Congrats!

second

So what were the settlement terms?

I wanted to cross examine the Walrus with my spear. Damn it!

The Most Interesting Eskimo in the World

Epic lol.

3- you fail.
I believe there was a settlement that involved the viewing of the Kash beaver shot?

who is Minkin? what case are you talking about?

I shaved my balls for this?

8,
That is a typo. They meant Mandy Patinkin.

10 - did you just say Abe Lincoln?

This comment is addressed to the editor in chief of above the law.

I predicted this result. I am impressed that it came this quickly. However, I am sure the good professor saw that his reputation would be irreparably impugned as a result from such a ridiculous lawsuit. I would also not be surprised if the U. of Miami Board of Trustees had a "little talk" with the professor.

I can only laugh at this clown, I wonder if he proofed his motion to dismiss

If it wasn't already in the 4th tier, this pathetic complaint and case could have been a real embarrassment to u miami school of law. Being a toilet at least means they can't suffer much fallout. Stetson grads must be loving this - their lesser competition knocked down yet another peg.

11,
No. I said Abraham Linkman. He is a retired 72 year old teamster from Pittsburgh.

Well, the professor sought around $2 million, so I'm guessing the parties split the difference and ATL will be handing over a cool million.

But seriously, the professor should be embarrassed that he ever filed this. The copyright claim didn't even include an allegation of ownership of the photo at issue.

Lat, are you going to celebrate with some ass tonight in the MePa district?

Truck Tuckerson

I must say that your lawyer's wife is HOT!

U miami is the u penn state state college campus of the south.

Was the case dismissed with prejudice? If so, will he refile with some sort of constitutional/equal protection claim, in light of the prejudice?

the title for your lawyer's post on this is better

19 = reading fail.

"But if Professor Jones were to attempt to refile, he would encounter a statute of limitations problem."

This is still embarrassing for UM Law.

19, its only dismissed with prejudice if the party making the motion to dismiss can show substantial likelihood of injury and no chance of success. It's under FRCP 47. hth

Lett mee eksplane myselt.

I dissmissedd thiss lawsuif becuz I did nit want two ass oshiate myselt wifh fhis rifrat.

And I'm skaird fhat the kort will misunnderstand whut I ment by frying all my friable klames.

Mr. Jones is a disappointment to victimology.

This case was eminently friable.

21 = sense of humor fail; 19 = very funny

23 - missed hilarious troll jole by 19. PREJUDiCe. Get it?

4, 7, 16 - Note this paragraph:

"There was NO SETTLEMENT in this case. Above the Law has made no changes to its prior posts and has paid no money to Professor Jones. The case was dismissed by the plaintiff without anything from our side, except a letter from our lawyer."

This makes me really sad. Just another example of the white (sorry yellow) man keeping the black man down. Stay Strong Brother... Barrack will be sure to appoint you to the Supreme Court to make up for this injustice.

Anyone who dismisses the complaint of a black man is racist.

Marc Randazza . . . isn't he the guy who's defending the creator of the Glenn Bleck raped and murdered yadda yadda yadda website?

A quick Google search tells me yes. Yes he was. Way to snag a snazzy lawyer on this one. I bet he was disappointed that he didn't have the chance to use "abject imbecile" in a brief.

Prof. Jones hoped ATL would try and save a few bucks by having Mystal handle it. When that didn't happen, and Jones read the negative reaction to his claim throughout the legal blogosphere, he punted.

At least ATL is not gloating. Classy comment from your lawyer and really classy opening it back up for more comments. While it is obvious that ATL would have likely prevailed either on the substance or because of continued embarassment for the Prof, it is worth thinking about how ATL's gossip affects people (even drives them to irrational actions, like a dumbass lawsuit). Personalized attacks on people who are not deserving (ie not caught as hypocrites nor truly public figures) are not cool.
It is a round world, and the same small minded, cowardly, racist audience you play to will enjoy it when you get yours.

27 - I did. Also, the game.

33 - If you think the gossip affects people badly, then you should opt out and not read this site.

Congrats to UM Law for this awesome guerilla PR tactic.

33, considering how inappropriate the lawsuit was - sanctionable, according to some other law professors - this is an understated post. Not much gloating here.

It makes sense for ATL to clarify that there was "NO SETTLEMENT." Otherwise they will attract more lawsuits like this one. That isn't gloating, it is just fact.

24 = total fail

33 - STFU.

