I know I’ve said it before — and I’ll probably say it again. This is one of the coolest, most awesome stories I’ve come across in a long time. And this time I mean it. Really.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
Apparently, Connecticut school kids recently “elected” a new governor. Or more accurately, a new “Kid Governor.” Her name is Jessica Brocksom and she’s in fifth grade.
According to published reports, the John F. Kennedy Elementary School student is the second Kid Governor elected as part of the Connecticut Public Affairs Network’s Kid Governor program.
Brocksom “defeated” six other students from Connecticut schools who submitted campaign videos this year. She secured the victory by capturing most of the 4,000 votes cast by fifth-graders from more than 40 towns.
As one Connecticut TV station reported, the key to Brocksom’s success was a timely and appealing platform.
“I just chose something that I felt very passionate about and I knew animals was one of my things because not many people pay attention to animals,” Brocksom informed the media during her first “post-election” news conference.
Among other things, Brocksom feels strongly about harsher punishments for those convicted of animal abuse.
As the newly elected Kid Governor, Brocksom will share her passion for animal advocacy with her peers beginning after her “inauguration” in January. Specifically, she will share ideas about how kids can get involved in activities to help unwanted and abused animals.
“You can just have a bin and have it like a food drive once or twice a year and you can donate a lot to an animal shelter to help with the animals that have been abused,” said Brocksom.
Organizers said the Connecticut Public Affairs Network created the Kid Governor program in order to “teach kids about civics and state government, but also about civic participation.”
Based on this year’s outcome, I’d say the program’s definitely a success. Congratulations, Jessica. And best of luck in the future. I’d say it’s looking pretty bright.
Last week, Connecticut’s law enforcement family lost a true hero.
According to published reports, Thor, a Wethersfield Police K-9, died in the line of duty. He was just three years old.
The incident ultimately that claimed his life began with an alleged kidnapping in Hartford last Monday. The suspect in the case reportedly took the victim to a Wethersfield motel. The suspect fled into a wooded area nearby, and that’s when Thor gave chase. As he did, he disappeared from view.
NYPD barriers. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
“Officers found someone matching the suspect’s condition in Rocky Hill and a state trooper found Thor on the ground with internal bleeding,” a Connecticut TV station reported.
No one knows exactly how Thor got hurt. Police did say Thor was taken to an animal hospital, where he died last Tuesday from complications after receiving a blood transfusion.
The sergeant in charge of the Wethersfield Police Department’s K-9 unit said the agency plans on honoring the fallen police dog. Details have not yet been publicized, however condolences may be sent to:
Chief of Police James Cetran
Wethersfield Police Department
250 Silas Deane Highway
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Sadly, Thor is not the only K-9 killed in the line of duty last week. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is also mourning the loss of K-9 Forest.
Information on the portion of the Officer Down Memorial Page website specifically dedicated to fallen police dogs indicates that K-9 Forest was shot and killed “while attempting an apprehension of a vagrant fugitive near Vann Park in Deltona, Florida.”
In that case, officers also sent the two-year-old German Shepherd into a wooded area. That’s when the fugitive “opened fire on Forest and deputies as Forest attempted an apprehension.” Forest was taken to a nearby animal hospital, where he eventually succumbed to his injury.
Condolences may be sent to:
Sheriff Ben Johnson
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office
123 W. Indiana Avenue
DeLand, FL 32720
Thor and Forest died roughly one week after K-9 Jardo of the Boise City (Idaho) Police Department also succumbed to injuries sustained in the line of duty.
He was reportedly shot while “attempting an apprehension on a suspect wanted for shooting two citizens and carjacking an elderly woman.”
The suspect opened fire when Jardo, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois, found him, striking Jardo, and two officers who were assisting his handler.
Jardo was reportedly transported to an emergency veterinary hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was released several days later, but developed complications. He was taken back to the vet where he died while undergoing additional surgery.
