Freed from prison after 35 years following DNA testing, James Bain to receive award at Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 12th, 2010
It took 35 long years for justice to prevail, but James Bain's release from a Florida prison in December for a crime he didn't commit will be celebrated this weekend at several events here in Philadelphia. Mr. Bain, who was freed on Dec. 17, will receive the 2010 Drum Major Award for Criminal Justice from the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Non-Violence in ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, Jan. 18. The...
So you received a new power tool for the holidays? Let’s be careful out there
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 6th, 2010
Electric hand tools are fabulous. They let you get building projects done more quickly and accurately, and they help you produce professional results and true satisfaction with a job well done whether you're renovating your home, fixing a porch swing or building hand-made furniture. At the same time, though, they can be dangerous if used improperly or without the correct safeguards. The hazards of the "10 Most Dangerous Power Tools" were highlighted recently in a...
New LED traffic lights: are they accidents waiting to happen?
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 4th, 2010
Fueled by the goal of drastically cutting their expensive electricity bills, cash-strapped municipal governments around the United States have been changing over from traditional light bulbs to new energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in traffic lights at thousands of intersections. But unlike "impact studies" that often have to be done for zoning, planning and road construction projects, no one seemed to think twice about the impacts of such a move. Yes, it saves plenty of energy...
Winter snow and ice is here: be careful so you don’t get sued for having icy sidewalks
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on December 28th, 2009
Now that winter officially began on Dec. 21, two days after a powerful storm dumped almost two feet of snow over Philadelphia and the region, it's the perfect time for homeowners, renters and business owners to review their responsibilities when it comes to clearing their sidewalks after a snowstorm. Think no one's watching if you leave the snow out there and skip the shoveling? Think again. Most municipalities have laws requiring that sidewalks be cleared...
Airline passengers finally getting some real rights
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on December 23rd, 2009
You've heard those horrific stories in recent years about airline passengers whose flights sit on airport taxiways or gates aprons for hours because the planes are waiting for the weather to improve or for an arrival gate to open up. You've heard about the problems as the planes just sit there for hours on end in the cold or the heat, as the planes become foul-smelling as toilets fill up and can't be used anymore. ...
Free at last after 35 years in prison, any of us could have been James Bain
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on December 18th, 2009
After spending 35 years in prison for a crime he always insisted he hadn't committed, James Bain walked out of the courthouse in Polk County, Fla., yesterday, a free man once again, according to an Associated Press story in today's New York Times. It took many legal attempts to finally get the courts to analyze his DNA and compare it to DNA left at the scene of the kidnapping and rape of a nine-year-old boy...
Satellite TV sports viewers rejoice: the FCC could end the Comcast “SportsNet” monopoly
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on December 16th, 2009
Monopolies are typically not a good thing, unless you are playing the popular and beloved Parker Brothers game with your children. But for years, Philadelphia sports fans in the greater Philadelphia area who wanted to watch most of the games involving their beloved Phillies, Flyers and Sixers on television haven't been able to watch unless they subscribed to Comcast Corp.'s cable TV services. That's because most Phillies, Flyers and Sixers games are broadcast only on...
Life sentences and juvenile offenders — what is fair and right?
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on November 12th, 2009
A 13-year-old boy is not an adult. Yet when a 13-year-old boy commits a heinous crime, our court system in the U.S. can treat him like an adult and lock him up for life. That was the case for Joe Harris Sullivan, who was convicted 20 years ago in a Florida court of beating and raping an elderly woman after an in-home robbery -- all when he was 13 years old. He'd been in trouble...