Alex Murdaugh and whether to testify in your own defense

As a criminal defense attorney with my fair share of trial experience, it’s always interesting to see how other practitioners litigate their cases. After all, the legal profession enjoys playing Monday morning quarterback with its analysis. I personally try not to cast stones; I’m far from flawless in trial. But that’s the beauty of the … Read more

Is this a court of record or ‘Nothing But Trouble’?

I’ve always been a fan of those movies that are so bad they’re good. They come in various forms. Sometimes it’s your standard low-budget “B-movie” that owes its appeal to the fact that, despite its low budget, a great deal of effort was put into the production only to yield a subpar result. The 2003 … Read more

Lady Gaga failed to pay promised $500K for return of stolen bulldogs, suit alleges; plaintiff was charged in case

Home Daily News Lady Gaga failed to pay promised $500K for… Contracts Lady Gaga failed to pay promised $500K for return of stolen bulldogs, suit alleges; plaintiff was charged in case By Debra Cassens Weiss February 27, 2023, 12:55 pm CST Lady Gaga poses at the Shrine Auditorium in September 2018 in Los Angeles. Photo … Read more

‘Rust’ and a look at criminal liability on movie sets

No profession is free from potential tragedy. It can come in various shapes and sizes to some degree or another, but the notion of someone dying while on a typical job is far from the realm of expectations. While these tragedies are always, well, tragic, death seems to hit on a different level when it … Read more

How Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ can shed light on legal bias

By John Ursu, Richard H. Willis and Merrie Jo Pitera What’s the problem with Hamlet? A central preoccupation of the characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is deciphering what’s going on with the title character. In the play, Hamlet is called home from college after his father, King Hamlet, dies. After the funeral, Hamlet’s … Read more

Examining juvenile crime and punishment in songs

With fantasy football season over (home league champion, right here), I’ve started going through the back catalog of some of my favorite podcasts, one being Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Dad. I’ve previously written about his The Daily Stoic podcast, and they are both worth a listen. I recently came across an installment titled “Tell Them … Read more

Prosecutors face obstacles in prosecution of Alec Baldwin and armorer for cinematographer’s death

Home Daily News Prosecutors face obstacles in prosecution… Criminal Justice Prosecutors face obstacles in prosecution of Alec Baldwin and armorer for cinematographer’s death By Debra Cassens Weiss January 23, 2023, 9:34 am CST Actor Alec Baldwin at the premiere of The Seagull in April 2018 during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. … Read more

‘Tulsa King’ and a look at organized crime

Some of Oklahoma’s most reputable local satire took aim at Tulsa King almost from its inception. Its star (Sylvester Stallone) isn’t a tough target. His increasingly indecipherable delivery and extraordinary physique that belies his age (he’s 76) have created almost a caricature of his former self. Nevertheless, we are talking about the man who played … Read more

Potential juror for Young Thug trial ordered to write 30-page essay after skipping return to court

Home Daily News Potential juror for Young Thug trial ordered… Juries Potential juror for Young Thug trial ordered to write 30-page essay after skipping return to court By Debra Cassens Weiss January 18, 2023, 9:11 am CST A juror who skipped a return court appearance to be considered as a juror in the trial of … Read more

Hulu’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and keeping an appropriate distance from your clients

Ah, yet another streaming legal drama to review and analyze. Thank you, television gods, for continuing to bestow a fruitful bounty of hourlong installments to fill my column’s coffers. Reasonable Doubt, a relatively new series that first aired in the fall on Hulu, is the next offering with high hopes of capitalizing on the public’s … Read more