A growing number of municipalities are outlawing texting and walking. Honolulu was the first to do so in 2017 under the “Distracted Walking Law”, which bans texting while crossing an intersection. Other cities have followed suit, although some laws ban even … Continue reading
Category Archives: Legal Fact of the Week
While the Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery, the original proposed Thirteenth Amendment was altogether different. Approved by Congress in 1810, the Titles of Nobility Amendment was designed to strip U.S. citizenship from any citizen who accepted an aristocratic title from a … Continue reading
The Sixteenth Amendment, passed in 1913, is probably one of the least well-known and yet most unpopular amendments, as it grants Congress the ability to levy a federal income tax. While the first federal income tax was levied during the Civil War as … Continue reading
Only two justices of the Supreme Court have appeared on U.S. Currency. John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice, appeared on the $500 bill; while Salmon P. Chase (the sixth Chief Justice) appeared on the $10,000 bill. Neither denomination is still in circulation.
Koala fingerprints are virtually identical to that of humans. Let’s hope those cute little koalas don’t figure this out and start framing us for crimes.
The Seventeenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, provides for the direct election of members of the Senate by popular vote in each state, and also allows governors to make temporary appointments until a special election is held to fill vacancies. Originally, members of … Continue reading
A study in The Lancet, led by BU researchers and published in 2016, analyzed gun control laws across the U.S. and concluded that more than 80% of gun deaths could be prevented by national adoption of 3 laws: firearm identification through … Continue reading
The Constitution imposes several qualifications and restrictions on Congressional service, most notably in Article I, sections 2 and 3 (which sets out age, citizenship, and residency requirements), and the Incompatibility Clause in Article I section 6 which forbids members of Congress from also … Continue reading
Under an ancient law still on the books, known as the Coming Armed to Parliament Act 1313, it is illegal to wear armor in the Houses of Parliament. Unsurprisingly, there have been no recent prosecutions for violations of this statute … Continue reading
While Vermont abolished the death penalty in 1965, it still has one capital crime remaining on the books: treason. Vermont law states that “[a] person owing allegiance to this state, who levies war or conspires to levy war against the … Continue reading
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this legal fact: the only two States where divorce remains illegal are Vatican City, and the Philippines (where legal separation without the ability to remarry is available, but divorce is available only to the Muslim minority). Both States allow for annulments, but these … Continue reading
While Delaware has long been the favored state for the filing of corporate lawsuits, in 2017 it fell to 11th place. The Top 5 now: South Dakota; Vermont; Idaho; Minnesota; and New Hampshire. The ranking was compiled by the U.S. Chamber of … Continue reading