<![CDATA[Jezebel: court cases]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jezebel.com.png <![CDATA[Jezebel: court cases]]> http://jezebel.com/tag/courtcases http://jezebel.com/tag/courtcases <![CDATA[Rapist Claims Victims "Defiled My Constitutional Rights" • Albania Requests Mother Teresa's Remains]]> •  After pleading guilty to rape, Torkieh Sadagheh freaked out in court, screaming that the judge was "worse than Hitler" and "In America, sex is legal!" He got 15 years for the rape and a $1,000 fine. • 

• Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has requested that India return the remains of Mother Teresa. According to reports, Indian church officials are irate over Albania's claim that Mother Teresa rightfully belongs to them. But as she herself once said: "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world." •  A recent study found that intimate partner violence is linked to many different health problems, including urinary tract infections, chest pain, and acid reflux. They also found that women who had suffered abuse were more likely to be diagnosed with depression. •  A recent case involving a teacher from Michigan, who passed out at a party and awoke later only to find her entire body covered with obscene pictures and language, has sparked a debate about "drunk shaming." To make the story much worse, the teacher claims there was non-consensual sexual activity earlier in the night. •  The Bomb Squad was called yesterday to examine a package sent to a Swedish princess visiting New York. However, the package was found to be harmless, if a little creepy: It contained wires, cassette tapes, underwear and a love letter. •  According to a new report, almost half of the women who requested the morning after pill in Ireland were unable to get access to the pill within the recommended 24 hours. The morning after pill is not currently available over the counter in Ireland. • Researchers are attempting to address the link between socioeconomic status and breast cancer survival rates through examining the possible benefits of targeted interventions. •  A 54-year-old man from the UK claims that Halloween decorations could scare him to death. He suffers from severe arachnophobia, and even the sight of a rubber spider may be enough to give him a heart attack. •  An 86-year-old Florida woman has been charged with stealing a long-haired cat, which she claims was given to her by her neighbor several years ago. •  Liverpool police claim that there have been instances of teenage girls performing sex acts on bouncers in exchange for admittance to a night club named "Pink Bar." Police are seeking to shut down the gay-friendly club. • The Human Society has filed a complaint against IHOP regarding their eggs, which IHOP advertises are "cruelty-free." The Humane Society says that the eggs are not cage-free, and thus cannot be truly called "cruelty-free." •  Unsurprising news: a study found that overweight women's self-esteem dropped when they looked at photographs of models. A little more surprising: underweight women's self-esteem actually rose. • In a Q&A at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, White House correspondent Helen Thomas said that "Nancy Reagan was a heroine in my opinion," and that Obama "lacks courage." • The Xhosa practice of ukuthwalwa, or abducting girls for marriage, has some South African girls as young as 11 essentially enslaved to their husbands. But Prince Xhanti Sigcawu of the Xhosa royal family says, "Ukuthwalwa like all our other customs was and remains an important part of who we are as people." • In Ireland, 1,722 women were turned away from domestic violence shelters last year because of lack of space. But the Irish government may be about to cut funding for some victims' services by up to 30%. • Princeton will add one gender-neutral, apartment-style dorm to its housing offerings next year, which supporters say will be a boon to transgender students. • A British woman who splashed children by driving through a puddle may face criminal charges, but she says the kids asked for it. • Eight young women, all drug users and some prostitutes, have been killed in Jennings, Louisiana in the last four years, and police say it may be the work of a serial killer. • The Daily Mail interviewed a 52-year-old woman who has been raising a pet crocodile for the past 13 years. In 2005 her husband forced her to choose between him and the croc. She chose her "daughter" because "husbands can look after themselves." • 

