JB Emmons

US-licensed attorney currently pursuing criminal defence practice in Metro #Vancouver, British Columbia. Background in 1st, 4th Amendment law & qualified immunity.

🗣️: #law #LawFedi #politics #culture #cycling & life in #bc.

He/him.

Interested in developments at the Supreme Court of Canada? Follow @scc_bot for updates in English and French.

https://justmytoots.com/@jbe@esq.social

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npub1xatd634qq05v5z77j75eepqh5zrcap3adaprtmks3c328uu4w04s75e780

NIP-05 Address

jbe_at_esq.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsrw4kag6sq86x2p00f02vusst6ppuwsc7k7s34amggug4r7w2h86cpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qec0lvn

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relay.mostr.pub

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npub1xatd634qq05v5z77j75eepqh5zrcap3adaprtmks3c328uu4w04s75e780

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Last Notes

2024-05-23 23:56:26

A pleasant email from a colleague complimenting my eloquence at a morning hearing was a nice coda to my afternoon hearing, when I inhaled a bug while arguing for someone's release on bail and then had to keep arguing while discreetly coughing up said bug

2024-04-01 14:08:18

Good morning, 2024 is ~25% complete.

2024-03-28 02:27:54

The thing I will always remember about Joe Lieberman is that he looked vaguely like Senator Palpatine.

2024-03-10 20:24:12

Southern youth minister: "Yeah, I'm into Dune 2"
[flipping chair backwards and straddling it to face his audience]
"Dune 2 others what you'd have them Dune 2 you"

2024-03-10 19:05:57

I have stopped by the delicious cinnamon roll place on Commercial Drive twice in the past six months, and both times my wife has eaten half the cinnamon roll and then forbidden me from ever buying them again

2024-03-08 15:56:57

There are many reasons I'm seeking permanent residency here in Canada after a lifetime of frustration living in the US.
But if I had to name one off the top of my head right now, it's the fact that I've spent years UNSUCCESSFULLY trying to convince my student loan servicer that 5 years of work for the US federal court system as a judicial law clerk should qualify as "public service" for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

2024-03-05 15:21:45

A great article ... so of course the publication pulled it.
Find the author, Kate Wagner, at mcmansionhell on various social media sites.
https://web.archive.org/web/20240301170542/https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a46975496/behind-f1-velvet-curtain/

2024-02-24 23:56:08

My wife: How can you enjoy The Mars Volta's old Spanish-language songs if you don't understand what they're singing?
Me: Love, I don't even understand what they were singing in their English-language songs....

2024-02-07 14:07:20

Even for the US in 2024 this is dark.
“His mother back in Venezuela felt the vibrations,” Sliwa bragged to Hannity. “He is sucking concrete. The cops scraped him off the asphalt. He’s on his way to jail.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sean-hannity-guardian-angels-fox-news_n_65c364a0e4b0dbc806aec1af

2024-02-07 02:51:21

My learned colleague (derogatory)

2024-01-02 23:18:50

Yesterday was a day off bookending 11 days of weekends / holidays / lower-stress work, and tomorrow is going to be a madhouse.
In that light, anyone expecting me to work a full day *today* has a lot of nerve.

2024-01-01 06:27:20

Was on an airplane at the tail end of a 4.5-hour flight when the ball dropped in NYC
Was fighting to get through the drunks on the SkyTrain platform when the music note dropped in Nashville
Hoping to walk in the door of my apartment before the chile drops in Las Cruces
Ideally I will be sound asleep before anything drops here in Metro Vancouver

2023-12-09 19:02:39

Context matters. It's certainly not inherently antisemitic to say the phrase "Free Palestine." But saying "Free Palestine" while firing a shotgun outside of a random synagogue in upstate NY? 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 antisemitic.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/08/albany-new-york-man-allegedly-fired-gun-outside-synagogue-charged

