Trump's attorneys are working overtime to keep the FBI from looking at the documents they retrieved from Michael Cohen.

Courtesy of the AP: 

Lawyers for President Donald Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, have told a federal judge in New York that they believe some of the documents and devices seized from Cohen during an FBI raid are protected by attorney-client privilege, and they want a chance to review the material before prosecutors get to examine them. 

Prosecutors and the attorneys for Cohen and Trump appeared before U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood on Friday in Manhattan. 

Cohen’s attorneys say they want a chance to review documents seized in the raid on Monday and specify items they believe aren’t relevant to the investigation. 

An attorney for the president, Joanna Hendon, told the judge that Trump has “an acute interest in this matter.”

Oh yeah, I'll bet.

Here's more: 

Federal prosecutors say in a court filing that the criminal probe that led them to raid the offices of Donald Trump’s personal lawyer this week is focused on his “personal business dealings.” 

In the filing with a court in New York, prosecutors blacked out a section describing what crime they believe Trump attorney Michael Cohen has committed. 

But they provided new details on the investigation, which they said has been going on for months. 

They said agents had already searched multiple email accounts maintained by Cohen. 

The filing said none of those emails was exchanged with Trump.

(Quick note, Trump does not use email.)

Ultimately the judge granted Trump's "right to intervene," a move that allows his attorneys to review the seized documents in order to protect Trump's rights, but demanded that Cohen show up for a hearing on Monday.

And she was not at all happy.

Judge isn't denying motion now. But she isn't pleased.

"If you don't have the answers by 2 p.m. on Monday, I’m likely to discount the argument that there are thousands or more privileged documents," she tells Cohen's attorneys.

— erica orden (@eorden) April 13, 2018

Part of the Fed's argument against the executive privilege claim is that Cohen is a fraud of a lawyer:

Michael Cohen is a fraud of a lawyer who works exclusively for President Trump, federal prosecutors charged Friday. 

“Cohen has told at least one witness that he has only [one] client — President Trump,” the lawyers wrote in court documents, challenging Cohen’s claims that records seized in raids on his home and office Monday should be protected by attorney-client privilege. 

And he’s barely doing any “legal work” for Trump, either, they claim. 

“[Reviews of the records] indicate that Cohen is in fact performing little to no legal work, and that zero ­e-mails were exchanged with President Trump,” according to the brief, filed in Manhattan federal court. 

In fact, the criminal investigation into Cohen isn’t about his work as a lawyer, “but rather relate[s] to Cohen’s own business dealings,” the feds argued.

According to Michael Avenatti there is a "very good chance" that some of the siezed documents pertain to his client, Stormy Daniels, and he suggests that she might just show up on Monday to observe the hearing.

Sure, why not?

After all it really isn't a party until the porn star shows up, right?

Judge presiding of defamation case against Bill O'Reilly refuses to keep his secret settlements secret.

Courtesy of CNN Money:  

A federal judge in New York has denied Bill O'Reilly's motion to seal settlement agreements he struck with multiple women who accused him of harassment, dealing a huge blow to the former Fox News host in a defamation suit brought last year. 

Deborah Batts, the judge presiding over the defamation suit, ruled Tuesday that O'Reilly "has failed to present compelling countervailing factors that could overcome the presumption of public access" to the agreements. 

Batts also said O'Reilly "has not even come close to rebutting this First Amendment presumption" that favors public access to documents. 

"Defendant O'Reilly asks the Court to resolve a dispute by relying on the very Agreements he seeks to shield from public view," Batts wrote. 

The judge's ruling means that certain terms of the settlements are coming to light for the first time. On Wednesday, Neil Mullin and Nancy Erika Smith, the attorneys representing the three plaintiffs, introduced to the court settlement agreements between O'Reilly and women who had sued and settled with him. The agreement struck with Andrea Mackris, a former Fox News producer who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against O'Reilly in 2004, required all parties in the case to disclaim any of the evidence "as counterfeit or forgeries" should it be made public. 

