Twitter Jurors
There’s a rule that jurors are only supposed to consider the evidence presented to them at a trial, and not do independent research into the subject matter of a case they are asked to decide. This rule is there for… Continue Reading
Law
End Of The Competition
Tonight was the last round of the mock trial competition. If I were any prouder of the kids on the team I coached, I’d literally burst. They did great. I wish we’d have had more time to practice than we… Continue Reading
The Purpose Of Prosecutorial Discretion
I heard this story last night on NPR. It started out with a couple of cheerleaders at this high school in suburban Denver. They were goofing off and one thing leads to another and they decided to take a shower… Continue Reading
Visa Calamity
One of the things that makes the United States of America truly exceptional in the world is the our truly amazing system of higher education. Think about the very top universities in the world. How many of them are in… Continue Reading
Two Month Update
At the end of December, I made sixteen predictions for 2009. Here’s how I’m doing so far: Prediction Status The United States Federal deficit for calendar year 2009 will exceed $1.5 trillion. I may have been too modest in this… Continue Reading
Well Pleased With The Performance
Tonight was the first round of competition for the mock trial team. The kids were all right. There are three seniors on the team who are really good; they’re convincing, confident, and canny. The younger students, who gave me a… Continue Reading
As It Turns Out Judicial Corruption Is A Bad Thing
Two judges in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, are in serious hot water because it looks like they railroaded juveniles through their system so that they could be shipped off to work camps and be exploited for slave labor. In a lot of… Continue Reading
Junk Science And The Law
Coming across this article from a New York criminal defense attorney who is also a mighty law blogger, seeing a similar issue addressed in one of my new favorite blogs (happily, chronicling a solid ass-drubbing the anti-vaccination crowd got in… Continue Reading
It’s Not Really Defamation If You Get Called "Hot"
A case of some interest is making the rounds of the legal blogosphere. Apparently, someone started a blog and it got popular, and then he wrote a book and made some money. The blog, and the book, are called Hot… Continue Reading
Empty The Prisons!
A special three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California* may have just handed Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature a key to solving the budget crisis — release between 36,000 to 57,000 prisoners. Less strain… Continue Reading