Police
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 04.20.16
* Puff, puff, pass the vote! In honor of today’s nationwide holiday for cannabis aficionados, these are all of the states that have legalized marijuana, be it for either recreational or medical use. This year, at least 10 more states may legalize weed by ballot referendum for recreational use, and pot could be rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Agency depending on the outcome of the upcoming election. [Refinery 29]
* Members of student activist group Reclaim Harvard Law have demanded that the prestigious law school eliminate tuition completely. They propose that the school dip into its endowment to cover tuition, or cut costs like faculty salaries to make debt-free legal education a reality. This won’t happen, but it’s a nice thought. [Harvard Crimson]
* The ABA is investigating Brigham Young Law’s policy of expelling ex-Mormon students. Per ABA guidelines, law schools can’t discriminate on the basis of religion, and yet the BYU honor code requires students to get annual endorsements from LDS Church members — endorsements for which former Mormons aren’t eligible. [WSJ Law Blog]
* Pharma bro Martin Shkreli was dropped from a lawsuit related to his purchase of the only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan’s latest album, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.” It’s likely plaintiff Jason Koza, who claims his art was used for the album without his approval, dumped Shkreli due to a purchase-agreement indemnity clause. [New York Post]
* Because a judge reduced his manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide at the last minute, former NYPD Officer Peter Liang will not serve jail time for the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley. Liang once faced up to 15 years in prison, but instead he was sentenced to five years of probation and 800 hours of community service. [CNN]
Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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Books, Crime, Police
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Technology
Startup Offers Citizens More Opportunities To Get Shot By/Have Their Smartphones Seized By Law Enforcement
This seems like a bad idea.
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O.J. Simpson, Police, Racism, Television
The People v. O.J. Simpson: Cops Say The Darndest Things (Episode 9 Review)
Johnnie Cochran says it best, the Fuhrman tapes simply proved what black people already knew to be true. -
Police
Prosecutor Doesn't Want Convicted Cop Inconvenienced For Killing A Black Guy
After finally securing a conviction for a cop who shot an innocent man, the prosecutor is dropping the ball on sentencing. -
Crime, Sports, Trials, Videos
A Wrongful-Arrest Defense Clinic: The Thabo Sefolosha Story
The behind-the-scenes story of the star athlete's legal battle against the NYPD. -
Police
Is This The Beginning Of The End For Grand Juries
Better for ten ham sandwiches to rot in jail than one alleged criminal to be presumed innocent. -
Crime, Violence
Criminally Yours: Self-Defense -- Or Is It?
If you get in a fight and are the victor -- meaning the other guy gets hurt worse -- whether he started it or not, you'll likely be the one to get arrested. - Sponsored
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 02.25.16
* Democrats held a press conference demanding that Republicans do their job when it comes to filling Justice Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court. My guess is a petition isn’t going to change anyone in the GOP’s mind on this one. [National Law Journal]
* District Judge John Gleeson is stepping down from his position next month. He’ll be returning to private practice at… Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. [Wall Street Journal]
* Virginia is considering legislation that would actually hid the names of all police officers. Less transparency for law enforcement? That is pretty much the exact opposite of what is needed. [Washington Post]
* You know how the NFL has been in the news a bunch for a variety of legal issues? The newly for-profit organization is releasing their tax filings, and their legal expenses are detailed. Ouch. [American Lawyer]
* Looks like attorneys formerly of Dickstein Shapiro are making themselves right at home at Blank Rome if their latest win for client Oshkosh Defense LLC is any indication. [Litigation Daily]
* Take a look at the details of the sexual assault lawsuit from the 90s against Donald Trump. [Law Newz]
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Cellphones, Crime, Police
Criminally Yours: Cops Got Your Phone?
