Tag: News

Can the Defense Attorney Make the Court Believe This??

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

https://www.yahoo.com/news/defense-attorney-james-crumbley-never-141408691.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/prosecution-releases-james-crumbleys-threatening-jail-calls-against-karen-mcdonald/ar-BB1l2eNP

Let me lead with a quote from the Yahoo News story listed above: (The MSN story is the source of several listed quotes.)

When James Crumbley hurled profanity toward the Oakland County prosecutor in jailhouse phone calls, called her a “whore” and warned, “Your ass is going down and you better be f—— scared,” he wasn’t physically threatening her, his lawyer says. He was just venting, his attorney argues, and expressing his hopes that Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald would lose her law license over her handling of his unprecedented case.

Let me summarize. So, when Crumbley said, “Your ass is going down and you better be f—— scared,” he was merely suggesting that the other members of the bar would look at her trial performance in a negative light and eventually disbar or otherwise discipline her in its due process. I have a law degree. I’ve read dozens of cases and heard more than a few stories. And …

I suspect that the court may have trouble with this line of reasoning.

Let me add some additional quotes to give you fuller look at Crumbleys’ remarks.

Crumbley was “just venting” at greater length. “Well, she’s going to be f—— sucking on a f—— hot rock down in hell soon,” he said in a Dec. 6, 2022, jail call — more than a year before his trial.

And how about this little gem: “I am f—— on a rampage, Karen. Yes, Karen McDonald. Your ass is going down and you better be f—— scared,” he said in a Jan. 3 jail phone call, just months before he went to trial.

So, what do you think? Does the phrase “I am f——on a rampage, Karen … ” mean that Crumbley is patiently waiting for a state bar disciplinary committee to act?

I’m sure you’re thinking that I am being critical of the attorney but the fact is my heart goes out to the poor individual stuck with this client. There is no where to go legally that is more viable than this. James Crumbley needs to show remorse or some level of responsibility and that has not happened and it is not going to happen.

But it might have been a hair more effective to point out that prosecutors get a lot of abuse and Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley believe that histrionics is always called for when an issue gets to a certain size. And from there point out that he is an overblown braggart and fool.

You can definitely sell that and that is where I would have gone. But my argument would have flown only a few inches further than the one made so no big deal.

James Crumbley will be sentenced soon and I’m predicting that he will receive the maximum or close to the maximum possible. This will be justice.

Author’s note: There has been a lot of speculation that the prosecution of the parents in this case opens doors to every kind of case being brought when children commit crimes. I just don’t see it. This is truly an extraordinary case. A neglected child cries out for help and instead of getting counseling or working with the school to deal with their child’s emotional difficulties the parent buy him a Sig Sauer 9mm and get him some practice on the range so he’ll have some skills with it. Just how many times have you seen parental judgment collapse to that level?? We may never see another case like this.

Even in the 21st Century, Facts are Facts

On By southwerkIn business ethics

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cleveland-plain-dealer-donald-trump-editor-chris-quinn_n_660bce73e4b0328a72bde2a8

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/major-market-newspaper-editor-publishes-stunning-rebuke-of-trump-the-north-star-here-is-truth/ar-BB1kTGWg

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/this-is-the-key-to-covering-trump/ar-BB1kTNci

The editor of “The Plain Dealer” a newspaper in Cleveland announced in an editorial that “The North Star is Truth.” He was responding to criticism of the paper’s critical coverage of Donald Trump. This is a poetic way of alluding to the North Star’s guidance in navigation to true north, in this case, accuracy and an adherence to facts not favor. Let’s have a look at a larger quote from the editorial:

The north star here is truth. We tell the truth, even when it offends some of the people who pay us for information.

The truth is that Donald Trump undermined faith in our elections in his false bid to retain the presidency. He sparked an insurrection intended to overthrow our government and keep himself in power. No president in our history has done worse.

It is very edifying to hear someone dedicated to truth and facts with an apparent revulsion to lies and stupidity. Social media and a great deal of the alternative media such as hate radio are conduits for lies, conspiracy theories and propaganda. Wading in the middle of this cesspool is every two bit grifter, crook and washed up former politician. It gives decent people nausea.

There are people that believe that when this election is over and (God willing) Donald Trump is defeated that things will return to normal. I think not. Trump’s methods, the constant personal attacks, the vicious name calling and the use of winged monkeys, that is, his more demented followers, to threaten and intimidate, are not going away. Why not? Because they work! They drive decent people out of politics, intimidate the media, and allow the foolish, the intemperate and terminally stupid to succeed in politics. And I promise you, the pitiful losers in America want badly to punish their imagined enemies and to proclaim their importance at any cost whatever.

Civil society is created by good and intelligent people who live as ladies and gentlemen. Currently it is battered almost beyond recognition but it is not dead and it worth taking a second look at and rebuilding.

And the solid bedrock up which we build a great and powerful society is just what the editor said: “Our North Star is truth.”

Dogs Becoming Latest Casualty Of S. Fla. Foreclosures (via CBS Miami)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Isn’t this pitiful. We live in a country where the recession has gotten so severe that families are unable to keep their pets.

James Pilant

HOMESTEAD (CBS4) – Near the border of where rural meets desolate you'll see them: Packs of dogs roaming Homestead and Florida City. The animals are clearly on their own.  They look starved, thirsty, and many appear injured.  And Everglades National Park ranger Mirta Maltez sees them all the time.  She calls out to the dogs around an abandoned house as she gives us a tour on her own time. "We took out five yesterday and we have five to go." Maltez … Read More

via CBS Miami

An Economic Wake Up Call (via Here’s What Nancy Thinks)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Income inequality in the developed nations is almost exclusively an American phenomenon. As you can see from the graph, we are more equivalent to African nations with limited economic development in terms of income

Another interesting article is the graph on the origins of our budget problems. Please pay attention to the enormous role played by the Bush tax cuts in destroying revenue.

