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I live in Birmingham, Alabama, and work in higher education. I became interested in justice-related issues after experiencing gross judicial corruption in Alabama state courts. This corruption has a strong political component. The corrupt judges are all Republicans, and the attorney who filed a fraudulent lawsuit against me has strong family ties to the Alabama Republican Party, with indirect connections to national figures such as Karl Rove. In fact, a number of Republican operatives who have played a central role in the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman (a Democrat) also have connections to my case.
I am married, with no kids and two Siamese cats. I am the author of the blog Legal Schnauzer. The blog is written in honor of Murphy, our miniature schnauzer (1993-2004)who did so much to help my wife and me survive our nightmarish experience with corrupt judges.
I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and I am pretty much a lifelong St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan. I've lived in Birmingham for almost 30 years and have adopted the UAB Blazers as my Southern college football and basketball team to follow. Also, follow East Tennessee State basketball.
An avid reader, both fiction and non-fiction. Influential writers on public affairs are Kevin Phillips, Michael Lind, Thomas Edsall, E.J. Dionne, Molly Ivins, and Scott Horton.
(8 comments) SHARE Tuesday, October 18, 2011 A Wealthy Republican Has Grandchildren on Food Stamps
Michele Rollins has been portrayed as "one of the wealthiest women in the United States." So why does she have grandchildren in Alabama on food stamps?
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, August 27, 2009 Private Insurers Breed Medicare Fraud
Would a public health-care option make Medicare fraud worse. Almost certainly not. Why? Because much of Medicare fraud is driven by private companies, especially insurers.
SHARE Thursday, May 7, 2009 Alabama Jury Awards Almost $6 Million in Employment Case
Plaintiffs usually face an uphill battle in employment lawsuits. But several juries--including one just the other day in Alabama--have sent messages to employers: "Harass, discriminate, and retaliate, and we will hold you accountable."
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, May 18, 2009 Siegelman's Judge Committed Fraud on the Court
The judge in the Don Siegelman committed fraud on the court by failing to disclose his bias against the former governor. That means the judgment against Siegelman should be vacated.
(4 comments) SHARE Monday, November 23, 2009 What on Earth is the Appeal of Sarah Palin?
Sarah Palin's book tour stops in Alabama today. Why are people standing in long lines for a chance to catch a glimpse?
(4 comments) SHARE Thursday, September 16, 2010 Are Divorce Courts Hopelessly Corrupt?
A hunting club reportedly is the site for judges and lawyers to fix divorce cases in Alabama. Does this happen around the country?
(4 comments) SHARE Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Why Is Obama Worried by Corruption in Afghanistan, but not in U.S.
A key to the success of Barack Obama's surge in Afghanistan is an effort to root our corruption in the country's government. But what about corruption in our own government, which Obama has refused to address?
SHARE Friday, July 30, 2010 Richard Shelby's Pork Parade Helps Fund Discrimination on Alabama Campuses
It's unlawful for federal funds to be used at organizations that discriminates. But Sen. Richard Shelby has sent millions to the University of Alabama System, which has rampant problems with discrimination--and fraud.
(3 comments) SHARE Wednesday, October 1, 2008 I Know All About Naomi Wolf's Police State
Author Naomi Wolf recently wrote about the coming Sarah Palin/Karl Rove "police state."
In some respects, it's already here.
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, May 29, 2008 A Curious Case of Christian "Values"
An Alabama blogger encounters a large, conservative Alabama church that seems more than willing to take advantage of judges who are willing to cheat on the church's behalf. What kind of values are right-wing churches teaching?
SHARE Thursday, April 30, 2009 Good Riddance to a Bad Judge--One With Ties to the Siegelman case
A bad Alabama judge, one with connections to the Don Siegelman and Richard Scrushy cases, is retiring. How bad is this judge? I've seen him work up close, and he can't even follow his own orders.
(5 comments) SHARE Friday, May 23, 2008 Caught on Tape! Corrupt Republicans in Alabama
An Alabama blogger shows you what it looks like when corrupt Republicans are caught in the act. And these are just any corrupt Republicans. They have direct ties to the Bush White House.
(12 comments) SHARE Thursday, October 28, 2010 My Wife and I Know All About Republican Thugs
My wife and I encountered Republican thugs long before most folks had heard of Rand Paul and his Kentucky head stompers.
(4 comments) SHARE Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Standing Up to a Debt Collector's Pit Bull
What's it like to stand up against unethical debt collectors and their cohorts in the credit-card industry? Here's an insider's account.
(1 comments) SHARE Sunday, December 21, 2008 Did the Rove Crime Syndicate Strike Again?
