Somehow, the Federal Communications Commission thinks it has the authority to tell every American what software they are or are not allowed to run on their computers. According to the three-page document, to preserve the openness that characterizes today's Internet, "consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law … [Read more...] about My Computer, My Software
Legal
Indigence Incentives
Ken Lammers is discussing the conflict of interest that exists between a criminal defendant and his court-appointed attorney when there is a cap on the fee for the case. Put simply, once the attorney has worked enough on the case to hit the cap, he's working for free. That gives him a strong incentive to bring the case to a swift close by mounting a weak defense or … [Read more...] about Indigence Incentives
How To Torture a Defense Lawyer
Virginia defense lawyer Ken Lammers tries writting a little fiction: Conversations I'm Sure Some of My Clients Have Not quite L.A. Law, is it? … [Read more...] about How To Torture a Defense Lawyer
Copyright Hell
Congress will soon begin considering laws to extend copyright protection to make it even more broad and intrusive than it is now. One of the major backers is the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) an organization which should strike fear into your heart if you know anything about the current state of intellectual property law. They're the Evil Empire of … [Read more...] about Copyright Hell
Universal Shield Law, Anyone?
New York Times reporter Judith Miller was sentenced for contempt today for refusing to reveal who told her that Valerie Plame was a CIA operative. Many states have shield laws that allow journalists to protect the identity of their sources, but there's no federal law. Whenever such laws are discussed, one of the main questions is how to define a journalist. In this day of … [Read more...] about Universal Shield Law, Anyone?