Most Progressive: India Adds Third Gender
India’s top court has decided to add a third gender category, providing relief to “millions of people who face discrimination in India's deeply conservative society,” according to a Fox News article.
Many transgender people earn a wage by providing entertainment at weddings and other parties, while some must resort to begging and walking the street, the article states. Conservative by many standards, India has taken a step toward to the left by codifying the identity choice of millions of people in statute and opening up a variety of welfare programs to help combat economic and social obstacles.
Most Outlandish: Woman Slays Man with 5 ½ Inch Shoe Heel
A Houston woman faces life in prison for stabbing her boyfriend in the face with a size 9, 5 and ½ inch, stiletto shoe at least 25 times. So reports the Associated Press. The story states that the trial prosecutor said Ana Trujillo used her heel to kill 59-year-old Alf Stefan Andersson, a college professor and researcher. While the defense contends she was acting in self-defense and even attempted CPR to resuscitate her boyfriend, who she was apparently arguing with about a possible breakup, the jury disagreed with the account given by the Mexican native and rendered a guilty verdict. Reportedly, she showed no emotion as the verdict was read.
Most Intertwined: Singer Chris Brown to Fly ‘Con Air’ Back to L.A. Jail
Christopher Hollosy, a bodyguard for singer Chris Brown, will be appealing the guilty verdict he was handed in an assault case earlier this month, and as a result, Brown’s own assault case will have to be put on hold, according to an L.A. Times article. Brown had been on a multi-day odyssey to a Virginia lockup, but will now be heading back across the country while he awaits Hollosy’s appeal, as Hollosy is a key witness in Brown’s assault case, which stems from the same incident as Hollosy’s. Conflicting accounts about a man who was allegedly stuck by both men near Brown’s tour bus are at the heart of the matter. Brown’s probation status resulting from a guilty plea in the 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna is also in play.
Most Regretful: Wife Badmouths Husband, Sees a Smaller Divorce Settlement
Janice Schacter’s online complaints about her husband were deemed to have adversely impacted his law business and will result in a smaller divorce settlement, according to an ABA Journal article. The judge presiding over the case ruled public complaints that her soon-to-be-ex would not pay for hearing aids for his daughter contributed to negative publicity and a loss of earnings. This ultimately will lead to a smaller settlement for Schacter, although she still stands to nab a multi-million dollar sum. Judge Laura Drager of Manhattan said it simply: “In essence, the wife chose to bite the hand that fed her.”
Most Blundered: Lawyer Gets Too personal for Iowa Court
An anecdote by attorney Brooke Timmer contributed to a federal court nullifying a $900,000 employment discrimination settlement in a case out of the Northern District of Iowa. According to an ABA Journal piece, Timmer told the jury during closing arguments of an instance she was sexually harassed, which according to the courts, unfairly influenced the award. An appellate panel ruled a new trial will be needed. However, Timmer said she is hopeful for an en banc review by the entire 8th U.S. District Court of Appeal.