Overlawyered » Jerry Brown http://overlawyered.com Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:11:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 October 11 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2011/10/october-11-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/10/october-11-roundup-2/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:41:52 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=25028
  • UK panel declines to ban “I like gin” tea ad [Campaign]
  • Do pics of tree-shaped air fresheners violate trademark rights of product marketer? [PoL]
  • Man’s EU trademark for “Keep Calm and Carry On” raises hackles [Maria Bustillos, The Awl]
  • When was the last time Congress chose to repeal a law restricting employers? Surely more recently than with the Portal to Portal Act of 1947 [Fox, Jottings]
  • NYC: “City’s Top Lawyer Details Payouts of $561 Million in Lawsuits” [NYT]
  • Calif. Gov. Brown vetoes attorney-backed bill widening fee entitlement where claimed damages not recovered [CJAC]
  • Ira Stoll has been assembling a list of cost-free measures to help the economy, #17 is the proposed EPA-curbing Cement Regulatory Relief Act, #13 is “Eliminate requirements for legal ads in print newspapers in connection with business formation.” [Future of Capitalism]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/10/october-11-roundup-2/feed/ 1     “Not every human problem deserves a law” http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/not-every-human-problem-deserves-a-law/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/not-every-human-problem-deserves-a-law/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:36:40 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=24467 A veto message from Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, after the California legislature passed a bill imposing a fine on children or their parents or guardians for skiing or snowboarding without a helmet: “While I appreciate the value of wearing a ski helmet,” wrote the governor, “I am concerned about the continuing and seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state.” [John Myers, KQED; text of veto message]

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/not-every-human-problem-deserves-a-law/feed/ 7     Seems to be contagious http://overlawyered.com/2010/11/seems-to-be-contagious/ http://overlawyered.com/2010/11/seems-to-be-contagious/#comments Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:05:22 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=20284 Now it’s California Attorney General Jerry Brown who’s gone and sued his own client. [Steele, Legal Ethics Forum; earlier here, here, etc.]

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2010/11/seems-to-be-contagious/feed/ 1     “Worst state attorneys general”, cont’d http://overlawyered.com/2010/07/worst-state-attorneys-general-contd/ http://overlawyered.com/2010/07/worst-state-attorneys-general-contd/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:54:29 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=18420 Hans Bader of the Competitive Enterprise Institute informs me that Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal has in a sense won his recount after all: a recalculation taking into account a bit of overlooked data has now moved him up from #3 to #2 on this year’s list, though he’s still essentially tied with Oklahoma’s Drew Edmondson. In first place: California’s Jerry Brown, while perennial favorites Patrick Lynch of Rhode Island and Darrell McGraw of West Virginia fill the #4 and #5 places, and a newcomer, William Sorrell of Vermont, makes an appearance at #6.

    More: Bader in the Examiner on the selection process.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2010/07/worst-state-attorneys-general-contd/feed/ 1     Jerry Brown’s “toxic clothes” crackdown http://overlawyered.com/2009/11/jerry-browns-toxic-clothes-crackdown/ http://overlawyered.com/2009/11/jerry-browns-toxic-clothes-crackdown/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:09:34 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=14899 Rick Woldenberg talks back to the California attorney general, and also raises some questions about Proposition 65 and the finances of the freelance enforcers in the case, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). Two years ago we covered CEH’s crusade against the iPhone. More: Darleen Click/Protein Wisdom and a followup from Woldenberg.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2009/11/jerry-browns-toxic-clothes-crackdown/feed/ 0     November 2 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2009/11/november-2-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2009/11/november-2-roundup-2/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:06:22 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=14523
  • Worst, most dangerous legal trend of the moment: trial lawyers continue big Capitol Hill push to overturn Supreme Court’s valuable Iqbal and Twombly decisions on lawsuit procedure [Point of Law and more, Thomas Dupree/WLF, Beck & Herrmann and more, earlier]
  • Lawyers rush to courthouse to beat deadline for new Oklahoma limits on liability suits [Tulsa World]
  • Spokesman for Attorney General Jerry Brown admits he’s taped reporter conversations without their consent, seeming violation of California law [SF Chronicle]
  • UK: motorist could face prosecution for splashing kids by driving through puddle, at what she says was kids’ request [BoingBoing]
  • “Is the pay czar unconstitutional?” [Bainbridge on McConnell, WSJ; Ribstein on link to PCAOB case]
  • More “deceptively named fruity cereal” suits in California [Lowering the Bar ("I still think this is like claiming emotional distress because you just learned 'The Hobbit' isn't a true story,") Ken at Popehat ("Froot of the Poisonous Tree of Litigiousness"), earlier here, here, here, here, etc.]
  • A city of stool pigeons: Chicago to pay those who inform on tax cheats [NBC Chicago]
  • Ill-fated stint as pole dancer leads to lawsuit against Arizona bar [Above the Law]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2009/11/november-2-roundup-2/feed/ 1     California Attorney General Weighs in on Proposition 8 http://overlawyered.com/2008/12/california-attorney-general-weighs-in-on-proposition-8/ http://overlawyered.com/2008/12/california-attorney-general-weighs-in-on-proposition-8/#comments Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:26:48 +0000 SSFC http://overlawyered.com/?p=8046 Not surprisingly, given that the office is occupied by former “Governor Moonbeam” Jerry Brown, he feels that the amendment barring same sex marriage should be invalidated.  Also not surprisingly, given that it’s Governor Moonbeam, he takes a novel approach to the argument, one that libertarians may like: that same sex marriage is an inalienable right which cannot be taken away even by constitutional amendment.  (The fighting Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution does not appear to be cited, as it’s a matter of state law).