No one's in favor of terrorism, but that doesn't mean we should succumb to greater police surveillance, privacy invasion, and forced revelation of confidential data in our lives. -
Crime, Police, Violence
Lawyer Shot, Killed By Police After Attacking Family With Knife
He's said to have viciously attacked his family members with a knife and beat them with a baseball bat. -
Police
We Got One: Killer Cop Peter Liang Actually Found Guilty Of Killing A Black Man
Rookie cop, Peter Liang, found GUILTY of shooting unarmed black person, Akai Gurley. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.11.16
* This sounds miserable: taking (and passing) the bar exam with an 8-week-old infant at home. [ABA for Law Students]
* Maybe a new lawyer will be able to stiff-arm the DA’s office on LeSean McCoy’s behalf. [Buffalo Rumblings]
* Dickstein Shapiro is “no longer engaged in the practice of law.” But don’t shed tears for the out-of-work attorneys just yet, the attorneys will move to Blank Rome in a wholesale lateral move. [National Law Journal]
* Remember this case as you scramble for a last minute Valentine’s Day gift: a Valentine’s Day gift — and the reaction to a terrible one — can lead to a lawsuit. [Coverage Opinions]
* Will the Bill Cosby case signal a change in the handling of sexual assault cases? [Huffington Post]
* This is how police work can contribute to reasonable doubt. [Katz Justice]
* Cheap furniture behemoth IKEA lost a trademark claim in Indonesia. Won’t somebody please think of the college students? [Jakarta Coconuts]
* Sure diversity initiative may take hard work and trust, but, you know, they’re still worth it. [Law and More]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 02.03.16
* Style tips to take you from court to the Met Gala (okay, you will probably never go to the Met Gala, but still) from Amal Clooney. [Popsugar]
* Welp, this is one way to get your legal expenses paid for: A gay porn site is willing to cover former Congressman Aaron Schock’s legal bills if only he’ll appear in a few films. [Wonkette]
* This is the Donald Trump we have all come to expect: he’s accusing Ted Cruz (over Twitter, natch) of “stealing” the Iowa Caucus. [The Slot]
* A great idea to link Black History Month with the current presidential election. [Chicago Sun-Times]
* The history of how vagrancy laws gave the police nearly unlimited power. [Time]
* Sure, Bernie Madoff is a crook, but in prison he is a rockstar — and his stock is only going up. [Law and More]
* Giving the quiet Justice Souter his due. [Anton Piatigorsky Blog]
* Taking a shot at the NRA, because as angry as most Americans are, we agree about one thing. [Funny or Die]
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Police
Michigan Judge Sentences Cop, But Indicts Whole Damn System That Created Him
Judge Vonda Evans's epic sentence. -
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.26.16
* Martin Shkreli’s hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has been rescheduled due to this weekend’s blizzard. This will give the reviled pharma bro even more time to brush up on constitutional law. [CBS News]
* Uh-oh! Thanks to some “cash flow issues” — like partners not being paid on time — King & Wood Mallesons is currently in the process of raising capital and will be conducting a review of its overall financial structure. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg]
* Cert denied! The justices of the Supreme Court may have bought these lawyers’ arguments and struck down a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby County case, but they’re certainly not buying their request for $2 million in legal fees. [Reuters]
* A hate crime without a resolution? Police are closing their investigation into the defacement of black professors’ portraits at Harvard Law without having found a perp. Maybe they decided to take Elie Mystal’s advice not to feed the trolls. [Boston.com]
* Florida State settled a lawsuit filed by Erica Kinsman, a former student who claimed Jameis Winston raped her, for $900K, but the school claims $700K of that amount will go to her legal team. Her lawyers, however, would politely beg to differ. [USA Today]
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Technology
Another Lawmaker Is Trying To Create A Photography-Free Zone For Police Officers
"Say cheese!" is not a phrase that bacon wants to hear. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.21.16
* The Supreme Court may undo President Obama’s legacy… of executive actions. [Talking Points Memo]
* Speaking of United States v. Texas, it just may be Chief Justice John Roberts’s worst nightmare. [Slate]
* Today is a special anniversary: six years, the Supreme Court issued its Citizens United decision, and democracy hasn’t looked the same since. [Huffington Post]
* Interesting data analysis from Professor Derek T. Muller: as full-time law faculty numbers shrink, law school administrator numbers grow. [Excess of Democracy]
* Benghazi is getting a Michael Bay movie — and the congressional hearing is still raging on. [Rolling Stone]
* Attorneys for Daniel Holtzclaw, the Oklahoma City police officer convicted of raping eight women while on duty, have filed a motion seeking a new trial; they suspect discovery shenanigans on the part of the prosecution. [Gawker]
* Nope. Hillary Clinton may not be a radical, but she also isn’t a moderate Republican. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]
* Seven legal tech considerations for 2016, from lawyer and legal-tech enthusiast Steven J. Best. [Legal Tech Blog]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 01.20.16
* Living the goddamn dream! This Biglaw attorney is retired… at age 33. [Mr. Money Mustache]
* Law school lecture goes viral! In fairness, “don’t talk to the police” seems like extra relevant advice after binge-watching Making a Murderer. [The Blaze]
* Pissed off about price gouging on Super Bowl tickets? Well, the Third Circuit sure isn’t going to help. [Bloomberg BNA]
* Is there a way to wish anger away? It may not be easy, but here are some tips to help with anger management. [Katz Justice]
* The ACLU has filed a class action over Louisiana’s underfunding of the public defender system. [ACLU]
* Great advice for keeping your firm’s (and client’s) sensitive information out of the hands of hackers. [Reboot Your Law Practice]
* Congratulations to Elizabeth Wydra, longtime chief counsel of the Constitutional Accountability Center, who takes over as CAC’s new president. [National Law Journal]