AN Egyptian donkey has been jailed for stealing corn on the cob.

When the director of a local agricultural institute complained that somebody was stealing his crops, police set up a checkpoint. It was sometime later that the un-named donkey and his owner were apprehended. The donkey was found in possession of the institute's corn and sentenced to spend 24 hours in jail. His owner was allowed to go free on payment of an $11.40 fine.

Now, what's that about the law being an ass...

News.com.au

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 07:20 AM | Permalink

In England, so called 'Cops and Robbers' parties have been going on for years. Guests have to dress up as either a cop or a robber and, as often happens, the party-goers tend to be dressed as caricatures - well, it's no fun otherwise, is it?

In Southend, Essex, Converso Contact Center decided to hold a cops and robbers party as a team building event. Unfortunately, the team didn't have time to do very much building at all before their party was swarmed by armed police in bullet proof vests.

Apparently, a witness reported seeing two men in dark clothes taking guns into the building. The guns were very quickly discovered to be toys.

A British Bobby, who seemed to have had his sense of humor surgically removed, commented, "The two men involved clearly did not think about the implications of their actions. This was potentially a very dangerous situation and, as such, armed officers were deployed."

This is called a 'caught in an embarrassing cock-up' response.

UPI

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:44 AM | Permalink

Police followed their sergeant's orders to kick down the door and then entered the house with guns drawn. Room by room they searched the house but could find no trace of anybody, let alone the woman in distress who had been heard to call for help. And still the cries of distress continued, despite the apparent emptiness of the building.

Then, in a bedroom on the first floor, the mystery was solved. A caged cockatoo was crying "Help me! Help me!"

The bird, who goes by the name of Luna, had duped a host of 911 callers as well as the police. Completely unfazed by the entrance of the law enforcers, Luna simply said, "Hello."

Ten-year-old Luna, a blue-eyed umbrella cockatoo, has done this twice before and, on one occasion, caused neighbors to call police because they thought a baby had been left at home alone all day. It was just Luna practicing her baby cries.

NJ.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:50 AM | Permalink

Police in Norfolk, England, have been issued with a modern behavior guide and appearance code.

From this day forth, police are required to:

be polite and courteous
dress appropriately
be tidy
not use personal mobile phones in public view
not keep their hands in their pockets (no trouser pool then)

Furthermore, senior staff are encouraged to avoid the 'too busy syndrome' and address negative trends, such as:

frequent sickness
poor discipline
low workload,
sloppy paperwork
laziness

So, that's one county down and only another 46, 81, or 37 counties to go - depending on how you count them. If we can't get our Counties sussed, what hope is there for our police forces?!

Of course, the police could count the counties but then they risk falling foul of the 'too busy syndrome.'

Lancashire Evening Post

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:22 AM | Permalink

not even in the police force.

The woman, handcuffed and stowed into in the back of a police cruiser, was suspected of driving a stolen vehicle. Having apprehended her and secured her, the arresting police then started to run checks to see if the car the woman had been driving was, indeed, stolen. They left the engine running.

It was during these checks that the woman managed to slip her cuffs and wiggle into the front of the police car and drive off. Luckily for the police officers, she crashed just a short time later.

Two patrolling officers, seeing the crash, ran to help what they thought was a fellow officer in trouble and discovered the woman. They put two and two together, amazingly they didn't come up with five, and the game was up.

The woman faces charges of theft over $5,000 and impaired driving. Damage to the police cruiser was estimated at $3,500.

London Free Press

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:08 AM | Permalink

A rehabilitation program at a high security jail in Bosnia encouraging prisoners to breed pigeons was one of those projects that seemed like a good idea at the time. However, one of the pigeons is now in custody and behind bars, accused of smuggling drugs.

Wardens at Zenica prison grew suspicious when four prisoners became visibly intoxicated shortly after the pigeon was spotted landing on a window-ledge. The wardens' suspicions were confirmed when the bird's owner and three other inmates later tested positive for heroin, which it is thought had been carried in by the pigeon in tiny bags attached to its legs.

The pigeon will remain behind bars until prison authorities decide what to do with it.

Ananova

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:20 AM | Permalink

Heidi Dalibor from Grafton in Wisconsin has been arrested and booked for not paying her library fines. Although Dalibor had ignored calls from the library, together with their letters and a notice to appear in court, she was still surprised when officers with a warrant knocked on her door, cuffed her and took her to the police station to be fingerprinted and photographed

The 'criminal' had to pay around $30 in unpaid library fines; it cost her mother rather more, at $172, to get her out of custody.

So what marvelous tomes of knowledge cost the Dalibor's over $200 for the pleasure of reading? White Oleander and Angels and Demons. Oh, dear; it wouldn't have been quite so bad if it had been great literature that had cost her so dear.

I dread to think what this literary escapade cost the State.

My Way News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 05:24 AM | Permalink

In Germany, two inventive teenagers added a lawnmower engine, bicycle brakes, and a metal frame to a revolving office chair and turned it into a something like a souped up go-kart.

