Meaning “you may have the body”, habeas corpus is a writ (officially known as habeas corpus ad subjiciendum) that requires a person tbe brought before a court to determine if their detention is lawful. The petitioner does not require standing in … Continue reading
Ian C. Pilarczyk
The word scofflaw, while often thought to be of ancient origin, was actually created through a contest held in 1921. A wealthy banker in Quincy, MA sponsored a contest offering $200 to anyone who coined a word to describe people who violated … Continue reading
The so-called CSI Effect–named after the hit t.v. show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its progeny–refers to the theory that these shows have an impact on real juries in criminal cases. In them, highly-trained lab specialists with limitless budgets and the … Continue reading
‘To shudder at the bare recital of those acts‘: Child Abuse, Family, and Montreal Courts in the Early Nineteenth Century, in G. Blaine Baker and Donald Fyson, eds., Essays in the History of Canadian Law, vol. XI, Quebec and the Canadas … Continue reading
In 1971 a plaintiff filed a pauper’s suit in U.S. District Court, on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated, against Satan and his servants. Plaintiff alleged that Satan had “threatened him, caused him misery, impeded his course in … Continue reading
Recently an Ohio man learned that it is possible to be alive and yet legally dead at the same time. Donald Eugene Miller Jr. vanished from his home in Ohio in 1986 and was declared legally dead in 1994. A … Continue reading
While Vermont abolished the death penalty in 1965, it still has one capital crime 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 same, … Continue reading
Under Massachusetts law, gift certificates must remain valid for a minimum of seven years. They are required to have an expiry and issuance date specified on them (or, in the case of electronic gift cards, this must be on the … Continue reading
http://www.lawcrossing.com/article/900017636/Beyond-Practicing-Law-with-a-Law-Degree-New-Career-Options-for-JDs/# … Continue reading
Good Samaritan laws, often confused with duty to rescue laws, provide immunity against tort claims for those who attempt to rescue someone in peril. In general, however, these laws provide immunity if the peril was imminent, if the rescuer obtained consent, … Continue reading
Most common law countries impose no general duty to rescue another person, and therefore typically impose no liability for failing to do so. There are two exceptions to this: (a) people who create a hazardous situation, regardless of whether they did so negligently, are … Continue reading
The George Zimmerman case shone a spotlight on Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law, an extension of the “castle doctrine” which is an ancient common law concept that a homeowner has no duty to retreat when threatened within his or her home by a third party. The … Continue reading