2023-12-02 01:18:18

It's the weekend, but at what cost

2023-11-24 15:01:51

Some #BC property owners 'panicking' following recently introduced short-term rental legislation
Realtors in some cities are already seeing a flood of listings, at a time of year when listing levels are typically low
"They thought they were going to make a mint because they saw what was happening in the gold rush. And now they're realizing, 'Oh, big mistake.'"
#AirBNB #housing
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/short-term-rental-property-sales-bc-1.7037791

2023-11-22 00:07:39

Met an aggressive Canadian* for the first time today
(* = a Canadian who politely corrected me for saying "restroom" instead of "washroom")

2023-11-19 15:48:15

Horse-race sensationalist headlines are like "Nikki Haley surging, Ron DeSantis steady or worse in primary race" and then you read the story and it's got Trump at like 60% among GOP voters.
I'm 100% on board with Jay Rosen's "not the odds but the stakes" approach to journalism. Mostly because the stakes are what actually matter, but also because odds-focused coverage has every incentive to pretend that even an open-and-shut situation is a dramatic nail-biter.

2023-11-18 20:45:37

let them fight dot gif
Swimmer witnesses surprise fight between octopus and sea lion near #Nanaimo #BC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sea-lion-octopus-nanaimo-1.7032769

2023-11-17 00:19:02

More than half of #BC 🇨🇦 respondents to a Habitat for Humanity survey reported spending more than 50% of their income on #housing, either #rent or #mortgage payments
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/majority-of-b-c-residents-report-spending-at-least-50-of-household-income-on-housing-poll-1.6648614

2023-11-12 23:17:06

Via terriblemap (Threads): Population distribution of the United States in units of Canadas
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/400/119/604/501/262/original/86ecf26792c514fe.jpg

2023-11-04 00:30:30

I only filled up the tank, then looked up to see how many litres it was. I swear to god this was NOT on purpose.
But inside every man is a 13yo boy, and this one's giggling a little.
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/349/453/884/329/853/original/b680c9523c5635f9.jpg

2023-10-29 19:55:15

The vibes on every social media network I use are way, way off today.
Good day to either touch grass and/or get some work done.

2023-10-27 12:54:28

Every gun nut sees himself as a Lancelot or an Aragorn, so naturally every firearm is a potential Excalibur or Andúril, a heroic weapon that cannot fail us but can only itself be failed by an impure heart
House Speaker Mike Johnson: “The problem is the human heart. It’s not guns.”
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/asked-shootings-new-house-speaker-says-s-not-guns-rcna122458

2023-10-12 15:52:45

Our practice does a lot of video appearances. My colleague's desk is in front of a window overlooking the Burrard Inlet, so he has an enviable MS Teams background.
Except: last week our building maintenance folks were forced to affix a warning to the decrepit fire escape outside that window. So now, hovering over the shoulder of this lawyer during every video appearance is a big red sign reading DANGER - DO NOT USE
Not the best marketing tool!
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/222/851/034/734/127/original/cf0657be9df8071c.jpg

2023-10-09 14:00:14

You: "Happy Columbus Day!"
Me and everyone else:
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/205/417/859/727/168/original/b856739295b2a17a.jpg

2023-10-08 16:28:13

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@npub1ulm…hweg
I was noticing that as well. I'm not sure if there was some sort of tipping point, but the dialogue over the Israel-Gaza conflict is definitely bringing Twitter-at-its-worst vibes.

2023-10-04 13:47:07

A British Columbia author whose children's book about residential schools was temporarily banned by a #US school board says she is concerned about possible bans on #Indigenous books in #BC classrooms.
Some experts share Jordan-Fenton's concern about U.S. book bans having a "chilling effect" on decisions about school books in B.C.
#bookban #USpol #CANpoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/indigenous-book-bans-bc-1.6985294

2023-10-02 19:45:53

Just learned I might have to make an appearance in BC Supreme Court (i.e. the superior trial court) early tomorrow.
I'm still a new enough call to the bar that I don't have a properly fitted court gown, which is required at the Supreme Court level. My colleague will let me borrow his, but he's easily half a head taller than me.
Should go great!
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/167/140/826/245/928/original/66a5800500ffbed8.jpg

2023-10-02 15:05:31

On the one hand, I appreciate having two three-day weekends in a row.
On the other, I couldn't sleep last night anyway, partly because I was so stressed about having two weeks in a row where five days' worth of hearings are packed into four.