And don't read this site if you think it's so bad. By giving it traffic, you are only contributing to the "problem."

32, Mystal couldn't have handled this case since he is not admitted to the NY bar. Try to find him on the NY court website.

29 = Win.. I guess he didn't have any friable issues

If Prof Jones had CHECK HE EMAILS and had Quinn on his side, his lawsuit would have REMAINED friable

33, Professor Jones is a public figure - by his own admission. Read the first few paragraphs of his complaint.

Of course they are going to gloat. They should gloat and have every right to gloat. In fact, they didn't gloat enough. Stupidity should be laughed at and ridiculed.

How embarrassing for UM and UM Law...

33, why shouldn't they open the comments? The default is to have open comments.

They kept comments closed "to respect the judicial process." Now that the case has been dismissed, there is no need for that.

37, "case withdrawn, no settlement" -- that's not gloating and it says it all. "I am continually unimpressed by academic ..." coupled with an invitation to a new forum -- that's gloating.
Whatever, their choice. I just, personally, hope it comes around for them. That's all and I know I am in the minority in this crowd.

If you're the good professor, how do you disseminate the fact that you were not guilty of this charge to the people who end up on the ATL website after searching for your book? Hmmm, aside from the gross underlawyering, this seems to have done the trick. Now he's just a bad litigator rather than a cheap solicitor.

Professor,

How does it feel

to be

a horrible lawyer?

To have an education

that doesn't even allow you to

draft a complaint that a

first year attorney could do.

You really

suck.

The case should have been dismissed with extreme SNU SNU!

What are u miani law schools' employment numbers? Can someone who had this man teech them the law geta job in big laws?
Haha thay should be ashaimed. Morrons!

46 - You don't like ATL, but you still read it - and comment, adding to their traffic and page views. You are part of the "problem."

A news outlet has no power if nobody reads it. You only make ATL more powerful with your visits.

Comment again, give Lat & Co. another page view to sell their advertisers....

33...

Why doo yoo fheenk I'm nof a publik purson?

I'm az publik az Protessor Gafes now. Don't not fry fo fell mee I'm nof a publik purson.

Wow--

This case--and ATL's commitment to

truth and justice has entered the hallowed pantheon
of seminal cases that will re-define American jurisprudence.

BFD--complaint dismisses w/o prej.

Don't break your back atl, patting yourself on the back
or hurt your arms in the circle jerk.

Darn! Some of us HLS 1Ls were hoping to cite your case for our memo on diversity jurisdiction based on allegations of libel on the internet.

Why are Black people always so angry?

I bet Randazza has a **great** network.

"Randazza has a practice that primarily focuses on the areas of First Amendment litigation, adult entertainment, trademark and copyright litigation, and domain name arbitration disputes.[9] He serves as General Counsel to Corbin Fisher, an adult media company. He has represented a number of well-known adult entertainment companies including Kink.com, Bang Bus, and Milf Hunter."

47 - Now he's a cheap solicitor AND a bad litigator.

47 just made the most astute point I've seen on this site in a very long time.

-not 47

To add my two cents: Maybe ATL should add to the story a clear statement that the police dismissed the case and didn't pursue any legal action against the professor as a show of good faith that they don't actually have any interest in destroying this guy's reputation or hurting his book sales.

I would have gladly represented Mr. Minkin and all I would have asked for in return is one night of naked sexy sexy with Kash. Yes please thank you.

ShaFeef

47 - I have so$e swamp land to sell you in louisiana. Real nice, and a bargain. I'll throw in the tower of london if you act now.

14 = Stetson grad.

I think we need a beer summit.

The professor is a total d-bag. During spring formal he got seemingly drunk and actually flirted with the law students!!! There are pictures of him (like the one below) with his arms around one, with her pulled in close like she's his girlfriend.
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/400/45137997.jpg

SUE ME FOR THAT PIC PROF!

how can a suit dismissed today have a statute of limitations problem today if it didn't when it was filed? it tolls while the suit is filed, you know.

Please get dirt on Minkin--

anyone who would buy this site--must have
some pathologies

John's get let go by the cops all the time. So what was the $20 for? Honest question, just want to know what was really going on when he was falsely arrested.

Razzle dazzle, bitches!

So ATL's lawyer was the guy who cited wikipedia in the Glenn Beck thing? Can you guys image the various documents we would have gotten to read from both sides in this case? One side can't spell, and both write entirely ridiculous things in court filings. It would have been so much fun.

