A legislator in Oklahoma is looking to give residents access to Sasquatch hunting licenses.
The Oklahoman reports that state Rep. Justin Humphrey has introduced House Bill 1648, which would establish a Bigfoot hunting season and create Bigfoot hunting licenses and fees. The legislator said he wants the state to offer a $25,000 bounty for the live capture of the cryptid.
“I want to be really clear that we are not going to kill Bigfoot,” Humphrey said. “We are going to trap a live Bigfoot. We are not promoting killing Bigfoot. We are promoting hunting Bigfoot—trying to find evidence of Bigfoot.”
The representative reportedly admitted that he doesn’t actually believe in the legendary creature but hopes that the bill will attract tourists to the state. “There are a lot of people who really, really believe in Bigfoot, and so it is going to give them the opportunity to come down,” he told reporters. “We want to make it a real deal. You can have a license. You can get out there and hunt this thing.”
Humphrey said he’s received positive responses about the proposed bill but has also been met with criticism over introducing unserious legislation.
A New Jersey judge threw away a bank robbery case after the prosecutor used an image of Jack Nicholson from the film The Shining as part of his closing argument.
According to NJ.com suspect Damon Williams is accused of politely robbing a bank in 2014. Williams allegedly approached a teller at a Merchantville, N.J., Bank of America branch and handed them a note that said, “Please, all the money, 100, 50, 20, 10. Thank you.” According to court records, Williams did not threaten the teller nor brandish a firearm during the robbery. He allegedly stole $4,600.
When the case went to court, lawyers argued over the appropriate sentence for the crime. If Williams had used the threat of force to commit the robbery, it could be considered second-degree robbery; if not, then the charge would be third-degree larceny.
During Williams’ hearing, the prosecutor argued that it didn’t matter what words the man had used, the action of robbing the bank was itself threatening and caused the bank teller to suffer fear and distress. As he made his closing arguments, the prosecutor showed the jury a Powerpoint slide depicting a scene from The Shining in which Jack Nicholson’s ax-wielding character smiles and says, “Here’s Johnny.”
“This guy looks creepy and he’s saying some very unthreatening words: ‘Here’s Johnny,’ ” said the lawyer. “But if you have ever seen the movie The Shining, you know how his face gets through that door.”
Williams’ attorney objected, but the judge allowed the photo to be used. Williams was eventually convicted of second-degree robbery.
But last week the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the prosecutor had gone too far in comparing the robbery to the fictional murders depicted in The Shining. The case has been remanded for a new trial.
Chicago police recently arrested a man who lived at the O’Hare National Airport in Chicago, Ill., for three months without being noticed. He told authorities that he was afraid to return to his home state of California for fear of contracting COVID-19.
According to Chicago Tribune Aditya Udai Singh, 33, was arrested last week and charged with misdemeanor theft and felony criminal trespass in a restricted area. During a court hearing, prosecutors said Singh arrived at the airport on Oct. 19 from Los Angeles. Authorities say he took up residence in the airport’s security zone and went unnoticed until Jan. 16.
On that day two airport employees approached Singh and asked to see his identification. Singh was allegedly wearing an employee badge around his neck that belonged to an operations manager who reported it missing Oct. 26. Chicago police were called to the scene, and they took custody of Singh.
“So if I understand you correctly,” said Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz during the case hearing, “you’re telling me that an unauthorized, nonemployee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from Oct. 19, 2020, to Jan. 16, 2021, and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly.”
Authorities say Singh found the badge in the airport and was “scared to go home due to COVID.” Singh reportedly lives in Orange, Calif., and does not have a criminal background. He has a master’s degree in hospitality and is unemployed.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here