2023-10-01 14:34:41

Stolen from somewhere
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/160/249/171/853/436/original/8a53329e12bfe439.png
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/111/160/251/845/589/110/original/b39744f74035431b.png

2023-09-20 15:29:43

I'm new enough to Canada to usually withhold my opinion on political and international affairs here. But this "travel advisory" from the Indian government is hot garbage, and transparently so.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/india-issues-travel-advisory-for-canada-as-rift-widens-over-sikh-leader-s-death-1.6569419

2023-09-15 13:15:52

Bill Maher says his show ‘Real Time’ to return despite writers strike
Maher: "They kind of believe that you’re owed a living as a writer — and you’re not."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2023/09/14/bill-maher-real-time-writers-strike-return/

2023-09-09 14:57:44

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@npub1ulm…hweg
I'm reading "Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir, based on some vague recommendations I've seen for it. So far I'm not convinced I'm the target audience for this sort of sci-fi/fantasy, but the writing style is funny at times, and the underlying mystery is engaging enough to keep it interesting. I can see why a lot of people enjoy it!

2023-09-06 04:46:58

There are already plenty of Proud Boys in the US prison system. Oath Keepers, too.
The problem is, you usually can't tell them apart from the other corrections officers.

2023-08-19 21:50:51

#Wildfire smoke has finally hit the #Burquitlam area of Metro #Vancouver.
At my wife's wise insistence, I ran down to Ikea and got one of their $50 Vindstryka indoor air quality monitors. We may need that in the coming days, if firesmoke.ca is to be believed.

2023-08-18 19:39:03

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@npub189n…satx
On THIS platform? wth?

2023-08-18 19:38:25

Qualification exam results for aspiring lawyers in BC are due to be posted today.
Me: Hmm, I wonder if the results are up yet.
[logs in, sees nothing]
Me: Okay, guess I'll check again in an hour or so.
[five minutes pass]
Me: Hmm, I wonder if the results are up yet.

2023-08-18 13:11:52

State of emergency declared, partial evacuation ordered in #Kelowna #BC after wildfire jumps #Okanagan Lake overnight
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/kelowna-declares-state-of-emergency-evacuation-orders-issued-as-wildfire-jumps-okanagan-lake-overnight-1.6524568

2023-08-16 18:37:35

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@npub1ulm…hweg
Skimming the transcript now. I had missed the NCLA's involvement, which is ... notable.

2023-08-16 17:08:03

I had some business in North Vancouver today, so I decided to take the SeaBus. On the front half of the return ferry now, I am the only person wearing a mask during this latest COVID surge.
Well, unless you count the guy wearing a thin surgical mask over his chin, mouth and nose exposed. Which I don't.

2023-08-16 17:01:01

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@npub1ulm…hweg
Thanks. I think I learned about this situation from your posts some time ago, and I appreciate that you're following it and keeping everyone here up to date on developments.

