Miscellaneous

Sunday News

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Yes, Virginia, there *is* still a court-o-rama! We've just been busy, jetlagged, overextended, etc., etc.

But that doesn't mean the court news stops! Far from it. Here are a few courts in the news this week:

• What Maine's new justice center lacks in charm, it makes up for in state-of-the-art-ness. See New Courthouse Provides Judiciary 21st Century Stage, Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News (November 22, 2009). Maine's rural courts, OTOH, are suffering. See New Budget Woes May Shut Down Rural Courthouses, Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News (November 19, 2009).


• New Jersey bids goodbye to two of its law libraries. See Law Libraries in Morris, Sussex, State Courthouses Will Close, Jim Lockwood, Star-Ledger (November 22, 2009). Connecticut is losing six. It's OK, though, because everything's online, right? WRONG! (And even if it were, could you find it without assistance?) Fun fact: a real librarian helped us with this.


• Don't shoot! A journalism learned the hard way not to photograph jurors after, well, photographing jurors. See Student Journalist Barred from Boone County Courthouse, AP, Kansas City Star (November 21, 2009).


• The news of Judge Dennis Sweeney's retirement is greatly exaggerated. He's been back on the bench for the trial of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Thank goodness for that! He's trying to ease the lengthy deliberations for jurors, even getting a clerk to bake them chocolate chip cookies (and requiring a unanimous verdict on their tastiness!), allowing cell phones, and generally being a fabulous judge during this difficult time for the community. See Judge Acts to Put Jury at Ease, Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz, Baltimore Sun (November 22, 2009).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on November 22, 2009 (boomark / email).