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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

Will the Supremes Say Cheese?

Posted on March 07, 2008
While it snows here, in DC the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act. We are psyched that Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is such an expert on cameras in the courtroom. We've been following the issue for a long time, and frankly we thought we were alone in this exciting (to us!) pursuit! The arrival of the young and photogenic Chief Justice Roberts has led some to believe that cameras would follow soon after...

Ain't Never Caught a Rabbit

Posted on March 05, 2008
Even if you're an Elvis impersonator, you probably shouldn't attend your pretrial conference in rhinestones and sunglasses. And even if you're the King, do not show up drunk. Just don't. Assuming arguendo that you did anyway, don't tell the judge you only had a few drinks the night before...

Keeping Score

Posted on March 05, 2008
If you're keeping track of mental health parity laws (discussed earlier), the AP has a nice write-up on House votes. See also House Approves Mental Health Bill, Andrew Miga, AP (March 5, 2008).

Preempt-O-Rama

Posted on March 05, 2008
Q: Is there any current SCOTUS Justice not in favor of federal laws preempting laws of the states? A: Not really! Earlier, we noted Medtronic's huge win. (Which, come to think of it, makes that crazy Britney document a wee bit more sensible, in the way that two people saying something utterly ridiculous sounds better than just one...

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No Money Blues

Posted on March 04, 2008
What happens when courts run out of money? Wonder no more. Take a look at Houston County and the rest of Minnesota's Third Judicial District, which is experiencing this type of fallout: Court services office closed from 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fewer legal research positions, resulting in delayed court appearances and judicial decisions One morning a week: no walk-in counter or phone service (probable result: people milling around trying to figure out where to go) Fewer conciliation court hearings Extended jury terms will cut down on summoning and orienting new jurors Extended case processing times, with possible delays in filing, scheduling, and obtaining documents No marriage ceremonies performed during business hours...

Question All the Answers

Posted on March 04, 2008
He looks unassuming, but don't let that fool you. He's one of the smartest, most engaging thinkers of our time. We love to see Justice Breyer's mind at work! Mark Sherman from the AP has a nice piece out that provides insight into that amazing mind. It includes stories about his famed hypotheticals (see, law school really *does* teach you something!), even the more imaginative ones such as "tomato children" or the domestic oyster scenario...

Hurricane Help

Posted on March 04, 2008
What happens to the legal community when disaster strikes? We've seen pictures and heard stories about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the population. But did you know what happened to the Louisiana Supreme Court? Employees cleaned up as much as possible before mold and heat got the best of the courthouse, then moved to higher ground...

Schooled in Utah

Posted on March 03, 2008
Can justice be taught? No, not in Utah anyway. Previously we noted that the Beehive State's justice courts were in for an overhaul. The change wasn't what reformers had in mind. Rather than increase education requirements, the bill was amended to allow those with a high school diploma or GED to serve as justice court judges...

One-Man Show

Posted on March 02, 2008
The very interesting and inspiring life and times of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall now constitute a one-man show starring Laurence "Cowboy Curtis" Fishburne. It's called Thurgood. Where is it? Where the neon lights are bright (so they say) -- on Broadway...

Clinton, Not Duff

Posted on March 02, 2008
Hillary: The Movie is here, but you may or may not be able to view ads about it. Sorry to disappoint, but the Citizens United film stars Dick Morris, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, Kathleen Willey, and Tony Blankley as The Beaver. The movie's site claims that HTM "is the first and last word in what the Clintons want America to forget!" What's this got to do with the SCOTUS? The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is restricting ads about the movie...

Finding Court-O

Posted on March 01, 2008
We are endlessly amused by the phrases people use to search for court-o-rama, either accidentally or on purpose. Thanks to Tom's mad techie skillz, we're able to find out these kinds of things! Here are a few: "triple threat rama" (yikes!) "attorney general obama sunstein" (you heard it here first!) "chuck o rama in utah" (hunh?) "can papparazzi cause mental harm" (clearly Lindsey Lohan is a fan!) "deciding who pays for lunch" (hint: it's not us) "tom carlson musical genius" Have a great Saturday morning!

Because a Fence Would Cut off Our Airport Access

Posted on February 29, 2008
We first heard the very last snippets of this story on tv news: someone wanted courts to keep tabs on the number of undocumented workers they encounter. "Sure," we thought, "in the court's free time!" We've heard this type of research proposed before in other states...

Gavels All Around

Posted on February 29, 2008
It sounds like the judicial version of whack-a-mole, but Gavel Grab is actually a blog focusing on "impartiality, accountability and the war over the courts." The mouthpiece of Justice at Stake, categories include judicial elections, accountability, nominations, diversity, reform, etc...

Hey Mr. Jury Administrator

Posted on February 29, 2008
Entertainer, Material Girl, dancer, Mrs. Sean Penn, mom, La Isla Bonita tourist, virgin (well, *like* one), pop diva, safe-sex promoter, wearer of uncomfy (so it would seem) Gautier, Kaballah-ist, Peron-portrayer, Wesley Clark supporter, Shanghai Surpriser, Live Earth performer...

