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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

Judge Justice, RIP

Posted on October 19, 2009
Some people read obituaries to make sure they're not in them. Hannah Holborn Gray once remarked that she read obituaries as mini-histories. The Times's obituary of Judge William Wayne Justice encapsulates the history of desegregation, with judicial activism (and its social consequences) sprinkled on like so much Texas Pete...

Laugh About It Talk About It

Posted on October 19, 2009
Candidates for Pennsylvania's high court will debate this Thursday, October 22, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Guests are requested to arrive by noon to the moot court room at Temple University's Beasley School of Law. Moderator is Lynn Marks of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts...

Con-diments

Posted on October 13, 2009
The Chicago hot dog is famous. Now a hot dog stand in Chi-Town is bordering on the infamous. Those serving meals at Felony Franks have served something else in their past -- hard time. We hear a lot about re-entry -- that is, reintroducing those who have served their time back into society...

Bee Plus

Posted on September 28, 2009
There are many different theories regarding the decrease in U.S. honeybees. We have our own: they all congregated in a South Carolina courthouse. See Thousands of Honeybees Make Home in Dillon County Courthouse, Jamie Rogers, News Reporter (September 26, 2009)...

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Floored

Posted on September 28, 2009
The Westmoreland County Courthouse is a work of art in itself. And like most things aged, it is in need of repair. Temporary tiles have been installed over a buckling floor. But they're not just any tiles -- they're in the shape of a W! For Westmoreland, get it? Another theory is that the W is in honor of Westmoreland County's engineer, Mel Wohlgemuth...

What Dissuades a DUI Offender Most?

Posted on September 27, 2009
It's a constant battle, waged by moms, NHTSA, law enforcement, and the community to separate drunk drivers from their vehicles. The most obvious way to do this is to keep them from using said vehicles. One way to do this is to install an ignition-interlock device...

New Category: Juror Orientation Videos!

Posted on September 21, 2009
OK, not really, but we can dream... New Mexico courts have a new online juror orientation video. It could also be used by teachers -- very informative! Beginning with a montage of photos of New Mexican courthouses (in which they try public officials for making crooked courthouse construction deals), the video goes on to cover history of jury trials, our jury-related Constitutional rights, evidentiary standards, and procedure...

Happy Holidays

Posted on September 17, 2009
Happy Constitution Day! In honor thereof: fight for your 7th Amendment rights. We're highlighting the 7th not because it's more important or better for our lawyer friends than the others, but because it is the one Amendment nobody seems to love. It's the paschal lamb of all political parties, every side of the health care debate, most discussions about the economy, and several private arbitrators (some of whom have dollar signs for eyes)...

In Loco Parentis

Posted on September 07, 2009
Anyone who's lost a child knows that parents must find it in themselves to move in a positive direction in order to carry on. That move could involve telling their story to others who have suffered a similar loss, planting a tree in their child's memory, or hugging their family a few extra times every day...

Junk Science Kills

Posted on September 07, 2009
It's not just a good idea to keep bad science out of the courtroom. It could be a matter of life or death. See Trial by Fire, David Grann, New Yorker (September 7, 2009). Of course, Grits for Breakfast got to the scene first. See Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man over Junk Arson Science? (January 26, 2009), plus a host of other posts on the topic...

School is back, and with it the

Posted on September 01, 2009
School is back, and with it the avoidance thereof: truancy! Courts have taken it upon themselves to not only attempt to enforce truancy laws, but also combat the underlying no-showitis. Summit County Juvenile Court in Akron gets an A for effort in truancy prevention...

Does Size Matter?

Posted on August 31, 2009
We often hear about judicial workload studies. Court staff are subjected to the same microscope. But what about the administrative offices of the courts (AOCs)? Most are comically small and understaffed. Those bear little mention and deserve support from any corner...

Bellyblog

Posted on August 30, 2009
Pretty soon, blogs will be like bellybuttons -- everyone will have one. And they'll be full of lint. The newest (to us) entry in the court-related blogoverse is the Supreme Court of Washington Blog. It seems as though most of the information comes from the court's media releases (available via e-mail)...

Happenings

Posted on August 30, 2009
Sept. 15: The NYT's Adam Liptak visits Drake. Speaking of Drake, congrats to and on its new awesome dean! (Des Moines) Sept. 17: What happens when a victim of a real crime reconciles with the man falsely accused of committing it? Hear Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice & Redemption...

Rebel with a Cause

Posted on August 25, 2009
Why is the ABA selling skateboards? The same reason it issued a manifesto. Because: a) It can b) Ungodly combination of flaming cheese, ribs, and Harold's at Taste of Chicago fried the ABA's collective brain c) It's all part of a larger plan to encourage legal rebels

The Case of the Noisy Jurors

Posted on August 20, 2009
Jurors are deliberating. Everyone waits. Everyone overhears, because the jurors are loud. A reporter (yes, a few still exist) Twitters as he listens. You're the judge in the case. What do you do? a) Shush the jurors b) Turn up the radio so nobody can overhear deliberations c) Close the courtroom A Lake County, Ohio, judge chose C, but not without a fight from the defense...