2023-08-16 16:45:56

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@npub1ulm…hweg
Here's an archived link to the letter. Long story short: impeachment? (Though she's really just asking to transfer the matter to another circuit/council.)
https://archive.li/kWnlS

2023-08-16 16:31:37

Judge Edith Jones of the #5thCircuit U.S. Court of Appeals argued in a letter to the WSJ that the #FederalCircuit circumvented the “usual process” in its probe of Judge Pauline Newman’s mental fitness and her alleged failure to cooperate with investigators.
Newman, 96, has allegedly shown bouts of memory loss, confusion and paranoia. A 3-judge panel is seeking to suspend her for one year or until she submits to a court-ordered examination.
#LawFedi #legal
https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/us-appeals-judge-faults-probe-federal-circuits-pauline-newman-2023-08-15/

2023-08-16 00:07:20

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@npub18cw…ha8a
@npub1vr3…za00
Oh, if this guy ever appeals, it will absolutely be reduced. I don't think most courts would countenance an award equivalent to the GDP of a small country as appropriate for these circumstances. I'm glad it's a significant amount, but I'd be shocked to see more than a low 9-digit award after an appeal.

2023-08-15 15:25:40

Pro-tip for appellate lawyers: if your appeal is still live, don't wait 15 months to tell the court of appeals that your corporate client has dissolved. You won't win any friends on the bench.
#LawFedi #11thCircuit
https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/202014846.ord.pdf
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/894/326/686/871/483/original/d2342de9129c422d.png

2023-08-15 14:07:48

Texas jury orders man to pay ex-girlfriend $1.2bn in revenge porn case
The woman said her ex-boyfriend conducted a campaign to spread intimate photos of her online without her consent. Using images taken by security cameras at the home where the woman was living, he shared the photos on fake social media accounts, tagging friends, family and employers on the picture.
He also created a website and publicly accessible Dropbox folders and emailed the photos to people.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/15/texas-jury-revenge-porn-case

2023-08-14 15:20:18

With temperatures set to hit the high 30s in #BC, housing advocates call for heat limits in rental homes
As temps reach up to 39° (102°F) today in Metro #Vancouver and farther east, advocates say municipalities need to ensure tenants don't face deadly risks of overheating in their homes.
Although municipalities set bylaws mandating the minimum temperatures rental units must be able to maintain, there are no similar rules for how hot a home is allowed to get.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-heat-wave-august-2023-rental-housing-rules-1.6935647

2023-08-13 23:06:17

Walking in my building's parkade yesterday, I saw that an ebike inside one locker has a design painted on the front fender -- a swastika, in red paint.
So that's comforting, knowing that we share a building with someone into 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 shit.
I'd kind of hoped I wouldn't see shit like that when we arrived in Canada two years ago, but obviously this country is no more immune to certain social forces than is the US.

2023-08-13 15:50:39

I looked over from my coffee a few moments ago and found that our border collie was staring at me adoringly. We then shared a long exchange of sweet, loving stares, ending only when the dog released what had to be the lengthiest fart I have ever heard emerge from a canine.

2023-08-12 23:56:09

Wiped out from fetch in the park, and yet still managing to look bored. And stinking adorable.
#DogsOfMastodon #BorderCollie
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/879/347/097/454/268/original/0e02ef3b21519a17.jpg

2023-08-12 23:24:55

Wife and I went to a dumpling festival at a park in central Coquitlam, but it was way too hot and crowded, with lines stretching back 15-20 minutes or more.
We regrouped for a few minutes, and then jumped back on the SkyTrain, rode it one stop, and went to the food court at the nearby Korean/Chinese mall. We ordered potstickers and wontons in mala chili oil, which were at least as good as anything at the overcrowded festival, at probably half the price per dumpling.
I think we chose wisely.

2023-08-11 13:34:00

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@npub1vqm…ccpx
Eh, sort of? On the one hand, yeah, there's Calabresi and the authors of the paper he links. On the other hand, FedSoc has distanced itself from Calabresi ever since he criticized Trump post-Jan6. From yesterday's NYT writeup on this paper/post, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/us/trump-jan-6-insurrection-conservatives.html :
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/871/238/349/422/730/original/520975eb6d4ea59d.png

2023-08-11 01:03:32

Steven Calabresi, co-founder of the Federalist Society #FedSoc, argues that Donald #Trump is disqualified from the presidency under section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US #Constitution. #LawFedi #USpol
https://reason.com/volokh/2023/08/10/trump-is-disqualified-from-being-on-any-election-ballots/

