Criminal Law

What protects the defender? A radical difference in rules

Posted on May 14, 2008
In stark contrast to the jurisdiction in which I used to practice: Appeals court rules against Minn. man who punched defender Published May 13, 2008 ST. PAUL ? Punch your public defender in court and you’re on your own, that’s the message the Minnesota Court of Appeals sent a Chisholm man on Tuesday...

5.12.08 7.8M Earthquake in Sichuan China; Maybe I?m not so bad off after all

Posted on May 12, 2008
from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod   This video was actually taken by a student in his dorm room during the earthquake.  Last I heard, the magnitude of the quake had been re-estimated as 7.9 on the Richter scale.  The shock was felt as far away as Beijing, and as many as 313 aftershocks have been [...

The Daily Bird 13: Summer Goldfinch

Posted on May 11, 2008
I think I have a mated pair out here.  The fellow with the black mask who sits on the branch all puffed up and proud looking is the male of the pair.  The slightly drabber birdie sitting in the fork of the tree is his mate. These little tweters sit still even less than the chickadees [...

Weird British Laws? or is it any wonder the colonies rebelled?

Posted on May 08, 2008
Courtesy of Mirror.co.uk  (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/03/20/did-you-know-it-s-illegal-to-die-in-the-house-of-parliament-britain-s-silliest-laws-revealed-89520-20356691/ ) My own comments will look like this We’ve unearthed some of the oddest laws still in force...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

The Bare Facts About Russian Bicyclists

Posted on May 07, 2008
video source posted with vodpod

The Daily Bird 12: A Real Live Bald Eagle!

Posted on May 02, 2008
On the way down to the county seat in the next county southwest to drop off my resume, I almost made myself late spotting this oh, so dignified soul perched high in a tree along the riverside.  I couldn’t help myself.  While I’ve seen bald eagles soaring overhead on a few, rare occasions, I’ve never [...

Unemployment sucks

Posted on May 01, 2008
Today, I found myself in the company of the sorts of people I used to represent down at the unemployment office filing for my own benefits.  It was an experience.  One best not described in any detail.  The personnel were all very nice, expedited and backdated my paperwork for me, since the on line resource [...

Good To Know?

Posted on April 28, 2008
The Dante’s Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo! Here is how you matched up against all the levels: Level Score Purgatory (Repenting Believers) Low Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) High Level 2 (Lustful) Low Level 3 (Gluttonous) Moderate Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) Very Low Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) Low Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) Very Low Level 7 (Violent) Moderate Level 8- [...

The Daily Bird 11: White Throated Sparrow

Posted on April 28, 2008
You know, I used to think a sparrow was a sparrow.  Single species, urban pest, seen everywhere, with the world’s messiest nest; a nest which it was my grandfather’s delight to rake out from under the eaves of our house, accompanied by much swearing in German which I dutifully filed away for future reference and [...

Engineer?s Guide To Cats

Posted on April 28, 2008
Array

Them Critters Out there

Posted on April 28, 2008
I woke up this morning, and as usual, looked out the glass doors into the back yard. The feeder was on the ground again, and emptied of seed.  I don’t know how they do it! Curses!  Squirreled again! And on another front, I now have pretty graphic proof that I have successfully invited a hawk to dine at [...

There?s a word for it.

Posted on April 27, 2008
There’s a name for it.  I didn’t know that.  In the global community that is the internet, new words are being devised and circulated to describe and/or cover some of the unprecedented situations and interactions that arise online, or in the no-man’s land that is the intersection of cyber-space and the “real world”...

This about says it all.

Posted on April 24, 2008
 No need to comment, I don’t think.

Identification Made!

Posted on April 20, 2008
The sleek brown bird I posted a photo of a day or 2 ago has been identified.  It’s a female brown-Headed Cowbird.  The male of the species is unmistakable, and 2 of them visited the feeding station along with her yesterday morning.  Here they are: And here’s the male standing alone...

The Daily Bird 10: Dark-eyed Junco Female

Posted on April 19, 2008
This one I know.  She’s sleek, darker brown above, lighter beneath, as opposed to her mate who appears to be dressed in a dark grey suit with a white shirt.  These little round birds are avid ground-feeders, and when they’re looking for seed or insects on the edge of the woods, they scratch at the [...

