Author Archive | Orin Kerr

I have a few quick and tentative thoughts on the Indymedia server seizure story that Eugene discusses below.   First, it is important to recognize that this is an Italian and Swiss investigation, not a U.S. investigation. U.S. officials are involved only because the U.S. is obligated to help the Italians and Swiss under international treaties […]

In two posts below (see here and here), Eugene questions John Kerry’s underlying thinking about the war on terror based on a somewhat odd analogy Kerry used in a recent New York Times interview. Here is the key quote from the Times story: When . . . Kerry [was asked] what it would take for […]

I like how ABC broke down its post-debate poll numbers into results from Kerry supporters and results from Bush suppporters. When asked to name the debate winner, participants from each side remained true to their team: Kerry won Bush won Tie Among Kerry supporters 85% 2 12 Among Bush supporters 1 84 13

Michael Froomkin links (via Proof Through the Night) to this story from a Seattle TV station about a local library that has fought off an FBI subpoena for a list of names and addresses of who took out a book on Osama bin Laden.   According to the story, a patron of the library reported to […]

NPR covers the story here. Thanks to reader Michael Fay for the link.

One of the interesting things about the very controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is that lots of people criticize it but few offer any alternatives. FISA, as it is known for short, is the set of laws that regulates most evidence collection within the United States in national security and terrorism cases. Whenever you hear […]

In Louisiana, a man by the name of Barbette Williams kidnapped and tried to murder a 6-year-old boy. The kidnapping ended with a 12-hour standoff in which Williams barricaded himself in a house and shot at several officers. Williams was charged with kidnapping and attempted murder and went to trial, where his defense attorney argued […]

It’s too early to tell if this story will become a reality, but if it does it will be remarkable:   Most of the alleged al Qaeda and Taliban inmates at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are likely to be freed or sent to their home countries for further investigation because many pose […]

According to this source, 32% of Americans questioned in a recent poll believe that Saddam Hussein personally planned the 9/11 attacks. And according to this source, 34% of Americans questioned in a recent poll believe in UFOs. All of which leads me to wonder: are these the same people?

Tony Mauro looks into the case of Baker Botts in this interesting article.

This is great news for Internet privacy. More here and here. Thanks again to Howard for the heads up.

In an e-mail published over at Velvel on National Affairs, Judge Richard Posner writes: The problem is that we no longer have a culture of writing. Writing is now a specialty. So judges, politicians, businessmen, lawyers–and now it seems law professors–increasingly hire ghostwriters (whether they’re called ghostwriters, law clerks, or research assistants) as specialists in […]

CNN reports:   The FBI’s seismic shift from a broad attack on crime to an intense focus on counterterrorism has resulted in tens of thousands fewer investigations into traditional crimes since the 9/11 attacks, according to a new Justice Department study.  The detailed analysis by the department’s inspector general found that cases related to violent fugitives alone […]

Last week I asked the prowar blogosphere to respond to three questions I had about Iraq. Here are the three questions: First, assuming that you were in favor of the invasion of Iraq at the time of the invasion, do you believe today that the invasion of Iraq was a good idea? Why/why not? Second, […]

Today is the First Monday in October, the official statutory beginning of the new Supreme Court Term. As you might expect, the reporters who cover the Supreme Court are offering lots of preview stories to tell us what we can expect in the Term ahead. (For those who don’t follow such things, the Supreme Court […]