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Miscellaneous

court-o-rama.org

About the courts.
By Anne Skove, Esq.

Post Frequency: 12/day

Last Entry: March 25, 2011 at 00:00:00

Number 44

Posted on August 19, 2008
The NLADA ranked Michigan 44th (out of 50 or 51, it's not clear) in the nation insofar as indigent defense goes. They blasted a problem we've known about for ages -- the county-by-county system of everything. This setup is a pain for anyone who has ever surveyed Michigan courts for any reason -- medmal, guardian ad litem, etc...

It Could Happen to You (Or Your Dog)

Posted on August 19, 2008
You're upstairs in your home, changing clothes after work. Your mother-in-law is cooking in the kitchen, your wife will return shortly. Another Pleasant Valley Sunday... Suddenly people break in. Shots are fired; you hear screams. Still not entirely clothed, you are handcuffed by masked men...

ACR's Call for Papers

Posted on August 19, 2008
Scissors, rock...nope, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) wants paper! Specifically, article proposals. Here are the details: Half-page (150-300 words) description of proposed article Proposed title/headline Your name and contact info (so they can find you, fool) Three lines (no more!) of biographical information Specify whether you would prefer to write a major (at 2,700 words) or minor (at 1,300 words) feature Deadline: September 9, 2008 Send proposals to publications@ACRnet...

NewTalk's New Conversation: Should Losers Pay?

Posted on August 18, 2008
Earlier we noted that NewTalk would discuss "loser pays" in the near future. Well, that near future is tomorrow, August 19, thru the 21st! Panelists have been announced. They include former Colorado Justice Rebecca Love Kourlis of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System; Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard; Victor Schwartz of Shook, Hardy & Bacon; Stuart Taylor of the National Journal, and other luminaries (none of them losers)...

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Resolute: ABA DR Section Needs Presenters

Posted on August 18, 2008
If you've never attended a meeting of the ABA's Section of Dispute Resolution, you've missed out. Great people, terrific programming, fabulous speakers (really!), convenient and fun conference locations...what are you waiting for? Plus, there's always the slim hope that the goodie bags will attain some sort of relevance (really, our only complaint about past conferences!)...

Borderline

Posted on August 17, 2008
Madonna, who turned 75 this week, used to sing a song about how someone was pushing her love over the borderline (whatever that means). Federal magistrate judges and other federal court employees stationed near the U.S./Mexico border are feeling the same way (assuming they understand the lyrics better than we do)...

Ohio Needs Mentors

Posted on August 17, 2008
Yes there is a Mentor, Ohio, but volunteers for Ohio's Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program can be from anywhere in the state. The program is described as "a voluntary program for new lawyers designed to help ease the transition from law school to law practice through an ongoing relationship with an experienced attorney...

The Other Edwards

Posted on July 29, 2008
No, not the cool-coifed, alleged-love-child-fathering Edwards, we're talking about the one whose case went before the SCOTUS this past term. Slate took a break from yakking about the former and gave some belated ink to the latter. A fresh spray of Cullen Seltzer claims that Indiana v...

Does Bad Googling Make Bad Law?

Posted on July 29, 2008
A new study from the University of Chicago weighs the effects of no-brainer research (i.e., Googling) on science. The author found that too much Googling leads to less citation of other articles. He also found that the little research cited tends to be extremely recent...

New in New Jersey

Posted on July 28, 2008
Meet New Jersey's new state court administrator, Judge Glenn Grant. Judge Grant is a family court judge, vegan, former college wrestler, and New York City marathon runner. He's known for bringing the Newark Municipal Court back from the brink of backlog, and for presiding over one of New Jersey's most notorious family cases...

Land of Enchantment Gets New Jury Video

Posted on July 28, 2008
Thanks to our New Mexican mole, we have in our e-possession a letter from the New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association calling for help presenting the state's new jury video to high schoolers: Dear NMDLA Member: The New Mexico Supreme Court recently prepared a jury orientation video to be used in trial courts and for public education...

Now How Much Would You Pay? Contracting for Indigent Defense in Fulton County

Posted on July 28, 2008
The long and twisted saga of indigent defense in Georgia has taken another odd turn. After years of trying to replace contract attorneys with a public defender system, it appears that the contractors are a necessity. But, given the low pay and high workload, one contract attorney figures she made about $2/hour in one case...

The Litigation Solution

Posted on July 27, 2008
Recently we asked what can be done when extremely important court-related functions are cut from the budget. Cry? Write angry letters to the editor? Hold elected officials accountable? Wait for a disaster to prove our point? In Toledo, the court is suing the mayor and city council to provide adequate protection of the courthouse...

Blog of the Week(end): ADR ProfBlog

Posted on July 27, 2008
Wow, what can we say? The ADR Prof Blog is great! We love ADR, we love talking about it, we love thinking about it, we love the conferences and the people involved. Our only complaint about the ADR Prof Blog is that Nancy doesn't post often enough! But the others do a great job covering negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and other DR issues...

