Marc Hodak sees post-office-ization at work.
Swiss vote down lawyers-for-animals proposal
By a 70-30 margin [Telegraph] Earlier coverage is here, and the Wall Street Journal profiled the one cantonal animal public defender in an article last week.
P.S. Ann Althouse, on reading about the “lawyers-for-pets plan”: “I thought: What? Do you turn in your lawyer and get a pet in exchange?”
From the “oh dear” files
“IRS Suspends One of Boston’s ‘Most Highly Regarded’ Tax Lawyers for 48 Months for Failing to File Tax Returns” [Paul Caron, TaxProf]
“Middle school student suspended for touching drug”
Because touching is tantamount to taking, or something of that sort. “The girl did not bring the prescription drug to her Jeffersonville, IN school, nor did she take it, but she admits that she touched it and in Greater Clark County Schools that is drug possession.” [WAVE3.com]
March 6 roundup
- France: Scholar faces criminal libel charge over mildly negative book review [Steven Landsburg/The Big Questions; more, Citizen Media Law] U.K. atheist convicted of religious harassment for leaving cartoon leaflets in prayer room [Media Watch Watch and earlier via Secular Right]
- Classic New Yorker writer of 1940s: “St. Clair McKelway on insurance, embezzlement, arson, and counterfeiting” [Freeland, North Mississippi Commentor]
- Bulletin: In hiring new editors, New York Times will stop preferring those with scores of 89 over those who score 65. Oh wait;
- “If I can drive a motorcycle, why can’t I drive a marginally more dangerous car concept? Because Detroit and its lobbyists have built it into the system, that’s why.” [reader at Andrew Sullivan]
- “Jersey Shore Victim Wants DVDs Suppressed” [Above the Law]
- Class action suit against Yelp.com alleges “extortion” [NY Times “Bits”, TechCrunch]
- “Some Employers Complain Law Barring Genetic Bias Hurts Wellness Efforts” [ABA Journal]
- “The Criminalization of Almost Everything” [Harvey Silverglate and Tim Lynch, Cato Policy Report]
Federal anti-SLAPP legislation proposed
Scott Greenfield, Eric Goldman and Marc Randazza/Citizen Media Law have details of a bill introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)
“Washington: Legislature May Allow Cops To Seize Cars At Will”
“Police in Washington state will have the power to take any car for at least twelve hours under legislation passed unanimously by the state House earlier this month and considered by a Senate committee yesterday.” The bill would provide for minimum 12 hour impoundment of any vehicle in a DUI arrest, whether or not the charges are dropped or the vehicle is owned by an innocent third party. “The Towing and Recovery Association of Washington is one of the main lobbying organizations pushing for the adoption of the law.” [TheNewspaper.com]
Taking someone off an offender list?
Do we even have a procedure for that? And does it matter that they were cleared of the charges? [Radley Balko]
Patents: “Senate Proposes to End False Marking Onslaught”
If the comprehensive patent reform amendment announced today is passed, qui tam plaintiffs who have been hunting for expired patent numbers to bring false marking suits will be out of luck. Only “competitive[ly] injure[d]” parties will be able to sue for false marking. The Senate bill, if enacted, would have sweeping retroactive effect even for still-pending but earlier-filed actions.
Judge orders website to yank “giraffe attack” story
A judge has ordered a satirical website to remove an article about a fictional attack by a giraffe at a Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana wildlife center. The center had argued that the article was not clearly labeled as satire and had been taken for real by some readers. A lawyer for the center says his client is asking “to have the story permanently removed from the site and to prevent Hammond Action News from ever distributing it.” Having handed down a temporary restraining order, the judge will consider the permanent removal request March 15. [The Advocate; Hammond Action News]
P.S. Commentary on the story from Ken at Popehat, who links another local story reporting that president of wildlife park threatened college-student satirist with “criminal charges, FCC charges, fraud charges, an IRS complaint, a governor’s office complaint, and a federal lawsuit” (h/t commenter Doug).