Condolences may be sent to:
Police Chief Bill Jones
Boise Police Department
333 N Mark Stall Place
Boise, ID 83704
Earlier this year, I teamed up with a client and one of her colleagues to co-research and co-write an article about the use of Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs).
The article appeared “Animal Law” edition of the Maryland Bar Journal. You can find it here. Because it’s a fairly long piece, I totally understand if you don’t have time to read the whole thing. In fact, I’d be happy to hit the high points for you.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
Basically, we began by describing Services Animals and ESAs, and discussed the rules and regulations governing their use. We also touched on some of the controversies stemming from their use. Most importantly, we shared ideas about how to accommodate everyone’s needs without resorting to costly and ineffective litigation.
Little did I know how timely that article would turn out to be. Since its publication this summer, I have seen countless stories about the same topics in the mainstream media. In fact, I found this one just a couple of weeks ago. It’s about someone taking a duck on a plane.
Yes, you heard me. A duck! I’m sorry. That’s utterly ridiculous. I’ve heard of people being allowed to take service dogs on planes (and even that causes problems sometimes). But a duck?
Yes, it sounds crazy. But apparently it’s not all that unusual. In fact, if a passenger has proper documentation, it seems like almost anything goes.
“We have seen service monkeys, even comfort pigs,” TSA spokesperson Mike McCarthy told the media. “There really isn’t much that would surprise our officers,” he added.
There’s no doubt that service animals, Emotional Support Animals and therapy animals help people cope with and overcome serious physical and psychological issues. And I suppose there’s no rule that says that a service animal, Emotional Support Animal or therapy animal must be a dog or cat. Horses have “worked” as therapy animals for years.
I can’t say for sure but I would venture to guess that most reasonable, open-minded people don’t mind if someone travels with a service animal or ESA — as long as there is a legitimate need. From what I’ve seen and heard, troubles arise when it is obvious that the person with the service animal or ESA abuses the rules.
Beyond that, there are other legitimate concerns. As someone who was once horribly allergic to dogs, cats (and just about every other animal you could possibly imagine), I am not to sure how I would have felt about being cooped up on an airplane with a dog nearby.
There are also people who are afraid of some animals — especially dogs. Who knows. Perhaps there are some people who are equally afraid of pigs, ducks, lizards and any other assortment of animals permitted on public transportation these days. Is it really fair to subject them to emotional distress just to accommodate someone else’s needs?
For the purposes of this blog, that is a rhetorical question. But it also warrants serious thought.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer.
As long as people love animals — and as long as service animals, ESAs and therapy animals continue to help their human counterparts cope with physical and psychological challenges — the debate will continue.
So here’s a really cool little story to share with your family and friends over the holiday weekend.
It’s about a black bear and a “little old lady” from Maryland. Apparently, this black bear decided that this little old lady was an easy target. Apparently the bear was somewhat mistaken.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
According to one account of the seemingly lopsided brawl, the “little old lady” gave as good as she got.
The encounter reportedly happened approximately 45 miles west of Baltimore, in Frederick, Maryland. Apparently annoyed when a dog forced one of her cubs up a tree, Mamma Bear took her anger out on Karen Osborne. Osborne, 63, who had gone outside to check on a barking dog, retaliated by “punching [the bear] in the face a couple of times,” her husband told the Associated Press. When that didn’t work, she “played dead.”
While she didn’t actually die (obviously) Osborne hardly emerged unscathed. In fact, she ended up in the hospital where she was treated for a broken arm and severe “bite wounds.”
The bear also paid a hefty price for the attack, however. In fact, the bear paid with her life. The state’s Natural Resources Police told the AP that the wildlife specialists “tracked and euthanized the 200-pound female bear under a policy mandating death for bears that attack people.”
Officials quoted by the AP also said the 200-pound bear had a habit of getting into trouble. Specifically, they said that she had been “tagged” after she broke into a chicken coop last year.
Karen Osborne’s daughter acknowledged that the bear was “known” in the neighborhood.
“She’s been in the area forever. We all kind of love her,” Tara Snuffin told the AP. “We’re all very sad that this had to happen this way.”