But the German police haf vays of spoiling your fun. They confiscated the motorized chair and said that the inventors are being investigated over a variety of possible offenses, including defying insurance regulations, driving without a license and violating registration requirements. I don't suppose Ford had these problems!

I think its a wonderful invention - just think how much more you could get done in a day's work if your office chair was motorized!

My Way

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:44 AM | Permalink

...Don't Answer the Phone!

Christopher Kron has been dubbed 'the most honest suspected burglar' that Lee County Sheriff's Office has ever seen.

Kron was robbing a bar when the alarms went off; as they are prone to do, the alarm company rang the bar's phone - and Kron answered their call, giving his correct name. When he couldn't give the correct password, however, police were summoned.

What's more, Kron returned to the scene of his crime the next morning, by which time the bar owner had seen him on the CCTV system. Kron was identified and arrested.

Kron said that the robbery had taken place on his birthday - he stole one bottle of Grand Marnier - and also commented on how nice and professional the lady from the alarm company was.

Our birthday boy was charged with unarmed burglary of a structure without persons inside, and petty larceny.

First Coast News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:44 AM | Permalink

for their Neighbors!

Kerry Norris' boyfriend, Adam Hinton, must not go within 100 meters of her Brighton apartment.

Residents have been complaining for two years about thumping music, the sound of banging headboards, and screamed obscenities that come from the Norris home. The neighbors have also complained about Norris sunbathing naked in her yard.

'The court granted the city council's request for an injunction banning Hinton from the apartment because Norris had ignored a previous court order demanding that she be more quiet.'

Who thinks the neighboring women are jealous because:

a) they want sex that makes them scream and the headboard bang - you can only live on memories for so long

and

b) they wouldn't dare sunbathe naked in the yard?

Daily Telegraph

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:26 AM | Permalink

German judge, Brigitte Koppenhoefer, could not control her hysterics as she tried a case between warring neighbors. As she heard tales of egg fights and parcels filled with feces, she gamely controlled her rising laughter. Unfortunately, the laughter dam eventually burst when the neighbors resorted to name calling, they hurled epithets such as 'donkey face' and 'smelly bum.'

The smelly bum proved too much; she cracked up and had to leave the court. On her return she threw out the 'ridiculous case.'

Perhaps not such a dumb justice after all.

Metro

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:35 AM | Permalink

This one takes a pop a lawyers, but I couldn't resist bringing it to you.

The conversation took place between a policeman and the defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the policeman's credibility...

Q: 'Officer -- did you see my client fleeing the scene?'

A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.'

Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?'

A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.'

Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?'

A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'

Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?'

A: 'Yes sir, we do!'

Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?'

A: 'Yes sir, I do.'

Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'

A: 'Yes sir.'

Q: 'Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?'

A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.'

The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called.

PoliceLink

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:38 AM | Permalink

A thirteen year old girl being transported in a prison van took advantage of the situation when her driver got lost. He left her in the van while he went to ask for directions. Not one to miss an opportunity like that, the girl scrambled into the driver's seat and drove away. She was shackled and handcuffed at the time.

Eventually, with the traffic against her and the Lynwood and State Police in full pursuit, the girl got boxed in at a junction and was arrested.

She was charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle and is due to appear in Court on August 5th.

Chicago Sun Times

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:08 AM | Permalink

A woman from Springfield, Massachusetts has accused Wal-Mart, local health officials and Cox Health Systems of discriminating against Richard, her 10-year-old bonnet macaque. Debby Rose contends that Richard is no ordinary monkey but that he is a service animal that helps her curb public panic attacks that she says occur as a result of her social anxiety disorder.

Apparently, back in 2006, Health officials sent letters to restaurants and grocery stores, advising them not to let Rose in with the monkey. Rose also alleges that she and Richard were denied access to the offices of Cox Health Systems.

Rose's argument is that Springfield-Greene County Health Department lack the authority to decide that Richard is not a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Perhaps the social anxiety disorder is the least of Ms Rose's health problems.

AP

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:32 AM | Permalink

Sandusky Sheriff's Office were quick to respond to a report of cows on the road on Saturday. A deputy sent to the area sorted the problem out pretty swiftly too, he accidentally struck one of the cows as he was driving to the scene. Well, darn thing ran into the road!

The cow's owner came to the scene and the family gathered the rest of the other cows that had become loose.

The deputy was not hurt in the crash. But the cow that was struck was taken away because of its injuries.

Steak for dinner again?

Port Clinton News Herald

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:51 AM | Permalink

Apparently, in Florida it is against the law to grab your husband's genitals and hold them in a vice-like grip! I wonder what led to that being put on the statute books.

Sadine Harris obviously wasn't aware of this law and having "gone busting into the bedroom and grabbing her husband'scrotch and refusing to let go" she has been charged with felony domestic battery.

Mr Harris "had to pry Sadine's fingers off of his his genitals and force her off of him," according to the deputy's report.

Wouldn't you just love to hear the 911 call for that one?

nwfdailynews.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:14 AM | Permalink

THIS WOMAN WAS!

Officers in Kentucky say they have arrested a woman who traded sex for a $100 gasoline card and other 'luxuries.'