James Pilant

An Economic Wake Up Call I don't want a "share the wealth" society in the sense that Republicans like to threaten the people with… You have to admit, though, that there used to be a time when money made it to the top, the top would keep a little and spend the rest to grow their business by hiring new people and so forth. When the money trickled down, there was more money to trickle back up. Now, the mighty dollar is harder to come by because the money makes it to the t … Read More

via Here's What Nancy Thinks

they tell us what they want (via getting lost in skylines; trying to forget)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I think this level of anger entirely appropriate. I was appalled by the “newspaper’s” conduct in hacking the voice mails of crime victims and their families.

James Pilant

they tell us what they want I just want to express my disgust and disbelief at what has been uncovered about the News of the World and their phone hacking. It's absolutely obscene. I also want to applaud the Guardian for their efforts in revealing it. This is one of the first times in history that one newspaper has investigated another (acc to tonight's This Week on BBC1), and given the results, you can see why that is. It's no surprise that they're the ones to have done it … Read More

via getting lost in skylines; trying to forget

Greenpeace Hangs a Banner on Mattel HQ

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Greenpeace in its effort to bring attention to Mattel’s use of rogue paper companies in Sumatra hangs a banner on one of their buildings (they also bring in a barbie look alike). The paper company in Sumatra destroys tiger habitat and is big into deforestation.

Let’s join Greenpeace’s effort to discourage Mattel from using this brand of paper. You don’t have to agree with all of Greenpeace’s philosophy. This is a good fight.

James Pilant

Barbie Gets Dumped for Being an Environmental Wrecker (via Brisbane Times)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Barbie gets dumped as part of a new campaign by Greenpeace targeting the toy industry for its connections to deforestation in Indonesia.

SHE is more likely to be cruising yards in a pink convertible, plucking an item from her glamorous wardrobe or generally enjoying the lifestyle afforded an international fashion icon.

Up until now Barbie has yet to be seen with a chainsaw, hacking her way through pristine rainforests.

But a Greenpeace campaign is seeking to do exactly that as part of a global campaign to highlight the destruction of rainforests for pulp paper used in the toy’s cardboard packaging.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/conservation/barbie-gets-dumped-for-being-an-environmental-wrecker-20110607-1fr4i.html#ixzz1OjZj85Wx

This is just too much fun but the comedy doesn’t end here. Here is Mattel’s response –

A letter from Mattel’s director of corporate responsibility Kathleen Shaver, which Greenpeace showed to the smh.com.au, said it was “advancing its sustainability strategy” by printing its catalogues on paper with a minimum of 10 per cent of recyclable materials and that its annual report and office paper was printed on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Mattel has faield to return emails from Farifax but a spokeswoman for APP said met all the legal requirements for logging in Indonesia and called upon Greenpeace to make public its analysis.

“Greenpeace may think citing popular children’s toys is a cute way to get attention for its extreme position. However, we believe it’s irresponsible to play on the emotions of children and their parents to rehash old, discredited allegations in order to attack the industry of a developing nation,” she said.

Wow, looks like Greenpeace hit a nerve. Apparently all that PR training can’t conceal a little arrogance about the “industry of a developing nation.”

James Pilant

Ken Dumps Barbie (via The Chatterjis Blog)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

This is delicious. This campaign is clever and fun. It shows how corporate PR and the billions spent on advertising and brand recognition can be turned against the company.

As time goes by, this kind of clever anti-marketing is going to become a necessity as corporate power in the government increases. More and more it will be necessary to turn the company’s power against it. It’s very much like judo.

James Pilant

Ken Dumps Barbie The “Ken dumps Barbie” campaign launched by Greenpeace to protect the natural habitat of the Sumatran tigers, orang-utans and elephants was being promoted globally this week. The campaign is to stop Mattel from using Indonesia’s most notorious rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) for their packaging.       There is strong global pressure from corporate business and trade organisations for APP to change its method and practice of clearin … Read More

via The Chatterjis Blog

“We don’t need nuclear plants” in Kamakura (via Japan Nuclear Crisis)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Kanagawa Prefecture is just below Tokyo. Perhaps it is a cultural stereotype, but I consider the Japanese to be much more passive about these things than Americans and Americans much more passive than Europeans.

But there is always something salutary about people marching for their beliefs. It’s a democratic thing.

James Pilant

May 22, 2010 – Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture video report by OurPlanet-TV Despite rain, about 200 people marched on the street of Kamakura behind the banner saying, “Imagine the Future without Nuclear Power Plants”. In the interview, one of the organizers of this protest said that they had fewer participants than the last one on April 10th because of rain, but the people could meet the others who shared similar o … Read More

via Japan Nuclear Crisis

Couple Claims They Were Duped By Bank Into Foreclosure (via CBS Chicago)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

The same sad story over and over again. The bank says no problem, sets up a trial period and then forecloses. It’s a trap.

The post says the family “claims” they were duped.

“Claims,” yeah right, we’ve seen this technique over and over again. The bank literally takes the property legally by manipulating the families into a “trial” period, which they will then (to no one’s surprise) find the deal inadequate and then foreclose.

For cruelty and cold blooded maliciousness, it would be hard to find worse.

James Pilant

CHICAGO (CBS) –- A local couple said they did what the bank told them to do—and now they are facing foreclosure on their home. As CBS 2’s Kristyn Hartman reports, it has happened to hundreds of thousands of homeowners.  The house they were happy to build, is now a source of hurt for LaRae Alvarado and her husband. They are fighting their home mortgage default—and they say it isn’t their fault. … Read More

via CBS Chicago