That's NORTH Dakota

Posted on July 27, 2008
Congratulations to Chief Justice VandeWalle of North Dakota, who is the recipient of the American Inns of Courts 2008 Professionalism Award for the Eighth Circuit. The award honors "a senior practicing judge or lawyer whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession...

Friday Comix

Posted on July 25, 2008
Q: In Ohio, is it a felony to dis the Buckeyes? A: Yes. (Pay attention, this could turn up on the state bar exam!) Q: Are smores an effective trial tactic? A: Yes. Q: Are jurors paid too little? A: They used to be, but $14/day plus mileage is looking better all the time...

Funding Constitutional Mandates

Posted on July 24, 2008
Everyone's in a budget crunch. Courts are no exception. The indigent defense system is fast approaching indigency itself. Awhile back, Rick asked how can this be? The best teachers ask the best questions. The easy answer is that non-essential services are first in line for cuts...

Bankrupt

Posted on July 23, 2008
We have always thought that, boring and depressing as it is, bankruptcy is fraught with legal issues beyond the obvious. State courts should not discount bankruptcy stats. If one person or one company files for bankruptcy, it's likely that an entire family is suffering...

Wanted: A Few Good Hoosiers

Posted on July 23, 2008
Nominations for the Indiana Judges Association annual awards are due August 8. One is the Indiana Judges Association Commendation for Excellence in Public Information and Education. The nominee must be an individual member of the media or a media firm (newspaper, television, or radio only -- no bloggers, please!)...

Resources for Ohio's Children

Posted on July 23, 2008
One of whom is falling asleep on our lap as we type...(some of our most inspired work is dictated by her). The Supreme Court of Ohio has posted resources from the Ohio Summit on Children, which took place in Columbus in May. This is a nice selection of materials on child welfare, county data, courts, collaboration tools, a report on education, summit materials (including videos), and links to pertinent websites...

ND Practice Tips: Parrots and Ponies

Posted on July 23, 2008
The North Dakota Supreme Court's appellate practice tip of the week: "A Petition for Rehearing will not succeed by simply parroting the dissent." Earlier tips, any one of which is suitable for your next needlepoint project or for wrangling with children, include: Drop the hyperbole!!! Cheap shots at the other side will only hurt your case...

Probate Mediation: What Are We Waiting For?

Posted on July 22, 2008
Probate mediation is up there with glue dots and white popsicles as one of the greatest inventions ever. Yet, it seems about as popular as erasable ink. Probate cases meet anyone's standard when it comes to "fitting the forum to the fuss." Most ADR folks agree that when the fuss involves family members, emotional issues (as opposed to legal novelty), and no-win stakes, it's time to call a mediator...

New Names in the Courts

Posted on July 22, 2008
Washington state Chief Justice Gerry Alexander named Jeff Hall State Court Administrator. North Carolina's Governor Easley appointed Brian C. Wilks, an assistant D.A., District Court Judge in Durham. The Governator appointed attorneys John D. Freeland and Nan C...

Arguing for Attitude

Posted on July 22, 2008
The little stick figure on the t-shirts advises us to do what we love and love what we do. And so it is, says Barry Sullivan, for oral arguments. Attitude trumps all. He cites Justice Jackson: "If making an argument is not a great day in your life, don't make it; and, if it is, give it everything in you...

Stuck in the MIddle Court with You

Posted on July 21, 2008
What if parole were moved? Not just the offices or the funding (though that, too), but moved up in time? So if you pictured the timeline of a criminal case (something we never covered in Montessori), instead of parole coming late in the case, it would occur earlier on...

Gone to the Dogs

Posted on July 21, 2008
What happens when illegal dogs are found and confiscated? Usually we expect the worst: sick, violent, unteachable dogs that cannot be saved. You may have heard a thing or two about the notorious case of Michael Vick. What you may not have heard: many of the dogs were not only saved but are now thriving...

Charlie Rose's Chief Guest

Posted on July 20, 2008
Amazing things happen when one has small children. Who knew that Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret Marshall would be featured as a guest on Charlie Rose? We know, because we happened to be awake at 2 a.m. or whatever godforsaken hour this show aired...

Court to Defense: Don't Cry Out Loud

Posted on July 19, 2008
Recently we mentioned the story of the local prosecutor who filed a motion asking the defense to stop crying during capital cases. Now the court has granted that motion. If attorneys seem to be losing their composure, they may ask for a break. But no crocodile tears (the judge admits that distinguishing them from the real deal may be difficult)...

Blog of the Week(end): Cincinnati Blog

Posted on July 19, 2008
Cincinnati isn't always a happening place. Sometimes we have to make our own fun here. But what a great week for this town! A mere 7 years after the city experienced its most recent race riots, Mayor Mallory, the police chief, and others worked together to bring the NAACP here for their annual convention...

Friday Comix

Posted on July 18, 2008
Our 3 NY readers might find Jim Borgman's answer to the New Yorker amusing. The Comic Strip Doctor overanalyzes a Wizard of Id strip on jury duty. Ever wonder what jurors are thinking? Wonder no more, just read this Making It panel. Mediators, don't try this at work...

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