The woman, thirty four year old Angela Eversole, was charged with prostitution and doing business without an occupational license. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment yesterday. The man who paid the woman has also been arrested.

Cincinnati.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:27 AM | Permalink

If you thought US law was an ass, just be glad you don't live in Holland!

A new Dutch law has banned the smoking of tobacco inside cafes and restaurants but it continues to be perfectly legal to smoke cannabis. The result? Smokers in the renowned coffee shops of Amsterdam, where people flock from all over the world to buy and smoke cannabis legally, are now having to roll their joints and fill their pipes with pure marijuana.

Those who cannot take the effects of smoking their leaf of choice in its purest form are having to go out onto the streets, where smoking tobacco is legal, so they can 'dilute' their joints. However, smoking marijuana out on the streets is illegal.

And how is this policed?

Apparently, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has trained 200 inspectors to detect the difference between a "mixed or a pure joint."

The world is going to pot.

Daily Telegraph

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Eighteen officers from London's Metropolitan Police Force, the largest force in Britain, have been handed written warnings for bragging on a Facebook site about crashing cars and hitting pedestrians.

The policemen joked about injuring members of the public on a site called Look I’ve Had a Pocol – slang for police collision.

Before it was disbanded in January, the site had 200 members located around the world. One pictured showed a police vehicle in an accident with a small white car, along with the comment, "I did him a favour. At 82 years old you just shouldn’t be on the road and if you are, then most certainly don’t go through a green light into the path of an innocent police car."

Another entry read, "Ran over a drunk. I believe he has a permanent limp and a hefty payout. I was given a three-month holiday from job driving. Ooh, bummer."

Ah, makes me proud to be British!

The Times

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:29 AM | Permalink

In Florida,, police used a laser to measure exactly how far away a suspect was when witnesses said he masturbated and laughed at them. I want to know why...

Apparently, the man was standing just inside an opened second-story window at his home, holding the relevant body part in his hand and laughing. Police were called and when they arrived the man was lying on his bed in the upstairs bedroom. He was, he said, just preparing for a post-shower nap but officers reported that his hair was not damp, and it did not appear that he had recently showered.

The distance between the witnesses' doorstep and the man's bedroom window was 80 feet, an officer said after measuring it with a certified laser instrument.

The man said he was peeing out of his bedroom window, and not masturbating at all. Well, that's good to know.

North West Florida Daily News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 05:53 AM | Permalink

AND LIVING IN FLORIDA

Police in Bradenton, Florida, are coming under pressure over their penchant for stopping walkers at night in one part of the city for not using sidewalks and for walking on the wrong side of the road,

The police support their stance by saying that:

"A review of 30 recent pedestrian cases in which the person was walking on the wrong side of the road shows more than half of the walkers were black or Latino men walking between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in Ward 5, which includes the 14th Street West corridor and side streets that often do not have sidewalks."

As an example, let me quote the case of Bradenton teenager, Justin Claudio. Claudio was cited this month for not walking on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic, on a block where there are no sidewalks. A week later, Claudio was stopped again in the 2000 block of 13th Street West.

Claudio was arrested on charges of obstruction and culpable negligence - for exposing officers to injury

Interestingly, it is not clear what time of day the study quoted was undertaken, nor how the cohort was stratified.

I've had a brilliant idea! How about installing sidewalks?

TBO

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:07 AM | Permalink

... because Willie Parker is back behind bars, where he should be. He's been on the run for 47 years but we can all sleep safe in our beds tonight because he's been recaptured.

Willie Parker, who is 81 years old and suffers from several ill health issues, escaped in 1965, after serving only one quarter of his original sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon.

Parker, nicknamed Pops by inmates of Maryland Jail where he currently resides, was tracked down as part of a Maryland effort to clear outstanding warrants. He had been living in Clinton and when he was found by U.S. marshals he was in bed at a home, being cared for by a nurse.

If he's not charged for the escape, he could be eligible for a parole hearing.

Fay Observer

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:55 AM | Permalink

or maybe it should be Dumb Justice

The following ad recently appeared on the German eBay site:

"Offering my nearly new baby for sale, as it has gotten too loud. It is a male baby, nearly 28 inches (70 cm) long and can be used either in a baby carrier or a stroller."

The mother insists the ad was a joke, and I have to say I was mildly amused. The authorities, however, have placed the baby into care.

Despite appearing for two-and-a-half hours, and being priced to move at just 1 Euro, no offers were received.

Oh, come on, don't say it has never crossed your mind!

My Way News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:02 AM | Permalink

NEWS: I'M TALKING ABOUT THE STUFF YOU MOW IN THE SUMMER!

In Canton, Ohio, the City Council are planning on making a second offense for not cutting your grass punishable by a fine of up to $250 and up to 30 days in jail. High grass is, apparently, defined as anything over 8 inches tall - there's me thinking it was a new term for really potent weed!

The council will be pursuing the most egregious high-grass violators "with vigor." 'Course, once those high-grass violators are behind bars, the grass is gonna get even higher - I mean, whose gonna cut it then?