As Smith and Mullin put it in a separate filing on Wednesday, the provision required Mackris to "lie -- even in legal proceedings or under oath -- if any evidence becomes public, by calling evidence 'counterfeit' or 'forgeries.'"

A former Fox New host had a legal settlement written up that forces a former co-worker to lie about factual information if it becomes public?

Let's chalk that up to the least surprising news of the day.  

Man I used to love to hate on Bill O'Reilly back when he actually mattered. (Might have something to do with the fact that he attacked me on national television.)

But now that he is a fucking nobody, I just enjoy watching him sink slowly into oblivion.

Wisconsin Federal judge tells Governor Walker that she doesn't care if his party is going to lose, he still has to hold special elections.

Courtesy of Think Progress:  

A judge ruled Thursday that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) must “promptly” hold special elections for two vacant seats in the state legislature — elections that he refused to call because he was afraid his party would lose. 

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dane County Circuit Judge Josann Reynolds ruled that state law requires Walker, a two-term governor and former presidential candidate, to hold the elections in order to give residents of the two districts representation in the state legislature. The seats have been vacant since December, when Walker appointed the two representatives to serve in his administration. 

“To state the obvious, if the plaintiffs have a right to vote for their representatives, they must have an election to do so,” said Reynolds, who Walker appointed to the court in 2014. 

Walker claimed he didn’t need to fill the seats because the legislative session will be ending soon, and planned to keep the seats open for more than a year. Wisconsin voters named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit called that decision unlawful. 

“We have nobody representing the interests of our Senate district right now and that upsets me,” Jennifer Meyer, one of the named plaintiffs, testified in court. “We’re entitled to representation.”

Damn! I have seen some desperate Republicans lately but absolutely refusing to hold elections because your party will be defeated is pretty fucked up.

Scott Walker reminds me of the kid that suddenly "accidentally" upends the Monopoly board when he realizes he is about to lose.

And really all he has done here is to ensure an insane Democratic turnout and definite defeat for the GOP candidates.

Doesn't anybody in this party understand the concept of "fair play" anymore?

Trump campaign chair in Kentucky pleads guilty to sex trafficking. Remember what I said yesterday?

JUST IN: Trump campaign chair in KY pleads guilty to sex trafficking of minors: 21 counts against 19 victims, to get 20 yrs in prison, “felony trafficking of a minor, felony inducing a minor to engage in sex, and a third count of giving alcohol to a minor”https://t.co/jlM9QpCzMS pic.twitter.com/1scCWud33F

— The Baxter Bean (@TheBaxterBean) February 9, 2018

 Courtesy of Kentucky.gov:  

Today, Attorney General Andy Beshear announced that former Campbell County District Judge Timothy Nolan has pleaded guilty to numerous felony charges, including human trafficking of adults, promoting human trafficking of minors and unlawful transaction with minors. 

As part of his plea agreement with prosecutors from Beshear’s Special Prosecutions Division, Nolan pleaded guilty to 21 counts against 19 victims and prosecutors’ recommended sentences totaling 20 years in prison. Nolan will remain in custody at the Campbell County Detention Center pending his sentencing March 29, 2018, at 9 a.m. 

Nolan, 71, of California, Ky., a former local school board member, was originally charged in a criminal complaint by the Campbell County Police Department for crimes that occurred between 2010 and 2017. That complaint alleged that Nolan committed human trafficking with a minor by subjecting a child under age 18 to engaging in commercial sexual activity. 

He was later indicted on 28 felony counts and two misdemeanor counts. 

“The punishment in this case does not undo the trauma inflicted on the victims, but it brings closure and some justice,” Beshear said. “I want to thank the Campbell County Police Department and our special prosecutions team for working this case.”

Remember yesterday when I said it appeared being a sexual predator was a prerequisite to work in the Trump White House?

Well apparently that goes for working on the campaign as well.