The Daily Bird 9: Unknown - Can you help me ID?

Posted on April 19, 2008
This brown beauty showed up in the local woods, and I’m darned if I can sort out what it is.  My best guess is a female Brown-Headed Cowbird, or some variety of female blackbird.  It was roughly the same size as a Robin.  I wish I could give more information about it, but that about [...

Through the Looking Glass? Sort of

Posted on April 17, 2008
It’s funny how you never know what’s going to attract the attention of the internet bugs out there.  Honey, or garbage, it doesn’t seem to matter.  Something catches the eye of some roving flitter you didn’t know was out there, and suddenly your readership has multiplied by a factor of 5 or 6, and your [...

How does a squirrel go down a tree?

Posted on April 16, 2008
Looking at my “blog stats” page, I note that one of the search terms used by someone that landed them inadvertently on my blog was; “how does a squirrel go down a tree?” After years of astute observation of the beast itself in the wild and in its usual urban and suburban habitats, I have discovered [...

The Daily Bird 8: What kind of finch?

Posted on April 15, 2008
OK.  For all you birders out there, give me an opinion. Is this a House Finch or a Purple Finch?  I can’t really tell.  

Fare Thee Well, Madame Prosecutor

Posted on April 15, 2008
The persecutor prosecutor who was held in contempt by the judge for her eegregious misbehavior during the course of pretrial and trial proceedings in a sex abuse case is no more to be a representative of the people of this county and state.  She got canned first thing this week...

The Daily Bird 7: European Starlings

Posted on April 13, 2008
A pair of European Starlings settled on the roof of my son’s school; two out of a huge flock of them.  These are the birds that flock in droves during migration season in the fall.  Hundreds of them gather together in whirlwinds and stormclouds of feathers and beaks and absurdly slender legs, rising and then [...

Cute Chirpie Overload

Posted on April 12, 2008
Turn off the soundtrack before you view this one.  And then grab a lemon drop as antidote.

The Daily Bird 6: Red Winged Blackbird

Posted on April 12, 2008
After the furor provoked by the post about “Laura,” I had to check this morning to see if I still had an ass, or if it had been chewed down to bare bone.  It’s still there… most of it, at least.  I’m thinking, perhaps I should stick to birds? So:  Here is another avian supermodel that I [...

The Daily Bird 5: Mourning Dove

Posted on April 10, 2008
Having spent most of the day getting thoroughly reamed out by the methadone maintenance advocates, please allow me to extend a symbol of peace to all. This sweet dove is nesting in a tree between the courthouse and the jail.  Let us contemplate her, and the concept that she symbolizes...

The Opiates About Truth?

Posted on April 09, 2008
“Laura” was up for sentencing on probation violations on Monday.  She had been sentenced to a diversionary probation with drug treatment in 2003; if she had complied with the terms of her probation, she could have been done with this 2 years ago, and have had her conviction expunged...

The Daily Bird 4: American Robin

Posted on April 09, 2008
Sort of makes you glad you’re not a worm, doesn’t it?

The Daily Bird 2

Posted on March 28, 2008
Nothing is quite so flashy as a male Cardinal out in the woods before they leaf out in the spring.  And it’s mating season.  So not only is he in his finest feather, he’s strutting his stuff for all it’s worth.  He’s fine, all right...

Liars, Drugs and Money

Posted on March 28, 2008
“Dennis,” the diabetic whose case I mentioned in Wednesday’s  post, did his drop as ordered, after his court appearance Tuesday and before allegedly going to the ER.  Guess what?  It was positive for cocaine.  He was standing there in court stoned , right in front of the judge, probation officer, prosecutor and defense attorney, swearing he was clean [...

A client actually took my advice!

Posted on March 27, 2008
It would seem that after talking to me, “Gregory“, the man with the issues with his drug court PO, set up a meeting with herand her supervisor and cleared the air, settled some of their differences, and decided to make the best of the situation...

It happens to ?them? too?

Posted on March 26, 2008
Due to a scheduled dental appointment, I got to miss the event of the week.  We had another “bolter” - this one, the first to try it from the new Justice Center.  An edited account of the matter taken from the local newspaper follows:  Stuff that looks like this is my emendations to the original...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.