A growing body of evidence suggests we might be more like Sicily than we care to admit.The latest grim evidence came Friday when a plane crashed in a residential area near Akron.What was in the off-the-grid e-mail system that Michael Connell helped set up?information about the Siegelman prosecutions,the Minor case,the 2002 governor's race, efforts to silence Jill Simpson?Was Connell the "man who knew too much?"
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, August 28, 2008 Gruesome Murders Help Unmask GOP Corruption
A gruesome murder in suburban Birmingham causes the Alabama press to take a critical glance at local Republican leaders.
(2 comments) SHARE Thursday, October 29, 2009 Now My Wife Has Been Cheated Out of Her Job, Too
Right-wing political interests in Alabama cheated me out of my job. Now corporate types appear to have cheated my wife out of her job.
(3 comments) SHARE Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Debt Collectors, Depositions, and Videotape
What's it like to engage in combat with unethical debt collectors. Anyone with a credit card might face that situation someday. Here's a first-hand account.
(1 comments) SHARE Sunday, April 26, 2009 The Siegelman Case: Why Obama Must Get It Right on Justice Issues
Barack Obama talks about looking forward. But if he and his administration do not look back at justice-related crimes of Karl Rove & Co., much of their good work might be wasted.
(3 comments) SHARE Monday, January 4, 2010 GOP Governor Drives a Southern Economy Off a Cliff
Alabama voters consistently have sided with business interests. What do they have to show for it? One of the nation's worst economies.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, March 31, 2009 A University Loses Its Moral Compass
Universities are supposed to be places of forward and progressive thinking. But an Alabama institution has seriously lost its way
(2 comments) SHARE Monday, March 30, 2009 Alabama Corruption Fighter Is Corrupt Himself
A Bush-appointed prosecutor has tapped a trusted aide to be the point man for fighting public-corruption cases in Alabama. Only one problem: The point man himself is corrupt.
(3 comments) SHARE Monday, June 1, 2009 Did Siegelman's Former Lawyer Have a Glaring Conflict?
Doug Jones, who led the defense team of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman for three years, has long been involved in a massive lawsuit against Richard Scrushy, who was Siegelman's codefendant. Did this represent a major conflict on Siegelman's own defense team? Did this play a role in the convictions that Siegelman and Scrushy eventually received?
(6 comments) SHARE Monday, August 2, 2010 GOP Setting the Stage for Investigations of Obama
Barack Obama has discouraged investigations of former Bush officials. But the GOP, if it wins back the U.S. House, probably will not return the favor.
(3 comments) SHARE Wednesday, January 14, 2009 The Hazards of Having Corrupt Federal Prosecutors
We already know about cases where corrupt prosecutors have botched federal trials, such as the one involving former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. But what about cases that are yet to go to trial? Will those cases be tainted by corruption in the Bush Justice Department?
(4 comments) SHARE Tuesday, January 5, 2010 Why Isn't the Deep South the Most Liberal Region in the U.S.?
Two Southern universities will play for the national championship of college football--an activity with strong progressive characteristics. So why doesn't liberalism reign in the South?
SHARE Monday, June 8, 2009 A University Defrauds the Federal Government, Then Cuts Jobs
After allegedly defrauding the federal government out of $300-600 million, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) now finds itself having to lay off employees in its health system. How does an institution manage to pull off such a dubious "double play"?
(2 comments) SHARE Thursday, January 8, 2009 The Abramoff Trail Might Be Growing Warm
Things have been quiet on the Jack Abramoff front. But former Abramoff associate Kevin Ring could hold the key to breaking the case wide open--and causing major headaches for prominent Republicans
(1 comments) SHARE Friday, November 14, 2008 New Whistleblower Emerges in Siegelman Case
The WH is particularly concerned about documents&evidence linking it to the prosecution of former AL Gov. Siegelman.This involves former WH counsel Harriet Miers,former sr. political advisor Karl Rove,and President Bush, himself.What you may wonder was the President of the US doing meddling in the prosecution of a Southern governor?That is a very good question.Some significant news on this front will break shortly.Stay tuned!
(1 comments) SHARE Sunday, May 17, 2009 Siegelman Judge Faces Renewed Call for Impeachment
Mark Fuller, the federal judge who oversaw the Don Siegelman case, is facing a renewed call for his impeachment. A new investigative report also shows how much Fuller and his company, Doss Aviation, benefitted from government contracts during the Bush years.
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, May 5, 2009 Is Alabama GOP Governor Caught Red-Handed?