CantonRep

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:06 AM | Permalink

One from England now...

Keith Hurst spent 18 hours in a police cell after allegedly dropping an apple core as he went to the pharmacy to get something for his wife. He was arrested by a Police Community Support Officer (aka pretend policeman) but refused to pay the on the spot fine of £50 (that's $100, give or take). British police are nothing if not persistent though, when Hurst left the pharmacy, five (yes that's 5) policemen were waiting for him.

He had his fingerprints taken and appeared in court, charged with littering and obstructing a police officer. The obstruction charge was dropped, but Hurst will go on trial for the littering. Personally, I believe this man should be compensated for taking the time to plant a new apple tree.

The Sun

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:28 AM | Permalink

Frank Lasser, aged 82 and suffering from pneumonia, was recovering in hospital following open heart surgery on Saturday. There he was, quietly lying on his hospital bed when, out of the blue, he was zapped three times by police carrying tasers.

Lasser said, "I was laying on the bed by then and the corporal came in, or the sergeant, I forget which it was, and said to the guys, 'OK, get him because we got more important work to do on the street tonight.' And then, bang, bang, bang, three times with the laser, and I tell you, I never want that again."

Apparently, nurses had called police when Lasser became delirious and pulled a knife out of his pocket. He explained that, when he can't catch his breath because of the pneumonia he becomes delusional. He had no recollection of pulling the knife, and couldn't explain why he had done so.

As Lasser said, there were three RCMP officers in his hospital room and they should have been able to subdue an 82 year old without the use of tasers.

Do you think its safe to use tasers around oxygen? I mean, don't they set off a spark or something?

CBC Canada

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:58 AM | Permalink

How do you punish a priest for having sex with inmates while a chaplain at a women's prison? Easy, you sentence him to four years in a male prison!

Vincent Inametti was sentenced after admitting to two cases of sexual abuse while working as a chaplain at Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth. Judge Terry Means said that Inametti would face a higher authority than the court over his breach of the trust of the federal prison and breaching the trust invested in him as a priest. Well, I can see his point, you only expect priests to have sex with altar boys don't you.

See what I mean about the punishment fitting the crime - he's been sentenced to having four years of sex with males for having sex with females. It's pure poetry!

AP

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:59 AM | Permalink

The British police are sending their crack troops to speak to a front-seat car passenger who bared his buttocks as the car passed a speed camera. They want to charge him with not wearing a seat belt and public order offenses.

It is not a crime in Britain to bare your bum at speed cameras, but as road safety campaigners have commented: "this prank could have been a real distraction from the driver and that is not something to laugh about."

Oh goodness, we'll have none of that nonsense - no laughing round here!

BBC

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:52 AM | Permalink

Police are on the look out for a knife wielding rabbit in the English village of King's Somborne. On four occasions somebody, or something, has cut through the netting protecting Frank Fahy's broccoli patch, each time stealing a single head of the health-promoting green vegetable. Seventy-one year old Mr Fahy reported the thefts to the parish council and local police officer, Martin Benton, said the crime should be taken very seriously.

Quite so, as Mr Fahy said, each head is "worth about 50p. It is a bit distressing. My wife and I like to eat our broccoli. I have now put up a notice saying I have reported the thefts to the police."

David Bidwell, Chairman of the Parish Council, commented, "It sounds trivial, but Frank has been the victim of theft. It is very disappointing to grow something on an allotment and have it taken away. At first he thought it might be a natural occurrence - maybe a rabbit. But on closer inspection, it was clear a knife had been used. And rabbits don't carry knives."

Well, we don't think they carry knives, but nobody knows that for sure. That's the fundamental error in the plan so far, rabbits probably can't read either, so they are unlikely to take notice of Mr Fahy's warning sign.

Daily Mail

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:41 AM | Permalink

Warning: This is a story that will make you inwardly snigger, and then feel guilty cos you did!

In 2002, Huey Granger filed a report with local police claiming that his daughter had been attacked by her boyfriend. Granger is, apparently, mentally disabled. While Granger was at the police station, officers Keith Peterson and Jeff Thames decided to give him a "lie detector test" to check out the veracity of his story. The test involved putting a lampshade on Granger's head and attempting to get him to change his story.

Granger is now asking for $2 million in a civil lawsuit against the two men - the City have already wriggled out of the situation by saying that, as there was no documented "pattern or history of abuse" they could not be held responsible for the officers' actions.

At a hearing on Friday, Granger said, "I''m asking for $2 million tax free in my pocket and my insurance paid for the rest of my life."

Hmm - when will the light go on that he doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting that?

The case is scheduled for November 3rd this year.

MSNBC

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:49 AM | Permalink

I really couldn't decide which section this one should be posted under; I eventually settled for Dumb Justice because some lawyer is actually working on this case!

A Tunisian family are claiming that their 20 year old daughter was the victim of phone sex rape! This has been confirmed by a doctor who claims that, following the incident, the girl's hymen was absent - despite the fact that she was a virgin. Yeah, right!

Anyway, the story goes that the girl was indulging in phone sex with a 30 year old man, when she was heard to scream out; she says that she experienced vaginal bleeding.

