Category Archives: Opinions

Opinions from authors on legal topics

Who Says Judges Can’t Be Funny?

Posted February 22nd, 2013
Matthew Reid Krell
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This has to be the single most brilliant opinion I’ve ever read. Judge Jeffrey Sutton proceeds to eviscerate the Memphis Police Department and a district court judge who has annoyed me (in fairness, judges probably annoy every lawyer when they rule against that lawyer – it doesn’t mean that the judge is stupid or even [...]
Also posted in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law |( Leave a comment)

Rights versus right?

Posted August 1st, 2012
Palma Joy Strand
Guest post by Elaine Sylvester   12 people were killed when a gunman entered a theater in Aurora, Colorado, and proceeded to open fire on the captive audience. Like many news-hungry Americans, I spent a sizable percentage of the days after combing the Internet for insight into the cruelties that we witnessed from afar. And [...]
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Ninth Circuit Ruling is Monumental for Those Suffering From Eating Disorders

Posted July 13th, 2012
Shon R. Hopwood
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Guest Post By Ann Marie Hopwood On July 12, 2012, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals summarily denied Blue Shield of California’s request for rehearing and rehearing en banc for the decision made in Harlick v. Blue Shield of California. In the decision made on June 4, 2012, the Ninth Circuit withdrew its prior [...]
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What Does Tolerance Mean?

Posted February 5th, 2012
Shon R. Hopwood
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The word tolerance gets thrown around a lot in the media and in every day conversation. But I’ve noticed that few people, and especially those with set political beliefs, actually understand what the word means in practice. Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic has a great piece, entitled A Real Commitment to Minority Rights Needs a [...]
Also posted in Liberty |( Leave a comment)

Conor Friedersdorf Rebuts Santorum’s Arguments Against Same-Sex Marriage

Posted January 18th, 2012
Shon R. Hopwood
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Same-sex marriage promises to be an enormously divisive issue in this election year. No current candidate stands for gay marriage: President Obama advocates civil unions and Congressman Ron Paul says that the issue should be left to the states. Yet, several candidates are vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage. One of them is Rick Santorum. Now, [...]
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Will tonight’s Tea Party GOP Debate discuss costly government programs like the drug war and mass incarceration?

Posted September 19th, 2011
Shon R. Hopwood
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Professor Douglas Berman at Sentencing Law and Policy has a great post about the GOP Presidential debate. Professor Berman would like to ask three highly relevant questions to candidates who support limited government and free markets. Those questions are: Do you support the bill introduced by Ron Paul and Barney Frank to get the federal government [...]
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The Rule of Law in this Country Is a ___?

Posted September 2nd, 2011
Shon R. Hopwood
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A joke. That might be the appropriate response. If you don’t believe me, then check out this post by Paul Craig Roberts over at LewRockwell.com. Here is a sampling: With bank fraudsters, torturers, and war criminals running free, the US Department of Justice (sic) has nothing better to do than to harass the famous Tennessee [...]
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What Elective Courses Should Law School Students Take?

Posted August 28th, 2011
Shon R. Hopwood
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So after the misery of first year is over, the question for law students becomes which elective courses to take. I have a couple of thoughts on this, although I must admit that I may be misguided. So if anyone has a better answer, then by all means please share it and/or tear my opinions to shreds. I started [...]
Also posted in Law School, Uncategorized |( 2 Comments)

Best of the Weekend

Posted June 27th, 2011
Shon R. Hopwood
I read several great pieces over the weekend. Here are the best of them. University of Chicago Professor Geoffrey R. Stone had this New York Times op-ed entitled “Our Untransparent President.” Mr. Stone alleges that: “While Mr. Obama has taken certain steps, notably early in his administration, to scale back some of the Bush-era excesses, [...]
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An Attempt to Ban “Groping” at Airports

Posted June 16th, 2011
Shon R. Hopwood
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I just read a very interesting article from the NY Times on a bill that might be reintroduced in the Texas legislature. The bill would ban “intrusive” airport searches, such as pat-downs that touch “the anus, sexual organ, buttocks or breast of another person including through the clothing, or touches the other person in a manner [...]
Also posted in Constitutional Law |( 1 Comment)