    Kip Esquire, who is a libertarian and who strongly favors same sex marriage rights, has given Brown’s arguments a thorough review, and seems unimpressed.  Key criticism:

    If I were Kenneth Starr (in the sense of, “if I were as insolent and snarky as Kenneth Starr is”), then I would simply respond with something like this: “What the Attorney General is apparently suggesting is that the California Constitution — is unconstitutional. That simply cannot be right.”

    More analysis of the Brown brief may be found at Mr. Esquire’s site.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2008/12/california-attorney-general-weighs-in-on-proposition-8/feed/ 6     Regulating potato chip recipes http://overlawyered.com/2008/08/regulating-potato-chip-recipes/ http://overlawyered.com/2008/08/regulating-potato-chip-recipes/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:44:33 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=7371 Readers will recall that acrylamide is a naturally occurring substance formed when many foods are browned or otherwise cooked and that (like countless other constituents of common foods) it appears to cause cancer in some animals at high dosages. California attorney general Jerry Brown has now reached a settlement with some large food companies that will require them to revise recipes for potato chips, French fries and other wares to reduce acrylamide content. Fun fact: one of the ways they may accomplish this goal is by artificially adding a chemical (OK, an enzyme) which works to neutralize acrylamide’s precursors. (Rosie Mestel, “Booster Shots” blog, L.A. Times, Aug. 4).

    More: Bill Childs adds, “Oh, and the companies will pay California around $2.5 million.”

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2008/08/regulating-potato-chip-recipes/feed/ 4     June 5 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2008/06/june-5-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2008/06/june-5-roundup-2/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:04:22 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=7102
  • “I believe it’s frivolous; I believe it’s ridiculous, and I believe it’s asinine”: Little Rock police union votes lopsidedly not to join federal “don/doff” wage-hour lawsuit asking pay for time spent on uniform changes [Arkansas Democrat Gazette courtesy U.S. Chamber]
  • Must-read Roger Parloff piece on furor over law professors’ selling of ethics opinions [Fortune; background links @ PoL]
  • Too rough on judge-bribing Mississippi lawyers? Like Rep. Conyers at House Judiciary, but maybe not for same reasons, we welcome renewed attention to Paul Minor case [Clarion-Ledger]
  • American Airlines backs off its plan to put Logan skycaps on salary-only following loss in tip litigation [Boston Globe; earlier]
  • U.K.: Infamous Yorkshire Ripper makes legal bid for freedom, civil liberties lawyer says his human rights have been breached [Independent]
  • In long-running campaign to overturn Feres immunity for Army docs, latest claim is that military knowingly withholds needed therapy so as to return soldiers to front faster [New York Rep. Maurice Hinchey on CBS; a different view from Happy Hospitalist via KevinMD]
  • Profs. Alan Dershowitz and Robert Blakey hired to back claim that Russian government can invoke U.S. RICO law in its own courts to sue Bank of New York for $22 billion [WSJ law blog, earlier @ PoL]
  • Minnesota Supreme Court declines to ban spanking by parents [Star-Tribune, Pioneer Press]
  • Following that very odd $112 million award (knocked down from $1 billion) to Louisiana family in Exxon v. Grefer, it’s the oil firm’s turn to offer payouts to local neighbors suffering common ailments [Times-Picayune, UPI]
  • AG Jerry Brown “has been suing, or threatening to sue, just about anyone who doesn’t immediately adhere” to his vision of building California cities up rather than out [Dan Walters/syndicated]
  • Virginia high school principal ruled entitled to disability for his compulsion to sexually harass women [eight years ago on Overlawyered]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2008/06/june-5-roundup-2/feed/ 1     April 24 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2008/04/april-24-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2008/04/april-24-roundup-2/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:07:30 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/wpblog/?p=6136
  • Telemarketers working for lawyers and chiropractors “line up every day” at police and public records offices to buy car-crash records [Dallas Morning News]
  • Nice work if you can get it: Bernardine Dohrn’s terrorist-to-lawprof career track [Kass, Chapman @ Chicago Tribune, Ed Morrissey/HotAir, PoL, Horowitz/DtN, Daily Northwestern/FrontPage, Malkin, Power Line]
  • Mystery of embattled Florida debt-relief law firm Hess Kennedy (Mar. 6) deepens as whereabouts of lawyer Edward Kennedy are questioned [ABA Journal]
  • Criticism mounts of Calif. AG Jerry Brown’s lawsuits using global warming theories to force higher-density development [Stewart/LA Weekly, Walters/SacBee, via Kaus, scroll]
  • Kevin Pho (KevinMD.com) on defensive medicine [USA Today]
  • Colorado firm says lawsuit’s “settlement mill” allegations are concocted “by a competitor who doesn’t like (Azar’s) advertising.” [Colorado Springs Gazette]
  • Hey, you can rig up a disposable camera to give you a little shock; it might also give you a D felony record under school zero tolerance [WTNH via Greenfield]
  • One good thing about those anonymous snitchlines for domestic abuse, you don’t have to worry about bogus calls or anything like that [Colorado Springs Gazette on Texas polygamist raid backstory]
  • Lawyers get $2 million in fees in Netflix class action [WSJ law blog; earlier]
  • Supreme Court refuses cert on that very curious $112 million (originally $1 billion) land-contamination verdict from Louisiana [Exxon v. Grefer, Dow Jones/Fortune; CalPunitives link roundup; earlier; more background at Laura Hart/Louisiana Law Blog]
  • Cow-pie bingo event falls victim to liability fears [three years ago on Overlawyered]
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