Perhaps she misunderstood the phrase 'phone sex.' Ouch!

UPI

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:32 AM | Permalink

...THE DEPUTY SHOT HIMSELF!

Sergeant Wade Johnson, of Holmes County Sheriff's Office was recovering in hospital yesterday morning, after accidentally shooting himself in the pelvis.

The incident happened when Johnson responded to a call from the local Burger King, apparently, he was removing or repositioning his secondary weapon when it discharged. The bullet passed through his abdominal organs and lodged in one of his pelvic bones.

Hmm - is that your secondary weapon, or are you just pleased to see me?

Coshocton Tribune

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:37 AM | Permalink

...GOODNESS, GRACIOUS, GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!

When police called to a disturbance in Ontario fired a taser at a 31 year old man, they didn't know that he had a "flammable object" object in his pants. The stun-gun ignited whatever it was, causing burns to the man's hand and thigh that necessitated hospital treatment.

It will be a while before he causes any further disturbances.

TheSpec.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:04 AM | Permalink

Twenty-one year old Joey Van den Broeck was charged with assaulting his girlfriend and resisting arrest, and was summoned to appear in court.

When Van den Broeck failed to arrive for his hearing, the judge chose to continue the trial in his absence, handing down a sentence of eight months in prison, together with a $900 fine.

There was a slight problem though - Van den Broeck had died in a car crash. On balance, I suspect he'd be happy to pay his fine and do his time.

Ananova

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:33 AM | Permalink

I've labeled this one Dumb Justice, but I'm not really sure where it belongs!

A pre-packed building was delivered to the Austrian village of Traismauer. The packages contained component parts of an anti-crime youth center, purchased by the local authorities in an attempt to get kids off the street, thereby halting a rising tide of vandalism. Unfortunately, in the few hours between delivery of the flat packs and the arrival of workmen to erect the building, the packages were stolen.

Police are not ruling out the possibility that the thieves were the very children that the building was purchased to help.

Well, that deduction wasn't really rocket science, was it!

Ananova

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:35 AM | Permalink

A deputy sheriff who slapped another deputy's backside has been slapped in return - with a 45 day suspension from duty. It may seem a harsh penalty for a seemingly trivial crime, but the slappee quit his post after the slapper slapped him.

The slapper's attorney is quoted as saying, "It's like executing somebody for blowing their nose and not washing their hands."

Yes, quite...

UPI

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:26 AM | Permalink

BUT COULD YOU COME BACK AND SERVE ANOTHER YEAR IN PRISON PLEASE?

Sara Jane Olson, a former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, was released on parole from prison last week.
This week she has been asked to return to serve another year! The reason? A 2004 miscalculation had resulted in the militant being released a year too early.

Olson, 61, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday night and told her right to leave the state had been rescinded. She will be returned to the same prison in central California that she walked out of Monday and will not be eligible for release until March 17, 2009

If this had happened two weeks later it would have made a wonderful April Fools trick.

MSNBC

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:42 AM | Permalink

Apparently, Gianna Didiana, aged 17, was extremely upset when Judge Dana McReynolds imposed a $2,000 speeding fine on her. I'd have thought that if she could get to 17 years of age with a name like that, she could deal with anything. Gianna Didiana - it makes me think of the Clapping Song, you remember the one:

3, 6, 9 The goose drank wine
The monkey chew tobacco on the streetcar line
The line broke, the monkey got choked
And they all went to heaven in a little rowboat

It sure is a day for digressing today, back to the speeding fine:

An Illinois State Police trooper was coming off the Geneseo exit onto Interstate 80 eastbound on Jan. 21 when Ms. Didiana drove past the state trooper in a Mercedes Benz at 120mph!

For doing 55mph over the speed limit, Gianna Didiana was fined $2,000, sentenced to 240 hours community service and, get this, had to go to jail for 6 hours.

That's why this is also filed under Dumb Justice - 6 hours, what on earth will that achieve! Should have sent her to heaven in a little rowboat...

Quad Cities Online

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:51 AM | Permalink

Legal eagle readers of this blog might find the following story a little to close to home... if you have a sensitive character, you should move swiftly on.

A root vegetable was at the root of a bomb scare at a law office that lasted for hours. An employee at the office (name withheld to protect the not so innocent) called 911 last week after opening a U.S. Postal Service box and finding a suspicious gift bag inside.

The bomb squad were called, and they brought in a robot to carry the package outside to the parking lot. X-rays showed no signs of an explosive, but bomb technicians decided to detonate the package with a water cannon just to be safe.

After that, they opened the box.

They found a turnip, wrapped in lettuce-green tissue paper inside a sandwich bag.

The intended recipient of the turnip bomb has not come forward for identification. Well he (or she) wouldn't would they.

My Way News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:57 AM | Permalink

It was an ordinary Sunday night in Sydney, Australia, when two police officers saw a stolen silver Toyota driving erratically along the highway. As the car had allegedly been used in a nearby armed robbery, the two officers gave chase.

