Toby Reynolds: Not the UCC Shooter, but Blamed by Media
Toby Reynolds: Media’s Scapegoat
CNN and other 24-hour news programs dropped all scheduled programming to cover the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College. It was an important story and tragedies often drive ratings.
Listen to this report on WOAI radio:
Did you hear how he said that he is careful to release details because he is a bit more “hesitant” to give more details “because often they are wrong”? He accused an innocent man of murder. He also got the age of the shooter wrong. We didn’t listen to his entire show, because in 30 seconds we were able to prove our point- grossly reckless mainstream media run amok. Read more 
Bad Lawyer Billboards: Faking Vandalism for Publicity?
We previously brought you the WORST billboards in two volumes (1 and 2). We have a few new ones to possibly add.
I became aware of this when I saw this news story: http://wjtv.com/2015/09/04/law-office-billboard-vandalized-but-the-company-says-they-love-it/. I was skeptical, but seeing the Mississippi State University themed billboard ahead of football season intrigued me, as did the audacity of someone vandalizing not just the billboard of a lawyer, but a strident Florida Gator fan named John Morgan.
Mike Brown: Violence, Protests, Riots, Racism and a Grand Jury’s Pending Decision
I have sat relatively quiet and watched the events from August 9, 2014, forward. I have offered prayers to the Brown family and support to their team. I have been frustrated by the lack of leadership and response by those in charge on both sides. Curiosity fuels speculation and speculation fuels contempt. As such, Ferguson, Missouri has become a civil rights battleground- figuratively and literally. Conclusions have been drawn before all of the facts are known. Worse yet, the improperly addressed outrage has fueled so much division.
We are on the verge of a decision and I hope it will be met with peace. I hope those in charge will take a moment to urge those disenfranchised to continue to fight, vote, pray and serve to make change happen. Despite Trayvon, Jordan and Mike, too many failed to show up at the polls in November. Too many are letting apathy excuse jury service. Civil rights and justice start with the face in the mirror.
Two sides to every story?
What is known? 18-year-old Michael Brown, Jr., was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson.
What is unknown? Much of everything else. A teenager is dead as a result of a judgment call that looks all too familiar and tragic. What happened in the moments leading up to the fatal shots? Why did Mike Brown have to die? My brothers and sisters have seen it too many times. They “know” the story, but only the Grand Jury “knows” the story. Right?
While Jordan Davis was still being Read more
5 Myths About the Michael Dunn Trial for the Murder of Jordan Davis
Myth #5. The trial is a waste of taxpayer money because Dunn is already going to serve life in prison.
Michael Dunn was convicted by a jury of three counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting into a occupied vehicle. Upon sentencing, Dunn faces a POTENTIAL minimum of 60 years in prison. However, these convictions are fully subject to an appeal. Michael Dunn’s appellate clock starts only after Dunn is sentenced and the judgment becomes final. Cory Strolla has indicated a desire to appeal the prior trial based on certain evidentiary and procedural rulings. Read more
Courts and Sports – How Ray Rice Shows that Athletics and Justice Don’t Mix and Why He Has Grounds for Appeal
The NFL got exposed by TMZ. It failed to react appropriately to domestic violence and, now, has given Ray Rice grounds to appeal his new punishment. The NFL and Roger Goodell need to answer to its utter failures to regulate the violent and criminal lifestyle it condones on everyday except Sunday.
TIMELINE
Today this video was released. As a result, the Baltimore Ravens cut Ray Rice from its roster. The NFL put Rice on an indefinite suspension. But wait, let’s replay the recent events to see how we got to this point. It is very telling.
Michael Dunn Trial Update: 2 Weeks Until Trial for Murder of Jordan Davis (Recent Filings Attached)
In February, a Florida jury found Michael Dunn guilty on four of five charges in a case in which Dunn shot ten times at a car full of teenagers over a dispute that started about loud music. However, the 12 person jury could not come to a unanimous decision on the charge of the murder of Jordan Davis and a mistrial was declared on that count alone. A retrial of that count is scheduled for September 22. Dunn faces a minimum of 60 years for the other convictions. Sentencing has been delayed until after trial has concluded. Read the Rolling Stone Story here and see their appearance on Katie Couric here. Read more
September 2, 2014: From Tears to Tear Gas
The days are often long in this job. Each day starts with goodbye kisses from my wife and son, as we all venture off to the place where we spend most of our days. For me, it requires traveling a mile down the road to the office.