Bob Riley, Alabama's Republican Governor, apparently has cut several deals that sound a lot like the one that landed Don Siegelman, a Democrat, in federal prison. What are the chances that the Justice Department will scrutinize Riley?
(3 comments) SHARE Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Here's the Latest on the Don Siegelman Story
Time magazine broke a story last Friday about misconduct by prosecutors and jurors in the trial of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. The story continues to reverberate around the Web, and here is the latest.
(6 comments) SHARE Saturday, March 7, 2009 Appellate Court Butchers The Siegelman Ruling
President Barack Obama says he is more interested in looking forward rather than looking back at issues of injustice. And by appointing Greg Craig as White House counsel, Obama appears to have acquired a key advisor who is more interested in protecting Karl Rove than getting at justice.(What's going on,Mr. President?)These are dark days for American justice. And they just got darker on Friday.
(4 comments) SHARE Tuesday, August 10, 2010 Impact of Climate Change is Obvious in Antarctica
Anyone who doubts the impact of climate change needs to talk with Jim McClintock, a marine polar biologist who has made 13 research expeditions to Antarctica.
SHARE Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Demanding Justice in the Paul Minor Case
Lawyers for Paul Minor are telling Attorney General Eric Holder that justice is long overdue in their client's case.
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, June 22, 2009 Is Alice Martin an Incorrigble Liar?
Alice Martin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, left office the way she came in--lying through her teeth.
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, November 1, 2010 The Best Lawyer Joke Ever!
A new book takes a critical look at our corrupt legal system.
(2 comments) SHARE Monday, May 11, 2009 Bush Did the Same Thing That Landed Don Siegelman in Prison
As governor of Texas, George W. Bush routinely took large donations and then appointed the donors to state boards and commissions. So why did that same pratice, when done by Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, become a federal crime once Bush became president?
(11 comments) SHARE Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Alabama Blogger is Fired Over Siegelman Coverage
An Alabama blogger is fired from his job as an editor at a public university for writing critically about the Bush Justice Department, particularly its handling of the Don Siegelman case.
(2 comments) SHARE Thursday, October 22, 2009 "Pro Business" Court Lets Big Pharma Off the Hook on Fraud
Pharmaceutical companies are under fire in several states for fraudulent pricing tactics. In Alabama, the GOP-controlled supreme court let them get away with it.
SHARE Monday, May 11, 2009 A Bad Judge Is Handling Mega Lawsuit Against Siegelman Codefendant
Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, the codefendant in Don Siegelman's criminal case, is facing a civil lawsuit that could involve hundeds of millions of dollars. It will be overseen by Judge Allwin Horn, who is a corrupt Republican. I know, from firsthand experience.
SHARE Monday, December 15, 2008 University Employee Used State Computer to Send Anti-Gay E-Mail
An employee at an Alabama university used a state computer to send an anti-gay e-mail. Will the woman face disciplinary action from the same institution that fired a progressive blogger a few months ago?
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, August 3, 2009 Rove's Spin Lands Him in Criminal Territory
Did Karl Rove commit a crime when he discussed his role in the U.S. attorney firings with two major newspapers. Yes, says one attorney.
(2 comments) SHARE Wednesday, December 17, 2008 Is Karl Rove Securing the Crime Scene?
Karl Rove seems to have concerns about Obama attorney general nominee Eric Holder. Could that be a good thing?
SHARE Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Here's How An Appellate Court Cheated Don Siegelman
The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling that upheld most of the convictions against former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman appears to have given validity to the government's case. And with federal prosecutors asking that Siegelman receive a 20-year prison sentence, the possible repercussions are drastic. So here is a key question: Did the 11th Circuit get it right? In a series that starts today, we show the answer is no.
(3 comments) SHARE Monday, August 31, 2009 Justice in Siegelman Case Will Begin in Montgomery, Alabama
Karl Rove's Congressional testimony was titillating. But the truth in the Don Siegelman case probably will not emerge from Washington, D.C. It will come from Montgomery, Alabama.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, November 3, 2009 Artist Strikes a Blow For First Amendment in Alabama
The University of Alabama sued sports artist Daniel Moore, claiming he was violating trademark law. A federal judge ruled for Moore--and the First Amendment.
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, February 5, 2009 Political Prosecutions Continue in Alabama
Barack Obama might be in the White House, but injustice continues in America's broke courts. The John W. Goff case is proof that Karl Rove's legacy of sleaze lives on.
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, April 20, 2009 Did Eric Holder Sell Paul Minor Down the River
Attorney General Eric Holder could have intervened, forcing the Federal Bureau of Prisons (which answers to him) to allow Paul Minor to attend his wife's funeral. Holder, who intervened in the case of Republican Ted Stevens, chose to remain mute. Why?
