I am an award winning judicial educator who has written and presented on a broad range of issues including: procedural fairness, veterans treatment courts, domestic violence and court media relations.
Deflategate is the controversy involving a claim that footballs were slightly deflated by the members of New England Patriots staff, during the AFC Championship Game and that the Patriot’s quarterback Tom Brady was aware of it. What Are the Facts? Shortly after the game, NFL officials started a reportedly $3+ million investigation into the alleged
This post discusses the importance of the “Rule of Law” in the context of the efforts by Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Four Key Principles for the Rule of Law The rule of law is based upon four principles: The government and its officials and agents are accountable under
Voting represents the very essence of a democracy and in the last week or so several courts have struck down restrictions on this basic right. In this podcast episode, Judges Peggy Hora (Ret.) and Brian MacKenzie (Ret.) discuss the recent court decisions involving one of our fundamental rights. These restrictions on the right to vote were passed in the
A recent Gallup poll claimed that the trust American’s have in the judicial branch of government had fallen to a record-low. Only 53% of those polled said they had “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of trust in the judiciary. This decline was driven by conservative voters whose trust in the judiciary fell by
As I write this, Clerk Kim Davis of Rowan County Kentucky has refused to obey an order issued by a judge of the United States District Court. She appealed the decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and to the United States Supreme Court. Both rejected her appeal. As you are probably aware Ms.
State Supreme Courts are “the ultimate judicial tribunal in the court system of a particular state.” The Federal Courts only trumps them when there is a federal question and even then there is sometimes concurrent jurisdiction. On state issues they are the last word and therefore of utmost importance. The selection criteria of each state
The common law legal theory of vicarious liability existed long before the invention of the first motor vehicle. Applying the concept of respondeat superior, courts have held that an employer is responsible for the wrongful acts or omissions of their employees during their scope of their employment. For an act to be considered within the
I was recently invited by the Turkish Association of Judicial Unity, (YBD) to be an observer at an international symposium on the Syrian refugee crisis. It was arranged in cooperation with the law schools of Istanbul and Ankara Universities, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and the Turkish Ministry of Interior.
As almost every American has learned from watching a myriad of police shows, a person charged with a crime has the right to an attorney and if that person cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for them. Contrary to the television shows, the language about the right to an attorney contained in the