The woman driver and her male passenger had two collisions before smashing into a sign at a petrol station, at this point the driver made a run for it but she was caught by one of the officers. However, the male passenger managed to escape, before doubling back to the petrol station. Where he got into the empty police car and drove away.

Surprisingly, police chief Arthur Katsogiannis denied the force had been left red-faced by the theft, commenting that we need to put things into context put things in context and say what a good job the police officers did. He did, however, concede that police officer training stipulates the importance of removing the keys from the ignition.

smh.com.au

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:21 AM | Permalink

THEN TRIES TO SUE CASINO FOR $20 MILLION BECAUSE THEY BREACHED THEIR DUTY OF CARE!

Arelia Margarita Taveras was ambitious - a high flying lawyer and a television presenter who destressed by going to Atlantic Casinos. Eventually though, the gambling became a source of stress as it spun out of control, and the only way she could finance her addiction was by rifling her clients' accounts.

As the grip of gambling worsened, Taveras would go days at a time at the tables, not eating or sleeping, brushing her teeth with disposable wipes so she didn't have to leave. She says that her losses total about $1 million.

Now she's gambling in a different league - playing with the big boys. She is mounting a $20 million racketeering lawsuit in federal court against six Atlantic City casinos and one in Las Vegas, claiming they had a duty to notice her compulsive gambling problem and cut her off.

Having lost her law practice, her apartment, her parents' home, and got in debt to the IRS to the tune of $58,000, I suppose she feels there is nothing less to lose; she even considered swerving into oncoming traffic to kill herself.

I think it would be far less selfish if she was to jump from a tall building - swerving into oncoming traffic might kill other people too.

CB13

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:08 AM | Permalink

Whatever you do, if you live in Beloit always return your library books on time!

Keely Givhan had the temerity to hang on to her books longer than she should have done and it cost her six days in jail!

Beloit Public Library director Dan Zack said when books aren't returned, the library sends three overdue notices. After the third notice, a citation is sent that could include a court date.

Givhan said she was in the process of moving so she never got the notices. She then had the misfortune to be pulled over for a traffic violation - the officer discovered her outstanding warrant and took her to jail.

Givhan said she and her family were unable to afford the fine imposed for the overdue books, so she was kept in jail for a total of six days.

Captain Bill Tyler said he realized that this might seem like an overreaction but insisted that, "a municipal fine is a municipal fine, and failure to pay for any reason can result in an arrest warrant being issued."

In England we call people like that 'Jobsworths' and Captain Bill Tyler is certainly in line for the Jobsworth of the Year Award!

Channel3000

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:14 AM | Permalink

WHEN INVESTIGATING A SUSPECTED DRUGS LAB...

It all started when a security firm responded to a burglar alarm at a house in Hamilton, New Zealand. On arrival at the site, they discovered a still , which they believed was being used for the manufacture of illegal drugs.

Acting on their tip-off, police arrived at the house mob handed. They descended on the site of the alleged factory in several marked and unmarked cars and cordoned off a section of the road, They were accompanied by firefighters.

This large accumulated group of public service workers must have been mightily embarrassed when the 'lady of the house' told them. "it's my husband's bloody ginger beer set-up."

Just another small beer day in Hamilton, New Zealand where, apparently, life is all pop and no fizz.

Stuff.co.nz

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:44 AM | Permalink

Livia Kovacs, who works as a policewoman for the Budapest police force, has received her marching orders following her appearance in a Triple X rated movie. Kovacs played the part of a dominatrix who uses her police handcuffs and a truncheon during a wild sex session. Unfortunately for the aspiring actress, the film was seen by one of her colleagues, who reported her to senior officers.

Isn't that a pot and kettle situation? If Kovacs was sacked for appearing in the movie, shouldn't the filmgoer be sacked for watching porn?

Anyway, no matter, Ms Kovacs is reported to have said, "I don't care about being fired. Since news spread about my acting debut I have been flooded with offers from producers to do more films." Must have been a seminal performance then.

Ananova

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:03 AM | Permalink

BUT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THEY WEAR A BLACK COCKTAIL DRESS, FISH NET STOCKINGS, HIGH HEELS - AND DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE!

A Boston-based federal bankruptcy judge, who has just announced his resignation, was recently arrested for drunk driving. At the time of the arrest, he wore a black cocktail dress, fish-net stockings and high heels. He was picked up after rear-ending a pick up truck; dressed like that I suspect that it wasn't a pick up truck he was intending to rear-end.

The police records of the arrest don't make any mention of his clothing, other than to comment that "he had a difficult time locating his license in his purse." A friend of mind has commented that the root cause of this matter is very clear - if you dress like a woman, you drive like one.

Hmm...

Union Leader

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:37 AM | Permalink

Brian Sterner was arrested on a traffic violation and taken to Orient Road Jail in Tampa, Florida, by Deputy Charlette Jones. Thing is, Sterner is a quadriplegic and, although he can drive, he needs a wheelchair to get about. It seems that Deputy Jones didn't believe it possible for a quadriplegic to drive a car so, when she saw Sterner in his wheelchair, she walked behind him and took hold of the handles, and tipped him out.

