Imperial Awards 2006

Here is my yearly roundup of who and what was notable in 2006:

Person of the year:
Neil Entwistle - Nothing particularly remarkable occurred in politics, war, or any other field, so the title of person of the year goes to the defendant in one of the most interesting criminal cases in recent history

Worst people of the year:
Merck - they created Gardasil

Politicians of the year:
Tom Tancredo - said (accurately) that Miami is like a third-world country
James Inhofe - wants English to be our official language

Criminals of the year: Neil Entwistle and Justin Barber

Movies of the year:
Night at the Museum
High School Musical

R.I.P Ford

No bail for Neil

Unsurprisingly, Judge Peter Lauriat has denied Neil Entwistle's request to return to his parents' house in England. He will remain in the Cambridge jail where he currently resides until his trial is over. The next hearing in the case will be in January; I'm not even sure if Neil will attend. I will update as soon as I know!

Neil's latest hearing

And now, here is the most important story of the day: there is big, by now somewhat old news, in the Neil Entwistle case. At a hearing today, Judge Peter Lauriat granted a motion by the defense to postpone the trial from April 23rd to October 1st. Also, the judge agreed to consider Entwistle's request for bail. Most amazinglyof all, Neil spoke for the first time in an American courtroom. All he said was "Not at all," when asked by the judge whether he minded the change in date.

I'm not sure when Neil will next appear in court, but the judge should announce his decision on the bail request sometime soon. Stay tuned till then!

P.S. Check out CBS; they have a good article plus some great videos of the hearing!

P.P.S. Joe Dwinell's blog also has some fascinating details. Take a look at it here: http://blogs.townonline.com/yourTownTonight/

From tragedy to comedy

The rape case against three Duke lacrosse players grows more ridiculous by the day. Not only has DNA from several other men, but no one from the lacross team, been found in the accuser's body and underpants, but the accuser is also nine months pregnant! The "rape" occurred about nine months ago. However, a pregnancy test on the night of the "rape" demonstrated that the stripper was not pregnant. Hmmm. My question is, what kind of person gets raped and shortly afterward decides to have consensual sex? My answer: certainly a very bad one! Or maybe a bad one who didn't even get raped at all.

What's with the Bushes?

Is it just me, or is the Bush family turning into a bunch of liberals? I learned recently that both George W. and Jeb Bush, while serving as governors of Texas and Florida, respectively, have signed bills guaranteeing women the right to breastfeed their babies in public, something I completely oppose.

Now President Bush is saying he's "happy" about Mary Cheney's pregnancy with her lesbian partner, and Jeb is bashing Congressman Tom Tancredo for his brave comments, of which any conservative should be proud. Last month, Tancredo compared Miami to a "third world country" because it is filled with non-English speaking non-whites who refuse to look, speak, act, and think like true Americans. All I can say is that Tancredo is right on! Yet Jeb called him a "nut." What a complete loser! Shame on you, Governor Bush.

Rep. Tancredo, however, seems like a patriotic, intelligent man. Therefore, he is my pick for Person of the Week! Visit his site at http://tancredo.house.gov.

Executions halted

After the botched execution of convicted killer Angel Diaz, governor Jeb Bush of Florida has enacted a moratorium on all executions. It took 34 minutes for Diaz to die, most likely because medical technicians stuck the needle through his vein and into other tissue. During the execution, he appeared to be gasping for breath and even saying a prayer.

Unrelatedly, a federal judge has ruled that lethal injections in California are unconstitutional as well. There has been a moratorium on executions there since February, but I bet California lawmakers will slightly alter the three-injection system currently in use and resume executions some time in the slightly near future. Until then, the 650 or so California death row inmates can breathe a small sigh of relief.

For more, see CNN.

Neil asks for bail

Neil Entwistle wants to go home for the holidays! In a motion dated Nov. 5, his lawyers have asked that he be released on bail so that he can stay with his parents in England until his trial begins in April. This is an unusual request for an accused double murderer, and I doubt it will be granted, but it's worth a try. Neil's lawyer Stephanie Page explained that her client is not a flight risk:

“He never fled. He went home to his parents. Everyone knew where he was. He maintained contact with law enforcement on a daily basis.”

Neil's parents have offered to put their home up as collateral, and his lawyers have suggested that he wear a tracking device if his request is granted. Naturally, his wife's family opposes the motion. For the full story, see the Herald.