Archive for October 2008

The Devil Made Me Do It

Oct 30th, 2008

Written by: Amy E. Seely Researched by: Kirk Strohman and Dean Micknal Edited by: Nick Caleb and Tracy Frazier Managing Editor: Lauren E. Trent Each October in the United States, grocery stores beef up their candy displays, and thrill-seekers go searching for the scariest movie, creepiest haunted house, or spookiest ghost story. Indeed, horror movies [...]



Extreme Makeover: Political Edition

Oct 28th, 2008

Sarah Palin has always been an attractive person: at one time she was a beauty pageant contestant. Still, when Senator John McCain tapped the governor of Alaska to be his partner in a different kind of contest, the Republican National Committee (RNC) went shopping. And shopping. And shopping. Over the last two months, the RNC has dropped over $150,000 to spruce up the Palin family’s wardrobe and accessories.

This spending frenzy raises a number of disturbing questions: What were they thinking? Will Joe the Plumber like this? Do suits from Neiman Marcus fit in with the governor’s “hockey mom” image? And, most importantly from the tax attorney’s perspective, are the Palins required to treat the wardrobe enhancements as taxable income?



Witness Tampering: When Does Dirty Work Become A Crime?

Oct 23rd, 2008

Written by: Edward S. Bushnell Researched by: Daniel Kwak and John Deininger Edited by: Casey E. Sanders Managing Editor: Mary Anne Nash There are some legal jobs where you just have to get your hands dirty. Criminal defense attorney Robert Simels may have such a job – he’s known for defending high-profile alleged criminals, including [...]



“Damn The Man!” The Ability To Sell Second-Hand CDs

Oct 16th, 2008

Written by: Matthew A. Schroettnig Researched by: Adam Gottlieb Edited by: Eric Blaine and Tom Borton Managing Editor: Brady Iandiorio Music is like, crazy, man. It seems every time you check the news, the music industry is once again going broke as a result of some epic catastrophe. In the 1980s that catastrophe was the [...]



A Bully at the Pulpit: The Johnson Amendment and Presidential Politics in Places of Worship

Oct 9th, 2008

Written by: Eric Wasik Researched by: Edward S. Bushnell and Kirk Strohman Edited by: Peter Fehrs and Casey King Managing Editor: Lauren E. Trent Every four years an invisible, omnipresent visitor arrives. You cannot escape it. It interrupts your peace as you are watching television in your living room. When you drive to work, it [...]



Word of the Week: Parol Evidence

Oct 6th, 2008

Each week we select a legal term or phrase that’s commonly misunderstood, interesting, or makes your spellchecker freak out. This week’s word is the latter. Written by: Tracy Frazier Imagine, if you will, two dapper businessmen in their fine wool suits negotiating a contract as to who can grow his hair the longest without getting [...]



As American as Mom’s . . . Orgies?

Oct 2nd, 2008

Written by: Brady Iandiorio Researched by: Tracy Frazier Edited by: Jeff Hinman and Dean Micknal Managing Editor: Mary Anne Nash Apparently life in these United States has changed dramatically; orgies are more popular than apple pie. At least that’s what the defense attempted to show in a recent Florida trial. Using “Google Trends,” which shows [...]