What price justice? Let's say you have a debt-collection matter in which the "deadbeat" owes, in round numbers, about 18 cents. So you bring the action and you seek attorneys' fees and other charges. That figure comes out to $311.26. The court doesn't like this and awards sanctions against you. But now the defendant's lawyer claims to have put in about $7,600 defending the case. [via Overlawyered]
3:16:31 PM
The man behind the curtain - The article is about the use of technology in courts, including webcasting of court proceedings. It begins thusly.
Just before the state Supreme Court's justices take their seats at the bench, Clerk Rory Perry performs a task rare among his counterparts elsewhere in the country. "I run back there behind the curtain and hit the switch," he said.
Rory is truly a "Wizard." I think more people should look behind the curtain of technology and see how much it has to offer. Government has a special obligation to use tools like the Internet to offer services like webcasting of judicial proceedings, and I wish there were more people like Rory in judicial administration.
2:46:22 PM
Rules in a knife fight? - Remember that line from the movie Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid? The big mean guy wants to start a knife fight with Paul Newman (who plays Butch). Butch, ever the cool character, says "okay, but first let's go over the rules." The bad guy says "rules in a knife fight?" And Butch says "yeah" and then proceeds to kick him in the balls.
Judicial confirmations of federal judges are starting to resemble knife fights. But, you ask, are there any rules? Sure, says Michael Kinsley.
1:37:07 PM
Oh yeah? Well E-mail it to the Judge! - A Washington county court system is experimenting with a new plan that lets traffic violaters argue their position with the judge via E-mail. via [CNET News.com]
I think this is, at the surface level, a good thing. After all, who wants to have to schlepp to traffic court, and try to find a legal parking place, and then go in and sit with the throngs of reckless drivers just to have a chance to weasel out of an infraction that you are usually guilty of? Not me. But, the good thing is that if you do suffer the ignominy of a traffic court appearance you can usually threaten to tie up the system by demanding a trial and that usually causes the city attorney to work a mutually satisfactory deal. How would you do that by E-mail? Spam?