2023-08-10 20:39:56

Supreme Court of Canada #SCC refuses to hear appeal from #BC churches opposed to #COVID19 ruling
The churches out of #Langley, #Abbotsford, and #Chilliwack had argued that their #Charter rights were violated when provincial restrictions banned indoor religious services at the height of the #pandemic.
#LawFedi #LawCanada 🇨🇦
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/supreme-court-of-canada-refuses-to-hear-appeal-from-b-c-churches-opposed-to-covid-19-ruling-1.6513874

2023-08-10 20:34:23

As the article notes, Tuberville's residency issues were a known issue during the 2020 Alabama Senate race.
But given the choice between an anti-military Florida resident like Tuberville and a competent, dedicated public servant like Doug Jones, white GOP voters in AL eagerly chose the former.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/10/tommy-tuberville-floridas-third-senator/

2023-08-10 12:22:36

We've heard about billionaires paying for #SCOTUS Justice Thomas's vacations in the past. But it turns out we're not talking 1 or 2 or even a dozen vacations. We're talking 38 vacations, 34 private flights, numerous other exclusive perks...𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧.
“In my career I don’t remember ever seeing this degree of largesse given to anybody,” said Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge who served for years on the judicial committee that reviews judges’ financial disclosures
https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-other-billionaires-sokol-huizenga-novelly-supreme-court
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/865/295/292/779/785/original/aaaff8cd95eb5cfd.png

2023-08-08 16:22:29

I think a lot of criticisms of NYT are overblown. But I have to admit I'm getting leery of the NYT Opinion trend of publishing essays from GOP mainstays on "Why prosecuting Donald Trump plays right into the Republican Party's hands."
Aug 5: Ross Douthat, "The Normal Paths to Beating Trump are Closing"
Aug 7: Rich Lowry (of National Review), "Imagine What Another Indictment Could Do for Donald Trump"
Aug 8: Jack Goldsmith (GWB asst AG), "The Prosecution of Trump May Have Terrible Consequences"

2023-08-07 13:41:47

It is once again a holiday in BC. As an American living here who is always a bit behind on the local holidays and their purpose, I assume it has something to do with Baldur's Gate III.

2023-08-05 23:16:11

You mean to tell me I head downtown with my wife for just a few hours, and in that time alone a motion in the Trump DC case is filed, opposed, and resolved?

2023-08-02 20:16:03

Kyle Cheney says that we can "shortlist" the identity of Co-Conspirator 6 by reviewing the attendees of a December 13, 2020 meeting referenced in the indictment. The list is provided via the phone records of Jason Miller, who also attended.
My guess since yesterday has been Boris Epshteyn, and he does appear on the list. But I haven't compared him to other players in the indictment, so I can't confirm this.
https://nitter.moomoo.me/kyledcheney/status/1686804865824026629#m
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/821/852/415/202/860/original/0f628c7102eb32d8.jpg

2023-08-01 21:35:52

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No Smith yet, but news networks are reporting an #indictment for Donald #Trump on four counts, including obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the #US
#USpol

2023-08-01 21:06:55

BREAKING: SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH to deliver a statement shortly - watch on C-SPAN:
#USpol #Trump
https://www.c-span.org/video/?529681-1/special-counsel-jack-smith-delivers-statement

2023-08-01 01:18:42

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Oddly enough, just two nights ago I was talking with my wife about randomly remembering a specific scene from Peewee's Playhouse.
Peewee said he really loved a bowl of fruit salad, and a piece of furniture asked him, "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?" Peewee thought for a split second, then enthusiastically said "Okay!" A goofy wedding scene with the fruit salad followed.
I was probably six or seven, and I thought it was the funniest damn thing I'd seen. Really loved his comedy.