Scam-I-Am

Posted on August 20, 2009
Twinkies. Energizer batteries. True love. Is there anything more enduring than the pigeon drop scam? A similar scam was identified in Ohio, but it seems like it could be a national phenomenon. In this version, a lawyer receives an e-mail (no, not from a Nigerian VIP) regarding debt collection...

Pfffffttttt!!!

Posted on August 13, 2009
Ahh, sometimes the appearance of impropriety is impropriety itself. To wit: Charles County Judge Suspected of Deflating Worker's Tire, Ruben Castaneda, Washington Post (August 12, 2009), and Judge Says Deflating Tire on Car Wasn't Big Deal, Ruben Castaneda, Washington Post (August 13, 2009)...

Too Hot for Letterman

Posted on August 09, 2009
Justice Served's famous Top 10 Court Website Awards for 2009 is out! This is the 11th remarkable year for the awards. What did your court's site (if it existed) look like 11 years ago? (Chris, do a then & now someday! Although the evidence for then may be difficult to capture...

CLE Fun

Posted on August 07, 2009
This year's Supreme Court watchers are in for a treat -- a brand-new Justice, and a great fall preview at William & Mary School of Law's Institute of Bill of Rights Law. When: October 2 & 3, 2009 Where: William & Mary School of Law (just 100 steps away from the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg, Virginia) How Much: 7...

She's In

Posted on August 06, 2009
The white smoke is puffing above Congress. Welcome, Justice Sotomayor! See Sotomayor Poised to Become First Hispanic Justice, Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Houston Chronicle/AP (August 6, 2009), and thousands of other articles, too many to list here.

Congratulations, Buckeyes!

Posted on August 02, 2009
Two of our favorite Buckeyes -- Stephanie Hess and Ruth A. Newcomer -- have been recognized by NACM. Hess manages the Supreme Court of Ohio's Case Management Section. She was elected to NACM's board. NACM honored Newcomer, who manages the Supreme Court of Ohio's Court Relations Program, with the Jefferson Cup for her outstanding contributions to the annual conference...

TV Realty

Posted on July 28, 2009
Some people watch reality TV; others are content just watching reality itself. The NYT recently ran a fantastic article about two such hobbyists: Judy and Gladys. Forget expense-laden trial consultants and fuzzy focus groups -- J. and G. tell it like it is! See At Astor Trial, It's Judge, Jury and Judy and Gladys, Too, A...

Risky Business

Posted on July 28, 2009
What security risks does your court face? Is anyone actually watching the screens of surveillance cameras? Are people with metal shanks hidden in their shoes waived through? Do security personnel stand with their backs to potential perps? Who poses the bigger threat -- angry criminal defendants or religious women? The Georgia Judicial Council issued a new policy allowing people in court to wear head coverings for religious or medical reasons...

Christmas in July (in Texas)

Posted on July 22, 2009
Add to the ranks of good reads from Texas bloggers Courtex (get it?). The new blog is one of the few written by court administrators. Carl Reynolds, state court administrator for the Lone Star State, gives you an insider's look at the Texas courts. If you can divert your eyes from the beautiful photo at the top of the Courtex page, you'll find great posts about a variety of issues -- legislation affecting courts, e-filing, recommendations on permanency for children in foster care, even a new (to us) acronym! Thanks to Carl for passing this on, and happy reading!

Tune Out, Turn Off

Posted on July 15, 2009
One would think that endless wonkish testimony about a nominee to the SCOTUS would warm the cockles of our little heart. So why are we paying as little attention to the Judge Sotomayor confirmation hearings as possible? Because we're on vacation! Because she's a shoo-in! Because confirmation hearings are a joke, serving only as a platform for whatever random thoughts the most talkative branch had on the way to work today! Because the hearings violate the separation of powers! Because they are bad for judicial independence! All of the above! Further reading: Let the Nominee Stay Home, Stephen L...

Sotomayor Central

Posted on July 13, 2009
The Wall Street Journal (if you like that sort of thing) has a handy stash of all things Sotomayor on its website. Nice organization. SCOTUSblog boasts Live Coverage of Sotomayor Hearings and LiveBlog of Judge Sotomayor's Confirmation Hearings. (Oops, almost wrote conformation!) They also have the witness list and blurb and link to the Brennan Center for Justice's study about Judge Sotomayor's conlaw trail.

Independence Day

Posted on July 09, 2009
California's budget is gone, daddy, gone. How will it keep its courts afloat while maintaining judicial independence? Tonight only!!! ABA president H. Thomas Wells, Jr., speaks about Preserving Justice During Economic Crisis and Controversy at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club...

The Jury Anniversary

Posted on July 08, 2009
Traditionally,

Outside Help: Creative Funding Sources

Posted on July 07, 2009
We were all taught to follow the money but nobody gave us a map! Here are a few creative (and generous) ideas for funding projects: In Little Rock, the Carroll County Courthouse received a grant from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program: County Courthouses, ES Museum Recipients of $114,000 in Grants, Carroll County News (July 3, 2009)...

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