Suing a Ghost

From 1903. (via Undine)

Death By Firing Squad

Jesse Welles has a few things to say about putting a military execution on public live streaming platforms. Whatever you think about capital punishment (I'm against it), making it into a spectacle is barbaric. Pete Hegseth says that a public execution will be a deterrent, but people already know murder is wrong, even those who do it. If you've ever met people, you know at least half will consider watching a firing squad blow someone away as entertainment, and will want more. It was true in ancient Rome, it was true in medieval Europe, and it was true during Jim Crow, regardless of the person's guilt. 

When I was a child, there was a historical photograph of a lynching displayed at my local state park. The substantial crowd was well dressed for the time, and all turned to the camera to smile, even the children. The victim was barely a dark blob hanging from a tree. We may like to think we are better than that now, but recent history shows that we are not. 

Swearing

From 1787. I'm not for arresting people for swearing, but the idea of linking the fine to how wealthy the perpetrator is something I can get behind. (via Undine)

Chicago

From 1909. (via Undine)

Injury Lawyer

(via Give Me a Sign)

Traffic Stop Ends in the Weirdest Way

A sheriff's deputy pulled Katie Thomas over and as he was approaching her stated that he saw her holding a cell phone in her right hand. The kicker is that Thomas does not have a right hand. A normal person would have laughed and sent her on her way, but this cop could not be wrong, so he checked her papers and issued her a citation. Thomas went to court, but the deputy asked the judge to dismiss the charge due to insufficient evidence just before court began. I guess he thought he could avoid a viral moment. No such luck. You can see an extended interview with Thomas if you like. 

Why Judges and Linguists Can’t Stop Arguing About Words

Language is a funny thing. It changes over time, and the exact meaning of a word can drift to become more broad or more specific. That can spill over into a courtroom, when the exact wording of a law is debated. Does a more modern interpretation of those words change the intention of those who originally passed the law? And how do we determine exact meanings? By current dictionary, the generally-understood meaning at the time the law was written, or how the wording of the law is understood today? It depends on how you look at it, or even more importantly, who looks at it. Dr. Erica Brozovsky breaks down the legal battle over words. All I could think of while watching this is a quote: "It depends on what the definition of 'is' is."  

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

Vox explains the history of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the gradual dismantling of it in the 21st century.  

Comedy Court

From 1920. (via Undine)

Bargain

(via Bad Newspaper)

Warning Labels Come From Lawsuits

Remember the first time you bought a hair dryer and saw a warning label that said "Do not use while bathing"? You had a good laugh and wondered who would need such a warning. Most bathrooms don't have an electrical outlet near the bath tub -for a reason. See, there's always someone with no common sense who will use a product in the most dangerous way possible, injure themselves, and sue the manufacturer for not warning you that you aren't supposed to eat fire logs, or that you have to unfold a folding chair, or that swallowing dry ice is dangerous. 

Chill Dude Explains runs through ten product liability court cases that led to warning labels written Captain Obvious. Most of them seem pretty dumb, but people did get hurt. The last one is correcting the record because the general public completely misunderstood the case. 

      

Speed Trap

This happens in the deep South a lot, too. (via Pleated-Jeans)

Review

(via reddit) 

Must Be a Speeding Ticket

(via Bits and Pieces)

Fried Chicken Law

Find more about this at at Weird Universe.

El Paso Police

(via Bad Newspaper)

Amendments: The Musical!

John D. Cundle made a new song that parodies a Schoolhouse Rock song. It's not a comedy, nor is it political, just a modern take on a civics lesson suitable for kids and people who don't know anything about the US Constitution. 

Improving Parking Compliance, One Terrified Driver at a Time

How many Russian bodybuilders does it take to make you park in a legal space without encroaching on others? The Russian group called Stop a Douchebag patrols the streets of Moscow enforcing parking and traffic laws, mainly by shaming the perpetrator. Recently, they got a little help when the bodybuilders of BodyMania stepped in to do their part. They add a little incentive for scofflaws to fall in line. As you can see, it worked, even when they had to take matters into their own hands. Compliance shot way up when these guys arrived in a group! (via Boing Boing)

Prom Detail

If you have to go to the prom, you may as well get a souvenir from that memorable evening. These cops took advantage of the amenities, including having their portrait made. No photographer is going to tell them they can't pose for a picture!

For readers outside the U.S. or without kids, police are often assigned to attend the prom in order to keep students from driving away drunk, although they sometimes have to break up fights or deal with more serious crimes. (via reddit)

Traffic Incident

(Thanks, WTM!)