Law And More

If DR Minibar Booze Was Contaminated, Then Law Enforcement/Plaintiff Lawyers Want to Know If It Was Negligence or Murder

Right now, many are having flashbacks to those old black-and-white news reels and films about law enforcement breaking up moonshine operations during Prohibition in the U.S.

Aside from being illegal and dodging taxes, back then the unregulated alcohol production centers frequently caused deaths from contaminated ingredients. And that's exactly what are being investigated as the possible cause of the deaths of seven tourists in the Dominican Republic (DR). The FBI at Quantico, Virginia, is in the loop on this one. 

The hypothesis, reports the New York Post, is that there had been counterfeit booze in the mini bars of the guest rooms at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and the Bahia Principe.

In the content could have been methanol which is toxic. For instance, it is used in antifreeze which can be fatal for humans. On "Dateline," there had been at least one case in which the female spouse poisoned the estranged husband with antifreeze. It was a brutal way to go.

What investigators want to know is who supplied those alcoholic beverages which were in the minibar.

Both hotels deny the possibility of contamination. 

If contamination is found, then the questions for law enforcement - and plaintiff lawyers - is whether this was negligence or premeditated murder. 

Meanwhile, of course, the tourist industry in the Dominican Republic has suffered a massive blow. Eventually, there will be a case study how public relations turned that around. But that could be a long time from now.

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Charlie from "The Intruder" - Made for "Dateline"

Promos for film "The Intruder" highlight the deranged thinking of former home owner Charlie, played by Dennis Quaid.

But the emotional grabber is that the intense emotions Charlie goes through mirror those many of us have also gone through. We are among those forced by financial circumstances to sell a house. After all, a house captures our soul. Call the effect voodoo. And the plot line is made for "Dateline." In that iconic series the husband is usually the killer.

Deeply in debt, Charlie hands over his prized abode in the woods to a advertising guy and his wife. The two plan that to be their nest for rearing a family.

There had been a previous marital crisis involving the husband's roving eye. But that is in the past and their present is about total commitment.

What they don't know is this gregarious guy has had an earlier emotional unraveling when he was threatened with loss of the property. His wife had told him she was filing for divorce and taking the house. He offed her, making it look like a suicide. There wasn't enough evidence for law enforcement to nail him. So, that is one saga which will never make it onto "Dateline."

His new strategy to get back the house is to get rid of owner Scott and marry the wife Anne. It takes a while for them to catch on. And that's too late for one more murder to be committed.

Quaid is great in simulating the facial expressions of growing insanity.

But, there is something very human in Charlie's battle to not lose the house, not forever. His fantasy is not only regaining the property but the life he had had. That impossible mindset is familiar.  

More and more often that is playing out in the ordeal of aging couples who get it that they should ditch the house in the pricey metro area and rent in a less expensive location. That house remains a presence in their lives. They can't shake the memory. And, rarely do they adjust to the need to re-start fresh. 

In 2004, at age 59, I took that road more traveled. Fortunately, it was at near of the top of the real estate boom. The transaction was profitable. That should have been that. But, like Charlie, I had moments of rage when I observed modifications the new owners had made to my house.

Reflection: Members of The New Aging should view "The Intruder." That could clue them in about the brutal tradeoffs of giving up home ownership and the lifestyle they assumed would be forever for a lower cost of living. Houses can cast spells. There could be something to the aging-in-place movement.

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So, What Went Down at Google After 2018 Walkout?

The 1950 Japanese movie "Rashomon" played out how how many different perceptions there can be of the same incident.

Currently there might be the same phenomenon at Google.

The question is: Did employee Claire Stapleton wind up burning bridges when she co-organized the 2018 walkout? It was to protest how the corporation handled alleged sexual misconduct. A bigwig at Google - Andy Rubin - had been accused of that. On his way out he was given a multi-million-dollar package.

In a post on Medium, reports Daily Mail, Stapleton contends she is leaving Google because there has been retaliation for her role in the protest. That included shunning. Pregnant, she also wants more time for herself.

Google says there was no push-back. In fact, it gave her the "Culture Award." 

In addition, there are all the onlookers out here.

Do some perceive Stapleton's organizing activity as not at all smart? After all, she had a job most would kill for.

And, do others view her as a hero of #MeToo times?

