Weekly Daily Brickbats Archive 2007 July 8-31

In St. Paul, Minnesota, they call it the Geek Prom, an annual dance for, well, geeks. And one of the traditions is the Geek Streak. But police officers Tracie McHarg and Genaro Valentin, who were providing security for the dance, apparently don't hold much with tradition. As the streakers ran by, one police officer sprayed them with pepper spray. Afterwards, the two arrested them for indecent exposure.

Evan Herzoff was videotaping Denver police arresting someone when a cop asked for his ID. Herzoff produced his ID and asked Officer Jeffrey Morgan for his business card. "Let's take you to jail instead," Morgan responded. Police handcuffed Herzoff and took him to jail, where he spent the night. A charge of trespass against Herzoff was later dismissed, and the city paid him $8,500 to settle a lawsuit.

Mamand Mamandy was visiting family in Iran when police happened to drive by a barbeque they were holding. They spotted Mamandy drinking beer and arrested him and took him to a police station where he was sentenced to and received 130 lashes. Mamandy, who has since returned home to Norway, says he drank two beers that day.

It started when a restaurant wanted to sell alcohol. But in New York, every liquor license requires a five-question ballot referendum. The measure must have confused voters in the town of Potter, who not only turned down the restaurant's request but banned booze entirely. Everyone admits that was not what voters intended, and there will be another ballot referendum this fall to set things straight.

Officials from Malaysia's Islamic Religious Department raided the home of truck driver Magendran Sababathy and seized his wife Najeera Farvinli Mohamed Jalali. Magendran is a Hindu and his wife a Muslim. They were married in a Hindu ceremony. But under Malaysia's Islamic law, anyone who marries a Muslim must convert to Islam and no Muslim may convert to another religion. Islamic authorities declared the marriage to be invalid and took the woman to a "rehabilitation center" to strengthen her faith. Magendran has sued to have his wife returned.