Browning Law News Blog

There has been an increased number of vandalism, harassment, and intimidation reports since protestors came to occupy the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Law enforcement is seeking to peacefully resolve the situation. Protestors have stationed themselves at the refuge since the beginning of January. It started because they opposed the conviction of Dwight Hammond and his son who were found guilty of committing arson on federal lands in Oregon, but it changed into a rally against the role of the federal government regarding land rights. The movement is led by Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven Bundy, a Nevada rancher who staged a similar standoff with the federal government in Nevada after Cliven Bundy refused to pay about $1 million in federal grazing fees.  Ammon Bundy has tried to bring his anti-government message to Oregon, with the stated purpose of making a show of solidarity with the Hammonds.  However, the Hammonds did not ask for this support and have stated the Bundy...

Paul Kendrick Maine man, Paul Kendrick, accused Haiti orphanage founder Michael Geilenfeld of molesting boys, and now he is appealing a defamation verdict. Kendrick accused Geilenfeld of being a serial pedophile. However, Geilenfeld has denied these allegations and sued Kendrick for defamation. In July, a federal jury awarded $7 million to Geilenfeld and $7.5 to a North Carolina based charity. Kendrick's attorneys are saying that Geilenfeld didn't have jurisdiction to sue in federal court because he was living outside of the United States when he filed his complaint. The appeal also argues that his testimony was key to damages awarded to the North Carolina based charity. The abuse allegations have not gone away, and police are still investigating in Haiti. Comments from Allen :  People read bad things about other people so often, they often repeat these bad things and commit defamation of character, in the form of libel or slander.  Newpapers can get away with printi...

In 2013, Ethan Couch, 18 received a probation term for killing four people and injuring nine in a drunk driving accident when he was conviction of intoxication manslaughter in juvenile court. Ethan recently fled to Mexico with his mother. The pair was found on December 28 after Ethan missed an appointment with a probation officer on December 11. Ethan was found in a strip club drinking alcohol, which is a violation of his probation.  He had changed his appearance, having grown facial hair and having dyed all of his hair black. Officials believe that that Tonya Couch will be extradited back to her home state with her Texas charge of hindering apprehension of a felon. Tonya's attorney will not contest the extradition. Her bond is currently $1 million, and her charges could lead her to up to 10 years in prison. Ethan is still with Mexican authorities, and his attorney, Fernando Benitez, is working on getting him back into the country. Benitez appealed the deportation, which coul...

Florida authorities are still on the lookout for a shooter in a road rage incident over Thanksgiving. It started when two drivers came up to a red light who had been showing hostility for a while on the road. The driver of the Rolls Royce exited his vehicle and went up to the driver of the Mercedes. Surveillance videos show the two throwing punches at each other. When the light turned green, the driver of the Mercedes pulled out a gun and show the Rolls Royce driver in the chest. The victim, Edward Zapata, made it back to his car, but fell on the pavement. His passenger called the police and Zapata was taken to the hospital. He went through surgery, and is in stable condition. Unfortunately, the passenger never got a look at the gunman. Comments from Allen : How times change. The last time I saw a video of someone pulling up next to a Rolls Royce, the passenger was offered Grey Poupon. In the video of this incident, the driver of the Rolls, Mr. Zapata, appears to be the aggresso...

Josseleen Lopez was arrested at a Florida Walmart after driving a motorized shopping cart around the store while drinking wine, eating sushi, a rotisserie chicken, and some cinnamon rolls. Deputies arrived at the store after a call from an employee who told them about the shoplifter. The employee saw Lopez acting weird, and noticed a half empty bottle of wine inside the cart. Lopez was held for consuming over $30 worth of food and wine. Allegedly she told the officers that she was homeless. Aside from the food and wine she consumed, the deputies also found two empty syringes in her purse and in her backpack. She told the detectives that she used the syringes to inject crystal meth. Lopez was arrested for shoplifting and on drug paraphernalia charges. Comments from Allen :  Seems that Josseleen Lopez has re-defined "Meals on Wheels."  Some accounts of this story indicate she had injected herself with methamphetamine shortly before touring the WalMart grocery and deli dep...

Bill Cosby has been accused of sexual assault in a series of allegations by over fifty women over the past four decades. His attorneys have issued statements over the past years dismissing the stories as lies. Cosby remained silent on all accusations, but a 10 year old deposition was released the past summer where he details seducing very young women, including giving them drugs. The drug in question is Quaaludes. Cosby had several prescriptions, but he never took them because they made him sleepy. Instead, as stated in his deposition, he used them to have sex with younger women. He also acknowledged that he knew it was illegal to give them to another person. The release of the deposition forced police officials to review the statue of limitations of the potential criminal offenses against Cosby, and to reopen the cases against him. Comments from Allen : Now the world finds out what happens when 50+ women get victimized by one man, after the statutes of limitation have run on...

FAMOUS CRIMINALS IN THE NEWS Yesterday when I was en route to a criminal hearing in Twin Falls, Idaho, I heard presidential candidate and former US Attorney Chris Christie recall the criminal conviction of Hillary Clinton's advisor Sandy Berger.  Gov. Christie stated: "Sandy Berger and her husband were convicted of mishandling classified data."  Here is a picture of Sandy Berger.  I do not have a picture of her husband.