That was quick. Congrats!

Of course there was underlawyering. Didn't your law school offer Professional Responsibility? Lawyer's are barred from bringing frivolous law suits. This suit could not have been any more frivolous if they tried. There was no "friable" issue in this case. Though I am sad, I was hoping that ATL would lose forcing Lat to sell Elie as whale meat to pay off the judgment. Darn now I still need to read his fat race baiting ass. O well I can at least take solace that my TTT degree still helped me pass the NY Bar on the first try while Elie and his Harvard degree could not pass. How many times did you fail before you gave up tubby?

Big surprise. Next post, please.

any other NYU law grads embarrassed he went to our school? forget that he works at UM.

What Jones doesn't realize is I had never heard of him before he filed this suit because I didn't start reading this site until 2008. Now since he filed the suit he has just created more publicity for his incident. He didn't think the whole thing through, which makes me laugh!

Professor Jones paid $350 in filing fees for his feeble complaint, after offering only $20 to a street hooker. He could have found a decent provider on the Internet for that $350 and avoided this fiasco. But then I guess that logic is beyond the grasp of a tenured U. of Miami law professor.

64 - He would have to turn around and refile IMMEDIATELY.

The post he complained about was published on 10/29/2007. He filed on 10/27/2009. There is a two-year statute of limitations.

Editor = FAIL. Jones doesn't have a statute of limitations problem for at least 6 months and possibly 1 year. The savings statute allows for a case to be re-filed within 6 months or 1 year of a voluntary dismissal without prejudice.

Kash,

I would never dismiss your beaver if you lived in my tent with me.

ShaFeef

Frivolous lawsuit. Glad it was voluntarily dismissed.

But you may want to put serious thought into getting yourselves a new attorney. What benefit does he serve by having a web site in which he talks about shaving his balls? And why put out a gratuitous nasty statement about the lawsuit after it was dismissed? He appears to have very poor judgment.

I find it odd that you write from the premise that BigLaw is the gold standard in the legal profession, but your own lawyer is some small-time sole practioner dork.

So hows about you let us see that snazzy letter that made it all go away?

Kash,

You are the viagra in my camel milk.

ShaFeef

78

He's cheaper

78 - Lat hires that lawyer because he gets to pay in naked sword fights rather than money.

76 - Can you provide a link to the text of the statute?

79 -

That's what I'm looking for.

NY BAR RESULTS OUT TOMORROW! http://www.nybarexam.org/

Everyone, stop ripping on Miami Law. About 60% of our graduates end up in big law, we have the best faculty money can buy, and our weather and city are both phenominal. Everyone commenting against our school because of one lousy professor is just being rude.

This would have never happened if Jones had hired Steve Sanders.

"UPDATE: We have offered Professor Jones a guest post on Above the Law in which to provide his side of the story, about either the lawsuit or the underlying facts. We have offered to keep the comments on that post closed or open, depending on his preference. (And we would have done this in the first place, had he made such a request.)"

Wait a second, one piece is missing! Where's the letter from your lawyer???

Is this an elaborate hoax, or does u miami really have a law school?

31:

Anyone who takes on that retarded serial-killer-looking prick Glenn Beck is awesome.
Way to go ATL and Randazza! Keep it up!

Now let's see that Kash beavershot!

18 -- Yeah, she's definitely hot. I frequently bang her , while that douche husband of hers types away on his infantile law blog.

86 you spell as well as Professor Jones ("phenominal") and your city is oppressively humid and crime-ridden...Epic Fail

18 -- Yeah, she's definitely hot. I frequently bang her , while that douche husband of hers types away on his infantile law blog.

86 - more like "best faculty a cool $20 can buy." Troll on young trollster, troll on.

Actually, let's see the letter written by ATL's lawyer.

I suppose that I should know the answer to this question, but is U Miami accredited by the American Bar Association? Does anyone know whether the school is a member of the Association of American Law Schools?

I'm surprised to see how many here don't understand that ATL is not a typical defendant here -- it has every reason to gloat, and from the highest mountain top. This is not only good exposure for the blog, but it is also a useful warning to potential future filers of silly cases against ATL: file and you'll end up looking even worse.

Regarding sympathy for the professor, I don't see why anyone who read the complaint and understands the background would have any.

86 - u miami doesn't even have 60% employment, let alone 60% biglaw - EVEN IF U INCLUDE PARALEGALS AND JANITORS.

