that the Securities…

Nov 24, 2010 8:50 PM CST

Gay Couple Marries in Texas (via Skype), Cites Local Paper for Refusing to Run Wedding Item

After making international headlines by figuring out a way to circumvent a Texas ban on same-sex marriage, two men married in their home state by a Washington, D.C., officiant via Skype have now filed an administrative complaint against a local newspaper for refusing to run their wedding announcement. Dante Walkup…

Nov 24, 2010 5:14 PM CST

Civil Suit Against Ex-Lawyer Languishes Along With Criminal Sex Investigation

Four years after swift action was promised in an investigation of underage sex accusations against a then-prominent downstate Illinois personal injury lawyer, the probe is not on a fast track and a related civil suit is hence stalled, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Although Tom Lakin is serving time for…

Nov 24, 2010 4:11 PM CST

Most 9/11 Responders in New York Agree to $625M Settlement re World Trade Center Health Claims

They aren’t necessarily happy about it. However, over 10,000 plaintiffs who have sought for seven years to hold the city of New York and its contractors responsible for alleged health injuries suffered by police, firefighters and others responding to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center…

Nov 19, 2010 9:48 PM CST

78 Prosecutors Withheld Forfeited Funds, Says Law Firm Whistle-Blower Suit

An Indiana law firm has filed an unusual whistle-blower suit against 78 county prosecutors, contending that they have kept forfeited funds for their own county’s use rather than turning the money over to a state education fund as required by law. At issue in the Marion Superior Court case is…

Nov 19, 2010 8:02 PM CST

Labor Department Partners With ABA in Lawyer Referral Program

Some workers whose complaints aren’t resolved by the U.S. Labor Department will be told of another option: Find a private lawyer through an ABA-approved lawyer referral program. The collaboration between the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division and the ABA was revealed Friday morning at a White House press conference.…

Nov 19, 2010 3:44 PM CST