John G. Browning News
Legally Speaking: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Frivolous Lawsuits
The final movie in the Harry Potter saga, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," has set box office records worldwide, just as the series of J.K. Rowling books which inspired the films have shattered sales records themselves and secured a permanent place in the hearts of children and adults alike.
Legally Speaking: Sixteen, and Life to Go (Part 2)
The first installment of this series examined the case of Chad Uptergrove, tried as an adult and convicted of capital murder for a crime committed when he was only 16 � a crime perpetrated by an older friend.
Legally Speaking: Sixteen, and Life to Go (Part 1)
On Sept. 8, Chad Allen Uptergrove will turn 36 years old. But unlike most of us, he will not celebrate that birthday surrounded by family and friends.
Legally Speaking: I Second That Motion
Lawyers file motion all the time, seeking to bring what they consider to be important, vital information to the attention of the judge.
Legally Speaking: Some Defenses That Worked, and a Few That Didn't
In previous "Legally Speaking" columns, I've written about some rather creative defenses that defendants and their lawyers have concocted�with varying degrees of success.
Legally Speaking: Putting Legalese on the Endangered List
The U.S. government came out with a new law recently. Previously, the feds might have described it like this: "Pursuant to regulations promulgated hereunder and commencing in accordance with the statute signed herein by President Barack Obama, the federal government shall be precluded from writing the pompous gobbledygook heretofore evidenced, to the extent practicable."
Legally Speaking: Go Sue Yourself
A few years back, I remember chuckling at a Dilbert cartoon that featured the hapless office worker complaining to his company's in-house lawyer about some mistake the attorney had made. "I could sue myself," the lawyer lamely explained, "but if we take it all the way to trial, I'll probably lose."
Legally Speaking: A Father's Lessons
On a large bulletin board in the crowded hallway of one of the courthouses in Bexar County, Texas, there is what I refer to as the "Monument to the Unknown Father."
Legally Speaking: All the Legal Weirdness That's Fit to Print (Part 2)
Last week, I brought you a roundup of some of the legal system's recent strange cases, criminals, and litigants. As the following cases demonstrate, there's a lot more where that came from.
Legally Speaking: All the Legal Weirdness That's Fit to Print (Part 1)
Readers of "Legally Speaking" know that I'm particularly fond of illustrating the quirkiness of the legal system, from the oddest of its litigants to the craziest criminals and the strangest cases.
Legally Speaking: More Wacky Warning Labels, and Other Assorted Weirdness
One of the things I look forward to is bringing readers news of the annual "Wackiest Warning Labels" contest sponsored by the Roswell, Ga.-based Center for America.
Legally Speaking: Standing Up to Class Action Bullies
In a recent column, I discussed the often-outrageous attorney fee claims in class action lawsuits, where lawyers pocketed huge sums while achieving little, if anything, for the consumers in whose names they waged war in the legal trenches.
Legally Speaking: Tattoo You-Lawsuits Over Body Art Lead to Lots of Ink
Tattoos are becoming the subject of legal battles lately, and not always in ways you might expect.
Legally Speaking: Hardly a 'Class' Act
We've all gotten them in the mail�the densely-written legal notices in tiny print advising us that we may be among the members of a class action currently pending in some far-off federal court.
Legally Speaking: The Good, The Bad and the Just Plain Weird - Part 2
Last week, I treated you to a round-up of some of the bizarre cases and developments around the world. There were so many, in fact, that I couldn't fit it all into one column.
Legally Speaking: The Good, The Bad and the Just Plain Weird
I like to write about some of the brighter, more confidence-inspiring aspects of our legal system. Human nature being what it is, however, sometimes I'm stuck shining a light on the less heartwarming tales from the civil and criminal trenches.
Legally Speaking: That Justice May Be Done
For many, the common perception of a prosecutor is that of a zealous, win-at-all-costs district attorney eager for a conviction regardless of the evidence.
Legally Speaking: Some Judges Have the Write Stuff
In previous columns, I've written about judges who have enlivened their opinions with literary references, quoted from song lyrics, movies, and television shows, and even put their judicial opinions into verse.
Legally Speaking: You Have the Right to Remain Strange
One of the benefits of writing a column like this is that when I don't feel like tackling a serious issue, I know that I can always count on the legal system to provide a seemingly never-ending stream of bizarre cases and truth-is-stranger-than-fiction litigants.
Legally Speaking: They, Too, Have a Voice
The extraordinary film "The King's Speech" did more than just sweep the Academy Awards (winning Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay) and captivate the public imagination.