88 - That's a nice gesture by ATL.

98 - No it is not.

75-

What? He's got 6 months or a year. He got it in under the wire.

I don't guess anyone has considered the possibility that he filed it solely to get in under the limitations bar, now he has six months or a year to either hire a lawyer that isn't an idiot or re-draft this lawsuit and get it back in.

ATL and its loyal readership, as well as other legal bloggers, have done a great job of spoon-feeding him the law and schooling him up on what he needs to hit to at least avoid a motion to dismiss.

This may not be the last you hear from him...I wouldn't necessarily break out the champagne flutes yet...

David Minkin is good looking. That is all.

I have no basis to judge the legal talents between a U. of Miami or Ave Maria law graduate. However, besides Ave Maria being located near my estate in Florida, I can attest that their graduates make decent golf caddies and know how to wash balls.

ATL:

Classy lawyer. The following are quotes from his Wikipedia description. I especially like his representation of the web site "MILF Hunter."

"Randazza has a practice that primarily focuses on the areas of First Amendment litigation, adult entertainment, trademark and copyright litigation, and domain name arbitration disputes.[9] He serves as General Counsel to Corbin Fisher, an adult media company. He has represented a number of well-known adult entertainment companies including Kink.com, Bang Bus, and Milf Hunter. He also represents non-pornographic media businesses such as BME and bloggers in SLAPP suits.[10][11]

Randazza has gained notoriety for his defense of the adult entertainment field

103 - But he did blow the statute on most of the posts about him in the first place.

The last post - the one with the photoshopped graphic - is the stupidest one.

Comment removed by moderator.

104 = David Lat

Comment removed by moderator.

Comment removed by moderator.

Marc Randazza

You are my hero. This shit you filed in the glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com case was funny as hell. Your blog post about this was even funnier. Sorry you felt the need to shave your balls for this, but your hot ass wife probably appreciates it anyway.

107-

Willing to agree that you are right on the timing (haven't looked at that to see). As far as responding to what people were saying in this comment thread, I think my point remains a valid one.

-103

86,
Great point! You should tell USNews about this! If they only knew you have the best faculty money can buy, they'd surely bump you up from #71.

All you 3Ls and first years who think the complaint was sanctionable are drinking too much ATL koolaid. The fact that a complaint is facially deficient and subject to defenses that may be raised in a MTD does not entail that the filing attorney has committed sanctionable conduct. It simply entails that, if those defenses are raised and argued persuasively, the case will be dismissed with leave to file an amended complaint. If pleaded properly, this action would have legs on many of the facts alleged. But he would ultimately lose on a number of grounds that ATL could establish and present in a MSJ.

86--Nice typo, retard. When trying to defend your TTT, at least spell "phenomenally" correctly. Tool. Your faculty, clearly, sucks. If that is the best you can buy, hire more fundraisers. Since you are probably unemployed, maybe you could apply for that job, just make sure they give you a staff of proofreaders.

78 - maybe there is a lesson to be learned in that.

78 - maybe there is a lesson to be learned in that.

Randazza was involved with the AutoAdmit case:

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2009/03/cyber-harassment/

http://randazza.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/competing-views-on-the-auto-admit-story-define-awesome-2/

you certainly join an esteemed client list at the Randazza Legal Group --- my internet filter was working overtime

Another big win for Marc!

Congrats all around!!!

PE,

I didn't realize you golf. What's your favorite course?What's your perfect foursome?

115 sounds like Professor Jones with completely inappropriate use of the word "entail" (twice)

Judging from his blog, Randazza doesn't seem like the classiest guy out there, but at the same time, he certainly appears to be an obnoxious douche.

I'm pretty sure he has a year to refile after the voluntary dismissal, even if the SOL would have otherwise expired during that year. If the claims were already time barred when the initial suit was filed, he's obviously out of luck.

Mmm, maybe it has to do with something i wrote over at patterico's blog. see comment 12 and 13...

http://patterico.com/2009/11/03/law-professor-needs-to-take-class-on-how-to-file-a-valid-legal-complaint/#comment-575570

Just sayin'.

I wouldn't be surprised if the wide ridicule he has gotten for his shoddy work factored in to his decision. i will say that if he really got the charges of solicitation dropped and the record expunged, then that should be mentioned on this site just to be nice. i mean just because he is apparently an incompetant boob, doesn't mean he doesn't deserve for the truth to be told.

