Legal Humour News - June 2, 2008

Hi and welcome to this week's newsletter. If it's in the news and it's got a legal slant, we'll do a blawg on it.

Richard Roth is suing Delta Air Lines for ruining his family's vacation.  Roth says Delta had dealt with him arrogantly and rudely. 
 
Although juires are fine, we miss that champion of the underdog,  the late Lord Denning, in dealing with cases like this.  Please enjoy Airline service? Call Iron Justiceman, where Marcel resurrects His Lordship to judge this case.
 
As well develop more instant rapport with your clients by becoming multilingual.  It's not as hard as you may think. Read, It's a Small World After All. you'll be surprised that you are already multilingual.

Finally enjoy our latest collection of news stories with a legal twist.

Odd or Amusing Legal Stories from the Past Week:

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1 - See You In Court!

Judge Orders Con To Hang Victim's Picture In Jail Cell
A Michigan judge has ordered a man convicted of vehicular manslaughter to hang a picture of the woman he killed in his prison cell. The man was also sentenced to serve 10-to 22 years behind bars, which far exceeds the sentencing guidelines calling for about five years in prison.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/30/5717626-ap.html

Fox News Employee Sues Over Workplace Bedbug Bites
A Fox News employee has sued the landlord of her company's office building, claiming she got bedbug bites at work. The satellite feed coordinator says in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court that she picked up the bugs in the mid-Manhattan tower that houses the New York Post and the Fox News Channel.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN3043167820080530

Spanish Twins Separated At Birth Suing Gov't
Spanish twins who were separated at birth through a hospital error — then reunited as adults through a fluke — are suing for millions in damages, as is a third woman who grew up thinking, erroneously, that she was one of the twins. The real twins finally met each other in 2001. The case has been working its way through the courts since 2004. A decision is expected soon on whether the three women deserve damages.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL288987220080528

Lawyer Sues Delta For Ruining Family Vacation
A New York lawyer is suing Delta Air Lines for $1 million, saying his family vacation turned into a nightmare after they were stranded in an airport for days and treated disdainfully by airline employees.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/od_nm/delta_suit_dc

2 - Crime and Punishment

Cops Hunting For Robbers Wearing Thong Masks
Police in a Colorado town are searching for two robbers whose masks showed plenty of fashion sense but little modesty: women's thong underwear.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/30/5727866-ap.html

NZ Man Fined For Using Hedgehog To Assault Teen
A New Zealand man who assaulted a teen by hitting him with a spine-covered hedgehog has been fined by a court and ordered to pay most of his fine to his victim.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/29/5716061-ap.html

Liquor Store Owner Told To Stop Taking Shoplifters' Shoes
Police in Colorado are telling a liquor store owner to give shoplifters the boot - literally. Tired of losing what he says was about $1,000 worth of merchandise a month in thefts, the store owner started telling shoplifters he caught that they had two choices: Give him one of their shoes or he'd call the police. A handful gave up a shoe. But Durango police have since told the owner to stop the practice or risk facing charges of felony robbery.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/27/5685521-ap.html

"Flintstones" Arrested In Car Emissions Protest
"Fred and Wilma Flintstone" were arrested as they approached the European Parliament to protest about the influence of the auto industry on proposals to curb carbon dioxide emissions from cars. Six Greenpeace activists dressed as cavemen and traveling in a Flintstones-style vehicle were detained along with three others for public order offences, police said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2737843420080527

3 - Politics, Law, and Governance

Houston To Spend $150k To Defend Police Beard Ban
City officials are apparently willing to dig deep to defend the police department’s ban on beards. The Houston City Council has unanimously authorized spending up to $150,000 to defend the city in a lawsuit challenging the no-facial hair policy.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/29/5706331-ap.html

Louisiana Barber Ticketed For Monday Work
Police in Houma, Louisiana wouldn't cut a break for a barber who ran afoul of an obscure law barring him from working Sundays and Mondays. A law on the books in Houma for decades bars barbers from working Sundays, Mondays, any of several holidays and even the day after Labor Day.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/26/5675251-ap.html

4 - And Now for Something Completely Different

Lost Parrot Tells Veterinarian His Address
When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help. Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_japan_parrot_returns

Law(yers) can be funny, too:

For one night only in The DC Improv Comedy Lounge "Law(yers) can be funny, too: Tipping the scales of justice, one joke at a time."

From the center of the free world, where the rule of law reigns supreme, a group of lawyers will band together and lead the way towards helping the citizens of this great city (Washington DC) in their pursuit of life, liberty, and a sense of humor.

A standup comedy show featuring several lawyers and the author of a joke book for lawyers. You are invited to join us in a night of comedy to see whether "Law(yers) can be funny, too."

Performers include:

*Martin Dennis
*James Dechard
*Rishi Nangia
*Giovanni Diviacchi
*Phillip J. Mause

Standup Comedy Show @ DC Improv Comedy Lounge

1140 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Reservations: (202) 296-7008
Friday, June 13th @ 8:00pm, $8 a ticket
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
 
Special sponsor: LegalHumour.com