News & Politics

You gotta love the law. The fight was over import tarriffs, which tax “dolls” (human) more heavily than “toys” (non-human). As the Wall Street Journal reports here, some comic book fans are howling in protest over the ruling denying their heroes “human” status. But the Judge ain’t budging, and it appears that she did her homework: “Judge Barzilay, through a spokesman, said that she would let her 32-page decision speak for itself. [S]he described in her ruling how she subjected many of the figures to ‘comprehensive examinations.’ At times, that included ‘the need to remove the clothes of the figure.'”

The 25 year-old Pakistani college dropout, who investigators say is “brilliant,” used an incredibly elaborate scheme involving fake names, mail drops, and stolen credit card numbers to steal some $3 million worth of brand new PC equipment from US companies. He then resold the loot as legitimate merchandise through his Karachi business. After months of investigation, he was finally caught after being tracked down through his ISP. The International Herald Tribune reports the details here.

Here’s an interesting article about the administration’s position in the University of Michigan case, and whether its brief is likely to have an effect on the Supreme Court’s ruling. UPDATE: Oral arguments in the case have been set for April Fools Day, 4/1/03.

Here’s an article by Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick about the Justices’ antics at the recent oral argument in the case about whether the States can be sued under the FMLA, or whether the 11th amendment bars such suits (Nevada Dept. of Human Resources v. Hibbs). Read more about the case below.

In the wake of the San Francisco mauling death of Diane Whipple, prosecutors are getting tougher laws against owners whose animals attack. And in Illinois, dog owners are getting groundbreaking protection when their dogs are attacked, the ABA Journal reports.

In law school, we sometimes played a game called “asshole bingo.” We’d make up cards with the pictures of the biggest blowhards in class – the people who always had to raise their hands and kiss the professor’s ass – arranged randomly in a grid, and cross them off as each spoke up, hoping for “BINGO!” The current speculation about the next Supreme Court Justice somehow has a similar feel . . . .

The doctor told the court he was too busy to show up. The judge told the doctor he was in contempt, and sentenced him to 10 days in jail and ordered him to undergo counseling, according to the AP via ABCNEWS.com.

The Ninth Circuit has published an opinion extremely critical of the IRS, ruling in favor of the taxpayers whom the IRS tried to prosecute for participating in a tax shelter scheme. It seems the lawyers for the IRS perpetrated a fraud on the court that lasted for years. Both attorneys have been disciplined, and they may yet be disbarred. Read an article about it or read the Court’s opinion itself.

Hanna-Barbera and the cheeky monkey say Universal Studios has been ripping them off, according to this. It remains to be seen whether Curious George’s allegations have merit. But if they do, Universal may have messed with the wrong monkey. Just ask the Man in the Yellow Hat.

Read the latest rant from the always amusing California Justice William Bedsworth, presented by law.com.