September was like any day in some ways, but unlike any day on other respects. The balancing of the inbox and outboxes takes up much of the day, as well as a plethora of calls and email. I prefer email these days because it is easy to refresh my memory of promises made and owed.
Morgan & Morgan Hires Belvin Perry, Former Judge in Casey Anthony Case: Any Ethical Implications?
It is twitter official- Belvin Perry works for John Morgan and Morgan & Morgan, one of the largest personal injury firms in the world. He already has a page on Twitter which members of the Morgan family are promoting. In fact, the photo is so recent, it seems that he still wearing his judicial robe. He was rumored to be in the process of getting a court television show, but that must not have worked out. Read more
Why Florida v. Idaho could NOT be played the same weekend and WILL be rescheduled (wrong)
What happened?
On Saturday August 30, 2014, the University of Florida Gators were set to play a game against the University of
Idaho Vandals, at 7 p.m. Severe weather was in the area, so officials governing both schools decided to temporarily suspend the game, which ultimately spanned 2-hours and 48-minutes. The game finally kicked off at 9:50 p.m. Read more
Politics and Mudslinging: Judges Gone Wild!!!
It is easy to tell when an election is coming up. Everywhere you look, on television, the internet, radio, in newspapers, there are adults acting in ways that they would punish their own children for. Name calling, bullying, lying and the such. This behavior is exemplified every election, election after election. It is easy to overlook the attacks, as we have become immune to the questionable political antics being shoved in our faces. These campaign strategies do not really bother me. When they do bother me, it is when they are being used by judges to gain an edge against other judges. Judges hold such an important and powerful position, they must be held to a higher standard.
Where the Law and Parenting Meet, What You Need to Know
Most parents want to be “in the know” when it comes to raising their children. They read books and articles, go to parenting websites, talk to their fellow parent peers and try to stay up with all of the newest parenting trends. However, many parents fail to educate themselves on the laws that surround the lives of their children and affect the parenting decisions that you should make. From which car seat to buy to your children on the internet to breast feeding, there are laws that pretty much cover all aspects of parenting. Read more
Florida Governor Adopts Dog for Campaign, Returns it After Campaign
I sure hope that there is more to this report than meets the eye. In 2010, Florida Governor Rick Scott adopted a yellow Labrador at the beginning of his campaign for Governor. He was praised for rescuing a dog instead of buying a pure bread one. He even named the dog “Reagan” after the former president. What a great story, right? Well, there is more to it. Read more
MTV Video Awards- What are the Awards Worth and What is in the Swag Bags?
The 2014 MTV Video Music 
Awards are back. It has become a celebration of something MTV famously doesn’t show much any more- the music video. Despite it, the VMAs are one of the biggest television and social media events of the year. During 2013, almost 19 million tweets were sent about the VMAs during the MTV pre-show and the event itself, accounting for more than 90 percent of all TV-related conversation on Twitter that weekend.
Why You Won’t See US Politicians and Heads of State Get All Wet with ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
The State Department’s lawyers, the Committee on House Administration and the Defense Department’s Office of General Counsel Standards of Conduct Office and other government legal departments have banned U.S. Ambassadors, high-profile workers stationed overseas, current service members, DOD employees, members of Congress and the President from participating in the ALS’ ice bucket challenge. According to the fuddy duddy attorneys, the ice bucket challenge “runs afoul of federal ethics rules barring officials from using public office for private gain no matter how worthy the cause.” Read more
College Football Preseason AP Top 25 and Odds to Win it All
Today is the day. The AP has released its college football pre season rankings.
The Seminoles will start the season No. 1 for the sixth time in team history. This will be the first the Seminoles have topped the preseason charts since 1999. But keep in mind, three of the top 5 teams at the end of the 2013 season, were not included in the 2013 preseason top 25. Those teams were Missouri, Michigan State and Auburn.
Here it is:
1. Florida State
2. Alabama
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio State
