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About the courts.
By Anne Skove, Esq.

Post Frequency: 12/day

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

French Skills Helpful but Not Required

Posted on May 08, 2008
Want to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada (aka Cour supreme du Canada)? You may or may not be required to be bilingual. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has tried to make bilingual skills a priority in replacing vacancies on the bench, but one former judge claims that this is not necessary...

Those Crazy Canadians!

Posted on May 08, 2008
And you thought you were having a bad day. A judge has banned a divorcing couple (and we use that word loosely) from appearing before him in Ontario Superior Court. The two were married for a year (one wonders how the union ever came to be) and, sadly, have an 8-year-old child...

Veterans' Court Update

Posted on May 08, 2008
More news about Buffalo's Veterans' Court aired on Talk of the Nation yesterday. Picking up on the earlier NPR story by Libby Lewis (who was also a guest), Mr. Conan spoke with a PTSD expert and others. Callers provided valuable insight from the vets' point of view...

Insanity in Seattle

Posted on May 08, 2008
The man who killed one and wounded five when he shot up the Jewish Federation in Seattle believes he was on a mission from God, though we think God would be shocked to hear it. An expert retained by defense counsel testified that the shooter, Naveed Haq, is bipolar...

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Yes, Virginia, There Is a Sanity Clause

Posted on May 07, 2008
We think we know crazy. Gnarls Barkley remembers when he lost his mind and asks, "Does that make me crazy?" Patsy Cline (and Willie Nelson) thought they were "crazy for feeling so lonely." Fine Young Cannibals blamed a woman: she drives me crazy...

Congrats, in Five Words Or...

Posted on May 06, 2008
Oops, too many! Congratulations to the ABA Journal on its Webby win! Now they have to come up with a 5-word acceptance "speech." Haikuists and other fans of brevity, please help them out! See The Webby People's Voice Award Goes to...ABA Journal, Edward A...

Florida Budget Cuts: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

Posted on May 06, 2008
Why, it was just a few years ago that Florida courts went from county to state funding. Remember the drill? All court services had to scramble to categorize themselves, all hoping for the coveted "essential court services" status to guarantee state funding...

One Fine Day in Wisconsin

Posted on May 05, 2008
Access issues aside, here's yet another reason to avoid imposing fines, fees, and surcharges: they can get taken away with the stroke of a pen. Thus, organizations who depend on such income may have their cash flow cut off rather quickly. Case in point: the Wisconsin legislature recently enacted a law prohibiting judges and prosecutors from requiring defendants to pay their fines to a specific organization...

If You're Going to San Diego

Posted on May 05, 2008
...you won't be entering the federal courthouse, at least not today. Yesterday the building was hit by an apparent pipe bomb. It appears that only the lobby was damaged, but the investigation and cleanup are ongoing. Jurors scheduled to serve should call 800-98-9035 after 6 p...

Law, Order, and Comics

Posted on May 03, 2008
Is there such a thing as a free comic? Yes! More graphically interesting than Law Day, able to leap a tall stack of graphic novels in a single bound, it's a free lunch, it's a reason to go to the comic store around the corner, it's the holiday quickly overtaking Law Day in stature...

Tennessee Chief Retires

Posted on April 30, 2008
At noon on September 1, Tennessee's highest court will have a job opening. That is when (even the "noon" part) Chief Justice Barker plans to retire. He has spent 25 years on the bench per the Tennessee Plan. See Native Chattanoogan Retiring as Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice, Times Free Press (April 29, 2008); Retiring Chief Justice Barker Says State's Judiciary in Excellent Shape, Chris Echegaray, Tennessean (April 30, 2008); and Chief Justice William M...

Travels with His Clerks: Souter Gains Perspective at Gettysburg

Posted on April 30, 2008
Some people celebrate their employees with cake or lunch out. Justice Souter took his trusty clerks and staff (and, we assume, a few containers of yogurt) to visit Gettysburg. There, he found insight and a new sense of purpose. It's a good thing they didn't go to the Corn Palace...

Funky Cold, Part 2

Posted on April 30, 2008
Remember the Medinas? It could only (?) happen in Texas: Justice Medina and his wife were indicted for arson and tampering. The indictment was ruled invalid due to an improper extension of the grand jury term. Now the wife has been indicted again. See Texas Supreme Court Justice's Wife Re-Indicted in House Fire, Juan A...

Old Problems, New Venue: Buffalo's Veterans' Court

Posted on April 29, 2008
Veterans have always had problems in this country: homelessness, mental illness, and coping with military life generally. Now, veterans have their own court. It makes sense. The spectrum of specialized courts includes drug courts, bankruptcy courts, mental health courts, family courts, gun courts, and truancy courts, to name a few...

Kentucky: Appointment of New Court Administrator Challenged

Posted on April 28, 2008
We've bid adieu to Kentucky's Chief Justice Lambert. Now it's time to say hey to the new state court administrator, Jason Nemes. Or is it? Nemes has been acting director since January 1, 2007. Much is being said about the way Nemes was appointed. The state senate did not confirm the appointment...