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, November 3, 2008 Confronting a Corrupt Republican Judge at Election Time
It appears that Alabama is about to re-elect a corrupt Republican to an important appellate court. A citizen confronts the judge with clear evidence of corruption.
(3 comments) SHARE Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Is It Too Easy for America to Go to War?
Fewer than 1 percent of Americans are called on to fight in our current wars. What does that mean for our country?
(3 comments) SHARE Wednesday, May 27, 2009 Are Bush Crimes Prosecutable?
Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts, normally a well-reasoned progressive voice, says we should give Bush officials a free pass on their apparent crimes. Hard to believe someone as smart as Pitts could be so off base.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, April 27, 2010 Richard Shelby Is A Reptile!
Alabama's conservative senator is being well paid to block meaningful financial reform.
SHARE Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Plot Thickens in Mississippi Senate Race
Evidence continues to mount that the Bush DOJ plans to issue an indictment that is timed to influence the tight Mississippi US Senate race between Dem Ronnie Musgrove and Repub Roger Wicker.An indictment against Musgrove,which could come between now and the 11/4 election,probably would secure a victory for Wicker.It also raises questions about a number of criminal investigations by the DOJ that appear politically motivated.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Jill Simpson is Still Standing Strong
Jill Simpson, an Alabama attorney and Republican whistleblower, has played a vital role in uncovering sleaze at the Bush Justice Department. It's been almost a year since Simpson stepped forward, and in spite of outrageous GOP attacks, she is standing strong.
SHARE Thursday, May 27, 2010 Is Sarah Palin Smarter Than Obama?
Sarah Palin clearly isn't very sharp. But she could teach Democrats a thing or two about street-fighting politics.
(2 comments) SHARE Wednesday, May 6, 2009 Were Siegelman and Minor Prosecutions True Inside Jobs?
What makes the Don Siegelman and Paul Minor prosecutions so particularly heinous. For one thing, growing evidence indicates that federal judges were in on the fixes.
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, August 24, 2009 Rove Launches a Slimy Spin Campaign
Karl Rove appears to be using two newspapers to help launch a spin campaign that is detached from reality.
(4 comments) SHARE Thursday, March 26, 2009 The Political Prosecutions of Karl Rove
A new documentary spotlights Democrats who were targeted for political prosecutions by the Bush Justice Department and Karl Rove.
SHARE Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Will Obama Appoint "Rabid Republican" to Key Alabama Post?
An Alabama news Web site is reporting that the Obama administration is leaning toward the appointment of a "rabid Republican" as U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Is Another Bush Prosecution Falling Apart?
A federal judge in Georgia has admitted that he never should have overseen the case against former state senator Charles Walker. Could that be a sign that another Bush prosecution is falling apart?
SHARE Monday, January 5, 2009 The Orwellian World of a Southern University
An Alabama university's handling of free-speech cases indicates higher education might not be as liberal as many people think.
SHARE Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Did Appellate Court Screw Don Siegelman? You Betcha
The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the conviction of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman on corruption. Did the all-Republican, three-judge get it right, according to the law. Not on your life.
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Snakes Alive! A Rift Develops in the Alabama GOP
Despite her claims that she will cling to her US attorney's spot and force Obama to fire her,Martin knows her days are numbered in the DoJ.That means she needs a new appointment-to avoid having to get a real job-and she wants Riley to appoint her to the vacant Criminal Appeals seat...Riley probably is concerned that if he appoints Martin, it could turn scrutiny onto him--and his own considerable ethical baggage.
SHARE Wednesday, June 24, 2009 The Cheating of Don Siegelman, Part I
The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of the convictions in the Don Siegelman case, giving some validity to the trial-court's findings in the politically charged case. But a close examination shows that the 11th Circuit bothced the Siegelman appeal in multiple ways.
SHARE Thursday, July 16, 2009 Palin's Attorney Treads On Thin Legal Ice
Sarah Palin's attorney is threatening lawsuits against journalists who report that the Alaska governor's resignation was linked to a possible federal investigation. The published material, however, is not remotely defamatory under the law, and the lawyer could wind up bringing a lawsuit on himself--and Palin
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, July 14, 2009 Is Another Fix In Place On The Siegelman Case?
Could the Obama administration actually strike a deal with GOP senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby to keep a Bush-appointed prosecutor in charge of the Don Siegelman case.
