My post a few months ago on the evils of Civil Forfeiture just drew this response: Hmmm....you wouldn't have to worry about civil forfeiture if you weren't committing crime. Property is seized (money, cars, jewelry ect) when located in immediate proximity of narcotic related sales and when they are used in the commission of felony crimes. That's not quite how it works. … [Read more...] about More On Civil Forfeiture
Legal Blogs that Aren’t
Blogs, that is. A couple of months ago I published a review of Your Witness: Lessons on Cross-Examination and Life From Great Chicago Trial Lawyers, a fascinating collection of stories and advice about cross-examining witnesses, edited by Steven F. Molo and James R. Figliulo. At the beginning of last month, I received an email from Molo's publicist: Hi, I wanted to let … [Read more...] about Legal Blogs that Aren’t
Raising the Bar – Review
Raising the Bar is the latest legal drama from Stephen Bochco. I gave up on television legal dramas years ago, and I probably would have skipped this one entirely if it hadn't been for the involvement of David Feige, whose Indefensible blog is on my daily reading list.The long review will have spoilers, so here's the short review: I didn't like it much, but I'm willing to give … [Read more...] about Raising the Bar – Review
Mad Cow Madness Continues
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the meatpacking industry agree: The American beef supply is safe from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a.k.a. "mad cow" disease. They know this because the USDA has been spot-testing slaughtered cattle for years. That works for me, but maybe it's not good enough for you. Maybe you don't trust the statistical sampling process. Maybe … [Read more...] about Mad Cow Madness Continues
Richland County Kill Zone
Just when I think police militarization couldn't possibly get more disturbing, Radley Balko and Pete Guither find this: The Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff's Department has acquired an armored personnel carrier complete with a turret-mounted .50-caliber belt-fed machine gun for its Special Response Team.Sheriff Leon Lott told the Columbia State newspaper that he hoped the … [Read more...] about Richland County Kill Zone