2023-08-01 01:14:53

Via https://nitter.moomoo.me/HelloCullen/status/1686072208450543616#m
#PeeweeHerman
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/811/708/947/974/308/original/00dbb92e2c129808.png

2023-07-30 17:46:03

Police stop pro-Trump groups from fighting each other at wild California #GOP event
As #California #Republicans overhauled their delegate selection process Saturday to help Donald #Trump in 2024, two groups of confused pro-Trump protestors denounced the move before physically attacking each other until police arrived. #USpol
https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-supporters-2662573161/

2023-07-28 23:04:02

#Kamloops #BC real estate agent fined $20K after being caught on camera drinking client's milk from the carton
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/20k-fine-for-real-estate-agent-caught-drinking-client-s-milk-from-carton-in-kamloops-b-c-1.6498614
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/794/201/747/489/225/original/dca0632e7ad86306.jpg

2023-07-28 20:15:30

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Well that was deeply, deeply unpleasant.
Unpleasant enough that I'll probably have to deal with the unpleasantness again in a few months.
There will be drinking tonight.

2023-07-28 15:37:24

My BC solicitor exam is in about 90 minutes. I think my strategy will be:
*Do well on wills/estates
*Do as well as I can on real estate
*Muddle my way through security interests
*Throw up in a bucket for all commercial/company questions
*Just skip any questions on corporate financial accounting and statements--for crying out loud, I'm just trying to be a criminal lawyer not an accountant

2023-07-19 18:40:43

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@npub189n…satx
You've got this!

2023-07-19 18:24:44

#Alabama Senator Tommy #Tuberville, best known for blocking confirmation of hundreds of US military officers and suggesting that #WhiteNationalists aren't necessarily racists, promised to donate "every dime" to veterans.
So far, it's not clear he's even donated a penny. #USpol
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/19/tommy-tuberville-veterans-fact-checker/

2023-07-19 14:56:56

#Climate models 'don't look great' as #BC faces summer of #wildfires and #drought, officials say
July and August already tend to be dry months in a normal year for the province. But Environment #Canada is predicting higher-than-average temperatures, along with less precipitation.
The 2023 season has already become the most destructive on record in terms of area burned. And recent electrical storms and holdover fires are only adding to the problem.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wildfire-drought-update-july-18-1.6910324

2023-07-18 18:29:52

It's not even noon, I'm having a bad day, mods are asleep, please post dog
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/736/506/320/102/399/original/8d6544054d9e9a8d.jpg

2023-07-18 17:22:34

Strongly rethinking some life choices rn

2023-07-18 17:08:57

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@npub10xg…h39u
Me too, but this version
https://youtu.be/XCPj4JPbKtA

2023-07-18 15:06:01

While I think this CNN story has value, I regretfully disagree with its framing.
The authors visit #HuntsvilleAL and suggest that many residents there disagree with Sen. Tommy #Tuberville re: his military holds.
But as a Huntsville native, I can tell you that it's not representative of #Alabama. It's a military-industrial town, and also as close to liberal as a city in Alabama can get.
I suspect that many statewide white voters will stand by Tuberville.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/18/politics/tommy-tuberville-military-abortion/index.html

2023-07-17 14:01:47

This spring, an #11thCircuit panel upheld a #Florida law barring those under 21 years old from carrying handguns in public in 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘷. 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪.
On Friday, the full court voted to vacate that decision and rehear the appeal en banc.
https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/202112314.enb.pdf

2023-07-14 20:58:24

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Man, in his folly, could not rebuild the Tower of Babel.
No, we must be scattered to the far corners of the virtual earth, to Nerd Post-Twitter and Theatre Kid Post-Twitter, to Journalist Post-Twitter and Shopping Mall Post-Twitter, or even to huddle in the ruins of Post-Twitter Twitter

