The Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 passage came to mind when I passed Michigan’s Capitol today. The photo on the left was taken on January 1. The photo on the right is on January 3. The contrast from time’s passing reminded me of Hamilton’s “My Shot”. If my mind can’t shake the song, why should yours? Enjoy.
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Two different digital file versions of the January 6th Report reminded me why most courts prohibit “certified” .pdf e-filings
The incomplete date of “December 00, 2022” on the cover was the first thing I noticed when the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol released its Final Report on December 22, 2022. I mentally chalked it up as related to the “printer issue” given earlier reporting that the…
Storytelling through headings and images: the January 6 Final Report’s effective examples
845 pages can seem like a lot to tackle for those interested in the Final Report issued by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Fortunately for the casual reader, the Select Committee incorporated two effective storytelling tools to inform: report headings and images. Storytelling through headings A…
Things can fall apart when a passionate opinion is indifferent to function
Have been chewing over this Washington Post piece from a few months ago: Sandwiches must be cut diagonally, and I’m not taking questions I’m still unsure why the staff writer has such a strong, non-negotiable preference for diagonally cut sandwiches—so much so to turn it into a published piece for a major paper. But I…
Nurturing and supporting the roots: nature’s examples
I watched a young tree struggle in 2022. Its trapped fate was in a Meijer parking lot planter. The winter before, it stood in a mostly snow/chemical snow melt-covered pile. (A common fate for big box parking lots in Michigan.) The tree looked poorly in August. The young, topsoil weeds flourished. But the winter’s piled…
A privilege to witness through recent history (seven+ years)
Watching and listening to Cyndi Lauper this week at the White House . . . . . . now hits differently when remembering first-person witnessing examples like this. (Hey, someone had to fill out Ron and Andy’s marriage certificate in 2016 while the business of getting married was happening!) Such a privilege. And despite all…
Bryan Garner shares what judicial readers want—IMO, he’s right
In his LawProse Lesson #391, Bryan A. Garner asks and answers: What do judicial readers want? His email/web post is really a sales pitch to one of his upcoming seminars. Even so, one doesn’t have to buy the seminar to appreciate that the pitch and rationale are spot-on. Sharing here because it’s so good. And…
A final look at the 2021-22 term (and a 2022-23 preview)
Here is the updated list (by my count) of the matters the Court has decided since August 1, 2021 or ordered for later argument. You can see it below or view it in full screen by clicking on this tabbed GoogleSheet. (The full-screen link really is the way to go.) Why August 1? The Court’s…
What remedy should follow if the Michigan Supreme Court finds MCL 769.1k(1)(b)(iii) facially unconstitutional? The Court is accepting pre-decision briefing.
Most Michigan trial courts assess and collect local court costs in criminal cases as allowed by MCL 769.1k. Over $29 million was collected in 2021. Some counties collected a few thousand dollars. Others receipted a couple of million. The collected money stays with the local government treasury (or funding unit). But things could change when…
Crowdsourcing person-first inclusive language examples
The “sticks and stones” childhood rhyme had good intentions. But it’s wrong. Words can hurt people. And they do. People remember how they felt. Mention “words” and the “law” and many will think of: plain language, inline citations or footnotes, plead or pled, and so on. But what about noninclusive words? Those that are not…