Meanwhile, we recall when former Uber employee Susan Fowler posted on her blog about alleged sexual antics and retaliation at that business, things went her way. Here is that post.

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Among Alan Dershowitz's Famous Clients - Claus Von Bulow Dies at Age 92

Before Alan Dershowitz went on to O.J. Simpson fame, he was a major celebrity for getting Claus Von Bulow acquitted.

Von Bulow was charged with putting his very rich wife Martha, who was known globally as "Sunny," in a coma. The method was allegedly through an overdose of insulin. 

Dershowitz chronicled his defense work in the book "Reversal of Fortune." That became a movie starring Jeremy Irons as Von Bulow. 

Now, Von Bulow is dead at age 92. Here are more details from the Daily Mail.

The acquittal gave Von Bulow his freedom but Sunny's children made it their business to have him removed from her will. He didn't get a penny of her large fortune. 

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Lawyers/Law Students - Faith Can Be an Option

The Christian market segment is huge.

So, it's no surprise that "Breakthrough" is doing well at the box office and delivering an inspiring message to audiences. 

This is good news for Disney Studios. This is its first 20th Century Fox film release since it acquired that company.

The film is based on a true story. It first appeared in book form - "The Impossible."

Three teenage boys in St. Louis, Missouri, are warned not to venture out on the ice. With the usual bravado of youth, they go further out on the lake, which they assume is frozen.

All three fall in. Two make it back to the surface.

The third - John Smith - has been under the water 15 minutes. The rescuer Tommy Shine is about to give up. Then he hears a voice, he assumes to be that of his supervisor, to go back. He does. He locates Smith and brings him to the surface.

Tommy's fellow rescuer didn't hear the voice. The supervisor denies giving that command.

At the hospital, after strenuous efforts, the medical team gives up.

The medical doctor tells the mother Joyce to take all the time she needs to say goodbye.

Instead she prays.

A pulse returns.

John is transferred to a medical facility specializing in trauma, including drownings.

Joyce keeps praying.

The liberal minister, with whom she previously clashed, becomes a rock of support, on every level.

The media encourages others to join the prayer loop. 

Long story short, it's turns out to be the kind of case never before described in medical journals. John recovers - fully. No damage to his brain or motor skills. 

Along the way in this journey of recovery John knocks the chip off his shoulder.

He had been abandoned by his Guatemalan mother and adopted by Joyce and Brian at age eight months. They are loving parents.

Unable to shake off his sense of not being wanted, John had been snarling at his adopted mother. He resents his teachers. Only his love of basketball holds him together.

All that becomes ancient history when he opens his eyes and sees the love in Joyce's eyes. He will grow up to become a minister and coach basketball.

One possible takeaway from "Breakthrough" is to not rule out the source of power humans really can't understand. Prayer helped make John the only person on record to fully bounce back after being under water for 15 minutes. The medical doctor with special expertise in drowning victims can't explain it. 

Another message is that no matter how intense our inner suffering we are here for a purpose. Finding it can lift what is weighing us down. John does find the purpose Joyce has been telling him for years that he has. 

A third is not pray with a specific outcome in mind. Turn that over to the higher power. Once Joyce did that, John's condition began heading in a positive direction. 

"Breakthrough" is inspirational. Yes, make it your mission to open yourself to the experience of witnessing how faith can operate in human lives. Bring Kleenex. 

And, no, lawyers and law students don't have to be doomed to extreme cynicism. It is possible to shift into a different belief system. 

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The Farrow Publicity Machine & The American Legal System

Still a cool read, at least when it comes to entertainment, Vanity Fair takes a look at Woody Allen and his new release "A Rainy Day in New York."

The author of the piece Nicole Sperling asks if both have any future in the U.S. There has been some acceptance of scandal-heavy Allen in Europe, which is less Puritanical than America. And Allen put a trailer about the film on his Facebook page.

But essentially there's been a power outage for Allen as a player in the movie industry.

And, like, who cares about New York City as his signature topic. So much more popular are settings ranging from Silicon Valley to what mystery writers and sci-fi can put together. Regarding the latter, hell, we all enjoyed cats and humans bouncing back from the dead in "Pet Sematary." There were also the clones in "Us."

But instead of cursing the darkness (e.g. Mia, Ronan, Dylan), Allen can put together a fresh career path. Probably in Europe. He can launch a school to train the next generation of talent in film. Through creative forms of fundraising he can provide scholarships for the poor around the world. They will come to the institute.