2023-07-14 20:47:23

I was initially VERY skeptical that Threads would actually build in ActivityPub support.
But some folks convinced me otherwise when it launched, and to be fair, their arguments were well-supported.
Starting to look like my initial hunch was correct. Even if Threads does end up federating with Mastodon instances one day, we're a long, long way from that.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/14/23795138/whats-next-for-instagram-threads-twitter

2023-07-14 17:02:03

On February 21, 2023, the then-conservative majority of the #Wisconsin Supreme Court voted *against* allowing state lawyers to take a new category of continuing legal education credits on "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access." #DEI
The majority released its opinions on this matter this week, in which Ben Shapiro is favourably quoted in a concurrence.
The court has shifted liberal since this decision was made. But it still binds.
#LawFedi
https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/rulhear/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=679679

2023-07-14 12:55:00

A Federal Judge Asks: Does the Supreme Court Realize How Bad It Smells?
by U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor (D. Mass.) #LawFedi
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/14/opinion/supreme-court-ethics.html

2023-07-13 20:59:13

I appreciate SAG President Fran Drescher making the effort to link the union's struggle with the problems facing "all fields of labor" throughout the US.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/07/13/hollywood-writers-actors-strike-sag-aftra/#link-YZR4AQCK2ZEIPBZBCB5XAQXOTM

2023-07-11 15:20:32

The question presented: "Whether the Sixteenth Amendment authorizes Congress to tax unrealized sums without apportionment among the states."
The goal: to preempt any future wealth or "billionaire" tax.
With cert granted two weeks ago (despite the absence of a circuit split), these conservative activists could be on the cusp of undermining the tax code for generations.
Note too the link between amici and the billionaire friends of Alito & Thomas.
#SCOTUS #LawFedi
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/to-sabotage-or-not-sabotage-the-tax-code-for-scotus-thats-the-question

2023-07-10 21:38:59

The intersection of data-hungry private social media networks and misogynist government policy that criminalizes ethical conduct.
Nebraska Mom Pleads Guilty to Giving Abortion Pills to Her Teen Daughter
Both the mother and the now-adult daughter face prison time; the latter could face up to two years in prison.
Evidence came from private FB messages turned over by Meta in response to a warrant.
https://jezebel.com/nebraska-mom-pleads-guilty-to-giving-abortion-pills-to-1850621217

2023-07-10 19:20:06

It's a good thing when new social media platforms are willing to federate with #ActivityPub platforms like #Mastodon. I want to see more of that.
It's probably not great that the first major one that will do so is (1) kind of lame, and (2) run by #Meta.
I don't think this necessarily means instances should preemptively block #Threads.
But I think it's a perk of federation that Mastodon instances can choose to block any platform or instance, at any time, for any reason or no reason at all.

2023-07-10 16:53:00

Does anyone know how long the instance law.builders has been offline?

2023-07-07 17:56:38

Interesting #11thCircuit #ADA decision.
Universal won't let a one-handed man on a ride. It stipulates there were no specific risks to the man. But the manufacturer was hesitant to say it was safe for people w/o limbs to ride, and Universal says Florida law requires it to follow the manufacturer's guidance.
Not so, says the 11th. If FL law & the ADA conflict, the ADA preempts. Summary judgment vacated; let him ride, unless you can show the prohibition is necessary
https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/202210646.pdf

2023-07-06 19:37:36

Campfire bans now cover most of #BC as heat records fall across the province
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/campfires-temperature-records-thursday-july-6-1.6899066?cmp=rss
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/668/822/512/112/038/original/4838fb73abc4d6d6.jpg

2023-07-06 01:48:03

The mainstream press is finally catching on to what some of us put together last week: Donald #Trump appears to have inspired an assassination attempt on Barack #Obama
https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-obama-justice-department-capitol-mccarthy-27934bbd095111e7eb2bac5b5bb24e06

2023-07-05 21:48:31

The US State Department has cancelled all future meetings with Facebook over efforts to prevent election interference in 2024
The move comes one day after a Louisiana federal judge set new limits on the Biden administration’s communications with tech firms.
#USpol
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/05/missouri-biden-judge-censorship-ruling-analysis/

