Lawprof Thomas K. Clancy has posted a short essay, “The Irrelevancy of the Fourth Amendment in the Roberts Court,” predicting “the substantial elimination of Fourth Amendment litigation in the Roberts Court.” Clancy’s claim is provocative, but I’m not sure I agree. I am particularly unpersuaded by Clancy’s first argument, that the number of Fourth Amendment […]
Archive | April, 2010
When a Police Officer Pulls Over a Law Student
At least as told by the law student.
Brief Blogging Hiatus
I have not been blogging as much as usual lately because of several major personal and professional obligations (shopping a book proposal on Kelo and economic development takings; a pro bono project; wedding planning, and others). This coming week, I will be out of town in Arizona and Chicago, attending two different academic conferences. So […]
Everything Old Is New Again
AD 711-718: Muslims conquer Visigothic Spain. AD 2010: Ann Althouse: “Is radical Muslim the new Goth?“
Sunday Song Lyric
Leonard Cohen has to be among the greatest living lyricists. His music and lyrics have inspired countless musicians and songwriters (and more than one VC post). He also seems a particularly appropriate source of Sunday Song Lyrics as so many of songs, like this week’s selection — “Tower of Song” — are about music. “Tower […]
Criminal Conviction in England for Leaving Anti-Religious Leaflets in Airport Prayer Room
By Eugene Volokh on April 25, 2010 12:37 am in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law
Harry Taylor was convicted of “causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress,” and sentenced to six months in jail (suspended for two years), 100 hours of community service, and 250 pounds in costs; he was also barred from “carrying religiously offensive material in a public place.” A few details on the leaflets, from Asian News […]
Immigrants and Nazis, Communists and Cardinals
I finally had a chance to read Arizona’s new law on illegal immigration. It’s rather different from the press portrayal. Maybe I’ll blog about that, but I want to start with the astonishingly vituperative attack by Cardinal Roger Mahony on what he calls “Arizona’s Dreadful Anti-Immigrant Law.” Here’s what he said on his blog: I […]
Sheep in Spiders’ Clothing?
The malware arms race continues apace. First, the bad guys hid malware on innocent websites, hoping to infect casual web users. Next, Google and Yahoo rode to the rescue, using their spiders to find infected websites and warn web users away from the malware. Now the bad guys have made their countermove. They’re deploying software […]
Contingent Convertible Debt
Many commentators have raised the idea of requiring banks and financial institutions to issue contingent convertible debt that can be converted to equity as a sort of pre-set form of re-capitalization in case of trouble. Greg Mankiw has said that it is his favorite idea in financial regulation reform. He has pointed to reports that […]
Ouch!
From United States v. Kitsch (which I blogged about shortly before this order was issued), an order from the judge: AND NOW, this 3rd day of October, 2008, upon consideration of the Government’s proposed jury instructions (docket entry # 122) and it not having escaped the Court’s attention that the Government inexplicably ignored our ruling […]
Trinity University Keeping “Year of Our Lord” in Its Diplomas
From yesterday’s resolution by the Board of Trustees: The Board of Trustees affirms that it is appropriate, given this institution’s heritage and culture, that the words “in the year of our Lord” remain on diplomas conferred by this Board. Trinity University calls upon the larger community to respect, honor, and embrace all members of the […]
Cross Memorials on Government Land
A question raised by Prof. Mark Scarberry on a discussion list I’m on, and mentioned in some of the briefs in the Salazar v. Buono Sunrise Rock cross case pending before the Court right now. These two crosses stand in Arlington Cemetery, and were put up in the 1920s through the efforts of the Canadian […]
Spock Retires
Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek series and movies, is apparently retiring, and hanging up his famous Vulcan ears: Leonard Nimoy, the actor who has famously portrayed “Star Trek’s” original alien Spock for over 40 years, has announced he’s officially hanging up the pointy Vulcan ears for good. Nimoy, 79, […]
Indictment for Chat Room Posts Urging Particular People to Commit Suicide
The Minneapolis Star Tribune: William Melchert-Dinkel, 47 …. was charged … with two counts of aiding suicide…. [He] allegedly used Internet correspondence to prod [two people] into killing themselves…. Like most other states, Minnesota has a law that punishes anyone who “intentionally advises, encourages, or assists” others with suicide…. According to authorities, Melchert-Dinkel advised and […]
Would the Public Support “Cap and Refund”?
I’ve never been convinced that “cap and trade” is more politically viable than a rebated carbon tax. I believe a relatively simple, transparent policy of taxing carbon but rebating the revenues to consumers is more appealing than an overly complex regulatory scheme that is difficult to understand, particularly if the latter approach will also increase […]