Law

Word Of Mouth 05.04.2013

Rebecca Lavoie — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:47:19 +0000

In this special edition of Word of Mouth: are we catching up with technology? This week we'll explore the very human way we interact with technology; resistance is futile.

The Man Who Owns The Moon...Maybe

Taylor Quimby — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Dennis M. Hope claims to own the moon. He's been taking advantage of an obscure international treaty loophole since 1980, selling off lunar property, and declaring himself owner of the Lunar Embassy, and President of the Galactic Government. Sound like a joke? It's not. It's just business.

Space Law. Yes, That's A Thing.

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:41:47 +0000

For a long time, outer space was conceptually and legally a no-man’s land – that changed on October 4^th, 1967 when the Soviet Union launched a satellite called Sputnik into Earth’s orbit, triggering an international space race and calls for internationally binding laws to govern space exploration. Last amended in 1979, the outer space treaty drafted in 1967 facilitated smooth, peaceful interactions between nations capable of probing space. As the prospect of civilian space travel and settlement appears more accessible, international space law may be in need of revision. Joining us to discuss the field is Michael Listner, President of the International Space Safety Foundation.

Arts On Trial

Virginia Prescott — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Throughout history, pieces of art – and their creators, have been hauled into the courtroom. They stood accused of obscenity, extramarital dalliances, societal intermingling, and blasphemy – among other equally verbose charges. Government agencies championed their prosecution as a righteous public service – but maybe they just needed to gain a little sense of humor. Regardless, these pieces of art fought the law. Here to discuss whether the law won is Clay Wirestone, arts editor for the Concord Monitor and author of an article in an upcoming issue of Mental Floss called, “Arts on trial.”

The Lawyer Bubble

Virginia Prescott — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:14:23 +0000

Since 2004, the number of law-school applications has dropped from almost 100,000 to 54,000, and the Law School Admission Council recently reported that applications were heading toward a 30 year low. Steven J. Harper submits that these declining numbers haven’t emerged from uncontrollable market forces, but are rather a result of human greed and grandiosity that went unchecked for decades. Steven is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and author of the forthcoming book The Lawyer Bubble: A Profession in Crisis.

Why Private Prisons Don't Want Immigration Reform

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:55:07 +0000

Thirty years ago, Corrections Corporation of America opened its first private prison. As demand for border patrol increased over the decades, so has its earnings. Last year, CCA brought in $1.7 billion dollars in revenue – a quarter of which came from government agencies enforcing immigration policy and incarcerating non-citizens in the US. Lee fang is Reporting Fellow with the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute. He probed the connection between prison profits and stiffer immigration policies and came up with some unsettling answers.

Why Private Prisons Don't Want Immigration Reform

Virginia Prescott — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:55:04 +0000

Why Jury Duty Matters

Virginia Prescott — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:52:00 +0000

One day you check the mail, and flipping past the usual assortment of bills, credit card offers, and shopping catalogues, you find a letter that begins “Dear citizen"—a summons to serve jury duty. Whether met with annoyance, anxiety, or a burning desire to game the selection process, this (albeit inconvenient) civic duty is an intrinsic part of being an American.

State, Citgo Look To Settle Over MTBE

Brady Carlson — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:27:31 +0000

For nearly a decade, New Hampshire has been seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from oil companies over the chemical additive MTBE, which the state says caused contamination in the state’s groundwater. The legal proceedings originally involved 26 oil companies; as trial began this week, there were just two left, ExxonMobil and Citgo, and now there may be just one.

Health Law Survives With Roberts' Vote

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:18:00 +0000

In one of the most widely anticipated decisions in recent history, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that the sweeping federal law overhauling the nation's health care system is constitutional.

Chief Justice John Roberts said the requirement that individuals have health coverage or pay a penalty — known as the individual mandate — is within Congress' power to impose taxes.

Ariz. Immigration Law Limbo Sees Mixed Results

Ted Robbins — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:57:00 +0000

The Supreme Court is about to take up one of this term's biggest cases. Next Wednesday, the court will hear arguments challenging Arizona's controversial state immigration law, known as SB 1070.

Among other things, the law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and requires police to question the immigration status of people they stop.

Death Penalty Research Flawed, Expert Panel Says

Nell Greenfieldboyce — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:17:00 +0000

Proponents of the death penalty often argue that the threat of being executed acts as a deterrent that prevents people from committing murder. But those who oppose capital punishment challenge that claim.

Few Answers In Abuse Probes At Homes For Disabled

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:08:00 +0000

Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a sprawling facility of offices, residential buildings and therapy rooms set between a noisy boulevard and a golf course.

Some 400 people with developmental disabilities live at Fairview.

NH House Mulls Deregulating Phone Service

Amanda Loder — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Fairpoint’s struggles since taking over Verizon’s northern New England land line network in 2007 have been well-documented in the media with Public Service of New Hampshire, which dominates the state’s electricity market. But for a long time, nothing really happened.

Now, NHPR’s Sam Evans-Brown reports one company is finally mountin