The Doggy Defense

The same jury that convicted her of first-degree felony injury to a child last week sentenced a drug abusing Houston-area mother, who mutilated her infant son two years ago by cutting off his genitals, Monday to 99 years in prison.

When police were initially summoned to the home of Katherine Nadal, she claimed the family dog, a miniature dachshund named “Shorty,” was responsible for the mutilation her then 5-week-old son, Holden Gothia, as he slept in his parents bedroom. Although he survived and now lives with one of his paternal aunts, the missing body parts were never recovered.

Prosecutors claim that Nadal, who’s had prior drug arrest, was high on drugs when she mutilated her son, testing positive for cocaine, methadone and Xanax.

Nadal will have to serve at least 30 years before she is even considered for parole and pay a $10,000 fine. 

Dirty Money

The American Chemical Society (ACS), a nonprofit scientific society, concluded on Sunday that up to 90 percent of United States paper money contains traces of cocaine.

30 cities in five countries participated in the study, with scientist testing banknotes from the U.S., Canada, Brazil, China and Japan.

Bills become contaminated either through drug deals or drug using, such as snorting cocaine through rolled bills. As money is run through currency counting machines, the cocaine residue is spread.

According to study, the U.S. and Canada had the highest contamination rate of between 85 and 90 percent, while China and Japan ranked amongst the lowest with a rate between 12 and 20 percent. In the U.S., Salt Lake City had the lowest average.

Yuegang Zuo, lead scientist and professor at the University of Dartmouth, says the findings represent a 20% jump over a similar study two years ago.

From Pitchman to Snowman

An official autopsy report released on Friday concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed TV mega-pitchman Billy Mays on June 28^th, furthering an earlier report conducted by the Hillsborough County medical examiner’s office that determined Mays died of a heart attack in his sleep while at his Tampa condo.

The office also says Mays last used cocaine a few days before his death but was not under the influence at the time of his death. According to the release, cocaine can raise arterial blood pressure, thicken the left wall of the ventricle and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries.

Toxicology reports also indicate that Mays had therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol in his system. He was scheduled for hip-replacement surgery due the day after we was found dead. Anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam were also found.

Mays’ family has called the report “speculative” and is considering conducting an independent investigation of the results. They say they were totally unaware of his drug use and proclaim Mays long suffered from untreated chronic hypertension.

Lawyer Backs Off; Veep Daughter Sniffin’ Blow

Seems like political pressure is being applied to the lawyer of the so-called friend of Vice President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley Biden, who is shopping around a video tape allegedly showing the veep’s daughter snorting cocaine at a Delaware party this month.

Thomas Dunlap, of the law firm Dunlap, Grubb and Weaver, cited extensive news coverage as the reason he abandoned the anonymous video taper client who is peddling the controversial tape for $400,000.

As first reported by RadarOnline.com, the tape shows a white, brow-haired female purported to be Ashley sniffing yayo through a straw. If real, the video would be a slap in the face to the vice president who has been a staunch supporter of the war on drugs – dubbing the position of the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy “Drug Czar.”

The 27-year-old daughter is a social worker employed by the Delaware Department of Children, Youth and Families. Ashley is no newcomer to drama. In 2002, she was arrested for obstruction after a friend threw a soda can at a Chicago police officer outside a bar. The misdemeanor charges were dropped after she apologized in court.

It’s time Ashley reconsider some of her friends.