2023-07-05 01:52:42

- reply

@npub1wvw…4puk
You're getting a lot of good recommendations; allow me to add/repeat a few.
@npub14nl…neue is a fantastic resource
@npub1cqw…qsc0 continues to do interesting things with legaltech here
@npub122z…csws shares insightful takes on securities etc and has the best profile pic
I'm always learning new things about patent law from @npub1ulm…hweg
@npub1wmy…gr4n hosts esq.social and the Minimum Competence podcast
@npub10s6…twhx was here before most of us and boosts a lot of interesting/varied material

2023-07-02 02:43:31

Went to our neighbourhood pub to see how #CanadaDay 🇨🇦 should be celebrated, did not walk away disappointed
https://sb-esq-social.b-cdn.net/media_attachments/files/110/642/188/141/928/676/original/a6591497ee5911de.jpg

2023-07-01 21:50:04

A brief but smart critique of Justice Barrett's defence of the major questions doctrine #MQD in her 𝘉𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘷. 𝘕𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘢 concurrence
https://www.yalejreg.com/nc/lets-talk-about-that-barrett-concurrence-on-the-contextual-major-questions-doctrine-by-beau-j-baumann/

2023-07-01 21:29:36

Tips for new or returning users:
Subscribe to @npub14nl…neue for an algorithmically curated feed of posts from lawyers and court-watchers.
Follow @npub13rw…nfd8 for an endless supply of quality boosts.
In fact, follow anyone who boosts something interesting onto your timeline. It's a good way to get more of the same.
Block trolls, argumentative folks, and annoying users on sight. Liberal blocking makes for a healthy feed and a healthy Mastodon.
#Twitter #TwitterMigration #TwitterRefugees

2023-07-01 14:38:13

The FBI's acquisition of a Mastodon instance's unencrypted database gives all of us reason to consider our own security practices on here, and the security practices of our instances.
Using an unencrypted backup for debug purposes doesn't sound like an uncommon practice. And while most instance admins have no reason to expect an FBI raid, it's always worth considering how such data is handled and stored.
And of course, always remember that "DMs" here aren't encrypted.
https://kolektiva.social/@admin/110637031574056150

2023-06-30 19:04:18

It looks like #Twitter 's new shift to login requirements for viewing accounts and tweets also blows up #Nitter and its #RSS functions.
This kills any view I have of Twitter. No big deal there.
More importantly to me, if kept in place, this move will effectively kill @npub1nqh…q8ga , which sought to replicate the Supreme Court of Canada #SCC 🇨🇦 Twitter feed on Mastodon.
My condolences to those who use that tool. It was fun while it lasted.

2023-06-29 17:08:01

- reply

So: Maybe we can emulate Canada's model. Or maybe we can't. But if not, what's the plan?

2023-06-29 16:40:04

Why doesn't Canada have the same battles over affirmative action?
Simple: the Charter says that its Equal Protection provision "does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability."
It's litigated around the margins, but the basic premise of AA is firmly entrenched.

2023-06-29 15:11:56

There is much to admire in Justice Sotomayor's dissent in 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. But closing with MLK's vision that "'the arc of the
moral universe' will bend toward racial justice" seems pretty blinkered in the present context.
If there's anything that can be gleaned from the Court's line of affirmative action decisions, it is that the arc of the US's moral history is *not* on a slow but ceaseless trajectory towards justice. And 2023 seems like a bizarre time to pretend otherwise.

2023-06-29 14:05:19

- reply

It is starting to look that will be today's only fun SCOTUS fact.

2023-06-29 14:01:35

Fun fact: the nerdier #SCOTUS watchers will have noticed that Tuesday's decisions moved us into the 600th edition of the U.S. Reports, the official reporter of Supreme Court opinions. Citations to those decisions will read something like 600 U.S. ____.