As the chair of the local bar’s computer and technology committee, I often get questions about computers, software and other things. Here are a few of my recommendations for the trial lawyer. Computer – I would go with a lightweight laptop over about anything. Portability is key. I use a Dell Latitude D400. Although, if you […]
READ MOREUnited States v. Dallman: Ninth Circuit on Drug Quantities and Sentencing
A federal trial court did not err in attributing 142 pounds of marijuana to one man for purposes of sentencing, even though the marijuana was actually carried by three men in the commission of the crime, a Ninth Circuit panel held Monday in United States v. Dallman, No. 05-30349. The defendant in Dallman was convicted of […]
READ MOREReuters: DEA Using NSA Intelligence For Drug Investigations
I’ve stayed away from writing about privacy and the NSA, mostly because I have mixed feelings about the government collecting massive amounts of metadata for terrorism investigations. I can understand the concept of having a haystack in order to find the needle. That doesn’t mean I was comfortable with the idea. Then there were other […]
READ MOREJustice Souter on Criminal Law, Part II
Our summary retrospective of Justice Souter’s contributions to the Supreme Court’s criminal law jurisprudence continues. In addition to writing for the majority in many important criminal decisions, Justice Souter has authored concurring decisions in many cases, including criminal cases. While the Justice’s concurrences in criminal cases have typically been brief, Justice Souter has frequently raised […]
READ MOREPeople v. Briones on Conspiracy to Commit Drug Offenses
An individual should not have been convicted both of conspiracy to possess heroin and methamphetamine for sale and of the actual counts of possession of heroin and meth for sale, the Second District Court of Appeal held today in People v. Briones, B195452. The Attorney General in this case argued that the elements of the […]
READ MORESteps to Getting a Law Degrees Online
There are many advantages to doing law degrees online but there can be some disadvantages too. It is important to know about both before you enroll for a distance learning law course. The most important thing to find out before you start is the exact requirements for practicing law in your jurisdiction. The rules […]
READ MOREConsidering Criminal Law?
If criminal law is your passion, there is little doubt that you will be well suited for the law arenas that it enforces. For those who are looking for a major, it is wise to study this area of the law. In criminal law, The People can punish the criminal based on what he or […]
READ MOREInternet Tobacco Sale Lawsuit
The AP reports: “A group of cigarette distributors and sellerssued New York Wednesday seeking to overturn a law banning Internet, telephone and mail order tobacco sales.” The case is called Association of Responsible Cigarette Sellers v. New York, and the complaint is here. The commerce clause arguments here piggyback a bit on (but also differs from) last […]
READ MORECACJ on Salvia, and Second Thoughts on AB259
The Dallas Morning News had a recent article on salvia that did a fairly nice job of presenting a range of perspectives on the drug and the options for regulating it or criminalizing it. Interestingly, it looks primarily at the proposed California law on this issue, AB 259. The reporter notes the following: AB 259 […]
READ MOREChoosing A Process Server
In civil court matters, a process server is someone who serves or delivers legal documents, ie. subpeonas, summons, court orders, various legal notices and, in some cases, writs. Process servers normally fall into one of four (4) categories: 1. Registered or licensed process servers: In most states, process servers are registered by their county. […]
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