THE DARK SIDE: Reality matters, not perception
From time to time, I hear people say something like, “It’s not only important the judicial system be fair; it is important the judicial system be perceived as fair.”
THE DARK SIDE: Preliminary hearings serve a valuable purpose
In my long career, only once have I had a case dismissed because after a preliminary hearing the commissioner decided that there was no probable cause to proceed.
THE DARK SIDE: I want the pacifists to buy me guns
Now that I’m self-employed again, a friend asked me if it worries me to not have any health insurance anymore.
THE DARK SIDE: One nice thing about the State Bar
People sometimes ask me, “Don’t you have anything nice to say about the State Bar of Wisconsin?”
THE DARK SIDE: Attorney assessments for legal services are unconstitutional
Back in the day, a bumper sticker on many a van read: “A**, gas or grass, nobody rides for free.”
THE DARK SIDE: The polar bears don’t need your money
Wisconsin law governing fraudulent misrepresentations can fairly be described as charitable. It’s too bad the law doesn’t apply to so-called charities, which are some of the worst fraudsters operating in this state.
THE DARK SIDE: The Constitution is a lot like Dorian Gray
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde is not just one of the most extraordinary novels ever written, but an allegory of the history of the U.S. Constitution.
THE DARK SIDE: Happy New Year from The Dark Side
Do you remember where you were when you heard the news of the United States Supreme Court's opinion in U.S. v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995)?
THE DARK SIDE: I miss the old courthouse cafeteria
Now that, after an 11-year hiatus, I've returned to being a full-time courthouse rat, people ask me what's the biggest difference.
THE DARK SIDE: Cite this column, but not the opinion
If dictionaries were written by lawyers, one of the definitions for “frustration” would say “finding a case directly on point, but being unable to cite it because it is unpublished.”
THE DARK SIDE: The greatest threat to liberty ever
I had been generally aware that some congressmen who don’t like the First Amendment and who particularly dislike the U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Citizens United v. FEC, 130 S.Ct. 876 (2010), wanted to get around the decision by passing a constitutional amendment to overt[...]
THE DARK SIDE: A day in children’s court
An ancient witticism goes something like this: The children are the future … And that’s why I stockpile so much ammunition.
Legal News
- Day One RNC: Trump taps VP; protests erupt during nomination
- Law enforcement from Tulsa to Maryland and North Carolina volunteer to assist during RNC
- Republicans are gathering in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump again. Here’s what to expect
- Wisconsin election officials tell clerks best ways to operate absentee ballot drop boxes
- Family vows during funeral to push for charges after Black man pinned to ground outside Milwaukee hotel
- Melania Trump will attend the Republican convention in a rare political appearance, AP sources say
- Wisconsin officials react to President Trump’s attempted assassination
- FBI early Sunday identified Trump shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks
- Donald Trump whisked off stage in Pennsylvania after apparent gunshots rang through the crowd
- Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline receives prestigious aging achievement award from USAging
- Office of Lawyer Regulation looking to hire investigative counsel
- Wisconsin Supreme Court accepts three cases, denied several others
Case Digests
- Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes
- Separation of Powers- Legislative Oversight of Executive Actions
- Notice of Recommitment and Involuntary Medication Hearings
- Firearm Possession-Sufficiency of Evidence
- Motion for Substitute Counsel
- Jury Instructions
- Equal Credit Opportunity Act
- Fourth and 14th Amendment Rights-Parental Medical Neglect
- Eminent Domain
- Intrusion Upon Seclusion Claim-§1983 claim
- Employment Law- Title VII
- Employment Law