In today’s New York Times, former Chief Justice Norman Fletcher has written an editorial denouncing the upcoming execution of the Georgia inmate sentenced to death in 1990. Chief Justice Fletcher is particularly concerned about the fact that the inmate lost out on the possible federal review of this case. The inmate, while representing himself, missed […]
Yesterday, I spoke at a continuing legal education conference for the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The topic was searches of cell phones incident to arrest. I also discussed the Application of the fifth amendment protection against self-incrimination when a suspect is compelled to provide a passcode to unlock a cell phone or to […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2016-12-03 14:38:352016-12-03 14:38:35Cell Phones, The Fourth Amendment, and the Fifth Amendment
We just ended a bad week for experts. I was in Athens, Georgia, Saturday for a football game. Auburn was a 10.5 point favorite to win. It turns out that they did not even score 10 points, losing 13-7. Earlier last week, the presidential candidate whom most experts predicted to have somewhere between a 66% to 75% […]
I am not surprised that Amendment 3 passed. It was a bad idea with an unsavory political history. I did not personally know any lawyers who were in love with it. And my non-lawyer friends who asked me about it seemed persuaded that it was a bad idea. But, alas, I don’t know millions of […]
Over at Fault Lines, Andrew Fleischman has an article on Paulding DA Dick Donovan’s Facebook post. Jim Galloway at the Atlanta Journal noticed it, too. The post was a “eulogy for white Judeo-Christian men.” It was really quite jarring to read, particularly by a person who has extraordinary power to prosecute people and even seek […]
When you go on a family vacation, the people you live with have the opportunity to learn more about you and how you are feeling. And so it was in Oregon a few weeks ago, that my wife noticed my anxiety level. And when she noticed it, I began to notice it, also. And after […]
In the most recent episode of This American Life, the show includes a discussion of the amendment on the ballot to reconstitute the JQC as a creature of the legislature and with the State Bar of Georgia taken out of the appointment process altogether. If you are undecided on this amendment, the segment is worth your […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2016-10-24 22:29:522016-10-24 22:29:52The State Bar of GA is the Paul Ryan of the JQC Amendment
Recently, while listening to Sam Harris’s podcast, Waking Up, I happened upon a guide to engaging another person in debate. It comes up when he introduces his interview with philosopher Daniel Dennett. Whether you are a lawyer preparing a brief or courtroom argument or a layperson engaged in a political discussion with a friend, it […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2016-10-17 22:51:552016-10-17 22:51:55A Helpful Guide for Argument: Rapoport’s Rules
The lawyer’s job gets more difficult in proportion to the political climate in which we practice. And I cannot imagine a more difficult one than the spectacle of an election that we are all enduring. I have been saddened, anxious, and have been tempted to grow even more cynical. I have had my intelligence insulted […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2016-10-16 08:33:592016-10-16 08:33:59In a Difficult Political Year, Raise the Bar
A few days ago, a newly-minted attorney asked me about what it takes to become an appellate attorney. I was initially at a loss for an answer. I never exactly set out to do this for a living. In law school, I was quite sure that I would be a trial lawyer. Only now am […]
A Death Sentence for Want of a Lawyer
/by J. Scott KeyIn today’s New York Times, former Chief Justice Norman Fletcher has written an editorial denouncing the upcoming execution of the Georgia inmate sentenced to death in 1990. Chief Justice Fletcher is particularly concerned about the fact that the inmate lost out on the possible federal review of this case. The inmate, while representing himself, missed […]
Cell Phones, The Fourth Amendment, and the Fifth Amendment
/by J. Scott KeyYesterday, I spoke at a continuing legal education conference for the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. The topic was searches of cell phones incident to arrest. I also discussed the Application of the fifth amendment protection against self-incrimination when a suspect is compelled to provide a passcode to unlock a cell phone or to […]
The Myth of Expertise
/by J. Scott KeyWe just ended a bad week for experts. I was in Athens, Georgia, Saturday for a football game. Auburn was a 10.5 point favorite to win. It turns out that they did not even score 10 points, losing 13-7. Earlier last week, the presidential candidate whom most experts predicted to have somewhere between a 66% to 75% […]
Final Thoughts on JQC Amendment 3
/by J. Scott KeyI am not surprised that Amendment 3 passed. It was a bad idea with an unsavory political history. I did not personally know any lawyers who were in love with it. And my non-lawyer friends who asked me about it seemed persuaded that it was a bad idea. But, alas, I don’t know millions of […]
Re-Examining Dick Donovan’s Rant
/by J. Scott KeyOver at Fault Lines, Andrew Fleischman has an article on Paulding DA Dick Donovan’s Facebook post. Jim Galloway at the Atlanta Journal noticed it, too. The post was a “eulogy for white Judeo-Christian men.” It was really quite jarring to read, particularly by a person who has extraordinary power to prosecute people and even seek […]
I Quit Social Media
/by J. Scott KeyWhen you go on a family vacation, the people you live with have the opportunity to learn more about you and how you are feeling. And so it was in Oregon a few weeks ago, that my wife noticed my anxiety level. And when she noticed it, I began to notice it, also. And after […]
The State Bar of GA is the Paul Ryan of the JQC Amendment
/by J. Scott KeyIn the most recent episode of This American Life, the show includes a discussion of the amendment on the ballot to reconstitute the JQC as a creature of the legislature and with the State Bar of Georgia taken out of the appointment process altogether. If you are undecided on this amendment, the segment is worth your […]
A Helpful Guide for Argument: Rapoport’s Rules
/by J. Scott KeyRecently, while listening to Sam Harris’s podcast, Waking Up, I happened upon a guide to engaging another person in debate. It comes up when he introduces his interview with philosopher Daniel Dennett. Whether you are a lawyer preparing a brief or courtroom argument or a layperson engaged in a political discussion with a friend, it […]
In a Difficult Political Year, Raise the Bar
/by J. Scott KeyThe lawyer’s job gets more difficult in proportion to the political climate in which we practice. And I cannot imagine a more difficult one than the spectacle of an election that we are all enduring. I have been saddened, anxious, and have been tempted to grow even more cynical. I have had my intelligence insulted […]
Breaking into Appellate Law
/by J. Scott KeyA few days ago, a newly-minted attorney asked me about what it takes to become an appellate attorney. I was initially at a loss for an answer. I never exactly set out to do this for a living. In law school, I was quite sure that I would be a trial lawyer. Only now am […]