In the Miami Herald, Darran Simon had a wonderful story about a Sunrise cop who gave a Christian conservative group a good ol' fashioned hassle. The Florida Family Policy Council, led by the vile James Dobson, claims Sgt. Stephen Allen harassed them during a drive for signatures to support a gay marriage ban. Sarge told them that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality and that their drive was a waste of time. Another gem from Allen: "The Bible said you need to obey your governing authority. I am your governing authority and you need to obey me."
Then he removed the group's petitions and even had the gall to mock them by giving Det. Michael Allard a peck on the cheek (photo above). Okay, probably shouldn't have done it, but damn, it's refreshing to see police, for once, abuse their authority on the side of the oppressed. An ACLU official told Simon, ''If the police officer feels so strongly, then I think they need to take off their uniform, leave and join a peaceful, counterdemonstration.''
Boulis Killers
In the Sun-Sentinel, Jon Burstein and Sean Gardiner had a big fat scoop this morning. They report that Adam Kidan, the former partner of disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff in SunCruz Casinos, claimed to know who killed Greek tycoon Gus Boulis in 2001. Kidan told a lead detective and state prosecutor that it was John Gurino, a Gambino crime family associate who himself was killed in a dispute over a deli two years later.
Two things:
1. When is the state going to charge Adam Kidan? I know Michael Satz doesn't like to charge folks with crimes who have made it to a certain social strata, but this is ridiculous. Again: Kidan's involvement is the only way this case makes any sense. Otherwise, they are going to have to argue that Moscatiello had Boulis killed as a favor for Kidan. Insane. When a mobster kills somebody for a businessman, that mobster gets paid -- and they've already tracked suspicious payments Moscatiello received from Kidan. What is Satz and lead prosecutor Brian Cavanagh afraid of?
2. Does David Bogenschutz have a clone? He's everywhere. He defended Gurino's killer, Ralph Liotta, who was sentenced to 15 years (Liotta, who claimed Gurino was about to kill him, probably shouldn't have done any time -- he did society a favor and it really was probably self-defense). Now he's defending Anthony Moscatiello, who is accused of masterminding the Boulis murder. So Boges defended Gurino's killer and is now defending Gurino's old Mafia buddy. That's pretty twisted. But hey, if you can defend Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne during this federal investigation thing, I guess you can do anything.
Speaking of Bogenschutz -- no correction in the Sun-Sentinel today for their Jenne-tax fraud story. Keep an eye out.
