Jury Duty

* Cue the Subway song: 130 Million. 130 Million Dollar. 130 Million Dollar Sandwich! [Law360]

* Lawyers who denigrate jury duty become inmates who denigrate jury duty. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

* Vox gets into the business of opining on law school. It takes a decidedly more enlightened approach than Slate. [Vox]

* After arresting a guy for crack possession and figuring out it was really “cracker crumbs,” the cops charged the guy with obstruction because admitting you’re wrong is so passé. Thankfully the cooler heads of the judicial system prevailed and the guy is getting a $35,000 settlement for his troubles. Did he have Wheat Thins? Because I’m pretty sure those are crack. [NJ.com]

* Oil heir Al Hill III, whom we’ve previously described as, “by most accounts, the epitome of the spoiled rich kid you desperately want to punch,” owes his lawyers some money. Like $40.9 million worth. [Texas Lawyer]

* Crowdsourcing: Is this racist? Personally, I think no if specifically intended as a parody, but we’ll see. [What About Clients?]

* On Tuesday, June 23, David and Seventh Circuit Judge John Tinder will be discussing “Judging, Clerking, Ethics, and Ambition” in the context of Supreme Ambitions (affiliate link) at the Conrad Indianapolis at 50 West Washington. So, you know, swipe right if you’re excited about seeing Judge Tinder. Full details at the link.
[Federalist Society]

* You down with R.B.G.? Yeah, you know me! Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore wants SCOTUS Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan to be impeached for having performed same-sex marriage ceremonies. Haters gonna hate. [Huffington Post]

* Here’s a jury duty chart of those you’ll be forced to sit next to, from the “idiot who treats the Jury Foreman selection like a presidential campaign” to the “elderly woman who compares everything to an episode of ‘Matlock’ she once saw.” [Mandatory]

* It turns out that the state trooper who failed to do anything about Josh Duggar’s criminal sexual activity with a minor and allowed the statute of limitations to run had a penchant for child porn. According to court records, this guy is… pretty damn disgusting. [Jezebel]

* “May I please have some of that money you’ve got under the counter there, miss?” Are you really robbing a bank if you acted like a Boy Scout, asked nicely for money, and then received it — to the tune of $28,000? Kevin Underhill doesn’t think so. [Lowering the Bar]

* If you’ve never seen a Dealbreaker dramatic reading before, then here’s your sneak peek. Watch “the greatest intern Wall Street has ever seen” invite everyone and their mother to a party via company email, and then fail in the most epic sense of the word. [Dealbreaker]

While the jury definitely doesn't need to know everything about a case, why not consider giving them their own shot at fully understanding the evidence that has been presented?

* Preet Bharara is the hottest speaker on the law school graduation circuit. I guess if you can’t get Mindy Kaling… [Business Insider]

* An octopus is a vertebrate under some statutes. A reminder that law will not bow to your precious “science.” [Lowering the Bar]

* It’s tempting to feast on the carcass of a collapsing law firm, but partners should take this advice before rushing into a lateral hire. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA ]

* The importance of not looking like a creep in front of a jury. [What About Clients?]

* Boy Scouts Prez Robert Gates thinks it’s time that the organization lift its ban on gays. In other news, Robert Gates is the president of the Boy Scouts now? [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]

* Too often disasters slip out of our consciousness before the problem is truly solved. In that vein, consider donating to Nepal Earthquake relief. [Help Nepal Network]

* Judge Richard Kopf reviews Mark Herrmann’s book, Inside Straight (affiliate link). [Hercules and the Umpire]

When it comes down to it, no matter how hard or soft the evidence, the jury does what it wants, and if there's a ground swell of support for one side over the other, then that's the opinion that usually prevails.

Sergey Aleynikov gets a verdict after a missing slice of avocado, a blood test, and a food poisoning conspiracy theory nearly trigger a mistrial.

What happened when the firm's former leadership reported to court for their upcoming trial? See how we didn't make a "Dewey" pun? Aren't you proud?