Mmm, maybe it has to do with something i wrote over at patterico's blog. see comment 12 and 13...

http://patterico.com/2009/11/03/law-professor-needs-to-take-class-on-how-to-file-a-valid-legal-complaint/#comment-575570

Just sayin'.

I wouldn't be surprised if the wide ridicule he has gotten for his shoddy work factored in to his decision. i will say that if he really got the charges of solicitation dropped and the record expunged, then that should be mentioned on this site just to be nice. i mean just because he is apparently an incompetant boob, doesn't mean he doesn't deserve for the truth to be told.

Why would ATL want this suit dismissed? It's a blog growth hormone. ATL could run daily updates and turn the story into a pandemic. Only Randazza would be dumb enough to want to dismiss it. Is he still an adjunct at Barrry? Prestigious. I hope he teaches sports law and not trial practice.

Whatever happened to the University of Miami law school? Once upon a time they were a reputable law school with a good tax program. Now they are just laughingstocks. This is one of the more irrefutable and visible examples of what bozos they have teaching there, but it's certainly not the only one.

This is a shame. ATL needs a big slap in the face as a wakeup call to moderate posts that defame individuals (Ellie Weasel) and engage in anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Randazza - No. 9 here.

You stole my "i shaved my balls for this?" schtick and put in on your professional website? Wow.

I want David Minkin to fertilize my eggs and father my first born son, who I will also name David Minkin, who will in turn continue the long MYSTERIOUS tradition, of fertilizing many more Minkins to come....

I go to UM and I had a class with Professor Jones. Believe it or not, he is actually a really cool guy.

Delete/ban 108

Sucks when your own counsel calls your professional work "foolishness."

64: No tolling:

In determining whether a claim is barred by statute of limitation, the period of time during which an ultimately voluntarily dismissed action was pending is not included because the statute of limitations is not tolled during the pendency of a case if the case becomes voluntarily dismissed. See Houseweth v. Neimec, 603 So. 2d 88, 89 (Fla. 5th DCA 1992); Hamilton v. Largo Paint & Decorating, Inc. 335 So. 2d 623 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976); Barrentine v. Vulcan Materials Co., 216 So. 2d 59 (Fla. 1st DCA 1968).

64: No tolling:

In determining whether a claim is barred by statute of limitation, the period of time during which an ultimately voluntarily dismissed action was pending is not included because the statute of limitations is not tolled during the pendency of a case if the case becomes voluntarily dismissed. See Houseweth v. Neimec, 603 So. 2d 88, 89 (Fla. 5th DCA 1992); Hamilton v. Largo Paint & Decorating, Inc. 335 So. 2d 623 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976); Barrentine v. Vulcan Materials Co., 216 So. 2d 59 (Fla. 1st DCA 1968).

129 - Whatever happened to the University of Miami law school? Once upon a time they were a reputable law school with a good tax program. Now they are just laughingstocks?

Vengeful, bigots who hurl venom to cover up their own shortcomings (i.e., Stotzky, Jones, Mahoney, Fenton, Valdez, Abraham) have chased off competent professors (Barnes, Deporter, Vladeck, Becker and Keller) and refused to even consider the hiring of others (SCOTUS Clerks), while the remaining competent professors (Rosen, Oxman) have stood by and let it happen. Those that have fought this struggle for failure (Hill, Widen, Langbein) have been shunted aside. Adjuncts who are the real brains (Redmond, Fraga, Fed Judiciary) don't care enough about petty internal squabbles to become involved, and Shalala's attention has been fixed on other parts of the University.

115: how about pleading causes of action that don't exist? You think that might be sanctionable? FAIL!!!

Do you really use a counsel? Can't you say "N.Y. Times v. Sullivan" yourself? Didn't the law professor ever heard of this forgotten SCOTUS case?

Don't click on any link with "imageshack" in it.

It's the same guy who keeps posting an obscene cartoon, over and over again.

72: fellow NYU Law grad here--'77. Yes, so that means that Jones was there at the same time I was (he grad '76), although I didn't have the so-called pleasure of meeting him personally.

Don't know what years you were there, but there was an old lion of a professor named Herb Peterfreund (author of the text on NY Practice), who was still teaching in '77. He had seen NYU rise from a half-decent commuter law school to a nationally ranked school. He always said: "Don't ever do anything to embarrass the school".

