Herky Not Happy: Plagiarism Cases Hit University of Iowa Law School
It appears the University of Iowa College of Law hit the lottery this year. Normally the Disciplinary Board sees one case a year. This year they've heard two cases where students have copied a over 50% of a paper or papers from various websites and books without crediting the orginal authors. Inside sources have told me that Dean Hines of the Law School his hopping mad over this. One student was suspended for five semesters, issued two F's, required to do 100 hours of community service for plagiarism and will be required to write a 20-page paper of Legal Ethics as a condition to readmission to Law School. In another case, an April 26 notice said a 2001 graduate, who is accused of plagiarizing three papers, will lose his law degree if he does not appeal the disciplinary board's ruling. The student is now working at a Michigan law firm. University officials refuse to reveal the names of the students, citing academic confidentiality requirements.
MailBox Bomb Boy, AKA Luke Helder, 21, took 10-minutes out of his busy schedule of TV watching and writing letters home to his parents, while sitting in the Linn County (Iowa) Jail to appear in Magistrate John Jarvey courtroom today. Helder was indicted Wednesday by the local Federal Grand Jury on charges of using a pipe bomb to destroy various mailboxes around the Illinois and Iowa, as well as seriously injuring Delores Werling when a bomb exploded in her face. Six of Helder's pipe bombs exploded in Iowa and Illinois, injuring four letter carriers and two residents last month. Because of the mountain of evidence in this case the Right to a Speedy Trial was waved by Helder's public defender, Jane Kelly. Neither Kelly or Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Berry would comment after the arraignment because of a Gag Order on this case by the Judge. Helder's parents, who live in Pine Island, Minn., did not attend the hearing.
Well at least we know what MailBox Bomb Boy will be doing during his extended summer vacation.
