Bobak Ha'Eri

If lawyers are agents for the devil, what does that make fake lawyers? Specifically, what about those con artists who prey on a vulnerable segment of the population? Poor immigrants, often in high stress situations, are finding themselves targets of unscrupulous quasi-advocates who take full advantage of their shaky (if at all existent) grasp of the English language and lack of familiarity with the American legal system.
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Is Bacardi 151 dangerous? A New York woman certainly thinks so after a bartender’s ill-fated fire trick caused the bottle to act like a “flamethrower” and give her second- and third-degree burns. Her suit against the overproofed rum’s manufacturer, for negligence and strict liability based on defective design, will move forward after an appellate court affirmed a decision by the trial court. At issue is whether or not the warnings and removable flame arrester are adequate given the beverage’s promotion as a tool for pyrotechnic tricks.
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Ever the originalist, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia decided to make a definitive ruling on the deep dish v. thin crust debate that threatens to tear the nation apart. He made to make his pronouncement deep in enemy territory, while speaking to students at the Chicago-Kent School of Law. Having previously hinted a strong preference for New York-style pizza, the justice claimed that “real” pizza is Neapolitan, which might also disqualify his favorite style.
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The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Wednesday that hyperlinking to defamatory material on the internet does not constitute publishing the defamatory material itself. The unanimous decision effectively shields Canadians who publish a link, as long as the linking itself does not repeat the defamatory content. It alleviates concerns that allowing suits for such links could cast a chill on internet use. While a similar protection exists in the United States, the US Surpreme Court has never ruled on the law.
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A former college student in Illinois is accused of making terrorist threats that he claims were rap lyrics. The message was found on a piece of paper inside his impounded vehicle and led to his arrest. After years of legal motions, the case is getting ready to go to trial.

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When a San Diego man got a job offer to work in the United Arab Emirates, he jumped at the chance. Placing his belongings into two sets of boxes, one for his new home in Abu Dhabi and the other bound for storage in California, he made the journey to his new home. Alas, the moving company switched the boxes and those that arrived in the UAE landed him in jail as an arms smuggler. The 9th Circuit agreed that a lawsuit against the company can proceed in court, avoiding arbitration.
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Father knows best? After spending the better part of a day drinking, a Detroit area man decided the best thing to do was have his 9-year-old daughter drive to the gas station. As he later found out, such things are illegal and frowned upon by society. A Good Samaritan called 911 and the police pulled over the disappointed daughter and her dastardly dad.
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