Then, to rub salt into the wound, while Sterner was on the floor, deputies frisked him.

Understandably, Jones has been suspended without pay. The report goes on to say "she has not been officially terminated." Well, I should hope not - what she did was despicable, but the death sentence is a bit OTT!

Sterner says it's incredibly degrading and it’s an example of how poorly trained the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office is. He adds, if they’re trying to figure out if somebody needs to be in a wheelchair or not, there are many other ways to do it than to dump somebody on their face.

Quite. Don't try this at home, kids.

tampabays10.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:19 AM | Permalink

The ABC network are facing a proposed fine of $1.4 million for alleged indecency for broadcasting an episode of NYPD Blue that featured a woman's buttocks and the side of one of her breasts before the 10 p.m. watershed.

ABC are opposing the fine (well, they would, wouldn't they) because they say the true to life storylines of this critically acclaimed drama were well recognized.

$1.4 million is a lot of money for a bum and just half a boob, I dread to think what a whole boob would cost.

Reuters

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:10 AM | Permalink

In July, 70-year-old Betty Perry was arrested, handcuffed and briefly jailed for declining a ticket for failing to water her lawn. But, on Friday of last week she agreed to resolve her case by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct charge and paying a $100 fine, as well as serving six months probation. I think this is just plain ridiculous, but its not as ridiculous of what she would have faced had she not agreed to the disorderly conduct charge.

Perry faced a charge of resisting arrest because she refused to give her name, accept a citation or allow herself to be handcuffed on her front steps. Meanwhile, rapists, muggers, and murderers are getting away with their crimes!

Oh, and Perry has now started to care for her lawn - I'd just let the bloody thing grow wild and start keeping wild animals in it!

AP

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:26 AM | Permalink

A 47 old teacher in Sweden was incensed when one of her boy students covered the blackboard with swearwords and sexual drawings - so she retaliated by flashing her breasts! She claimed that there was nothing sexual in this action, it was simply a response to the boy's rudeness. She said, "I just snapped. I was trying to get him to stop writing and drawing filth on the blackboard." Yes, well I'm sure he did stop writing, I mean, you would, wouldn't you.

She was convicted of sexual harassment but cleared of charges that she groped two other boys' buttocks and genitals, as the court decided that the boys' evidence was not reliable. Additionally, the teacher lost her job and was ordered to pay $800 to the boy as compensation for his trauma at seeing her breasts.

Either her tits were really ugly, or the law is an ass.

Metro.co.uk

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:28 AM | Permalink

Grace Saenz-Lopez, a small-town mayor in the state of Texas, has resigned following the revelation that she stole her neighbors Shih Tzu dog, changing its name from Puddles to Panchito in the process.

Saenz-Lopez looked after Puddles/Panchito while her neighbors went on vacation; the day after the dog's owners set off, the erstwhile mayer called to tell them that the dog had died. The dog was let out of the basket when a relative of the neighbors saw Puddles/Panchito in a dog grooming parlor.

Saenz-Lopez, mayor of Alice since 2003, was indicted January 18 on two felony counts of tampering with evidence and concealing evidence.

As for poor Puddles/Panchito - he's just hoping that the next person to steal him will give him a sensible name.

The Denver Post

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:32 AM | Permalink

In Laramie, Wyoming, three 13-year-old girls have been cited for "hurling missiles" - an adult infraction covered by city ordinances. What did they do to attract such a charge? They threw French fries at lunch time! Yeah, its a pain in the butt when kids do that but we've all been guilty of the same or similar and, so far, WWIII hasn't broken out because of it.

Police Chief Bob Deutsch said "They saw it as really the planning of a riot, when you think about it." He was moved to make this remark because the school had been warned about throwing food around on the previous day - following rumors of an impending food fight.

Do you know what? Even the American Civil Liberties Union got involved! What next - suicide chip throwers?

kmov.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:23 AM | Permalink

According to the arrest log at Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, Mickey Mouse was arrested twice within a one hour period this month - once for DUI and once for driving on a revoked license. The Mouse is described as a 47-year-old African American man standing 5-feet, 9-inches and weighing 190 pounds. He apparently lives in Anaheim, works as a bartender and goes under various aliases, including Donnie Duck and Buzz Lightyear. This is not The Mouse's first brush with the law - back in 2005, he was arrested on felony drunk driving charges.

You have to wonder that he didn't crack before really, it must cost a fortune keeping Minnie supplied with all those white shoes.

(Apparently, trainees learning to use the system make up names - hence Mickey's criminal record).

Sacbee.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 11:20 AM | Permalink

In Berlin, it has been reported that a police vehicle worth $150,00, and equipped with two video cameras for trapping speeding motorists, has been stolen.

The unmarked police car was involved in a high-speed chase on Sunday when the car they were chasing crashed and the occupants abandoned it. In an effort not to lose their quarry, the two police officers jumped from the car, leaving the keys inside.

Imagine their amazement when, as they were hot-footing it in pursuit of the miscreants, they were overtaken by their own car.

earthtimes.org

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:29 AM | Permalink

In England, police arrested a man when they found his fingerprints on the lock at the scene of a burglary. Admirable, eh?