Federal Judge smacks down Trump's attempt to repeal DACA.

In the middle of the intense political fight about the DACA program for dreamers, a federal judge in California just issued a nationwide injunction ordering the administration to start the program back up again, saying the decision to kill it was improper. pic.twitter.com/Op9zneahWy

— Michael D. Shear (@shearm) January 10, 2018

WOW: Federal judge orders the Trump administration roll back its rescission of #DACA. Basically, to put it back on the books!

“The agency action was not in accordance with law because it was based on the flawed legal premise that the agency lacked authority to implement DACA.” https://t.co/W3e5PrS9ls

— Cristian Farías 🍮 (@cristianafarias) January 10, 2018

This is big as Trump has been using DACA as a negotiating tool to manipulate the Dems into supporting that stupid border wall of his.

This news of course pissed Trump off big time.

It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018

Actually I am not convinced that even with Trump's newly placed Supreme Court judge that they will support Trump's repeal of this law.

And even if they do that is still many months down the road, and the 2018 elections are coming soon. 

Senate confirms nominee for federal judgeship who has never tried a single case.

Courtesy of the LA Times:  

Brett J. Talley, President Trump’s nominee to be a federal judge in Alabama, has never tried a case, was unanimously rated “not qualified” by the American Bar Assn.’s judicial rating committee, has practiced law for only three years and, as a blogger last year, displayed a degree of partisanship unusual for a judicial nominee, denouncing “Hillary Rotten Clinton” and pledging support for the National Rifle Assn. 

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a party-line vote, approved him for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. 

Talley, 36, is part of what Trump has called the "untold story" of his success in filling the courts with young conservatives. 

“The judge story is an untold story. Nobody wants to talk about it,” Trump said last month, standing alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the White House Rose Garden. “But when you think of it, Mitch and I were saying, that has consequences 40 years out, depending on the age of the judge — but 40 years out.”

The Trumpification of America is right on track.

Unqualified judges, inexperienced cabinet members, and unrepentant sexual predators in the Senate.

Donald Trump was a change candidate alright, and just look what he has changed us into.

Presidential pardon or not Sheriff Arpaio's record will not be scrubbed clean.

Courtesy of Politico:  

A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump's pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio ends his prosecution for criminal contempt of court, but does not wipe out the guilty verdict she returned or any other rulings in the case. 

In her order Thursday, Phoenix-based U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton rejected arguments from Arpaio's lawyers and Justice Department prosecutors that the longtime Maricopa County sheriff was entitled to have all rulings in the case vacated, including the guilty verdict the judge delivered in July after a five-day trial. 

“The power to pardon is an executive prerogative of mercy, not of judicial recordkeeping," Bolton wrote, quoting an appeals court ruling. "To vacate all rulings in this case would run afoul of this important distinction. The Court found Defendant guilty of criminal contempt. The President issued the pardon. Defendant accepted. The pardon undoubtedly spared Defendant from any punishment that might otherwise have been imposed. It did not, however, 'revise the historical facts' of this case."

Well good for his judge!

Arpaio is a racist POS and just because he has a fellow racist POS buddy in a high place does NOT mean he gets to pretend that he is not a criminal. 

Donald Trump is rapidly filling the courts with conservative judges who may drive the country dramatically to the Right.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

“Trump’s speed in nominating judges has been perhaps the most successful aspect of his presidency,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond who specializes in judicial nominations. “Trump has easily surpassed Obama, Bush and Clinton at this point in the first year of their presidencies in terms of the sheer number nominated.” 

He has. Ten months in, Trump has nominated 17 circuit court judges and 39 district court judges. That’s far more than former President Barack Obama’s seven circuit court nominees and four district court nominees by this point in his first year of office. Former President George W. Bush had nominated 11 circuit judges and 31 district judges by this point. 