SHARE Sunday, April 12, 2009 Humanity Remains Absent in Paul Minor Case
Not only was Mississippi attorney Paul Minor wrongfully prosecuted and convicted by the Bush Department of Justice. Now federal lawyers are fighting to keep[ him from seeing his dying wife in her final days.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Does Siegelman Case Mean GOP Governors Are Headed for Prison?
Don Siegelman, former Democratic governor of Alabama, was convicted for appointing a donor to a regulatory board. What about numerous GOP governors who have done much the same thing?
(4 comments) SHARE Sunday, September 7, 2008 The Smoking Gun Behind GOP Corruption
Why is today's Republican Party so corrupt? Perhaps the party's ties to Big Tobacco explain it.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, May 26, 2009 Siegelman And Scrushy Should Have Testified In Their Own Defense
Defense lawyers often decline to have their clients testify in criminal trials. That strategy seems to be taught in Law School 101. But it doesn't always work out so well. The Don Siegelman case in Alabama is one example.
SHARE Thursday, June 4, 2009 Cyril Wecht Lands Verbal Haymakers on Bush Prosecutor
The government's case against Pennsylvania forensic pathologist Cyricl Wecht fell apart when an appellate court forced a biased trial judge to step down. Wecht took several delicious verbal swipes at Bush-appointed prosecutor Mary Beth Buchanan after she dismissed charges against him. Makes you wonder why corrupt trial judge Mark Fuller still is in charge of the Don Siegelman case in Alabama.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Did Rove Follow Siegelman Case in Alabama? Oh, Yes
Documents and testimony released yesterday by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee show Karl Rove closely followed the Don Siegelman case.
(4 comments) SHARE Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Republicans Try to Shoot the Messenger on Corruption in Alabama
We have confirm that Alabama Governor Bob Riley received campaign funds from Mississippi gambling interests in 2002, laundered through Jack Abramoff. So what do GOPers do? They attack the source.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Do Liberals Control Higher Education? Not Hardly
A progressive getting fired from a university for blogging on his own time? And he's not even the first progressive in his office to get in trouble for blogging? Who says liberals control higher education?
(2 comments) SHARE Friday, November 6, 2009 Could New Revelations Blow the Roof Off GOP Corruption?
News yesterday about campaign financing in Alabama should lead to a widespread investigation of GOP insiders, including those responsible for the Don Siegelman prosecution.
SHARE Thursday, July 2, 2009 Is Artur Davis Selling Out Obama for Personal Gain?
Alabama Congressman Artur Davis reportedly is consulting two Republicans about the nominee for a U.S. attorney post. This could lead to the re-appointment of Leura Canary, the prosecutor in the Don Siegelman case. Will Davis heap embarrassment on the Obama administration, just to further his own bid for Alabama governor?
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Prosecutors Resort to Fabrications In Siegelman Case
Prosecutors apparently realize they can't win an argument on the facts or the law in the Don Siegelman case. So they rely on outright falsehoods.
(7 comments) SHARE Sunday, June 13, 2010 Is Prayer the Answer to Oil-Spill Crisis?
Oil is visiting Alabama beaches in major amounts, and one citizen has called on prayer to help save the ecosystem. Is it too little, too late?
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, April 16, 2009 Paul Minor Might Not Be Allowed to Attend His Wife's Funeral
Mississippi attorney Paul Minor, a victim of the Bush Justice Department, was not allowed an emergency release from prison to be with his wife in her last days. Now, it appears he won't be allowed to attend her funeral.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, August 5, 2009 Obama's White House Counsel Has Ties to Republican PR Firm
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Greg Craig might be on his way out in the Obama White House. Here are more reasons Craig should be shown the door.
SHARE Thursday, January 15, 2009 Universities And Other Scoundrels Reach Late Deals With Bushies
Fraudsters are trying to reach last-minute settlements with the Bush administration, out of fear they won' get off easy under Obama. The fraudsters include universities, and the writer has personal insight on one of them--the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, April 7, 2009 Are Siegelman and Minor One Step Closer to Justice?
A ruling today in the Ted Stevens case will lead to heightened scrutiny of the Bush-era Department of Justice. That should be a good sign for Don Siegelman, Paul Minor and other victims of political prosecutions.
(3 comments) SHARE Monday, January 12, 2009 Are Universities Riddled With Corruption?
Universities are supposed to be bastions of higher learning. But recent history indicates they can be hotbeds for corruption and mismanagement.
SHARE Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Public Integrity Section Shows Lack of Integrity in Siegelman Prosecution
The Public Integrity Section (PIN) of the U.S. Justice Department has been under scrutiny for apparent prosecutorial misconduct in Alaska corruption cases. An Alabama whisteblower says similar misconduct was present in the Don Siegelman case, and she says those convictions should be set aside.