After being in about 30 jury trials, legal technology columnist Jeff Bennion has decided that the system is kind of messed up.

A six-figure sum, but nothing close to her $1.4 million request.

How can we improve the American criminal justice system by strengthening the community's role in the process?

* Happy tax day! Let’s take a moment to remember that the tax prep industry spends millions to keep taxes a confusing, unpleasant mess. [TaxProf Blog]

* “Since You Were Wondering, Judge Judy Is Having Amazing Sex” is the most goddamned horrifying headline of the year. [Morning After / Gawker]

* Judge Kopf congratulates his colleague Judge Gerrard on the latter’s acclaim as a “rising star” judge to clerk for. [Hercules and the Umpire]

* Lawyers facing charges just disappearing all over the place. [Arkansas Times]

* The dream juror: a guy whose whole schtick is getting unanimity. Chief Justice John Roberts reports to his local courthouse. [Washington Post]

* Sad news. “Mr. Fuzzy,” who traveled the Washington firms shining shoes, appears to have been found dead near the tidal basin. [Hill Now]

What did litigator Gaston Kroub learn from jury duty?

What did lessons about litigation did Gaston Kroub learn from his recent jury duty?

* Reunited and it feels so good… to have more tuition money in our pockets: following more than 40 years apart, Rutgers-Camden Law and Rutgers-Newark Law may merge to create the Rutgers School of Law, one of the largest law schools in the country. [NJ.com]

* In case you missed it, the courtroom erupted into chaos in the final moments of the Ellen Pao v. Kleiner Perkins trial because a juror “made a mistake” and decided to change his vote mid-verdict. Come on, give the guy a break — he’s almost 90. [WSJ Law Blog]

* Lawmakers are awfully interested in the way that the SEC is doing its job, and they’re drafting new laws in the hope of helping the agency out. We’ll let you know how helpful this was in a few years if those bills are ever passed. [DealBook / New York Times]

* After an incredibly unsuccessful defense of its ban on same-sex marriage, Wisconsin is going to have to shell out more than $1 million in legal fees to the ACLU — the largest single payout yet by a state in the history of cases of this kind. [National Law Journal]

* If you’re looking to transfer to another law school after your first year in the trenches, here are three things that you absolutely, positively must do to ensure your chances of being accepted elsewhere. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News & World Report]

Four years later, and this lawyer still couldn't get over the fact that he lost a case.

* Meet David King of King v. Burwell, the epic Obamacare case to be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court today. [New York Times]

* And meet the two legal heavyweights who will be arguing the case before SCOTUS. [Politico via How Appealing]

* Meanwhile, another Supreme Court has put a stop to same-sex marriage down in Alabama — for now. [Buzzfeed]

* General David Petraeus reaches a plea deal, requiring him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and pay a fine (but no prison sentence). [Washington Post]

* It’s not as sexy as Obamacare or marriage equality, but the collection of state sales tax on out-of-state purchases made online is a pretty important issue — and Justice Kennedy wants SCOTUS to revisit it. [How Appealing (linkwrap)]

* In the wake of a leadership shake-up, Cadwalader is beefing up its Houston energy practice — but is that a wise idea, with the price of oil spiraling downward? [American Lawyer]

* Finally, something that Elie Mystal and Jordan Weissmann can agree upon: dropping the LSAT is a bad idea. [Slate]

* A jury of eight men and 10 women will start hearing arguments today in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, defendant in the Boston Marathon bombing. [How Appealing (linkwrap)]

* Legal ethics guru Monroe Freedman, RIP. [ABA Journal]

A juror in this high-profile, high-stakes case explains what went on inside the jury room.

An appellate panel turns the tables on the judge who labeled a lawyer creepy for just doing his job.

How does Alexandra Marchuk feel about the jury verdict in her case, and what does she plan to do next?

How should we view the jury's verdict and damages award in Marchuk v. Faruqi & Faruqi?