He’s also got more court seats to fill. He inherited a whopping 108 court vacancies when he became president ― double the number of vacancies Obama inherited when he took office. That’s largely due to Republicans’ years-long strategy of denying votes to Obama’s court picks to keep those seats empty for a future GOP president to fill. It worked. 

If Trump’s current judicial nominees are a preview of the kinds of judges he plans to nominate in the coming years, prepare for a significantly more socially conservative group of people shaping the nation’s laws.

LGBTQ rights, employee protections, Roe Vs Wade, could all be in jeopardy once Trump fills the courts with judges who are determined to help Make America Great Again.

Their version of that is giving white males back all of the power, and to put everybody else back in their places. You know, where they belong.

Anybody who voted for Donald Trump because they thought he was a Republican who would not push conservative social values onto the people, should be taken out back an given a sound beating.

Judge rejects Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against New York Times! Update!

Judge Rakoff has dismissed Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. Story soon.

— Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) August 29, 2017

Courtesy of The Daily Beast:

A Manhattan judge on Tuesday threw out former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s lawsuit against The New York Times. Palin sued the newspaper for defamation earlier this year over an editorial that tied an ad featuring crosshairs denoting anti-gun politicians, produced by her political action committee, to the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The Times was forced to append a correction to the editorial, noting the fact that “no such link” was established between the Palin group’s ad and the shooting. The judge said Palin was unable to prove on a “plausible factual basis” that the Times’ mistake was “malicious” in nature.

Hah!

I knew this thing was going to blow up in Palin's face!

Well I think we all know what expressions she is wearing now.

Yep, that's the one.

Update:

U.S. Judge in Manhattan has dismissed Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times "with prejudice," meaning case is over.

— Benjamin Weiser (@BenWeiserNYT) August 29, 2017

Well good for the judge.

I think most of us dismissed Sarah Palin with prejudice years ago. 

Judge blocks Sarah Palin's plans to perform opposition research on two dozen reporters for the New York Times.

Courtesy of the New York Post:

A Manhattan federal court judge will decide by the end of this month whether to dismiss a defamation lawsuit Sarah Palin filed against the New York Times for accusing the former Alaska governor of inciting gun violence. 

In the meantime, Judge Jed Rakoff suspended discovery, blocking Palin’s lawyers from grilling two dozen Times reporters to prove the Gray Lady is biased against her. 

Clearly the judge recognized this as a fishing expedition and that the entire point of this case is to embarrass and bully the New York Times and its reporters. 

I still think that this case will get thrown out, but if it doesn't I seriously doubt its outcome will prove satisfying to either Palin or her lawyers.

New York Times asks judge to throw out Sarah Palin defamation suit.

Courtesy of the Miami Herald:

The New York Times has asked a judge to toss out a defamation lawsuit former Alaska governor Sarah Palin filed against it. 

The newspaper said in court papers late Friday that its prompt and full correction of an editorial that referenced Palin's political action committee nullifies her claims. 

Palin sued the Times in Manhattan federal court last month, saying the newspaper had accused her of inciting the mass shooting that severely wounded then-Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords. She sought unspecified damages.

In court papers Friday, Times lawyers noted that the plain words of the editorial referenced Palin's "SarahPAC" political action committee rather than Palin herself.

I think ultimately that this case is going to either be thrown out or Palin will yes "uncle" and give up after the costs get too high for it to worthwhile anymore. 

Ultimately of course I would like to see Palin lose and then be forced to compensate the Times for court costs, but I do not see it going that far.

Federal judge temporarily blocks Donald Trump's Muslim ban. Trump throws Twitter fit over it.

Courtesy of Politico: 

President Donald Trump's travel ban executive order suffered its most severe legal blow to date Friday, as a federal judge in Seattle blocked the impact of the directive nationwide. 

U.S. District Court Judge James Robart ruled in favor of the attorneys general of Washington state and Minnesota on a lawsuit they brought seeking to overturn the order limiting travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. 

The ruling prompted a typically combative reaction from the Trump White House Friday night, but in a departure from recent patterns, the most confrontational language was quickly dialed back. 

