News & Media
Don't shave your pubes and drive
Don’t shave your pubes while driving. Megan Mariah Barnes, 37, learned this lesson the hard way. Florida Highway Patrol troopers say a two-vehicle crash Tuesday at Mile Marker 21 on Cudjoe Key was caused by a 37-year-old woman driver who was shaving her bikini area while her ex-husband took the wheel from the passenger seat. “She said she was meeting
Westboro Baptist Church gets its day in front of the Supreme Court
Cert. granted in Snyder v. Phelps. Regular readers already know that I reluctantly side with Westboro on this one.
Has anyone seen Bill Ogletree's coat?
If you’ve seen it, please contact me so that we can arrange to have it delivered to him. That way we can help Continental Airlines, the City of Houston, and a restaurant at the Houston airport avoid a costly lawsuit. You see, Bill is an attorney and he lost his coat. If he doesn’t get it back, some-fuckin-body gonna get
A Blogospheric Get Well Card
Many of you may be familiar with Professor Michael Froomkin of the University of Miami. Apparently he needed emergency open-heart surgery, but is recovering well. Agree with him or not (I usually do not) you must respect his intellect, ethics, and intellectual honesty. I am not sure that I know how to bestow higher praise than that on an academic.
ANTI SLAPP MONTH: My SLAPP experience
By J. DeVoy Although SLAPP suits are uncommon events, they influence real-world, extradjudicial interactions between different entities – especially in disputes. Groups and individuals can leverage tacit threats, insinuations and asymmetries of power to silence their opposition without ever going to the courthouse. Similarly, just as the broad effects of SLAPP suits have trickled down to apply outside of litigation,
Sunstein calls for "cognitive infiltration" of dissident groups
Cass Sunstein, drunk with his little thimbleful of power he got by being given a job in the Obama administration is really letting his statist colors show through. Sunstein takes a page out of the Bush administration’s playbook and suggests that the government should engage in “cognitive infiltration” of disfavored political groups. (source) Cass Sunstein, a Harvard law professor, co-wrote
ANTI SLAPP MONTH: More on the Citizen Participation Act
By J. DeVoy The Public Participation Project (PPP) weighs in on the importance of the Citizen Participation Act, which Marc previously discussed. In the midst of an ongoing war in Afghanistan and malaise over gossamer healthcare reform, PPP notes how a preoccupied Congress and public may overlook this important issue. With so much happening these days: Afghanistan, Guantanamo, Health Care, Jobs,
Awesomeness — OK Go – This Too Shall Pass
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w] H/T: Immigrant Song
Volokh on Reason.TV
If I were president, hands down, this cat would be my first choice if a Supreme Court seat opened up. I don’t agree with him on all issues (far from it) but he’s principled, intelligent, and consistent. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1FtYjTKkXI]
"Vajazzle" is exactly what it sounds like
By J. DeVoy Ferdinand Bardamu of In Mala Fide is launching an internet campaign to lay claim on a new word: Vajazzle. Vajazzle və-ˈja-zəl (verb): the process of adorning a vagina with shiny crystals. So, a cross of the iconic 1970s direct order product, the BeDazzler…. …and a female reproductive organ. Got it. Don’t shoot the messengers, either. Blame Jennifer Love
ANTI SLAPP MONTH: Blogger gets SLAPPed for passing on government warnings
By J. DeVoy At Elliott.org, the story of a travel insurance company’s SLAPP suit against the blog’s writer, Christopher Elliott, rises from the murk and into daylight. In March of 2009, Elliott reported that Florida regulators had warned three travel insurance agencies, all of which were offering policies from bankrupt Prime Travel Protection Services, that their conduct may violate state
ANTI SLAPP MONTH: Write your Congressman NOW in support of Federal Anti-SLAPP legisation
By J. DeVoy As Marc noted, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) has introduced The Citizen Participation Act, the first Federal anti-SLAPP legislation, to Congress. Like any bill, this one needs your help. Yes, you, the internet user whose free speech, financial security and family’s well being are at stake if you find yourself in the crosshairs of such a lawsuit. We
Federal Anti-SLAPP Legislation Introduced — Hail Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Congressman Steve Cohen, D-TN is our First Amendment Bad Ass of the week. Mr. Cohen introduced The Citizen Participation Act, a federal anti-slapp bill. The bill describes its purpose as follows: To protect first amendment rights of petition and free speech by preventing States and the United States from allowing meritless lawsuits arising from acts in furtherance of those rights,
Genetics, IQ and the judicial double standard
By J. DeVoy Emergent research is raising a serious question about the heritability of IQ, suggesting that most of it is, in fact, genetic. High IQ is associated with the prevalence of certain SNPs – groupings of nucleotides in an individual’s genetic code – which cannot be caused by normal life functions like exercise, eating a healthy diet, or even
Watch Randazza LIVE in Oral Arguments
In ISC v. Marshall before the Florida Supreme Court, starting at approximately 11:20am (EST) here. (Court may be running 15-20 minutes behind schedule)
ISC v. Marshall Liveblog
By Christopher Harbin Starting at 11am EST, we will be live blogging the oral augments in ISC v. Marshall. WordPress doesn’t support iframes (the bastards), so you’ll have to watch it in a popup. Click Here
Randazza Oral Argument Drinking Game
by Jay DeVoy Tomorrow, our fearless leader Marc Randazza has something to say to the Florida Supreme Court about a little topic known as free speech. It’s an important case addressing the very real threat of jurisdictional chill on all internet users. If you post on the internet, this case is about you. The decision in this case has direct
Awesome Toy or Awesomest Toy?
by Christopher Harbin When I was a kid, the most dangerous toy I had was lawn darts. I lament that I never got a portable atomic energy lab. 🙁
Germany's highest court overturns privacy-invading anti-terror law
By J. DeVoy Today, Germany’s highest court overturned a law mandating the retention of data from e-mails and phone calls, finding it a “grave intrusion” on personal liberties. This is an interesting demarcation of what is considered private information in that nation, as its courts previously held that individuals’ IP addresses are not personal information and can be stored without
SOB Stories
Provides an introduction and explanation for laws requiring fixed distances between dancers and patrons, touching upon the decline of the secondary effects doctrine. While the First Amendment prohibits the outlaw of exotic dancing and the enactment of zoning laws specifically to ban it, the secondary effects doctrine allows such laws to stand as long as they serve another interest, such