Could It Happen Here?

Posted on April 28, 2008
Everywhere people are shocked by the Austrian man who kept his daughter captive in his cellar. His wife, six grown children, neighbors, and adoptive (somehow, but that's another story) "grandchildren" never suspected a thing, not for 20+ years, not while the woman gave birth to seven children in the basement of the family's home, not while he bought and brought them food and clothing...

Scalia: On the Air, but Still No Cameras

Posted on April 28, 2008
If you missed it, you can catch Justice Scalia talking with Nina Totenberg about the Space Age (come to think of it, he does kind of remind us of Mr. Spacely!), McCain (of McCain-Feingold), and cameras in the court (or lack thereof). NPR has audio and text...

Law Day Fun

Posted on April 27, 2008
Law Day is May 2. This year's theme is The Rule of Law. It's the 50th anniversary of the holiday, which makes us feel very young. It's nice to be younger than something! If you do nothing more than send a cash-stuffed card plus something from Green and Black's for your favorite law-loving people (just saying), check out the map of Law Day events...

Blog of the Week(end): CrimLaw

Posted on April 26, 2008
Not just because Ken knows the words to the Kentucky state song, but also because his was one of the first blawgs I ever started reading, and because we were part of the same secret society at W&L Law (OK, not really, and there is not a secret society in the world that would let me in), this week's pick is CrimLaw...

May The Sun Shine Bright

Posted on April 25, 2008
Once upon a time in Kentucky we were honored to be guests at a function at which the state song was sung. Topping our Most Embarrassing Moments list: not knowing the words, except "oh the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home!" Proper etiquette prevented us from making up our own words, or explaining to the group that, being from Ohio, we were forbidden to learn this song in grade school...

At Least They Didn't Drop the H-Bomb

Posted on April 24, 2008
...you know, "hellhole." While the rest of us remove the hidden crayons from our car before it gets too hot out and wonder whether it's time to mow the lawn, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is ranking state courts. What new this year? The difference, perhaps due to global warming or the upcoming Miley Cyrus big book o' memoirs, is that this time nobody used the phrase judicial hellhole...

Tomatoes Are Safe to Eat: Virginia v. Moore

Posted on April 23, 2008
Remember this: The Fourth Amendment Loooooove Apple, court-o-rama (January 13, 2008)? Well, it's official! The SCOTUS unanimously agrees that probable cause is probable cause, never mind what Virginia state law says. Check out everything from briefs to analysis on the Virginia v...

Costs: Pass 'Em On

Posted on April 23, 2008
How do courts deal with budget shortfalls? The same way any other business does: pass the cost onto the consumer. Florida's legislature has just approved a 10% increase in court fees. Users who file for divorce, contest traffic tickets, or sue negligent motorists will start coughing up the extra money July 1...

Earth Day Special

Posted on April 22, 2008
Everybody wants in on the Earth Day act. Google creates special holiday-themed logos each year. Our second-grader imposed Screen Turnoff Week on the household (we asked for a blogging waiver, so as not to disappoint readers). Even Disney, god of consumerism, is launching a new nature film label...

World Washington Web

Posted on April 21, 2008
The Washington Courts Web site is known for its clarity, clean design, and lack of superfluousness. But for some reason they're redesigning it. To do this, they've posted a survey. Take a look-see to help them improve, but also to see what types of questions they ask the public...

Fired for Testimony: There Oughtta Be A Law

Posted on April 20, 2008
It makes sense: you can't be fired for reporting for jury service or being called up by the miliatary. Why should employers be free to retaliate against employees who have "subpoena duty?" A counselor fired by a Seattle mental health group is suing his former employer and the court probation supervisor for wrongful termination and violation of his First Amendment rights...

All Traffic, No Magic Tricks: Night Court Isn't What You Think

Posted on April 20, 2008
It never fails: a non-judicial government-type person decides that what the town needs is a good night court. We think they are confused by too much TV Land. Night court isn't all Harry Anderson illusions and goofy bailiff banter. Most night courts are not at night per se; they often operate after-hours, but not too late...

Blog of the Week(end): Guardian ad What?

Posted on April 19, 2008
This week's pick is a reality check in blog form: Guardian ad What? No sepia-toned, feel-good froth here. Rather, it's a real look at a real GAL with real cases. Why do babies have babies? Cutting diagnosis of issues that only a magic bubble can possibly solve...

Strange Bedfellows in Lesbian Custody Case

Posted on April 18, 2008
"Dogs and cats, living together...mass hysteria!" Anyone who has ever even thought about taking the LSAT knows that many legal issues are matters of categorization. When the law doesn't quite know how to categorize something, all heck breaks loose...

Amnesty Calamity or Purge Surge? Hamilton County Weighs Warrant Issue

Posted on April 18, 2008
You say "potato," I say "potahto." You say "purge," I say "amnesty." Well, that's not quite as catchy, but you get the idea. The question is an old one: what to do with stale warrants? Old traffic violations, bad checks (but only teensy-tiny ones), and the like are clogging Hamilton County's municipal courts...

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