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5381458&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[No Felony For Lori Drew]]> A U.S. attorney has dropped felony charges against Lori Drew more than a month after she was convicted of harassing 13-year-old Megan Meier via MySpace. [UPI]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5122106&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Walk The Plank]]> Kathleen O'Regan, an actress who was fired from her gig as Mrs. Darling in a traveling production of Peter Pan claims that she was cut loose from the production because she complained about sexual harassment by the actor who played Captain Hook. O'Regan claims that the actor slapped her bum, told her she had a "nice ass" and asked her for oral sex last year while they were touring in New York. Jeffrey Moss, the director and producer of Peter Pan says that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission tossed out O'Regan's "bizarre" claims during earlier proceedings and that O'Regan was fired because Moss wasn't satisfied with her performance. [NY Post]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5105200&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Barbie Beats Bratz]]> On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that Mattel is the legal owner of the wildly popular Bratz dolls, which are manufactured by Mattel's main rival, MGA Entertainment. The ruling comes from a previous ruling this year when a jury found that the Bratz creator, Carter Bryant, was working at Mattel under an exclusive contract when he came up with the idea for Bratz. MGA is a family-owned company that has based its empire on Bratz, and the new ruling could mean the end of the company. MGA plans to appeal the decision, which will not take effect until February 11, 2009. [LA Times]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5101809&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[He's Baaack]]> Joe "The Cat Killer" Petcka was back in court today to ask a Manhattan judge for a retrial unless prosecutors reduce the charges against him to a no jail time, misdemeanor offense or drop the charges against him entirely. Petcka's previous trial on felony animal-cruelty charges after he beat his girlfriend's cat to death "in self-defense" ended in a mistrial last month. [NY Post]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5067876&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Litigious Chicks With Douchebags]]> Some Hot Chicks do not appreciate getting attention for cavorting around with Douchebags. Three women had a photo (not the one at left) taken of themselves with some young gentlemen at a club in New Jersey. The picture ended up getting posted on the website Hot Chicks With Douchebags and eventually published in a book. The three are now suing, claiming they have had to undergo "medical treatment and psychological therapy" as a result. [TMZ]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5067734&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Ladies' Night]]> Roy Den Hollander, the anti-feminist attorney who sued Columbia University for discrimination over its women's studies program, just lost a battle in his crusade against all things female-friendly. On Monday, a Manhattan judge threw out a lawsuit that claimed discrimination against clubs that offer "ladies' nights" with discounted drinks and other incentives. After the case was thrown out, Hollander called the female judge a feminist and said her decision was consistent with discrimination that is "embedded in many of America's institutions." [CBS News]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5056763&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Celebrity Justice]]> Strange NY Times story on the courthouse behavior of celebrities. Inside, these tidbits: rapper Jim Jones once put a kaffiyeh over his head and pretended to be Yiddish when someone asked if he was famous outside of a courthouse; Foxy Brown uses her post-perp walks as excuses to show off her glamorous designer duds. And Courtney Love, no stranger to court appearances, jokes with reporters as if she's walking the red carpet at a B-list event. Which, we suppose, in some way, she is. [NYT]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5023282&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Bikini Bottoms Now Promote Genital Mutilation Awareness • Romanian Court Says Penis Worth $800K]]> Bathing suits in Barcelona now feature hygienic protectors in swim bottoms that feature a picture rusty razor blade that sits right under your ladyarea to raise awareness about genital mutilation. Wow, genius and kinda gross. • Josef Fritzl is apparently writing his memoirs while in prison, much to the horror of his daughter/rape-victim for 24-years, Elisabeth. • Mothers who give birth to unexpected twins are more likely to be depressed and anxious after pregnancy, however women who conceived with IVF or other fertility treatments are usually less blue. • This one is for the dudes: having sex less than once a week will increase the likelihood of developing erectile dysfunction.

• A journal for plastic surgery says that 98% of women who have breast reconstruction after an elective mastectomy are satisfied with their surgery. • Children conceived with a sperm donor should be told at age four about their origins to lighten anger and shock at their parents. • A Romanian court ordered that a surgeon pay a 33-year-old patient whose penis he had accidently severed during an operation $795,000. Yeah, that is a big "uh oh." • More Penii!: A Portuguese couple continue a tradition of manufacturing 2-foot penis-shaped ceramic bottles that is said to have dated back to the 19th century. • A baby's smile can create a "natural high" in the brains of mommies. • A South African woman with a "soft heart for animals and a tart tongue for most everyone else" runs an animal shelter in Abu Dhabi. • The General Synod, the governing body of the Church of England, is set to debate over the issue of appointing female bishops, sparking a debate between traditionalists and progressive members of the Church. • Swiss researchers suggest that same-sex transplants should be performed after they found an 8% chance of rejection when a male kidney was given to a woman. • The Monday after a three-day weekend always sucks, so here is a cute video of a bunny opening up an envelope with his own paper-nomming!

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5022684&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Dying To Be Thin]]> Janell Smith was hospitalized for an eating disorder which she battled for months and was left at 68 pounds and in need of a feeding tube to sustain herself. After a month of treatment, Janell's father claims that her insurance company, Magellan, discharged her prematurely, which resulted in Janell committing suicide a few days after her release. Her death was nearly five years ago but her father's case against the insurance company is still continuing. The insurance company claims that Janell discharged herself after they had said they planned to review her insurance case, and that she showed no signs of suicidal tendencies. The claims against Magellan and the fact that many insurance companies do not cover treatment for eating disorders may reveal the lack of understanding of the seriousness of eating disorders. Is it any coincidence that a disease not taken seriously is also most prevalent in young women? [ABC News]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5015003&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Ah, Italy, land of strange laws for men....]]> Ah, Italy, land of strange laws for men. An Italian man was sentenced to 10 days in jail and a 40-euro fine after he stared at a woman too intently on a train. The woman first "met" the man in 2005 when she noticed he was sitting a bit too close when they were riding a commuter train together; the next day he stared at her for the entire trip. While the jail time might seem a bit excessive, haven't we all been there? Everyone hates a stare-y skeeze, and maybe now we can scare them off by threatening some litigious action instead of the old standby, "Hey, what the fuck you lookin' at?" [Reuters]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=381481&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Christina Silva, who was crowned Miss California...]]> Christina Silva, who was crowned Miss California USA on November 25th and had her crown revoked three days later, is suing the Miss California USA pageant over allegations of rigging and racial bias. Silva, who is Hispanic, claims that Keith Lewis, the director of the pageant, was uncomfortable with her speaking Spanish and felt that it might detract from the "caliber" and "all American girl" image of the contest. Lewis says that claims of racial bias are unfounded because two of the recent winners have been African American and the current winner (who was crowned in place of Silva) is "25 percent Filipino." Well that settles it! But this suit raises an interesting question: are Hispanic Americans regarded as being less "American" when they openly speak Spanish? Also, isn't this picture of Silva before she was de-crowned so ironic? [WWLTV]

]]>
http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=378801&view=rss&microfeed=true