"At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a written statement. "The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people." 

Spicer's statement was reissued about 10 minutes later to remove the word "outrageous." 

Yes well maybe they can go back and edit the White House Press Secretary's statement, but nobody edits Donald Trump.

When a country is no longer able to say who can, and who cannot , come in & out, especially for reasons of safety &.security - big trouble!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

Interesting that certain Middle-Eastern countries agree with the ban. They know if certain people are allowed in it's death & destruction!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

And which Middle Eastern countries would those be Donnie? Countries hoping to NOT be added to the ban perhaps?

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017

For the record this "co-called judge" was appointed by George W. Bush.

And his ruling does NOT take law enforcement away from our country, however it DOES protect our Constitution.

As we know Trump really, really hates being told no.

Which is too bad really since it appears that he is going to be hearing a whole lot of no for the next four years.

Of eight shows pitched to television executives Sarah Palin's judge show was seen as least appealing.

Courtesy of TV News Check: 

Of eight first-run syndicated shows being pitched at NATPE in Miami Beach this week, a judge show featuring one-time GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is least appealing to viewers surveyed by Katz Television. 

Only 21% of the respondents said that they would watch or might watch Palin Rules, which was developed by Larry Little, the producer who launched Judge Judy, and distributed by Barry Wallach and Lee Villas. 

For the survey, Katz tested “awareness and interest” among 404 adults, 18 or older and geographically dispersed, via Ourmedia.com, Katz’s standing panel of TV viewers.

I guess that explains why we learned last week that the show was dead in the water because it did not "resonate" with the audience.

Seems like that may have been an understatement.

Not surprising, but it does mark yet another failure for the Wasilla Wendigo. 

So instead she launches a website, and hires somebody to ghostwrite it for her.

I am not sure what the end game is for something like that, but I have every confidence that Sarah Palin will fail to reach it.

Federal judge orders release of FBI search warrant to search Huma Abedin's e-mails. Update!

Courtesy of Fox News: 

A federal judge on Monday ordered the release of the search warrant the FBI used to reopen their probe into Hillary Clinton’s private email server days before the November election. 

U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel ruled Monday morning that the public had a right to see the warrant, which he said was secretly filed with the court on Oct. 30. 

“The search warrant, the application for the search warrant, the affidavit in support of the application for the search warrant, and the search warrant return will be unsealed and posted on the Court's electronic case filing system” subject to redactions, Castel said in his order. 

The court dispute concerns the warrant agents used to get access to emails stored on a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

The Justice Department could block this order if they choose, but if not we might actually find out what excuse the FBI came up with to hijack our election.

And that is a question which I really think deserves a damn answer.

Update: Okay so now we have our damn answer. And that answer appears to be that there was no reason for the warrant.

That is the Facebook page of the California defense attorney who filed the lawsuit to gain access to this warrant.

A warrant that he claims shows no probable cause.

If he is accurate it would appear that the Clintons have fairly good lawsuit on their hands, and I think a criminal investigation of James Comey is in order as well. 

Alabama judge Roy Moore loses his job for defying law on same sex marriage. Your feel good story of the day.

Courtesy of WIAT: 

The Alabama Court of the Judiciary has suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore without pay for the remainder of his term in office. 

The court ruled Friday morning to suspend Moore without pay for the remainder of his term in office. He will also have to pay for court costs. 

Moore was found guilty on all six charges, that he failed to respect and comply with the law for telling probate judges not to allow same sex marriages. The same panel removed Moore in 2003 after he refused to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state judicial building. He was later re-elected as chief justice after losing a race for governor.

Roy Moore of course is an outspoken opponent of same sex marriage, and anti-government zealot, and of course a Right Wing hero.

I imagine that now he will be considered a martyr to their cause and embark on a speaking tour during which he vilifies President Obama and the liberals to crowds at Alt-Right political rallies and Evangelical tent revivals.

