Regulators Moving to Strengthen Privacy Rules for Children on the Web

Alarmed by the sheer volume of personal information being collected by companies looking to target advertising and products to children, federal regulators are moving to overhaul privacy rules. Collecting the data is legal, though parents and regulators alike have concerns about how personal information about children is being stored and…

Sep 28, 2012 10:24 AM CDT

Driverless Cars Get Green Light in California

Clearing the way for testing and regulations, California became the third state to legalize driverless cars, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to quip that the state is one step closer to making science fiction a reality. Lobbying for the so-called autonomous vehicles has intensified as manufacturers tout the eventual safety improvements…

Sep 26, 2012 1:36 PM CDT

In Case of First Impression, 6th Circuit Nixes Lie-Detecting MRI in Criminal Case

A health-care fraud defendant who sought to bolster his testimony with a functional MRI scan indicating he was truthful has lost his federal appeal in a criminal case of first impression. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Dr. Lorne Semrau, who had sought to…

Sep 7, 2012 6:55 PM CDT

No Hiding It: Secrecy Is a Goner

Sep 1, 2012 5:50 AM CDT

What Regs Apply if Humans Meet ET? Can Asteroid Miners Profit? Space Lawyers Seek Answers

Should humans who meet extraterrestrials be quarantined? Who pays if satellites fall to the ground, hurting people or damaging property? Space lawyers are raising the issues and providing the answers. Space lawyers really do exist, and their practice has real-life consequences, Fast Company reports. “Depending on whether the space lawyer…

Aug 9, 2012 10:30 AM CDT

Resolution Urges US Agencies to Pursue Regulatory Cooperation with Foreign Counterparts

A resolution passed by the ABA House of Delegates on Tuesday urges federal agencies to pursue regulatory cooperation with relevant foreign authorities. The House passed Resolution 109B, which says the agencies should cooperate where appropriate and “consistent with their legal authority, statutory mandates, and regulatory missions.” The resolution states that…

Aug 7, 2012 2:35 PM CDT

Pass It on: Secrecy Is a Thing of the Past

Corrected: The digital revolution has rendered secrecy largely a thing of the past for governments and the business community, said speakers Saturday at an ABA Annual Meeting program marking the 50th anniversary of the Standing Committee on Law and National Security. “We have to recognize that we cannot keep secrets…

Aug 4, 2012 6:05 PM CDT

The Data Question: Should the Third-Party Records Doctrine Be Revisited?

Aug 1, 2012 9:20 AM CDT

Congressional Inquiry Reveals ‘Explosion in Cellphone Surveillance’

Cellphone carriers responded to 1.3 million law enforcement demands for information in 2011, according to information revealed in a congressional inquiry. The information sought included text messages and caller locations, the New York Times reports. According to the newspaper, the reports from nine carriers “document an explosion in cellphone surveillance…

Jul 9, 2012 1:49 PM CDT

Letters: Techie Talk

Jun 1, 2012 9:40 AM CDT

Lack of Online Privacy Rights Is Very Troubling, Says Author

ABA Journal web producer Lee Rawles talks with Lori Andrews, author of "I Know Who You Are and I Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death of Privacy" about the lack of online privacy rights and the need for a social media constitution. They discuss the changes that social networks have brought to all areas of the law, including evidence gathering; what evidence is admissible in courts; how social media can affect the right to a fair trial; and the right to control one's image.

May 29, 2012 5:19 PM CDT

Texas Man Imprisoned on Child Sex Abuse Charge to Be Resentenced Over False Expert Testimony

A Texas man who has served almost 13 years of a 20-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a young relative should be resentenced because of false testimony by a prosecution expert, the Texas Supreme Court has held. The court said in a unanimous ruling that the expert’s false testimony undoubtedly…

May 22, 2012 5:50 PM CDT

Supreme Court: In Vitro Twins Conceived After Dad’s Death Are Not Entitled to Survivor Benefit

Florida twins conceived through in vitro fertilization after their father’s death are not entitled to Social Security survivor benefits, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled. The case, Astrue v. Capato, involves twins born 18 months after their father, Robert Capato, died of cancer. Capato’s widow, Karen, used frozen sperm for…

May 21, 2012 3:14 PM CDT

Judge Posner, Presiding at Patent Trial, Will Use Court-Appointed Experts to Explain Terms

Judge Richard Posner is experimenting with court-appointed experts in a patent dispute between Apple and Motorola. Though Posner is an appeals judge with the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he likes to volunteer for trials, the Chicago Tribune reports. In a speech at the 7th Circuit Bar Association…

May 14, 2012 10:30 AM CDT

Cyberattacks: Computer Warfare Looms as Next Big Conflict in International Law

May 1, 2012 10:10 AM CDT