Random shots around the web: The state of Illinois has made it even easier for you to pay them to get your right to drive back after they take it away from you without bothering to convict you of a crime. Meanwhile in D.C., changes in drunk driving arrest procedures set up officers for a bit of a perjury trap. So, if I record a video of some children, and then I … [Read more...] about Scattershot 2011-02-25
A Brief Note About the World
There's obviously a lot more going on in the world than I've been blogging about. I pick topics not based on whether they're important, but on whether I have something to say. I don't know much about the Middle East, so what could I say about the struggle for freedom there? What could I say about the Christchurch earthquake? I hope all those people come out of this okay. … [Read more...] about A Brief Note About the World
The Chicago Code – Episode 3: Gillis, Chase and Baby Face
Now that Steve Graham has given me a nice shout-out in mentioning that I've been blogging about The Chicago Code, I feel obligated to say something about last night's episode. Actually, I'll start with my wife's review: "That one didn't suck." Yeah, this was a pretty good episode. It made better use of the modern television trick of mingling two separate stories. About half of … [Read more...] about The Chicago Code – Episode 3: Gillis, Chase and Baby Face
Some Dog-Sniffing Math
In one of his posts today, New York criminal defense lawyer Scott Greenfield writes about the error rate for drug-sniffing dogs: More to the point was the dog hits simply aren't anywhere nearly as worthy of credit as courts have held. Consider whether it would be equally acceptable for a cop to flip a coin in order to establish probable cause to search. For a dog whose … [Read more...] about Some Dog-Sniffing Math
The Chicago Code – Episode 2: Hog Butcher
I finally got around to watching the second episode of The Chicago Code last night. The opening titles and music were different, which confirms that the first episode was a true pilot, created long before the next episode. Otherwise, my impression is about the same: It's not great, but I could get used to it, and they do a great job of filming my home town. The story is still … [Read more...] about The Chicago Code – Episode 2: Hog Butcher