The Volokh Conspiracy has post up about Strine v. Delaware Coalition for Open Government, Inc., a case the tests whether a Delaware statute that provides that judges may act as arbitrators in civil cases is constitutional under the First Amendment where the arbitration sessions are closed to the public. Professor Volokh give a little background […]
Last week, a motion for new trial made news when Hon. Christopher J. McFadden granted a new trial after finding that the verdict was “strongly against the weight of the evidence.” The State’s reaction was three-fold. First, it appealed the decision. Secondly, the State made comments in the press. Third, the State moved to recuse […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2014-03-01 08:09:262014-03-01 08:09:26The Judge as 13th Juror: Thoughts on the Fayette Rape Controversy
Legislators in Virginia are contemplating changes to the law in response to MacDonald v. Moose (4th Cir. 2013), a case that struck down Virginia’s law that prohibited non-genital sex generally. Specifically, legislation has been introduced that would make it a felony for an adult to engage in non-genital sex with a minor between age 15 […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2014-01-11 16:54:522014-01-11 16:54:52Where Fundamentalism and the Law Meet Somebody is Headed to Prison
The AJC reports that The Southern Center for Human Rights has filed suit against GPDSC, its director, the Circuit Public Defender, the District Attorney and others for the state of indigent defense in that circuit. The suit is brought on behalf of 8 indigent defendants, juvenile and adults individually and as representatives of a class […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2014-01-09 13:21:452014-01-09 13:21:45Southern Center Files Suit in Cordele Circuit, Again, for State of Indigent Defense There
Yesterday, I assisted with an oral argument at the Supreme Court of Georgia. I was on the 2pm calendar (The Court usually sits in two sessions). As I often do when I have an afternoon calendar, I watched the 10am session online. I’ve written before about the value of watching other cases on the calendar […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2014-01-07 15:19:352014-01-07 15:19:35Using the Ga. Supreme Court’s Website to Prepare for Argument / Stay Current on the Law
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Fulton County Sheriff may be held in contempt over the condition of the Fulton County Jail located in Atlanta. For the past several years, the Fulton County Jail has been under the supervision of the federal courts pursuant to a lawsuit involving inhumane conditions there. Things don’t appear to […]
On January 10, 2014, at noon, the Appellate Practice Section will host a luncheon at the Georgia Bar’s midyear meeting, at the Intercontinental Buckhead Hotel. The deadline for the early registration rate for lunch has been extended until January 1, 2014. The price for the luncheon until then will be $35. After that, the price […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2013-12-29 08:28:512013-12-29 08:28:51Deadline Extended For January Appellate Practice Luncheon
Judge Carla McMillian’s campaign for re-election is in full swing. The Augusta press ran a full interview last month. And Judge McMillian took some time out to speak to the Appellate Practice Section’s monthly luncheon, where she reflected on a year on the Court and shared her top ten lessons and tips from her time as […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2013-12-09 07:47:022013-12-09 07:47:02Ct. of Appeals Judge Carla McMillian’s Ten Tips on Practice
In the past year, I have worked on a new category of appeal in an area that did not exist when I came out of law school and was in its infancy when I started focusing on appellate law. Those appeals have been in a Georgia administrative agency called the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board. […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2013-12-02 08:01:112013-12-02 08:01:11Sex Offender Classification: A New Sort of Appeal for a Brave New World
Earlier this week, I had a court appearance in Camden County, Georgia. Camden County is as far South as you can go on I-95 in Georgia without being in the Jacksonville, Florida, area. We have family close to there. So, I took my four-year-old son with me for a little time with his grandparents while […]
Georgia Habeas Corpus and the 1st Amendment
/by J. Scott KeyThe Volokh Conspiracy has post up about Strine v. Delaware Coalition for Open Government, Inc., a case the tests whether a Delaware statute that provides that judges may act as arbitrators in civil cases is constitutional under the First Amendment where the arbitration sessions are closed to the public. Professor Volokh give a little background […]
The Judge as 13th Juror: Thoughts on the Fayette Rape Controversy
/by J. Scott KeyLast week, a motion for new trial made news when Hon. Christopher J. McFadden granted a new trial after finding that the verdict was “strongly against the weight of the evidence.” The State’s reaction was three-fold. First, it appealed the decision. Secondly, the State made comments in the press. Third, the State moved to recuse […]
Where Fundamentalism and the Law Meet Somebody is Headed to Prison
/by J. Scott KeyLegislators in Virginia are contemplating changes to the law in response to MacDonald v. Moose (4th Cir. 2013), a case that struck down Virginia’s law that prohibited non-genital sex generally. Specifically, legislation has been introduced that would make it a felony for an adult to engage in non-genital sex with a minor between age 15 […]
Southern Center Files Suit in Cordele Circuit, Again, for State of Indigent Defense There
/by J. Scott KeyThe AJC reports that The Southern Center for Human Rights has filed suit against GPDSC, its director, the Circuit Public Defender, the District Attorney and others for the state of indigent defense in that circuit. The suit is brought on behalf of 8 indigent defendants, juvenile and adults individually and as representatives of a class […]
Using the Ga. Supreme Court’s Website to Prepare for Argument / Stay Current on the Law
/by J. Scott KeyYesterday, I assisted with an oral argument at the Supreme Court of Georgia. I was on the 2pm calendar (The Court usually sits in two sessions). As I often do when I have an afternoon calendar, I watched the 10am session online. I’ve written before about the value of watching other cases on the calendar […]
Atlanta Can’t “Rise Up” to Fix its Jail
/by J. Scott KeyThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Fulton County Sheriff may be held in contempt over the condition of the Fulton County Jail located in Atlanta. For the past several years, the Fulton County Jail has been under the supervision of the federal courts pursuant to a lawsuit involving inhumane conditions there. Things don’t appear to […]
Deadline Extended For January Appellate Practice Luncheon
/by J. Scott KeyOn January 10, 2014, at noon, the Appellate Practice Section will host a luncheon at the Georgia Bar’s midyear meeting, at the Intercontinental Buckhead Hotel. The deadline for the early registration rate for lunch has been extended until January 1, 2014. The price for the luncheon until then will be $35. After that, the price […]
Ct. of Appeals Judge Carla McMillian’s Ten Tips on Practice
/by J. Scott KeyJudge Carla McMillian’s campaign for re-election is in full swing. The Augusta press ran a full interview last month. And Judge McMillian took some time out to speak to the Appellate Practice Section’s monthly luncheon, where she reflected on a year on the Court and shared her top ten lessons and tips from her time as […]
Sex Offender Classification: A New Sort of Appeal for a Brave New World
/by J. Scott KeyIn the past year, I have worked on a new category of appeal in an area that did not exist when I came out of law school and was in its infancy when I started focusing on appellate law. Those appeals have been in a Georgia administrative agency called the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board. […]
How These Cases Can Start
/by J. Scott KeyEarlier this week, I had a court appearance in Camden County, Georgia. Camden County is as far South as you can go on I-95 in Georgia without being in the Jacksonville, Florida, area. We have family close to there. So, I took my four-year-old son with me for a little time with his grandparents while […]