Entries for June 2013

An Ohio judge has approved for probate a Will reportedly written on a tablet computer.  Although accomplished without the traditional benefit of paper and ink, the Will was written, signed, and witnessed, thus meeting the legal requirements set forth in Ohio law.  Javier Castro, the testator, had apparently signed the Will in the midst ...

In a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court today affirmed the conviction of Genovevo Salinas, who was convicted in the 1992 murder of two brothers in Houston, Texas.  At issue was Salinas' refusal to answer, prior to his arrest, questions related to whether his shotgun was the one used in the murder. The majority noted that Salinas ha...

Laurie J. Levenson, of The National Law Journal, examines the allegedly increasing prevalence of jurors who conduct their own research, visit crime scenes, and other instances of alleged misconduct.  Despite anecdotal evidence of an increase in such juror (mis)behavior, Courts remain hesitant to conclude that juror misconduct has resulted in a...

A United States District Court Judge for the District of Columbia recently declared unconstitutional a law which purported to ban demonstrations on the grounds of the United States Supreme Court.  In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found the 64-year old law "unreasonable, substantially overbroad, and irreconcilable with the First ...