Legal links of interest for the week ending March 22, 2013

Some of the stories about courts, the law and lawyers in the news this past week:

·         Study on wrongful convictions finds prosecutorial misconduct and weak defense play a significant role: The report may be useful to practitioners to help understand how these factors come into play and how to ameliorate or alleviate them
 ·         Russia slams Texas prosecutors for not charging parents of dead adopted boy: A Texas coroner had declared the child’s death in January accidental, but Moscow demanded a complete report from U.S. officials.
 ·         Congressman objects to Seneca-Cayuga land-into-trust bid:  Rep. Tom Reed (R), Seneca County’s representative in Congress opposes the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma’s application to put 230 acres of land it owns in Seneca and Cayuga counties into federal trust.
 ·         Public Access Guide to NY Courts available:  The Guide contains an application for the media when they seek to conduct coverage of court proceedings and will be available at all court clerks’ offices in the District and available at security posts on each floor of the Hall of Justice in Rochester, NY.
 ·         Red-light camera firms get heat over tickets: Legal challenges, public outcry not slowing industry growth
 ·         Stricter laws due in July to govern underage kids on social media: Sites such as Facebook will likely be forced to remove photos, audio recordings or other personal identifiers of children -- or else face stiff fines, under updates to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
 ·         Justices apply copyright first-sale doctrine to foreign goods: Libraries, museums, retailers and others who buy copyrighted goods made abroad can resell them without violating federal copyright law, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
 ·         Just how bad off are law school graduates?  There are a surprising number of job postings for lawyers that offer no salary at all, including government law jobs.

For more on each of these stories, click the links above.

Legal Links of Interest for the week ending October 12, 2012

Some of the stories about the law and lawyers in the news this past week:

·         One Million Motorists Skipped Out On $35M InUnpaid Thruway Tolls: Records reviewed through a Freedom of Information request show that the New York State Thruway Authority's finances have been hurt by its inability to recoup tolls and fines from people who zip through EZ-Pass lanes scot-free.

·         New law expands farm distilleries' salesoptions:  Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation last week to allow licensed farm distilleries to sell liquor at the New York State Fair, local fairs and farmers’ markets.

·         It could become illegal to resell your iPhone 4,car or family antiques: If the Supreme Court upholds an appellate court ruling, it would mean that the copyright holders of anything you own that has been made in another country would have to give you permission to sell it.

·         New York traffic cameras use short yellow lights to increase ticket revenue: AAA New York has found that New York City intersections with cameras have yellow lights that are shorter by as much as 15 percent compared to the city standard.

·         New York Court of Appeals mulls if gang memberis a terrorist: The state’s highest court will consider whether the street gangsters who crashed a Bronx christening party, starting a fight that left a 10-year-old bystander dead, are also terrorists who deserve longer prison time.

·         Obama vs. Romney on the Supreme Court: Control of the Supreme Court, perhaps for a generation, is very much up for grab in the coming presidential election.

New York’s Second Operation Hang Up Campaign Targets Cell Phone Use While Driving

The New York State Police are conducting a second Operation Hang Up enhanced enforcement campaign.

The campaign targets motorists that use their cell phone and other electronic devices while driving.

The first Operation Hang Up campaign took place over the 2011 Thanksgiving Holiday. State Police ticketed more than 800 drivers during that time period.

This latest enforcement campaign begins today (Monday, April 23, 2012) and continues through Sunday (April 29, 2012).

In 2011, the state Department of Motor Vehicles increased penalties for using cell phones while driving. Violations are now subject to two ‘points’ on a driver's license. Those points can increase a driver’s insurance rates, much like a speeding ticket or auto accident.”

With increased penalties and stepped-up enforcement, motorists who receive a ticket for using a cell phone should consider consulting an attorney to discuss their legal rights before pleading guilty.

New York's expanded "move over" law takes effect January 1

Starting on January 1, New York's "Move Over" will expand to include tow trucks.

The current law fines drivers in New York if they don't move into another lane for police and ambulance vehicles on the road.

The new law will mean that anytime drivers see an emergency vehicle or tow truck with lights flashing, they must move to the other lane.

State officials say the expanded law will make it safer for people who respond and assist on accident scenes or for disabled vehicles.

Violators can receive two points on their license and up to a 150-dollar fine if they don't follow the new law.