Civil

Harvard Grad Threatens Legal Action Over $4 Charge

According to Boston.com, Ben Edelman graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College, got a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and a law degree from Harvard Law School, and is now an associate professor at Harvard Business School. And yet he remains…


Woman Alleges Vicious Beagle Slain by Noble Pit Bulls

But not before it bit her, and that's why she's suing the beagle's owners for over $200,000. First of all, I don't think this is one of those cases that involves the debate whether pit bulls are inherently vicious or…


Various Plaintiffs v. Various Defendants

Justin writes: I was a little flummoxed when I saw this caption. I thought, “That can’t be right. Someone at Westlaw must have been screwing around.” But … there it is. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. It’s the all-purpose caption! Think…


U.S. Pat. No. 8605152: Method for Filming a Yoga Class

"The yoga community went into uproar," says the Electronic Frontier Foundation, after companies that offer online fitness classes got letters from a competitor, YogaGlo, saying that it had applied for a patent on the "method and technique" involved. The method and…


You’re Not Fooling Anybody, Clown

Personally, I have no doubt this was a deliberate attack: Darlene B___ v. Jerusalem Temple Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; Praetorian Insurance Company; Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System; George Carden Circus International Inc.;…


Headnote of the Day: Prison Doghouse Incident

The opinion itself is nothing special, but I thought it did become amusing when Westlaw compressed the holding into a headnote: Trustee guard who was forced to ride on top of doghouse containing prison dogs due to space limitations in…


In Other Child-Care News

It is apparently frowned upon to put a child down for a nap and then use duct tape to make sure he stays put. And the problem is what, exactly? According to Reuters, a Texas couple has sued a day-care…



Bad Attitude Costs Texas in Fee Dispute

Hey, I get it—sometimes when you win and you think the other side's position was bogus, it's hard not to get all smug and self-righteous. But you really should try. Not trying very hard—well, not trying at all—cost the State…