Sarah Palin to pimp her new judge show at the National Association of Broadcasters show.

Courtesy of TV News Check:  

Sarah Palin will be at next week’s NAB Show in Las Vegas taking meetings to promote her prospective syndicated court show, TVNewsCheck has learned. 

In addition, the formerly untitled show now has a name — Palin Rules — although it’s being characterized as a “working” title that could be subject to change, sources say. 

According to multiple sources, Palin will be sequestered in a hotel suite where she is expected to meet-and-greet programming executives from station groups who will be in town for the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention. 

The meetings will represent the first time that station programmers will get to meet Palin and, in the process, get to know her and size up her potential as a prospective TV judge.

I wonder if she will meet-and-greet them while wearing a towel?

Cause we know she does that. 

Here are a few more details: 

Among other things, the show’s developers are considering having Palin be addressed on the show as “Governor” rather than “Judge Palin,” perhaps to play up her past role as governor of Alaska and play down the fact that she has no real-world experience as either a lawyer or a judge. To amplify that point, she might not wear judicial robes on the show either, sources say. This consideration might also be why the word “Judge” does not appear in the show’s working title. Whether or not her show’s set would resemble a courtroom, however, is still not known.

Personally I am not sure that calling her "Governor" is any better than referring to her as "judge."

Did they consider "Quitter?" Or "Fame whore?" Or perhaps my favorite "Madame Mooseknuckle?"

I wonder if these people realize that typically "Palin rules" are any damn thing she can get away with until the authorities tell her she can't?

I would suggest betting on whether she gets a nibble on the show idea or not, but since we know that Palin will have those Belmonts fully inflated and strapped firmly into place I imagine some poor horny idiot WILL make an offer.

That only leaves the amount of time before she quits or the network pulls the plug up for debate.

Oops, more bad news for Bristol Palin!

Courtesy of Radar Online:

Palin, 25, recently filed a motion asking a judge to get Johnston, 25, to pay up roughly $66,000 in back child support payments. But according to new court documents filed on February 11, a judge denied her motion. 

The court documents state that the judge denied her “motion for collection of past due child support, insofar as that motion relies on the interim support order,” explaining “because the order was an interim order, it no longer was in effect once the case was dismissed.” 

The main issue is that their custody case was dismissed in September 2012 for lack of prosecution. At that time, the judge wrote in the new documents, the couple’s initial child support agreement became invalid, so Palin can’t claim Johnston hasn’t met those obligations. 

After the dismissal, Palin didn’t file a motion for an interim support order again until August 2014. And the couple finally settled the case in December 2015.

So this does not mean that Levi does not owe back child support. However it DOES mean that what he owes, based on the new child custody agreement and accurate financial information, will be a fraction of what has been claimed by Bristol for these last five years or so.

I think at one point they were claiming it was up to $82,000, or something ridiculous like that. 

I'm trying to decide who is having the worst 2016, Jeb Bush or the Palin family?

Federal judge denies Cliven Bundy bail. Good thinking judge. Update!

Courtesy of OPB: 

A federal judge in Portland denied bail for Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy at a hearing Tuesday. 

Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart agreed with prosecutors that Bundy posed a flight risk, is a danger to the community, and should be held in jail while awaiting trial. 

“I agree with the government, if he’s released and goes back to his ranch that will be the last the court will see of him,” Stewart said.

Wait, do you mean the judge thinks that simply because this yahoo flouts the law at every turn, and believes that as a sovereign citizen they don't apply to him, that he might not show up for a court date?

Like I said, smart judge.

I wonder how the Bundy boys are enjoying all of their God given freedom right about now?

Update:  It looks like the feds have now indicted some of the morons from the Oregon standoff, with crimes committed during the 2014 Nevada standoff.

Courtesy of Oregon Live:   

Ammon Bundy, brother Ryan Bundy, Ryan Payne and Peter Santilli -- already indicted in the armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon -- now face federal indictment along with Cliven Bundy in the 2014 armed standoff near the Bundy ranch in Nevada. 