(3 comments) SHARE Sunday, October 19, 2008 Sleazy Employers Come in Many Varieties
From Florida congressmen to Alabama university presidents, unethical employers seem to be all the rage.
(2 comments) SHARE Saturday, May 24, 2008 Don Siegelman Comes Out Swinging
An inside look at the appeal being filed by former Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman, who has been the best known political prisoner to suffer under the Bush Justice Department
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Will Smarts Translate Into Strength for Obama?
We know that Barack Obama is a smart guy. But can he translate those smarts into the kind of strength he will need to become an outstanding president?
(4 comments) SHARE Thursday, July 30, 2009 Prosecutors In Siegelman Case Have No Shame
How desperate are federal prosectuors to keep corrupt U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller on the Don Siegelman case? Very.
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, August 27, 2009 It's Really Not About Don Siegelman
The Don Siegelman case really is not about the former Alabama governor. It is about "equal protection," "due process," the fundamental integrity of our courts--all issues that are way bigger than Siegelman, or anyeone else.
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Obama Needs to Make This Recess Appointment Pronto
Now is the ideal time for President Obama to show he is serious about justice issues. And he can start with a key recess appointment in Alabama.
(1 comments) SHARE Sunday, June 14, 2009 Don Siegelman and the Plague of Judicial Bias
The prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman is probably the best known case involving apparent judicial bias. But recent news reports indicate the problem is widespread and difficult to combat.
SHARE Thursday, June 4, 2009 Did Holder Go Easy on GOP Phone Jammer?
The case against alleged Republican phone jammer James Tobin has ended, with the DOJ dropping a possible appeal. Did Eric Holder go easy on a GOP scoundrel?
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, March 9, 2010 Alabama Cases Show That Justice Is Not Color Blind
A black politician receives a 15-year prison sentence in Alabama. A white businessman, with a famour name, avoids scrutiny altogether. What does that say about our justice system?
SHARE Friday, September 4, 2009 Did Alabama's GOP Governor Commit a Crime?
Governor Bob Riley, according to a news report, has tried to influence a decision by the Alabama Supreme Court in a gambling-related case. If this is proven, did Riley commit a crime?
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, June 25, 2009 The Cheating of Don Siegelman, Part II
How badly did the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals screw up its ruling in the Don Siegelman case? The appeal was largely about bribery, and the court did not even get the fundamentals of bribery law right. The court claimed that the case hinged on an argument the Siegelman defense team didn't even make. What can explain such incompetence by a federal court?
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, July 23, 2009 Why Did the 11th Circuit Cheat Don Siegelman? Here's My Guess
Why did a federal appeals court cheat Don Siegelman and codefendant Richard Scrushy? Probably because it is trying to keep a lid on the Republican sleaze that is oozing out of Montgomery, Alabama.
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, May 19, 2009 Why Is There a New Judge in Pennsylvania Case, But Not For Don Siegelman?
A biased judge was forced to step down in the Pennsylvania case involving forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht--and it's made a huge difference. Why hasn't the same thing happened in the Don Siegelman case in Alabama?
SHARE Tuesday, July 15, 2008 The Power of a Raw Story
Since Raw Story on Friday afternoon broke the story about my termination from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), traffic on Legal Schnauzer has more than tripled from what I would normally see on a Friday and Saturday. And that's on a weekend in the middle of summer vacation season.
(2 comments) SHARE Thursday, August 13, 2009 Rove Did NOT Deny Involvement With Siegelman Case
Reports in both the mainstream and Web Press have indicated that Karl Rove denied involvement with the Don Siegelman case. One problem with those reports: They aren't true.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, July 7, 2009 Justice Department Whistleblower Is Fired in Alabama
Tamarah Grimes became known late last year for disclosing prosecutorial misconduct in the Don Siegelman case. Now, Grimes has been fired from her job as a legal aide in the Middle District of Alabama.
SHARE Thursday, June 19, 2008 Bushies Protect Alabama Attorney With Unsavory Past
An Alabama attorney has a long history of unethical behavior in the legal profession. But his family ties to Karl Rove and the Bush administration help provide him with an "umbrella of protection."
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, September 18, 2008 Will Abramoff Case Finally Break Open?
Jack Abramoff has been sentenced. But will justice every really come for citizens who have been cheated by Abramoff's antics?
