Protestors at Virginia Capitol arrested
Protestors at the Virginia Capitol were arrested on “unlawful assembly” charges, charges that will almost surely be thrown out....
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Charlottesville can say “no message ads” on City buses
Charlottesville’s policy of not allowing ads for non-profit and political campaigns on the sides of City buses is constitutional, because the United States Supreme Court has held that ad space on the sides of buses is not a “public forum.”...
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Federal Judge Rebukes Perry for Delay
Judge John Gibney of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia gave a 22-page smackdown to the campaigns of Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, John Huntsman and Rick Santorum when he ruled that he would not grant an injunction that would have required the State Board of Elections to put them on the […]...
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US Supreme Court will decide drug sniff case
Florida v. Jardines asks the Supreme Court to decide whether taking a drug dog to the front door of a house so that it can sniff for the presence of marijuana is a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. After looking at the relevant Supreme Court cases, I think the Court will uphold the sniff and reverse the Florida Supreme Court....
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The Virginia Republican Primary and their “loyalty oath”
The State Board of Elections has decided that the 2012 Virginia Republican Primary for President should be closed only to those who have pledged to support their nominee. While there is no prohibition on them imposing such a requirement, it is a requirement that should have been enacted no later than December 7. But it wasn’t adopted until December 28. Now the RPV is reconsidering....
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Rick Perry’s lawsuit to get on the ballot…
Rick Perry’s lawsuit to get on the ballot for the Virginia Republican primary raises interesting issues, but ultimately it will lose....
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It’s not a crime to not carry proof of insurance
Under Virginia law, every driver is required to have liability insurance on his or her car, or else pay an administrative fee of $500 that goes into an uninsured motorists’ fund. Although it is always a good idea to carry proof of liability insurance with you, it is not actually a crime NOT to have […]...
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People v. Rivera — the Illinois Appellate Court Got It Right
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post discussing the pending case of People v. Rivera, in the Illinois Appellate Court. This case involved a horrible rape-murder of 11-year-old Holly Staker, committed in 1992. Juan Rivera confessed, but his confession made no sense and didn’t fit the facts. (For one thing, he stated in […]...
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George Huguely Jury Selection Procedures
Jury selection for the George Huguely murder trial will include a jury questionnaire — a rare, but very helpful, procedure that will allow the lawyers to learn a great deal about prospective jurors without taking up a lot of time....
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People v. Rivera — will the Illinois Appellate Court get it right?
The Illinois Appellate Court has a chance to do justice in the case of Juan Rivera, who was convicted of murder and rape even though the DNA evidence exonerates him....
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