Otherwise the first line in Allen's obituary will begin with the twilight of his career, not his altruistic outreach. For Allen, this is a situation demanding crisis management, especially the communications piece. Old-fashioned PR can turn on some lights. 

Over and over again, the court of public opinion overrides what is ruled in the court of law.

What the legal system decided about Allen couldn't hold up against the Farrow publicity machine. Lawyers overestimate, yes, their own power. 

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

A Reminder about The Law of Nature - "Pet Sematary"

Dead is dead, right.

Jesus Christ did come back from the dead. A few others in the Bible did too. But, the law of nature essentially rules that once a living entity dies and is buried, that's it. Move on. 

The film "Pet Sematary" chronicles an episode of when that isn't how things play out.

Well, in a rural area of Maine Dr. Louis Creed pushes back on that rule. His daughter's loved cat Church is killed by a truck. A neighbor enlightens Louis how behind the pet semetary in the woods there is a special burial ground. The Native Americans were aware of it. That's why they fled the area.

Whatever is buried there comes back to life - 0nly not the same. Church returns vicious. Soon it's obvious that the whole Creed family is cursed. They had come to reside in Maine to escape the rat race in Boston. Unfortunately the wooded area which the Native Americans knew was haunted is part of their property.

No surprise, the family experiences another tragedy. The daughter is killed by a big rig. When Louis digs up her body and brings it to that special place, both he and his wife wind up dead - and also brought back to life. One wonders if the young son, the only survivor, will be surviving long.

Clearly the meme or message: Don't play around with the laws of nature. Humans have no choice but to work through their grief. And that's that.

The film has been adopted from a novel by Stephen King. It's scary but not as terrifying as it had been promoted.

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Tiffany Moss - What Was She Thinking ...

The judge had warned her that there were those who wanted her executed. 

Still Tiffany Moss went ahead with her plan to represent herself.  The judge did have a lawyer sit next to her to answer any legal questions.

Well, as Law and Crime reports, Moss' decision to do a pro se was not only unsuccessful. It was also quite odd. 

Moss was convicted of starving her 10-year-old stepdaughter Emani Moss to death and burning the body.

However, in representing herself she made no opening or closing arguments.

She did not cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses.

And she did not call her own witnesses. 

As some might recall, when Ted Bundy did his pro se in his murder trial, he was also unsuccessful. But he made it his business to transform the courtroom into a grand theatrical production. He even proposed marriage to a witness. She accepted. Clearly he was in his element.

Moss did not take control. Her approach was passive.

Those of us following this trial wondered if she would use her own mistakes during the proceeding as a basis for appeal. From the get-go, she knew this had been a death-penalty case. The judge impressed that on her. The stakes were high. It might have made sense to her to create a legal mess through pro se.

Or, is it possible that, filled with remorse, she desired to present herself in the worst light? Her hostility against Emani began in 2010. She had been a preschool teacher. Then after it was discovered she had beaten the child brutally she was no longer allowed to teach. She blamed Emani for the loss of her career. During the time that had passed since the murder, Moss might have come to regret how she had connected the dots.

There's a documentary in this: The Very Strange Case of Tiffany Moss. 

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"Medellin" Flop Raises Question for All Aging Professionals: When Is It Time to Leave?

" … [Madonna'] 'Medellin' failed to catch on. It rose to number 9 on iTunes briefly, and now sits at number 32 … Beyoncé's 'Homecoming' album, released the same day, has sold or streamed a total of 43,000 copies in 48 hours." - ShowBiz411, April 19, 2019. Here is the article. 

Here is the audio - chachacha - from "Medellin," which is the lead-in to Madonna's new album "Madame X." Out in mid June, "Madame X" is supposed to be the 60-year-old's comeback platform. 

Nothing about "Medellin" is fresh.

That's why Madonna is being positioned and packaged as "washed up."

It isn't her age per se.

Betty White, a relic from the Mary Tyler Moore era, is in her 90s. She did fresh. That was through creating the persona as the designated role model for aging. That process, she hammered in her book, wasn't for sissies. The world loved it. Still love it. She remains marketable.

The issue Madonna raises is the scary question for all aging who are still working: Is it time to leave?

