Are you aware of the penal codes in this state?

Most of the entries from this year’s Times Higher Education survey of British “exam howlers” are only mildly funny. This one stands out from the pack: Throughout one essay, a student from the University of Portsmouth wrote about “anus” crimes. The academic marking the paper eventually realized that he meant “heinous” crimes.

No sex offender registry for sheep shagger

Some news to take your mind off the financial collapse: The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that a Battle Creek man who pleaded no contest to sodomizing a sheep does not have to register as a sex offender after his release from prison. Jeffrey Haynes, 45, is serving 2 1/2 to 20 years for [...]

Truth really is stranger than fiction

The headline of this news story doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of weirdness: Dog cloner Joyce McKinney sought over burglary to fund horse’s wooden leg

A police department, a district attorney, and a court with apparently nothing to do

Thanks to my good friend (and loyal Debris reader) Stuart Lichten for bringing this decision to my attention (and also suggesting the post title). It seems like an April Fool’s joke, but it is absolutely real. The case involved a man charged with criminal damage to property, under the most absurd circumstances: [T]he alleged facts [...]

Woman faces jail time for cursing at toilet

Her precise words were “oh, shit!”: A Pennsylvania woman who allegedly shouted profanities at her overflowing toilet within earshot of a neighbor was cited for disorderly conduct, authorities said. Dawn Herb could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300. “It doesn’t make any sense. I was in my [...]

Is this a common occurrence?

Stein calls attention to a bemusing memorandum posted at Alabama’s Limestone Correctional Facility: When an attorney arrives intoxicated at the prison for a legal visit, the policy shall be that he shall be escorted out of the facility. If correctional officers assess the attorney as too impaired to drive, the Madison County Sheriff shall be [...]

Maaren Choksi — Sex Offender Re-Entry: A Summary and Policy Recommendation on the Current State of the Law in California and How to ‘Safely’ Re-Introduce Sex Offenders into Our Communities

Another interesting paper by another former student: This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive review of the current and pending sex offender legislation in California, examine their effectiveness or ineffectiveness and any possible loopholes, and conclude with a broad recommendation on where the state of California’s law and policies surrounding the safe release and supervision [...]

Ben Carrasco: Assessing the CCPOA’s Political Influence and its Impact on Efforts to Reform the California Corrections System

I’m proud to say that the author of this paper (which I haven’t yet read, but am looking forward too) was one of the very first law students I taught. Even a stalwart union supporter like me has no love lost for CCPOA, and, judging from the abstract, it looks like Ben’s got their number. [...]

No fair trial for fair-fight defendant

Graeme of Left in East Dakota has called my attention to what appears to be a grave miscarriage of justice. Mevludin Hidanovic was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in jail for his alleged role in a brawl at a West Fargo, ND fair last summer. Hidanovic, who was at the fair with his family, [...]