I quickly dismiss most conspiracy theories. But like other people, I am tempted to accept a few. For example, I suspect the Soviets and Cubans were behind the assassination of President Kennedy. They wanted revenge for having lost face during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the American assassin had stayed in Moscow and Cuba, which … Continue reading Beware: Conspiracy Theories
One of the great failures of the modern era is that heroes have been replaced with celebrities. Tienanmen Square Heroes are men and women who inspire us because of their great achievements and/or their exemplary acts of courage and conviction. Heroes have changed the course of history for the better. Heroes have saved lives at … Continue reading Don’t Confuse Heroes with Celebrities
“Dear Satan and Your Whore” One of my biggest challenges as a judge is to quickly differentiate between a person with an “attitude,” or a person who is eccentric, or a person who has mental health issues. This is not always easy. If the person “cops” an “attitude,” I am very fast and firm in putting … Continue reading An Eccentric Criminal’s Letter to Me: “Dear Satan and Your Whore”
(When I was growing up, there was a separate National Holiday for Lincoln's birthday (Feb. 12) and Washington's birthday (Feb. 22), our two greatest presidents. Those holidays are now smooshed into one Presidents Day, and so no one remembers when Lincoln and Washington were born. Some people think that is for the best. I don't.) … Continue reading In Honor of Presidents Day: The “Top Five” Founding Fathers
Coming to America The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, can succeed through hard work, study, ingenuity, sacrifice, teamwork, and perseverance. In many nations, a person’s birth predetermines their future. Were they born into nobility or royalty or serfdom? Where they born into the upper class or … Continue reading What Makes America Great (Pt 6/6): The American Dream
Peter Mortensen, husband of my 2nd great aunt, was tried, convicted, and executed for the murder of James Hay. The personal revelation of a witness played a role in his arrest and conviction. The Crime In 1901, Peter Mortensen owed the Pacific Lumber Company $3800. His Ogden, Utah neighbor, James Hay, was an officer in … Continue reading “Personal Revelation” Used as Evidence to Convict and Execute a Man for Murder
The Juvenile Water Balloon Bombers As a young D.A. I prosecuted a group of twelve-year-old deacon-age boys who thought it would be fun to throw water balloons at cars speeding along Beach Blvd. in Buena Park, California. They were enjoying themselves until they threw water balloons at a car filled with gang members. The car screeched … Continue reading More Young Dumb Criminals
The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights have inspired the world. Perhaps the greatest contribution the U.S. has made to humanity is American political philosophy and ideals. A Foundation of a Written Constitution The U.S. government is built on the bedrock foundation - the supreme law of a written constitution. James Madison, the … Continue reading What Makes America Great (Pt 5/6): American Political Philosophy and Ideals
One of the things that makes America great is its culture. American culture permeates life here and abroad. From music to movies, from art to literature, from fashion to food, from television to sports, American culture has had a huge impact throughout the world. American Literature and Writers Here is a partial list of … Continue reading What Makes America Great (Pt 4/6): American Culture
I have handled a lot of high publicity cases during my judicial career. I have received more publicity than I ever wanted. Fortunately, most of my publicity has been positive. Even more fortunately, I have met my goal of staying off the editorial page. One high publicity case was the result of a juvenile prank. … Continue reading Tragic Case of the Movie Theater Prank
The London Edition 