(2 comments) SHARE Tuesday, May 12, 2009 Federal Prosecutors Want Longer Sentence for Siegelman
Federal prosecutors plan to recommend that former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman receive a 20-year prison sentence, an increase from the original sentence of roughly seven years.
SHARE Friday, August 29, 2008 Republican Governor is a Hypocrite on Gambling
Alabama Governor Bob Riley says he is opposed to gambling. This is the same guy who had no problem with $13 million in Mississippi Choctaw gambling money coming into his campaign.
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, June 29, 2009 The Cheating of Don Siegelman, Part III
Is it too much to ask for federal judges to give the correct jury instructions in a criminal case. In the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, it apparently was too much to ask.
(1 comments) SHARE Tuesday, August 25, 2009 How Much Money Will Be Wasted On The Siegelman Case?
Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and codefendant Richard Scrushy recently filed appeals of their criminal convictions with the U.S. Supreme Court. Our initial reaction? How much money is going to be wasted on a case that should have been kicked out of court before the first witness ever took the stand?
SHARE Monday, April 6, 2009 Don Siegelman and the Little Banner that Could
How do important messages about justice reach the public? Jeff Miles, of Madison, Alabama, shows us one way to get the word out.
In a brief (1:28) video titled "The Little Banner That Could," Miles shows us how a simple message made its way from a small garage in north Alabama to within a few blocks of America's seat of power.
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, September 11, 2008 Do Some Employers Just Want to Be Sued?
A bank employee who had a gun put to her head during a robbery winds up getting fired.
What are some employers thinking?
(2 comments) SHARE Monday, June 16, 2008 How a Corrupt Bushie Operates in Alabama
An Alabama blogger shows exactly how a U.S. attorney in the Bush Justice Department corruptly protects wrongdoers with strong conservative loyalties.
(1 comments) SHARE Thursday, July 9, 2009 Was Siegelman Whistleblower Really a Security Risk?
A Justice Department officials says a whistleblower in the Don Siegelman case was fired because she had become "an operational security risk." Is there any evidence to support that claim regarding former legal aide Tamarah Grimes? Not that we can find.
SHARE Wednesday, July 22, 2009 How the 11th Circuit Cheated Don Siegelman: A Summary
Explosive news has come in recent days from motions for a new trial in the Don Siegelman case. But those motions would not have been necessary if the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals had followed its own precedent and overturned the verdicts.
SHARE Sunday, August 16, 2009 Siegelman and the Rove Testimony: What's Next?
Karl Rove's testimony on the Don Siegelman case was a good first step. But a thorough investigation, followed by tough questions for Rove and others, is a key next step.
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, July 6, 2009 Obama Is Concerned About Political Prosecutions--In Russia
Barack Obama finally speaks out against political prosecutions--but he's talking about Russia, not the U.S. What gives? Has the man ever heard of Don Siegelman, Paul Minor?
(2 comments) SHARE Monday, August 18, 2008 Case of the Fired Blogger: Why Did University Resort to Thievery?
Why would a university resort to thievery in the case of an employee it fired for writing a blog--on his own time? Does this indicate that someone external to the university--federal law enforcement officials perhaps--are behind the firing?
(2 comments) SHARE Monday, July 21, 2008 University Acting in Bad Faith in Blogger's Firing
Is an Alabama university trying to pull a fast one with an employee it fired because his personal blog is critical of the Bush Justice Department? Sure looks like it.
(4 comments) SHARE Saturday, May 3, 2008 Good Day for Siegelman, Good Day for Justice
The former governor got more good news,in the form of an excellent column titled "What Karl Rove Fears Most"(love that headline!)by Dan Froomkin of the Washington Post.There is so much good stuff in Froomkin's column, it's hard to know where to begin.Basically,it's a splendid overview of recent events regarding Rove and his slithering efforts to avoid testifying about his role in the Siegelman case and other DOJ shenanigans.
SHARE Sunday, June 1, 2008 Will a Corrupt U.S. Attorney Eat Her Own Words?
Alice Martin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, was the first prosecutor to go after former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman. Martin claims that she is a high-minded, impartial public servant. But do her actions live up to her rhetoric?
(1 comments) SHARE Monday, March 24, 2008 Paying the Price For Looking Too Closely at the Siegelman Case
Republican authorities are threatening to seize my house, in a thinly
veiled attempt to shut down my blog. I think this has a lot to do with
U.S. Attorney Alice Martin, who led the first effort to go after Don
Siegelman.Here is my most recent post about what amounts to state-sponsored terrorism by the Alabama GOP.
SHARE Monday, September 29, 2008 A Tale of Two Progressive Bloggers
Two employees at a public university in the Deep South encounter troubled waters because they write progressive blogs.