Nope. The fingerprints belonged to locksmith, Lee Hicks, who had changed the locks AFTER the burglary had been committed.

Good old English law enforcement at its best.

The Sun who's headline I stole because it couldn't be bettered

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:46 AM | Permalink

A 47 year old man who, for the nearly twenty-seven years he served in jail insisted on his innocence, was telling the truth. Well, that's what the DNA evidence says, anyways.

Accused of rape, Charles Chatman was picked from a line-up by his alleged victim, who lived five doors away from him. At the time, Chatman says, he was toothless - a feature he thought would ensure that he could not be confused with the real assailant.

Well, he was confused and, if the news stories are anything to go by, so were the fourteen other 'criminals' in Dallas who have since been declared innocent thanks to DNA technology.

Not its not funny really is it - but it is noteworthy. Normal service resumed tomorrow!

Dallas News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:54 AM | Permalink

How do you get thirty policeman to go for a swim? You send one of them running across a frozen lake in pursuit of a robber. Well in Hungary you do, anyway.

In Sziglilget in West Hungary, Policewoman Ani Kosut was chasing a robber across a frozen lake when she fell through the ice. Help was, of course, summoned immediately but, as the newly arrived policemen tried to fish her out, they fell in as well and even more officers had to be called.

Thirty policemen ended up in the freezing waters before a team of fire fighters finally dragged them all to safety.

And, to add insult to injury, they didn't catch the robber.

Ananova

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:45 AM | Permalink

These are only sort of dumb criminals - we've all been in similar situations ('cept I, for one, haven't wielded a pistol!)

Police in Utah are on the look out for two men who stole beer, after not being allowed to pay for it. The two guys walked into the grocery store, picked up the beer and went to pay for it. As it was after 1 a.m. the clerk refused to sell it to them. So, I imagine in frustration, the men asked if they could steal the beer. The clerk's reply? "Yes, but Jesus is watching." The pair showed a pistol to the clerk, left $9 on the counter, and took the beer.

Now - they probably shouldn't have shown the pistol but, hell, they paid for the stuff. If they're caught, they stand to be charged with armed robbery.

P'raps Jesus had his eye on someone else at the time - I sorta hope so.

NewsDaily

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:24 AM | Permalink

An inmate who twice escaped from the Pueblo County jail filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, alleging that guards abused him and didn't do enough to stop him from breaking out.

The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of money, claims authorities "did next to nothing to ensure that the jail was secure and that the Plaintiff could not escape." Reading between the lines I suspect that what Scott Anthony Gomez, Jr. (the escapee) is really saying is that, if he wasn't subjected to abuse, he wouldn't try so hard to escape.

That's where the Dumb Justice tag comes in.

But, Gomez, who claims that that guards have sprayed him with pepper spray, shot him with a stun gun, and beaten and kicked him without provocation, needs to get realistic here. With this history, it is highly likely that guards will take an almost failsafe move to prevent another escape - by breaking both of his legs.

The Denver Channel

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:33 AM | Permalink

A railroad company has issued a driver with a minor summons for obstructing a railroad crossing, saying that he and his rental company would be liable for the damage caused by the obstruction, which can be estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range.

A computer consultant inadvertently caused the obstruction by driving a rental car onto train tracks, as per the instructions his GPS unit gave him. A train was rushing headlong toward him, but he escaped in time and no one was injured.

A Metro-North Spokesman tells us that, following the GPS instructions, the driver had turned right and the car somehow got stuck on the tracks at the crossing. He jumped out and waved at the engineer in an attempt to warn him but the train slammed into the car at 60 mph, pushing it 100 feet down the track.

Five hundred passengers were stranded for more than 2 hours and 250 feet of rail track were damaged.

Hey, I know that this guy should have relied on what his eyes told him, rather than what the GPS said but I kinda think he's been punished enough. The threat of having to compensate the rail company to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars just serves to rub salt into his wounds. Or should that be gravel into his knees?

My Way News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:17 AM | Permalink

A Des Moines man, who called police several times to complain about visiting in laws, has ended up in jail on a $1,300 bond.

William Foster was arrested on charges of simple assault on a police officer and false reports to law enforcement authorities. Things started going bad for foster when his common-law-wife was in hospital and her relatives came to stay. An officer reports that, "All parties were extremely agitated and continued to argue loudly despite our repeated attempts to calm them. In our presence, Foster threatened to kill one of the ladies."

Because the in laws were invited guests, police said there was nothing they could do and left Foster to get on with it. However, he called police a further seven times, at one time reporting that he was being repeatedly hit on the head with a skillet.

Eventually the frustrated police arrested Foster, taking him to hospital to get his physical injuries treated before taking him on to jail. Call me cynical, but I suspect that the trip to jail and the apparent non-punishment of Foster's abusive in laws had something to do with that 'simple assault on a police officer.'

Has anybody reported this family to Jerry Springer I wonder - he'd love 'em..

Des Moines Register

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:02 AM