Recapping Legal Headlines

After a short summer hiatus, ResIpsaBlogger has returned with a lot of legal headlines to catch up on.  Here's what's on deck:

The Trial of Warren Jeffs
The trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs certainly didn't get the coverage of the Casey Anthony trial, but it was just as big of a circus.  After firing five of his attorneys, Jeffs opted to represent himself, which was more of an opportunity for him to preach to the jury rather than actually defend himself.  His closing argument of "I am at peace." didn't help his cause, and he was found guilty of sexual assault of a child.  The jury is currently deliberating his punishment.

72 Charged on Online Global Child Porn Ring
A horrific and indescribable case of crimes against children.  A child pornography ring, which physically and sexually abused children 12 years old and younger, was busted by the United States and abroad.  Of the group's 72 members, 50 have been arrested.

Homeless Man's Death leads to Father Suing the Police 
Kelly Thomas, a homeless schizophrenic, was arrested by police, who, according to reports, then shocked Thomas with a stun gun and beat him with flashlights while bystanders stood and recorded the incident.  He was taken off life support in the beginning of July and his father is now suing the California police department.  Declining a substantial settlement, Ron Thomas wants the city and this "rogue band of cops that believe they are above the law" held accountable for the death of his son.  This will be a case to keep an eye on.

Android's Patent Troubles

Google's chief legal counsel recent lashed out against Apple and Microsoft for waging an anti-competitive was against Google through so called "bogus patents."  But, as is the case with many areas of the law (technology in particular), the answer isn't so black-and-white.  As Philip Elmer-DeWitt notes in his column for CNN, Google is on shaky ground, having possibly infringed upon the patents of its competitors.


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