December 15 roundup

Pro se suit against baking soda manufacturer for failing to warn that baking crack is illegal. [Lat] Plaintiffs’ expert: when you asked for the documents I reviewed, I thought you meant the documents I viewed twice. Judge doesn’t buy it. [Lattman; Des Moines Register] Judges stymie popular will in California death penalty cases. [The Recorder; […]

  • Pro se suit against baking soda manufacturer for failing to warn that baking crack is illegal. [Lat]
  • Plaintiffs’ expert: when you asked for the documents I reviewed, I thought you meant the documents I viewed twice. Judge doesn’t buy it. [Lattman; Des Moines Register]
  • Judges stymie popular will in California death penalty cases. [The Recorder; Will @ WaPo]
  • And coincidental update of breaking news: California federal judge strikes down all lethal injections in state. [Bashman roundup]
  • Via Hans Bader, but not on-line or covered in the mainstream press: DC City Council considering amendment to Human Rights Act barring employment discrimination against ex-convicts. Ex-convict Marion Barry is the sponsor; business community strangely silent. [Legal Times ($)]
  • Virginia plaintiff’s attempt at milk regulation through litigation blocked. Lawyers shamelessly promise to forum-shop. [WaPo]
  • UK insult to injury: adulterer has right to prevent cuckolded husband from writing about affair. [Bashman roundup]
  • Florida Supreme Court stumbles onto a correct answer: no litigation tourism for “snowbirds.” [AP; State Farm v. Roach]
  • Has the Federal Circuit emasculated the “obviousness” rule? An argument that it has. [The American]
  • Wonder how those “bad toy” lists get generated? [Point of Law]
  • More on the “Coercive Abortion Bills” in Michigan, which passed the House, and threaten to criminalize men who end relationships with pregnant women. [Fox News]
  • Lawsuit: please bar publication of yearbook unless it includes photo of my son wearing chain-mail and a sword. [Krauss @ POL]
  • Should we be afraid of hedge funds? [Marginal Revolution]
  • Peter Huber on the emphasis of glue over learning in school. [Forbes]
  • Judge Posner to “furry”: “Your tail is great.” [NWN blog; Eminent Domain blog via Bashman]
  • A commenter here suggested that certain little-read websites are attacking us just to generate traffic. I’m beginning to believe it what with three different writers posting in the last 36 hours attacking me and sometimes Walter, with insults and arguments in varying combinations of baseless, sloppy, and thoughtless. So, while I’m happy to engage thoughtful analysis, no link or response here, since doing so just seems to create perverse incentives, not to mention takes away time from meaningful writing.
  • As contrast: Peter Nordberg critiques posts by me and Walter on the rollover suit and cigarette polonium, as well as interesting posts by Bill Childs and Derek Lowe on the torcetrapib withdrawal. [Blog 702]

3 Comments

  • Regarding the suit against Arm & Hammer, check out one of the warnings they really do put on their packets of baking soda:

    “Do not ingest food, liquid, or any antacid when stomach is overly full to avoid possible injury to the stomach.”

  • With regard to the sword one, it’s more complex than that: There was no official policy before the photo was submitted, and photos of other weapons have been allowed in school publications in the past.

  • The complaint in the baking soda case says at one point “The Plaintiff has a right to be warned this is a clear and colorable violation of (Caveat Emptor).”

    That sounds like something that would be written in the Onion.