The indictment charges the four with 16 felonies: one count of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, one count of conspiring to impede or injure a federal officer, four counts of carrying a firearm in a crime of violence, two counts of assault on a federal officer, two counts of threatening a federal law enforcement officer, three counts of obstructing justice, two counts of interfering with interstate commerce by extortion and one count of interstate travel in aid of extortion. 

It also levels five counts of criminal forfeiture against each defendant. If convicted of the offenses, they would have to forfeit property obtained from the proceeds of their crimes, totaling at least $3 million, including cattle at the so-called Bunkerville Allotment and Lake Mead National Recreational Area in Nevada. They also would have to forfeit firearms and ammunition used in the April 12, 2014, standoff with federal authorities.

I love the smell of justice in the morning, don;t you?

Judge rules that Bill Cosby's wife will have to testify against him in court.

Courtesy of Newsweek:

In the same week that comedian Bill Cosby was arrested on sexual assault charges, his wife, Camille Cosby, learned she must testify in a civil case against the entertainer filed by seven women who said he defamed them, court documents said. 

A federal magistrate judge in Massachusetts on Thursday rejected arguments by Cosby's wife of almost 52 years, who also has been his business manager, that the deposition would represent an "undue burden." 

The deposition is scheduled for next Wednesday, a week after Bill Cosby, 78, was charged in Pennsylvania in the only criminal case brought against the actor, who has been accused by more than 50 women of sexually abusing them in incidents dating back decades.

You might think that a man who professes to love his wife as much as Bill Cosby does, might just consider entering a plea deal in order to keep her from having to embarrass or humiliate herself in a courtroom on his behalf.

The man has truckloads and truckloads of money, but only one woman who was willing to stand by his side when the whole world turned their back to demonstrate their disgust at his behaviors.

Or perhaps there are simply NO women that Bill Cosby respects enough not to use them for his own personal gratification or as a human shield.

12 year old black boy suspended for staring at white girl, which is apparently still something that happens in America in 2015.

Courtesy of Fox 19: 

A 12-year-old boy is suspended from school for 'staring' at another student. It happened in September of 2014 at St. Gabriel Consolidated School in Glendale. The parents filed suit in Hamilton County Common Pleas court to try and get the suspension erased claiming the school didn’t give their son due process. 

A Judge denied the claim, which means as of now the suspension of the 12-year-old stands. “The perception is he intimidated her,” said Candice Tolbert, his mother. 

“My son stared at a girl who was engaged in a staring game,” she said. “She giggled the entire time,” she said from her Liberty Township home. 

Court paper shows the female student "felt fearful.” The incident happened on a Monday. The school was notified by the girl’s parents on Tuesday. They allegedly notified the Tolbert’s son on Tuesday, but did not tell the Tolbert’s until Wednesday. By that time, their son had already written an apology letter, which the parents said they were unaware of until notified by the school. 

In the letter, the 12-year-old wrote, “I never knew she was scared because she was laughing.” It also read, “I understand I done the wrong thing that will never happen again. I will start to think before I do so I am not in this situation.”

When asked if she considered the actions of the school and the judge to be racist, the boy's family said they are not ready to "pull out the race card,"

Well here let me do it on their behalf.

There is NO fucking way that a white 12 year old boy in Ohio would be suspended for staring at a classmate during a staring contest. So of course this is racist!

In fact the white kid could have been standing on a desk staring down at the girl with one finger pointed at her as if to curse her for all eternity and he still would not have missed a single day of class.

And reading that letter from the boy saying that he knows he "done wrong" and it "will never happen again" is heartbreaking.

So even if this young man goes back to school, will he ever feel able to look at his white classmates, or girls ever again?

I think this family has quite a case for a discrimination lawsuit on their hands, and I hope they sue not only the school district but this judge for everything they have.