Deputy Public Defender Roger Tansey arguing that Palm Springs, California police unreasonably targeted gay men in a sex sting in the Warm Springs neighbourhood in 2009, filed a motion Monday requesting that all of the charges be dismissed, the Desert Sun reports. Two years of records released by the Palm Springs police department under a court order reveal no heterosexuals have ever been the subject of stings like those targeting homosexual men over the course of three days – June 17th – 20th, 2009 – that resulted in the arrest of 19 men. All those arrested face misdemeanour charges that by law would require them to register as sex offenders on a list that would be available only to law enforcement agencies. Tansey argues that police deliberately opted to target gay men while “ignoring the abundance of lewd conduct by straight men in Palm Springs,” and that the department appears to be “engaging in homophobia.” To underline his claims, Tansey points to comments allegedly made by police Chief David Dominguez, who briefly worked the sting, and who is said to be heard on a police audio tape about the suspects “What a bunch of filthy motherfuckers,” adding “You guys should get paid extra for this.” Those statements are the subject of separate complaint filed by several unnamed officers who participated in the sting, which is currently under investigation by the city.
Reuters reports that Russia’s Constitutional Court chief justice Valery Zorkin said that the country may no longer respect rulings handed down by the European Court of Human Rights, a statement that seems to be a response to a recent decision by the Court that Russia could not continue to deny permission to gay pride parades. Russia, a member of the Council of Europe, the human rights watchdog under which the Court operates, lodges the largest number of cases with the court, an indication that activists argue, of the country’s abysmal rights record.
A gay Saudi prince sentenced to life in prison in October for the murder of a servant he used as a “human punching bag” was ordered to pay prosecution costs of over 63,000 pounds, the Independent reports. The 34 year old Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud now faces a legal bill totalling over one-hundred thousand pounds. He was found guilty of killing 32 year old Bandar Abdulaziz in an attack that contained a “sexual element” in February, 2010. The debt must be paid by January 17th.
Channing Tatum spotted leaving the gym Saturday,
suffering a nipple slip.
Chase Rice,
of Survivor, is, um, sex, like on stick.
Darren Criss is seen at Sunday’s unfortunate
American Music Awards, channelling Katy Perry. I think
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