How dumb can a criminal be? Dumb enough to make you laugh out loud at these true stories of really dumb criminal activity. This volume of Professor Birdsong’s 117 Dumbest Criminal Stories: The Southwest is written just for fun and enjoyment. It showcases the kind of many funny and weird criminal law stories that he has found and written about since 2010. The stories in this volume come to you from the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas — the Southwest region of the U.S. Professor Birdsong has found out a lot of dumb criminal stories from the Southwest. They include, Drunk and/or Disorderly Dummies from the Southwest; Dumbest Robbers of the Southwest; and includes a chapter of the most bizarre dumbest criminals of the Southwest
Readers will learn of:
- the cross-dressing San Diego man who went on a rampage in a Denny’s restaurant when he believed that his cell phone had been stolen;
- the story of the California man arrested for hoarding and keeping more than 400 snakes in his home;
- the burglar who was arrested after he tried to break into a college office and became so entangled in the venetian blinds he could not get out;
- then there is the Texas “panty robber’ who for two years broke into homes and stole women’s underwear;
- the Arizona story about the bank robber who pulled off the job, received money and was caught shortly thereafter when he stopped down the street from the bank where he stopped and ordered beer and pizza with some of the bank loot;
- the one about the Dallas woman who bit off her boyfriend’s lower lip while kissing him at midnight at a New Year’s party – she was charged with aggravated assault;
- the Texas bank robber after receiving the loot tipped the teller with one of the $20 bills she had just given him;
and so many other stories about dumb criminals from the Southwest that make this anthology worth reading and will make you laugh out loud.
Guest Post:
Professor Birdsong’s 117 Dumbest Criminal Stories
What was the inspiration behind this book and the rest of the series?
I have had a lot of experience with criminal law as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C and later a defense attorney in D.C.
Since I now teach, I started a blog in 2008 for my students where I post, among other things, funny and weird criminal law stories about dumb criminals I find from around the world. For this particular book I realized that I had a goodly number of archived stories about dumb criminals from the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. So I came up with the idea of the 117 Dumbest Criminal Stories: The Southwest. Researching and editing stories about dumb criminals is a hobby that has led me to write books that may give people a few good laughs.
From where do you get your stories?
Each week I read a number of newspapers and check wire service stories.
What is it about these crazy stories that hooks you as a writer?
I have always found such stories as fun. I started reading the newspaper as a 12 year old newspaper boy.
I was always amazed at some the crazy things people did that made the news.
What is it about these crazy stories that draws in readers?
The stories draw readers because they are short, easy to read and funny.
Which book in the series is your favorite?
I actually have two favorites. The first is my “Weird 365: stories for each day of the year.”
This book won a 2014 Silver Medal from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association
as one of the best eBooks of the year. My second favorite is my Weird Criminal Law Stories, Volume VI: Women in Trouble. This volume contains only stories about women who get in trouble with the law.
Do you plan on doing any more of them?
Yes, I hope to put out a new volume of Dumbest Criminal Stories each year for the next two or three years.
What is one of your own personal weird and crazy stories that you would be willing to share with us?
As a federal prosecutor Iong ago in the 1980’s I had to prosecute a dyslexic bank robber. The fellow had trouble reading and writing but wanted to rob a bank. He wrote a note to pass to the teller and he did pass it to the teller. The note read: “This is a rob, I have a pen, give me mon.” The teller just laughed at him and gave him no money. The fellow ran from the bank and was arrested a block away.
He decided to go to trial. The teller testified at the trial. The badly written not was entered into evidence and the jury had a good laugh and then found him guilty of attempted bank robbery.
He was given a three year prison sentence.
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