Monthly Archives: February 2013

EX PARTE DUSTIN DOAN

Criminal courts

I came across a new Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decision that should be read by anyone who practices criminal defense law in Texas. The cite is 369 SW3d 205. Before this decision many judges in Texas were ruling that the Rules of Evidence do not apply to probation revocation hearings because they were adminstrative in nature. This case clarifies that the Texas Rules of Evidene do apply to revocation hearing. As of this decision, hearsay is not allowed to be used as evidence in revocation hearings. I hope this helps! This case is a must read.

When Miranda Rights Are Required

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The right to remain silent

The Miranda Warning, commonly referred to as Miranda Rights, is something you are probably familiar with due to various movies and TV shows. Although the Supreme Court does not stipulate an exact wording of these rights, law enforcement agencies have determined a fundamental set of statements to be read to accused persons before they can be questioned.

Like This: Facebook Sued Over Dead Man’s Patent

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No sir, I do not bite by thumb at you, sir

Mark Zuckerberg is no stranger to a lawsuit. This time, Rembrandt Social Media is claiming that Facebook’s use of a “Like” button infringes upon a patent created in 1998 by a currently deceased Dutch programmer. The brain behind social media giant Facebook, has time and time again had to defend his creation from a multitude of people who would like their piece of the pie. The new suit, filed in a Virginia court on behalf Joannes Jozef Everardus van Der Meer, revolves around a failed social media network known as Surfbook, which involved the idea of pressing a “like” button to show approval. The like button is a central idea powering Facebook that allows users to interact with a simple click instead of actually commenting on a post or picture. Read More

Christopher Dorner’s Body Found?

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A representation of the scene at Big Bear Lake

After all the hustle and bustle it seems that Christopher Dorner could possibly have been killed in a cabin fire where he took shelter. There had been a $1 million reward to bring in Dorner, but officials found a stolen vehicle and located his whereabouts. They tracked him to a cabin where a shootout had started. Apparently there was a shot fired and smoke devices thrown in to the cabin. The cabin burst in to flames and had been burning for hours throughout the night. Now, authorities need to wait for the body to cool in order to identify the body. LAPD claim that his wallet was found close to the body with his ID and drivers license.

Are Unpaid Internships Legal?

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Looks about right

Internships offer college students and recent graduates a valuable way to gain experience in their fields of study. Regardless of how educational internships may be, they can be incredibly frustrating if they require the students to work for free.