You might think that the government official who represents the Motor Accidents Authority, and is also the Education Minister for over 1 million kids in New South Wales, Australia, is biking to work to set a good example. You would be wrong. Minister John Della Bosca is riding his bicycle to work because he has gotten seven speeding tickets, from the same camera, in the same place. So his driver’s license has been suspended. Here he is!
He will be forever known as the “duct tape bandit.” Why? Kasey Kazee, unarmed, entered a liquor store in eastern Kentucky – with his head and face almost completely covered in duct tape. The manager tackled him and held him until the police arrived. Incredibly, despite the fact that the duct tape was removed from his face at the scene, Mr. Kazee initially denied he was the “duct tape bandit.” He had a change of heart, and pleaded guilty. He was just sentenced to 10 years in prison. Here’s an article from his arrest and one from his recent sentencing.
Okay, so I’m overstating it a little bit. Sanchez Brumfield was charged with killing a man in Louisiana. He’s being tried for first-degree murder. While in a holding cell in the courthouse basement, he was seen masturbating by the deputies who were monitoring him by camera. How is this relevant in the murder case? It’s not, but the prosecutor argued that, if Brumfield is convicted, the jury should consider it in deciding whether to give him life in jail, or the death penalty. What what what? What possible relevance could masturbating have in the life or death decision? Here’s what prosecutor Aaron Brooks said, per The Advocate and WBRZ News 2:
“He will make a lousy prisoner if he’s given a life-sentence,” Brooks said. “And this stunt proves that.”
Huh? What do you do with that kind of reasoning? Just what the judge did – he rejected it. Here’s the source.
While Mr. Swinyer was in jail, [former] correctional officer Cole admitted that he assaulted Mr. Swinyer by grabbing him around the throat and shoving him against the wall in response to – what else – a “donut” comment (really). Mr. Swinyer filed suit and litigated the case himself. The docket contains over 100 entries. In the end, more than 2 years after the case began, Judge Leighton held that the injury was de minimus and dismissed the case. (Here’s the Court’s decision.)
Understandably, Mr. Swinyer did not take the news well. Here is the Notice of Appeal he filed:
I hereby am informing you that I am appealing the asshole Ronald B. Leighton’s decision in this matter.
You have been hereby served Notice. You’re not getting away with this shit that easy.
Signed this 10th day of July 2006. George C. Swinyer, Jr. Click here to view Mr. Swinyer’s Notice of Appeal.
This was not well-received. The Court rejected the Notice of Appeal, stating that it was “not taken in good faith.” (Read it here.) Soon thereafter, the case was closed.
An 18-year-old stole an SUV, but couldn’t shake the cops. So he ditched it, and ran into the woods. Bad move, because he ran into a bunch of wild boars. The boars were pissed, scaring the thief so much that he started yelling for help. The police gladly responded, and arrested the young man. Here’s the source.
So the Largo, Florida police respond to a call about a problem at a bar, and they find Dana Shelton. But there’s no problem, and they tell Shelton to move along. Unless you are completely plastered, you realize this is a good thing. Not Shelton. He called 911 – the Largo police – to report that he was “surrounded by Largo police.” A definite head-scratcher. Said Largo Sgt. Melanie Holley:
Our officers were standing there scratching their heads. He called, standing there in their presence. It’s one of our ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ cases.
Just like I said, an official “head-scratcher.” Shelton got hit with misuse of 911, a misdemeanor. Thanks to Mr. Shelton for providing today’s Juice!
The Juice thanks Cindy Hill for submitting this story.
Just like the McDonald’s coffee case , I’m sure that, though the facts are bizarre, Mr. Mustapha’s injuries are real and quite serious. Here’s what happened, per canada.com:
Mustapha came to Canada from Lebanon in 1976 when he was 16 years old. A decade later, a Culligan Canada representative convinced him to keep a cooler of water in his home, which he was told was particularly beneficial for pregnant women and children. The family bought into the idea in a big way – keeping only Culligan water in their home for the next 15 years.
That all changed in 2001 after the fly incident. Mustapha said he could not get it out of his mind. He said he felt nauseous and suffered abdominal pain. He started avoided all things having to do with water – even drinking it and taking showers. He sought psychological treatment and medication.
As a result of this diet, you’ve gone from 413 pounds to 308 pounds in 8 months. Awesome, right? Not according to much-lighter Broderick Lloyd Laswell. Not only is he not pleased, he filed suit against the responsible parties – his jailers in Benton County, Arkansas (the Sheriff and the Jail Captain). Here are some of his complaints, as reported in The Northwest Arkansas Morning News:
“There are noticeable differences on the size of biscuits and cakes, as well as the sides,” according to Laswell, who also wants hot meals to be served from the jail’s kitchen.
“On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out,” Laswell wrote in his complaint. “About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again.”
For 57-year-old truck driver Mohamed Nor of Malaysia, 3 wives and 18 kids (ages 4 to 34) are not enough. So he is seeking the permission of the Syrariah High Court to marry a fourth women. And guess who has consented to the marriage? Wives 1,2 and 3. Said Judge Shaikh Ahmad, per the New Straits Times:
“I find it rather strange because since becoming a (syariah) judge, this is the first time where all three wives not only allow their husband to marry another woman but are very supportive of it,” he said during the hearing of Mohamed Nor’s application.
Do you think the Judge allowed the marriage? Not yet. His concern? How can a truck driver making RM 1,500 per month (US $468.75) take on another wife? So Mr. Nor has to answer this question to the court’s satisfaction before the marriage will be approved. Here’s the source.
It’s 2:30 a.m. in Hartman, Arkansas. Do you know where your 12-year-old is? No worries. He’s just drinking your beer, with his 10-year-old friend, then taking the truck out for a spin. Why? Per the AP, to find a girl they met at the rodeo! Here’s what happened:
The boys made it about 10 miles before the 12-year-old lost control of the truck… the truck hit and jumped over a guardrail, sending it careening 50 feet down a steep hill into a forest.
Incredibly, neither boy was seriously hurt. Clark James, who lives near the crash scene, was a little surprised when he heard someone banging on his door.
“I opened the door and the first thing (the 12-year-old) said to me was, ‘I’m drunk and I had a wreck,'” James said. “I looked at him and I thought ‘You’re kind of young to be out drinking. And you sure shouldn’t be driving.'”
The 12-year-old is facing drunk driving, plus a few other charges (like, maybe driving without a license?) Click here to read a little more.
