Brian Sullivan in the ABA Journal recounts the Northern California saga (earlier) of fake winery events, honeytrap Match.com paramours and other ploys by which detectives hired by angry spouses would try to entrap hubbies into DUI arrests, with police connivance.
Author Archive
Siccing FCPA on Murdoch?
The financial press has been speculating that the police-payoff scandal that has engulfed some of Rupert Murdoch’s British properties will provide fodder for a U.S. prosecution under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Alison Frankel, Reuters: “In an age of limited resources, I’m not convinced that our government should be bending and twisting the FCPA to make a case against News Corp, however sexy and high-profile that case would be. Remember, just about every FCPA case we’ve seen in the recent flurry of prosecutions has involved alleged bribes of officials in countries with inadequate anti-corruption enforcement systems.” More: Bainbridge.
“Cyberbullying: ‘We know it when we see it'”
Prof. Lyrissa Lidsky at Prawfsblawg, in contrast to some other academics, agrees that the First Amendment needs to be taken seriously in considering proposals for “criminalizing ‘adolescent cruelty.'” Scott Greenfield is not reassured.
U.K.: “Mega pig-farm could breach human rights, council warned”
Creative application #95,724 of international human rights law: maybe it turns out to ban U.S.-style factory farming. Activists are urging the Derbyshire county council in England to deny planning permission to a large hog facility on the grounds that it violates local residents’ protected right to private and family life [Guardian]
Speaking at Emory today
Atlanta readers: a reminder that I’ll be speaking today at 12:15PM at Emory Law School, 1301 Clifton Rd. The closest visitor parking is at the Emory Hospital (map). Also speaking will be Prof. George Shepherd, who’s written extensively on legal education and law and economics and is co-author of the interesting new paper, “Law Deans in Jail” (and you thought I was the one critical of law schools). The Federalist Society chapter is sponsoring.
Herding home care workers into unions
In Illinois and other states, union-friendly governors have spearheaded efforts to redefine home care workers funded by state programs as public employees, the better to herd them into union representation. The upshot: persons who take care of their own family members in their homes, and accept checks from state programs designed to keep their loved ones out of nursing homes or other institutions, wind up being obliged to take on the status of employees (as distinct from contractors) and pay union dues, whether or not they are so inclined. Critics say the practice raises questions of freedom of association under the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled possible interest on the part of at least one justice by asking for additional information in the pending case of Harris v. Quinn. [Trevor Burrus, Cato; David Rivkin and Andrew Grossman, NRO; Ilya Shapiro and Trevor Burrus, Cato amicus brief]
“NY Woman’s Lawsuit: Roommate Had Too Much Sex”
News of higher education: “A New York woman has filed a lawsuit against her former Roman Catholic college in Boston, claiming administrators didn’t do enough to help her when she complained that her roommate was having too much sex in their dorm room.” [Denise Lavoie, NBC New York]
March 7 roundup
- Ray LaHood’s forgotten predecessor: “How One Bureaucrat Almost Succeeded in Banning Car Radios” [Mike Riggs, Reason]
- “Some Recent Nonsense on Freedom of Religion in the Times” [Paul Horwitz, Prawfs]
- Choice of Ben Stein as speaker for ABA Tech Show raises eyebrows [Derek Bambauer, InfoLaw]
- “Oblivion video game ‘Abomb” becomes federal lawsuit” [Abnormal Use]
- Tort causation: “Probability for thee, mere possibility for me” [David Oliver]
- Washington state says it won’t pay for “unnecessary” Medicaid ER visits. Can you see the unintended consequences coming? [White Coat]
- Utah says family can’t fundraise for son’s legal defense without permit [Standard-Examiner via Balko]
It was the dirty carpeting
A fired Florida TV anchorman claims whistleblowing retaliation [Fort Myers News-Press]
Penn Law to Louis Vuitton: zip that nastygram
A student organization at Penn Law created a poster for a fashion-law event playing off the well-known design of luggage-and-handbag purveyor Louis Vuitton. Lawyers for the luxury firm fired off a cease-and-desist letter, but the Penn law department declined to comply, a stance that Eugene Volokh finds persuasive: ” I think the use of the marks can’t qualify as dilution, is unlikely to confuse, and is likely to be a fair use in any event.” Another view: Ron Coleman (dilution a possibility).