To learn what you can do to avoid conflicts with black bears, visit the Maryland DNR’s “Living with Black Bears” page.
For some strange reason, some people just don’t get it.
In a society governed by rule of law, you can’t do whatever you want.
Well, you can try. But you probably won’t get away with it. So if you do break the rules, you’d better be prepared for the consequences. Because let’s face it. Chances are you will probably get caught. You will probably be convicted. And then you will probably be punished accordingly.
In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
If you’re caught, tried and convicted, you might as well take your punishment like a big boy (or girl) and be done with it.
But like I said, some people just don’t get it.
For example, take this 71-year-old Maine woman who was reportedly convicted of animal cruelty. As part of her punishment, the court prohibited her from having more pets.
Apparently that doesn’t matter to her. Carol Murphy seems to think she can do whatever she wants.
As the Associated Press reported, “Murphy was convicted of animal cruelty in 2005 and was banned from having pets. She was convicted of the charge five years later, and was again barred from owning animals.”
Of course, Murphy insists she never did anything wrong. Clearly it seems she sees nothing wrong with having more pets — even though she was banned from doing so.
Yes, Carol Murphy definitely seems to hold the deeply misguided belief that she can do whatever she wants. With impunity.
Apparently someone disagrees. So she was convicted of contempt of court.
As far as I’m concerned, she’s beyond contempt. But that’s just my humble opinion.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I came across this story about George Soros. And frankly it makes me sick.
Apparently Soros — a man about whom I have absolutely, positively nothing nice to say — sank millions of his allegedly “hard-earned” dollars into local law enforcement races across the country. Clearly he did this to influence the outcome. And unfortunately, it worked.
NYPD barriers. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
According to the Associated Press, Soros “mouthpiece” Michael Vachon said the billionaire’s motives were completely above-board. Specifically, Vachon claims that Soros “contributed to candidates in these local law enforcement races because of his longtime interest in ending mass incarceration, combatting racial disparities within the criminal justice system and abolishing the death penalty.” Really, it’s all good, Vachon insists. Soros “believes that society benefits when the criminal justice system is fair.”
So do I. But I also believe that the criminal justice system works most effectively when the good people who devote their lives to it can do their jobs without outside interference. I believe it is especially effective without outside interference from people who know absolutely nothing about it.
Call me cynical, but I also find it highly unlikely that Soros’ motives are all that altruistic. After all, he also stands accused of undermining law enforcement by funding the Ferguson protests and spurring similar movements in recent months.
Sorry, George. To coin a baseball phrase, “I call ’em like I see ’em.” And as a reporter I covered law enforcement in three states over 21 years. So I’ve seen quite a bit.
Yes, I’ve seen my share of bad cops and overzealous prosecutors. I’ve seen my share of incompetence. I’ve seen shady defense lawyers play the system to ensure that criminals get away with little more than a slap on the wrist. But I’ve also had the pleasure of dealing with some wonderful people who are truly devoted to the system and work tirelessly to ensure that the good guys prevail.
So do us all a favor. Put your wallet away and mind your own business. Please.
When I was little, one of my favorite books was Rascalby Sterling North. In it, North recounts his boyhood experiences — including his unique friendship with a raccoon called Rascal. North’s relationship with Rascal begins when Rascal is just a little cub — and they have more than their share of interesting adventures. But Rascal is never really tame — and North soon realizes the folly of keeping his “pet.”
Founder/owner of In Brief Legal Writing Services, Alexandra Bogdanovic. Photo by N. Bogdanovic
Before he turns Rascal loose, however, North also realizes that hunting and trapping — activities he has always enjoyed — put Rascal and animals like him — at risk.
He says: “How could anyone mutilate the sensitive questing hands of an animal like Rascal… I burned my fur catalogues in the furnace and hung my traps in the loft in the barn, never to use them again. Men had stopped killing other men in France that day; ad on that day I signed a permanent peace treaty with the animals and the birds. It is perhaps the only peace treaty that was ever kept.”
