Category Archives: Legal
The Case of the Black Friday Brawl
A shoving match with a police officer and human beings standing in something called a “cattle chute”? It can only be Black Friday, that feared and revered day after Thanksgiving when shoppers awake in the dead of night to fight over a Crock Pot. This case takes place in the wee hours of the night at a Wal-Mart in Philadelphia. Continue reading
The Case of the Costanza Doppleganger
Costanza v. Seinfeld, 693 N.Y.S.2d 897 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1999). It could have been a plotline from a Seinfeld episode. Michael Costanza sued Jerry Seinfeld (yes, that Jerry Seinfeld) alleging that the George Costanza character from the TV show was based … Continue reading
The Case of the Haunted House
Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D. 2d 254 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991). If you didn’t get to this one as a 1L, you’ll want to read it now, if only for this quote: “as a matter of law, the house is haunted.” … Continue reading
The Case of the Misplaced Thief
Alkire v. First National Bank of Parsons, 475 S.E.2d 122 (W. Va. 1996). Pity Larry Alkire, the supposed thief. He made the night deposits for two businesses and one deposit fell into a gap between the night deposit box and the … Continue reading
The Case of the Bouncing Baseball
Popov v. Hayashi, No. 400545, 2002 WL 31833731 (Cal. Super. Ct. Dec. 18, 2002). Imagine a popular and controversial baseball player hits his much-anticipated, record-breaking homerun into the stands causing seekers of fame and fortune to scramble wildly in the direction of … Continue reading
Follow the Final Month of the Supreme Court’s October Term 2012
As we enter June, we also enter the final month, for all intents and purposes, of October Term 2012 (OT 2012) of the Supreme Court (I say “for all intents and purposes” because although the Court’s Term will not actually … Continue reading
The Case of the Drunken Cross-Examination
Fritz v. Fritz, 1894 WL 3291 (Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lancaster County, 1896). If you’re looking to spice up your Evidence class, consider this short case of a witness too drunk for cross-examination. It would take me longer to summarize … Continue reading
The Case of the Fraudulent Coke
Oshana v. Coca-Cola, 472 F.3d 506 (7th Cir. 2006). Did you know that Diet Coke from a fountain and Diet Coke from a can are made with different sweeteners? No? Next question: do you care? If you answered yes, then you … Continue reading
ABA Tech Show for Law Students
The ABA Tech Show, which starts this Wednesday at Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue, showcases the latest technologies in the legal world. And students get a great bargain – access to all the programs and the exhibit hall is just … Continue reading
Fun with Old Treatises: Webb on Elevators
Browsing the shelves the other day, looking for something completely unrelated, I stumbled across a 1905 treatise (its second revised edition) written by a St. Louis attorney named J. A. Webb titled The Law of Passenger and Freight Elevators (or, more … Continue reading