Professor Jones created a complaint that would embarrass a first year student.

To the rest of the readers: NYU is a helluva lot better than Professor Jones.

Pardon my fellow UM law graduate who lied to you that 60 percent of us start our careers in large firms. I would be surprised if 30 percent of us had jobs, period.

I'm looking for work. What are the chances that Jones would hire me as co-counsel?

REIGIONAL TRANSLATION: Ceptun for the coverage of the Jones suit, the last ATL post was morein two years ago, so the statue done expired.

Professor's arrest = negative media blast
Charges dismissed = footnote
Sue ATL citing dismissal = priceless coverage

For you lawyers who practice law in a vacuum = ATL has given this low cost pro se suit invaluable media attention clearing the Professor of the most damaging negative attention. I am willing to bet that the Professor knew it had no legal merits when he filed. Now ask yourself: what did ATL give him?

145 - trolling for hookers commonly gets dismissed. Unless jones comes on as a guest blogger and explains his $20 offer, nobody cares.

Sex act from hooker: $20

Filing fee in federal court: $350

Proving to the entire world you are a jackass: priceless

Did I shave my balls for this schtick guy = MEGAWIN!!!

I need to start shaving my balls.

That complaint was a complete fabrication. Jones took a Pretrial Diversion plea, meaning he just had to attend some classes and pay court costs and a fine. In return, the state dropped the charges against him.

I know the State Attorneys who handled Jones' case. The idea that his arrest was racially motivated is an outright lie.

I can confirm what 149 says through second hand sources. Those sources had Professor Jones for Criminal Procedure and received a C+ or lower in his class.

3L at Miami here. Just some random facts on D-Marv.

He no longer drives a Benz SL500. He drives a 2010 SL550 w/amg package....red. It's pretty baller.

He's a high level belt in some kind of martial art...Judo or something? I've seen him in the gym in his "gi."

60% of us get biglaw. If by 60% you mean 2%.

Even the other profs here are embarassed due to his actions.

I haven't taken his crim pro or con law 2 classes, but my friends have. The shit that comes out of his mouth is simply out of this world.

He has a website...lol...

www.professorjonesspeaks.com

Nothing much more needs to be said...

I really enjoyed reading this article. Thanks so much!

Above the law is a bunch of pussies. No mention of the lawsuit against them for weeks. When the story breaks, they don't have the balls to post about it and allow comments.

Then the lawsuit is dismissed, and ATL proclaims (yells) THERE WAS NO SETTLEMENT. No shit. you give him a free form column, under his control, and you sweep your douchiness under the rug.

You quaked in your shoes, and then caved, and try to sell us that you won, all in self-serving arrogant style. Methinks you do the same thing with other potentially embarassing stories from people who pay you off.

Sorry about referring to you as pussies. I like pussies. You are spineless slugs.

153, check your facts. The case was filed on 10/27. ATL reported on it on 11/3 (exactly one week later -- not "weeks"). I doubt they knew about the case the moment it was filed.

This rambling, nutty pro se complaint is much more of an embarrassment to this so-called constitutional expert than the arrest could have been. For one thing, he blew the statute of limitations on most of the posts, for another, he completely failed to state any cause of action, even a frivolous one, against the Dead Horse defendant, and for another, it's horribly written and practically unintelligible. It took him over two years to write this crap? Pathetic.

For another, he appears to be attempting to state a claim against the site based on rude comments by commenters, which is probably outright frivolous, as such claims are absolutely barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

What a clown.

Minkin is a good man. I saw him feed a hungry man once. Wait! That man was I!

The lawsuit seems completely without merit, yes.

On the other hand, the cartoon was boorish, stupid, and completely unfunny. I have no idea what the AtL editors were thinking when they published it.

And David Lat's original post was, likewise, tasteless and unthoughtful. There is a world of difference between an accusation and a conviction. And shame on you, AtL, because lawyers, of all people, should understand the value of the accused's day in court.

A wrongful accusation is something that may happen to anyone. I think you can imagine how easy it is for an officer to fabricate a solicitation of prostitution charge. Now consider the additional risk a black man runs while driving an expensive car after dark. A perfect mark for an undercover working towards a "collar" quota.

The charges were eventually dropped. I'm not saying the facts of the crime did or didn't happen. I'm not saying it's wrong to discuss the incident. But David Lat's comment was misguided and mean-spirited.

What on earth were you thinking, Mr. Lat?