Today, almost 100 years after North reached that conclusion, a debate about racoon trapping is still raging — in New Jersey, of all places.
According to published reports, animal rights advocates say the use of certain traps recently approved by a state agency is inhumane. The state disagrees and the matter is reportedly heading to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
As it now stands, all New Jersey trappers must abide by the following rules:
A trapping license is required and a Trapper Education
course must be passed.
All traps set or used must bear a legible tag of
durable material with the name and address of
the person setting, using and maintaining the
traps. Trap tags with Fish and Wildlife-issued
trap identification number or the trapper’s Conservation
Identification Number (CID#) may be
used in lieu of name and address to mark each trap.
All traps must be checked and tended at least
once every 24 hours, preferably in the morning.
No trap shall be permitted to remain set on any
property at the close of the trapping season.
It is illegal to possess or use steel-jawed leghold
traps anywhere in New Jersey.
The rules that now apply specifically to the use of “foothold traps” for raccoon trapping are as follows:
All triggering and restraining mechanisms shall
be enclosed by a housing.
• The triggering and restraining mechanism is accessible
only by a single opening when the trap is set.
• The access opening does not exceed 2 inches in
diameter or when measured diagonally.
• The triggering mechanism can be activated only
by a pulling force.
• The trap has a swivel-mounted anchoring system.
Whether or not the rules pertaining to foothold traps will remain in effect remains to be seen. So all I can say about the matter for now is, stay tuned…
These are tumultuous times here in the good old USA.
American Flag. As seen at Memorial Day ceremony in Warrenton, Virginia. May 2011. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic
It seems like every time I turn around, there’s more bad news about another protest gone amuck. If the media is to be believed (not that I’m saying it should) things are totally out of control.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
The key words are “peaceably assemble.”
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say anything about the right to commit random (or deliberate) acts of destruction. So no, arson, vandalism, looting, theft, and related activities are not acceptable forms of protest. Any acts of violence are also unacceptable.
So what on earth is going on?
As far as I can tell, there are three basic reasons why gatherings that begin as peaceful protests turn ugly. The reason is the presence of “professional troublemakers.” These are the people who are paid to hijack peaceful events in order to promote a specific agenda — usually one that has little or nothing to do with the message originally endorsed by event organizers.
Then there are the criminals. These are the people who see peaceful protests as an opportunity to engage in illegal acts. These are the people who happily torch buildings, police cars What’s even more alarming is their propensity for attacking police officers and civilians.
And then there are the lunatics. These are the anarchists and the separatists and God only knows what else. I don’t even know how to describe them.
All I know is when you throw them all together, it is an incredibly toxic mix.
And as an American who fully endorses the right to engage in peaceful protest, I think it’s really sad.
“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”– Alexis de Tocqueville
Official disclaimer: Those of you who read this blog regularly know how I feel about discussing politics in this forum. You also know that while writing about the law, I have taken shots at both President-Elect Donald J. Trump and his vanquished opponent, Hillary Clinton.
So you can take what I am about to say with a grain of salt or you can ignore it completely. You can agree or disagree. You can make your opinion known in the comments section below, or you can keep quiet. That’s your choice.
And ultimately that’s what this post is about. Choice. Or more specifically, the choice Americans had to make when we went to the polls on Tuesday.
In America these are dark days, indeed
To put all of this in its proper context, I’ll start by saying that I am a first-generation American. I am first-generation American whose father was forced to flee from his own country — a former Communist regime — as a political refugee.
Founder/owner of In Brief Legal Writing Services, Alexandra Bogdanovic. Photo by N. Bogdanovic
So I am a patriot. I love this country. Under normal circumstances, my faith in America is unshakable. But I must admit, my faith has taken a beating lately. And on Wednesday morning, it almost crumbled. Almost. But not quite.
I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling ashamed, embarrassed, disgusted, angry, and sad. All at once.
But please don’t misunderstand. I was not upset about the outcome. I was still upset about the choice I was forced to make when I cast my ballot. I say “still,” because I was angry about the election before I went to the polls.