Unimaginable Departures

Posted on February 29, 2008
Some people become such a part of their workplace that they define it. So how amazing to hear that -- Linda Greenhouse is leaving the NYT Cass Sunstein is leaving Chicago for Harvard ...and Peggy Rogers is leaving the National Center for State Courts after 30(!) years of excellent service! All good things must come to an end! Best of luck to everyone!

Medically Necessary

Posted on February 29, 2008
How does a disease become a disease? Sometimes inclusion in the DSM (whatever version we're up to now), or some other sign of acceptance by the medical community, will suffice. But patients with commonly-known disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are being denied insurance coverage...

Maryland Finds Prints Not So Charming

Posted on February 29, 2008
Like a feminist princess, one Maryland trial court will not wait for prints to come to the rescue...(hey, it's Friday!) The fact that it was a capital case may have made all the difference. "Death is different," opined the court. So it's not clear whether the rejection of partial latent fingerprint evidence as not establishing a reliable factual foundation would apply in other types of cases, or whether it could be one of many factors in a case with different facts...

Closer to Gideon?

Posted on February 28, 2008
Is the oft-hoped-for Civil Gideon in sight? If so, foreclosures could be the impetus for change. That's the hope of Robert B. Newman, a local (to me) lawyer. Newman wants court-appointed lawyers for homeowners in danger of losing their homes. The foreclosure crisis hurts everyone -- government, neighborhoods, businesses, and families...

Throwing the Book, Lightly

Posted on February 27, 2008
The public wants judges who mete out tough sentences to criminals, right? Keep guessing...it's a true-or-false question, so two guesses is plenty. Here's the story: Australian judges rode the circuit to meet with the public. They presented a case to their audiences, giving them as much information as possible, including the maximum...

Nevada Gambles on Fairness

Posted on February 27, 2008
Where else are prosecutors and judges responsible for paying public defenders? (Thought you'd heard everything, hunh?) Nevada's public defender system has been in disarray, to say the least. Now an order from on high ensures that the system has independent administrators, performance standards (somewhere a Researcher is crying tears of joy!), and ethically-sized caseloads...

Knowing, Voluntary, and Classified

Posted on February 27, 2008
What makes a guilty plea stick? What constitutes effective assistance of counsel? What happens when much of a defendant's information is classified? Criminal defendants challenge legal norms and push the procedural envelope. Like bleeding-edge artists, they make the rest of us question our legal sense...

Ripped from the Headlines

Posted on February 27, 2008
It sounds like an episode of Law & Order: main suspect in a assault/multiple murder case killed in a shootout. His mother is successfully prosecuted on complicity charges after the police say she visited the scene in the middle of the night to destroy evidence...

Photo Finish

Posted on February 26, 2008
Why not use photo lineups? Let us count the ways! 1. Studies show that simultaneous lineups (where all pictures are grouped together) cause the viewer to compare the suspects to one another rather than to his or her own memory. Experts recommend, instead, the use of sequential lineups (pictures shown in a sequence)...

No Deal

Posted on February 26, 2008
Can the defense agree not to challenge a jury on the basis of race? The Georgia Supreme Court, Sixth Amendment, conflicts of interest rules, and duty to zealously represent say: nope! See State Supreme Court Throws out DeKalb Man's Drug Conviction, Bill Rankin, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (February 25, 2008).

Political Poison

Posted on February 26, 2008
Are politics infecting the judiciary? Justice O'Connor (ret.) thinks so, and she's taken her battle to the pages of Parade Magazine. Political pressures can and do interfere with judicial independence. Justice O'Connor tells horror stories about judicial elections in particular, and calls for merit selection with retention elections to fix the problem...

Tx Gone Bad?

Posted on February 25, 2008
Courts are now accustomed to ordering defendants to treatment. What happens when that treatment turns out to be a bad trip? Recovering heroin addicts ordered to work at the Seattle Drug and Narcotic Center, Inc., are suing the center for back wages. The center takes a "work therapy" approach, which plaintiffs say involved wageless jobs at a for-profit recycling plant...

ADR Idol

Posted on February 23, 2008
The American Idol of ADR is happening again! The ABA Representation in Mediation Competition is being held March 8 at American University in D.C. (and perhaps elsewhere -- check local listings). Volunteer judges are needed!!! Here's the schedule, sign up for as much as you can but we hear that Saturday is under-staffed: Round One: Saturday, March 8, 8 a...

More Job-Hunting

Posted on February 23, 2008
Still looking for a job? Wondering how long you can put "blogger" on your resume? Here are some more job-hunting resources: The ABA may have openings in Chicago or D.C. One can also find assistance and encouragement from the Career Counsel section of their site...

Contemptible?

Posted on February 22, 2008
Should tv judges be sanctioned? Once upon a time a woman contacted the Knowledge and Information Service at the National Center for State Courts to complain about Judge Judy. Could we do something about this judge? She was so mean to people! Our intake coordinator deftly handled the woman's questions and concerns...

Rerun

Posted on February 22, 2008
What did we do before Real Audio? If you missed it yesterday, take a listen to The Diane Rehm Show. Guest host Susan Page interviewed Judge George "Woody" Clark about DNA evidence, double jeopardy, and the "CSI effect." Callers were, as always, chock full o' good questions.

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