But what they are leaving might well be a very narrow career path. No, it isn't necessary to hang it all up, disappear into a retirement community in Oro Valley, Arizona, and compulsively do yoga. 

ShowBiz411 points out that the last several albums Madonna has put out have been "flops." 

Instead of continuing to do what isn't panning out, she could be testing out other ways to distinguish herself through work.

Maybe she can launch a training institution for the performing arts in Lordstown, Ohio. GM recently shuttered the plant there, putting about 1,600 out of a good job and hope. She can open the door to the light for all the Youngstown, OH metro area. The region still is caught in the shadow of Steel Yesterday.

Shoot-'em-up actor Clint Eastwood transitioned to serious drama at age 62. That was his film "The Unforgiven." Most recently, near 90, he gave us the amazing complex character of Earl Stone in "The Mule." Here is a video clip.

In the legal sector, Chris Darden of O.J. Simpson criminal trial fame shifted from prosecutor to defense attorney. At age 63, he is representing Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer Eric Holder. 

If Don McGahn of Trump Administration fame is to regain his power and influence, he has to figure out how to develop a new sphere of influence. At age 51, his long-term branding is being blown to bits. Here is just a peek into that mess.

And there is that much younger version of transition: Elie Mystal. The Harvard Law School trained lawyer has gone rogue as journalist activist. He set that in play during his "audition" for a reporting job on Abovethelaw.com.

How do the aging and those no longer perceived as "young" come up with the courage to change?

I don't know about others.

What I do know is that for me the pain of becoming invisible was greater than the anxiety involved in trying out new lines of work. That experimentation in my professional life began when I was 58. Then, that same courage took over the decisions I made in my personal life. Here is one of those stories of brutal moments of clarity and then transition.

A useful read for those caught between career paths is "Necessary Endings" by executive coach Henry Cloud. Here you can order it from Amazon.

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

"MeToo" Lawsuits - Of Course, Plaintiffs Were Burning Bridges (how naive not to anticipate that risk)

For every Gretchen Carlson who settled for $20 million and gained unique access to new opportunities, there have many women who lost everything in filing MeToo kinds of lawsuits. 

Yes, litigation meant burning bridges.

The plaintiffs probably felt rage.

They were convinced they were doing the right thing.

They gained satisfaction that they might be helping the next generation of professional women.

But as seasoned players in corporate life they should have anticipated that there would be retaliation.

That's just the way the world works.

In an article in Vanity Fair, Diana Falzone documents the backlash.

Talent agents won't represent the former plaintiffs.

Those in the hiring loop ignore them.

For a large number of them, the settlements weren't big money either, not the Carlson kind.

Therefore, what we now know is that the world hasn't changed much.

The cost of outing alleged injustice remains high. Those in power want their good life to continue. That rules out any possible future trouble from those who are perceived as whistleblowers. 

When baby boomer women first were getting good jobs, those of us fortunate enough to have caring mentors got clued in fast. When I confided to my mentor a perceived wrong by a male colleague his response was: Don't be a cry baby. The message was to suck it up. 

Those who, for example, were victims of handsy behavior patiently applied for other positions in the corporation. It was unthinkable to "report" such behavior. In fact, that behavior was common knowledge.

Perhaps I understood about the code of silence more quickly than many others because I had grown up amidst the machinations of the Frank Hague Machine in Hudson County, New Jersey.

In order to get jobs, have the snow plowed from your street, and be invisible to the police you had to, as the saying went, "not fight city hall."

It was very wrong.

But the system produced busses that ran on time, excellent public schools, low cost medical care at the Medical Center, a new maternity hospital (the famous Margaret Hague), and employment for anyone who wanted to work.

Those who couldn't endure such institutionalized tyranny left. I made it my business from the get-go to get a college scholarship out of state and never return.

Ironically, I ran into a more personal version of tyranny at college. To today I wonder: Would my life have been less filled with suffering had I stayed in Jersey City? There, at least, the rules were absolutely clear and I had no expectation of anything else.

Here's what every woman should know: Whether it had been the political machine in Hudson County, a Catholic women's college in Pennsylvania, or the glam careers in entertainment, the dark part of human nature tends to dominate.

Maybe the best we can do is keep struggling to find where we can live our little lives without losing a sense of dignity and some control.

I bumped into that when I became an independent contractor. I have had real choices about how to earn my living. 

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