Those who don’t learn from (American) history….
In the days, weeks and months leading up to the presidential election eight years ago, many Americans were screaming for change. They wanted anyone in the Oval Office — as long it wasn’t anyone remotely resembling George W. Bush.
Then they voted accordingly.
And look what that got us. A deeply divided country. Heightened racial tensions. A stagnant economy. A pitiful attempt at universal healthcare. A diminished presence on the world stage. And for the most part, an angry, uninformed, uneducated, hyper-partisan electorate forced this year to choose between two of the worst presidential candidates in the history of the United States.
And look what that got us.
The lowest common denominator and the height of tyranny…
To quote from the label on the back of one of my favorite micro-brews, “We believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny — a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid.”
From the moment he announced his candidacy, Donald J. Trump did just that. And the “lowest common denominator” — that angry, uneducated, uninformed, hyper-partisan electorate — responded accordingly. Congratulations, America. You did great!
That Vladimir Putin was one of the first, if not the first foreign leader to congratulate President-Elect Donald J. Trump, speaks volumes.
And don’t you dare tell me, “at least he’s better than Hillary Clinton.” I really, really, really do not want to hear it. That argument didn’t hold water before the election, and it certainly doesn’t have any merit now.
To quote Alexis de Tocqueville…
Don’t worry, I’m not going to start prattling on about “getting the government we deserve,” a post-election sentiment often attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville. But I will end with this: if you honestly believe that President Donald J. Trump will make good on his promise to “Make America Great Again,” you are sadly, sadly mistaken. And that’s putting it nicely.
You see it is not up to him — or any elected leader, for that matter — to restore this country’s greatness. That is up to each and every one of us.
As de Tocqueville said, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
Yesterday, the FBI announced that its review of additional material in the so-called Hillary Clinton email server “investigation” did nothing to change its prior decision. So Hillary Clinton and her cronies will go unpunished. Again.
According to various news accounts, here’s what happened. Following the decision not to pursue legal action against Clinton, FBI Director James B. Comey and his agency faced considerable criticism. Rumors about the level of discontent within the agency has also surfaced in recent weeks. Apparently bowing to the pressure from within, the FBI recently decided to review the additional material, which it said “‘appeared to be pertinent’ to the FBI’s original Clinton email investigation.”
Founder/owner of In Brief Legal Writing Services, Alexandra Bogdanovic. Photo by N. Bogdanovic
The media has since reported that the new “case” is allegedly “related to ex-New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner using a laptop he shared with estranged wife and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin for ‘sexting’ an apparently underage female.”
Now fast-forward to Sunday, when Comey issued a missive to Congress saying the agency conducted a comprehensive review of “all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.” As a result, Comey said, “we have not changed our conclusion.”
Honestly, with the Liberals screaming about Comey trying to influence the election, did this really come as a surprise?
It didn’t come as a great big shock to me, that much is for sure. To me it’s just another example — albeit an extreme example — of what happens when law enforcement and politics mix.
Yes, I know. It should never happen — but it does. It happens all of the time. And it’s a recipe for disaster. Obviously.
Back in July, I shared my opinion about FBI Director (er… lackey) James B. Comey’s decision not to prosecute Hillary Clinton in connection with the email scandal.
Just to refresh your memory, here’s what he said at the time:
“Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”
He also said:
“I know there were many opinions expressed by people who were not part of the investigation—including people in government—but none of that mattered to us. Opinions are irrelevant, and they were all uninformed by insight into our investigation, because we did the investigation the right way. Only facts matter, and the FBI found them here in an entirely apolitical and professional way.”
And here’s what I said at the time:
“Well, with all due respect, Mr. Comey, here’s what I think. I think you are full of fecal excrement. I think one day, when your ambition is no longer a factor and your career is no longer at stake, you may actually find the intestinal fortitude necessary in order to share the truth about this whole situation.”
But based what’s happened in the last few days, I won’t hold my breath.
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