College Law Student

This guy should be thankful…

SEATTLE — A man who says he bought moldy cookies in the King County Jail is suing the county for pain, suffering and emotional distress. Moses Wiggins, 41, said he didn’t notice the mold until he had eaten half a bag of cookies. He spent several days vomiting while suffering diarrhea and stomach cramps.

Several days of diarrhea probably saved him from any romantic encounters while serving his time.

Not to mention those cookies probably prevented headaches and tasted better than the regular prison food.

This is one of those cases that should be resolved with getting your money back and an apology.

Most everyone has seen the “Naked Cowboy”, the street performer in Times Square, on TV or possibly in person.

Well now that same guy is suing the M&Ms candy company for trademark infringement.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The $6 million lawsuit filed by the New York City street performer known as The Naked Cowboy against M&Ms candy maker Mars Inc can go forward on grounds of trademark infringement, a judge ruled on Monday.

Robert Burck — for 10 years a fixture in Times Square, who strums a white guitar while dressed only in white cowboy boots and hat and skimpy white underwear — filed the suit in February over video billboards depicting a blue M&M dressed in his signature outfit.

U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin denied a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, ruling that Burck may proceed with his false endorsement claim, “for he plausibly alleges that consumers seeing defendants’ advertisements would conclude — incorrectly — that he had endorsed M&M candy.”

Chin dismissed Burck’s right to privacy claim, noting that New York law protects the name, portrait or picture of a living person but not that of a character or a role created by or performed by a living person.

Burck, who poses for photos with giggling tourists in return for dollars slipped into his boots, has trademarked his look and licensed his name and likeness to companies for endorsements and advertisements, including a Chevrolet commercial that appeared during a Super Bowl, the suit says.

In addition to Mars, Burck sued Chute Gerdeman Inc, the agency that created the ads with the Naked Cowboy M&M as well as ads with M&Ms dressed as other characters associated with New York, including the Statue of Liberty and King Kong.

Chin ordered attorneys for both sides to appear for a pretrial conference on July 11.

I think someone should sue “Naked Cowboy” for false advertising. He’s hardly naked while wearing those tighty-whiteys and cowboy boots.

Jerry Seinfeld is being sued by author Missy Chase Lapine after he made comments on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Seinfeld compared the author to three name killers like Mark David Chapman and James Earl Ray while making jokes to Letterman about the lawsuit Lapine has against his him and his wife over the plagarism of her cookbook.

The best part of the lawsuit is the changing of some wording in the paperwork that removed the wording of  ”Jerry Seinfeld is an enormously wealthy and well-known comedian” to “well-known actor”. The reason was to minimize the statements that defamed her.

CARLISLE, Pa. - A Pennsylvania man says he had one alternative when his brother didn’t show up to give him a ride to court: start walking. Stephen Shoemaker of Shippensburg was scheduled to appear at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for sentencing on a 2007 drunken-driving conviction.

Shoemaker, 33, doesn’t have a car or driver’s license. So he started walking to the Cumberland County Courthouse in Carlisle at dawn. He kept walking for about 25 miles in 90-plus-degree heat.

Shoemaker arrived about 3:30 p.m., after a detour to Carlisle Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for dehydration. Judge Edward Guido had issued an arrest warrant when Shoemaker failed to appear. Instead he agreed to defer sentencing until July. Guido says he hesitated only because “that means he’ll have to walk back to Shippensburg.”

Deputy Public Defender Anthony Adams volunteered to give Shoemaker a ride home.

- MSNBC

All that and the only thing the judge gives him is a later sentencing.

I have a feeling this guy will be back in court sooner for assaulting his brother though.

I have to give it to the guy for attempting to make it but has he never heard of a phone?

As a law student and avid gamer it is a joy to hear that Jack Thompson’s antics are no longer being tolerated.

Earlier this afternoon, Thompson walked out on his disciplinary hearing where the Florida Bar asked for “enhanced disbarment”. Hopefully preventing him from practicing law for the next ten years.

Before leaving though, Mr. Thompson filed a “Formal Objection to June 4 Sanctions Hearing” about 4,500 words.

You can read the whole story HERE at Kotaku.com

It’s a must read if you like the nonsensical ramblings of a madman.

Law student Michael Dodge graduated this weekend from the University of Mississippi with the first-ever certificate in Space Law.

Space law is an actual concern since people have been trying to sell property on the Mars for years now. But it also handles things like weaponization of space and the industrialization of privatized space. Also it keeps people from starting wars over who owns the moon.

My guess is Mr. Dodges’ first week is going to be full with all those calls from hillbillies who claim to have been illegally probed by extraterrestrials.

article found on io9.com