Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.05.18

* "It was a mistake. I swear to God," remarks Giuliani outlining the excuse for conflicting testimony that works like a charm for every other criminal defendant. [CNN] * Law professors point out that Trump's lawyers are bad at their jobs, which isn't news but will somehow dominate the news cycle and still not sway anyone who isn't already on board with these facts. [Politico] * Judge Aaron Perksy -- who sentenced rapist Brock Turner to a mere six months -- may get recalled today. So it's a good time to remind everyone of this older post laying out exactly how dangerous and misguided this is. Persky may deserve to lose his job in due course... but embracing the recall mechanism for judges who hand down lenient sentences is a one-way road to needless mass incarceration, usually with a heavy dose of racial bias. [Slate] * Liverpool player injured in nasty tackle has achieved immortality as the subject of a law school exam question. [BBC] * The NFL may have a new problem with its disastrous anthem policy -- it violates multiple state constitutions... in states with perennial playoff teams too. [Slate] * Despite the death of the prime suspect, Arizona law firms went ahead and beefed up security in the wake of the recent paralegal murders. [AZ Central] * The GOP tax bill accidentally put a tax on victims of sexual abuse because that's what happens when you railroad a bill through both chambers in the middle of the night with a bunch of hand-written amendments in the margins. [Bloomberg] * Sex workers are taking action against SESTA/FOSTA, the ill-conceived anti-human trafficking law that really just puts legitimate sex workers in danger -- almost like that was the politicians' plan all along. [Gizmodo]

By Joe Patrice on June 05, 2018 8:44 am

(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

* “It was a mistake. I swear to God,” remarks Giuliani outlining the excuse for conflicting testimony that works like a charm for every other criminal defendant. [CNN]

* Law professors point out that Trump’s lawyers are bad at their jobs, which isn’t news but will somehow dominate the news cycle and still not sway anyone who isn’t already on board with these facts. [Politico]

* Judge Aaron Perksy — who sentenced rapist Brock Turner to a mere six months — may get recalled today. So it’s a good time to remind everyone of this older post laying out exactly how dangerous and misguided this is. Persky may deserve to lose his job in due course… but embracing the recall mechanism for judges who hand down lenient sentences is a one-way road to needless mass incarceration, usually with a heavy dose of racial bias. [Slate]

* Liverpool player injured in nasty tackle has achieved immortality as the subject of a law school exam question. [BBC]

* The NFL may have a new problem with its disastrous anthem policy — it violates multiple state constitutions… in states with perennial playoff teams too. [Slate]

* Despite the death of the prime suspect, Arizona law firms went ahead and beefed up security in the wake of the recent paralegal murders. [AZ Central]

* The GOP tax bill accidentally put a tax on victims of sexual abuse because that’s what happens when you railroad a bill through both chambers in the middle of the night with a bunch of hand-written amendments in the margins. [Bloomberg]

* Sex workers are taking action against SESTA/FOSTA, the ill-conceived anti-human trafficking law that really just puts legitimate sex workers in danger — almost like that was the politicians’ plan all along. [Gizmodo]