SHARE Wednesday, October 22, 2008 The Backstory of a GOP "Political Hit"
What would cause the Republican sleaze machine to attack a regular citizen, a "Joe Six Pack," if you will. Here's the story behind a GOP political hit.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Former AGs Seek A Stevens-Like Review of Siegelman Case
A Department of Justice review resulted in dismissed charges against former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). A group of former top law-enforcement officials is asking for a similar review in the Don Siegelman case.
SHARE Thursday, July 31, 2008 Has Rove Targeted Alabama State Employees?
Sources are telling an Alabama blogger that Karl Rove and his intelligence network have targeted a number of state employees who did not toe the Bush party line.
(3 comments) SHARE Sunday, June 8, 2008 Don Siegelman and the Bush Double Standard
A former Democratic governor in Alabama is prosecuted on "corruption" charges for allegedly receiving a campaign contribution and then taking action that benefited his supporter. Alabama's current Republican governor has done pretty much the same thing. Does the Bush Justice Department show any signs of prosecuting that deal? Does the Alabama press show any signs of raising questions about the deal?
SHARE Thursday, July 3, 2008 Rove, Alabama, and Machiavelli's Shadow
How extensive is the damage that Karl Rove has wrought upon the United States? A new interview with author Paul Alexander provides important clues.
(2 comments) SHARE Friday, July 10, 2009 Trapped in the Justice Department's "Roach Motel"
Why has the U.S. Department of Justice become a dysfunctional cesspool? It's partly because the DOJ's "watchdog" is sound asleep.
(1 comments) SHARE Sunday, June 1, 2008 Will This Corrupt U.S. Attorney Eat Her Words?
Alabama U.S. Attorney Alice Martin has been called one of the primary practitioners of political prosecution in the corrupt Bush Justice Department. An Alabama blogger has had a personal experience that proves Alice Martin truly is a Bush political hack.
(1 comments) SHARE Wednesday, June 18, 2008 A Portrait of Alabama Sleaze in the Age of Rove
A corrupt attorney with family ties to Karl Rove and the Bush White House shows that you can actually steal a citizen's rights to his own property--and get away with it!
(1 comments) SHARE Friday, June 20, 2008 Progress for Political Prisoners in Paul Minor Case?
The Paul Minor case in Mississippi ranks right up there with the Don Siegelman case in Alabama as an example of political prosecution by the Bush Justice Department. Encouraging news comes today for the Minor defendants.
SHARE Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Oil Probe Reflects a Double Standard on "Scandalous" Behavior
The Obama administration is right to investigation the BP oil spill for possible criminal behavior. But why is the administration ignoring signs of criminal behavior in the Bush White House?
SHARE Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Big Siegelman Story is Brewing at Vanity Fair
Investigative journalist Craig Unger is working on a major piece about the Don Siegelman prosecution for a fall issue of Vanity Fair.
SHARE Tuesday, June 10, 2008 ExxonMobil Prospers, Alabama Flounders
Alabama's Republican-controlled Supreme Court overturned a $3.6 billion judgment for the state and against oil giant ExxonMobil. With the Bush economy going in the tank, Alabama sure could use that money now.
SHARE Sunday, April 27, 2008 Siegelman and the Alabama Press
I've taken a journalism class or two in my time,and this one is hard to figure.The state's former gov gives his first major in-state interview since his release from prison and the AP's Montgomery bureau doesn't pick it up?This is curious: both stories are sympathetic to Siegelman,yet they don't run the first one and then don't mention the second because, well,I guess as they say on South Park,"Nothing to see here,move along."
SHARE Wednesday, July 1, 2009 The Cheating of Don Siegelman, Part IV
Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman was convicted largely on the basis of impermissible hearsay evidence. But the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the unlawful trial-court finding to stand.
SHARE Friday, May 30, 2008 Meet a "Loyal Bushie" and a Corrupt U.S. Attorney
The Alabama blog Legal Schnauzer starts a series of posts that will spotlight the slippery ways of a corrupt U.S. attorney in the Bush Justice Department.
SHARE Thursday, June 5, 2008 Doing Battle With a Corrupt Bushie
An Alabama blogger shows you exactly how a corrupt U.S. attorney in the Bush Justice Department practices the ugly art of political prosecution, protecting her Republican allies who have committed clear federal crimes.
(1 comments) SHARE Sunday, August 12, 2012 Siegelman Prosecution has ties to 9/11
The prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman was driven in part by a desire to cover up activity related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, according to a new report from a Washington, D.C.-based investigative journalist.