If you’re a judge annoyed at a court worker’s parking her car in a restricted parking space at the courthouse, don’t take it upon yourself to let the air out of her tires [Maryland circuit court judge Robert Nalley, who’s stepping down from an administrative post but not from the bench after conceding the bit of self-help in question; Washington Post]
Author Archive
“Texas Judge Bans Microsoft From Selling Word in the U.S.”
The Eastern District of Texas strikes again. [DailyTech, Concurring Opinions, Legal BlogWatch, WSJ Law Blog, earlier]
“The unintended consequences of preventing patient falls”
Falls are considered “never events” under Medicare guidelines and of course are the subject of litigation against hospitals and other providers. The costs of overreaction to fear of being charged with error are not so readily measured, but are only too real:
If hospitals are scrutinized for the occurrence of falls, the natural tendency will be to focus on such events even at the expense of competing (and perhaps more important) outcomes. Unintended consequences are likely to include a decrease in mobility and a resurgence in the use of physical restraints in a misguided effort to prevent fall-related injuries.
Baseballs hit into the stands
A New Mexico appeals court says the stadium can be sued. [AmLaw Daily]
“It is now illegal in Louisiana to taunt someone who is riding a bicycle”
Lowering the Bar takes note of another little advance for criminalization.
Developer: we don’t want an unregulated land-use climate like Houston
Because without some sort of barriers to entry, how are you supposed to make the really big bucks? [Antiplanner via Coyote]
Passing labor-law bill will “Defeat the Right Forever”
Or at least that’s the theme of a panel discussion this week from the lefty Kossack folks, claiming that card check will consign conservatives to “permanent minority” status. [ShopFloor]
Some wellsprings of high indignation
Noted by Terry Teachout in his “Almanac” feature:
“He recognized that common, much litigated type of human disagreement in which each party to it insists on reducing his opponent’s position or contention to its bare essentials–yes or no; did he, or did he not, still beat his wife?–while asserting the right to state his own position or contention with every circumstantial distinction preserved. High indignation and conflicting strong senses of righteousness resulted.”
James Gould Cozzens, Guard of Honor
Negligently flaunting illicit affair = legally responsible for later murders?
Eugene Volokh is troubled by a Hawaii tort case (Touchette v. Ganal, 922 P.2d 347 (Haw. 1996)) with admittedly unusual facts.
Feds charge lawyer with embezzling $950K
Prosecutors accuse Benjamin Eichholz of varied misdeeds, among them diverting pension fund moneys into inappropriate outlays that include a $56,100 Flora Danica fine china set on display at his home. “Eichholz maintains the china was an investment by the pension plan, according to News3OnYourSide.” Eichholz’s Savannah firm, like many others, has used actor Robert Vaughn as a TV pitchman. [ABA Journal; Tom Barton, Savannah Morning News (“probably Savannah’s best-known lawyer” owing to “cheesy” ads)]