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
Tag Archives: ian c. pilarczyk
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
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
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
96% of pet-custody cases in divorces involves disputes over custody of dogs. Only 1% involve cats (not surprising to dog lovers!). The remaining 3% involve other domesticated animals, including birds, lizards, snakes and even 130-pound tortoises.
Under the common law, a defendant who refused to enter a plea was considered to be contesting the court’s jurisdiction and was subjected to ‘peine fort et dure’ — pressing under heavy weights — until the defendant either consented to plead or … Continue reading
Despite what is popularly believed, the U.S. does not offer robust protection against child marriage. Twenty-five states do not have a legal minimum age for marriage, while 8 others set the age at under 16. New Hampshire, for example, sets … Continue reading
The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1965, prompted by ambiguity of Article II, s.1, clause 6 regarding Presidential incapacity and succession. This was an issue following the assassination of President Kennedy, as the office of Vice President remained vacant until a new … Continue reading