Hello! I invite you to check out what we’ve been up to at Law Soup! Here’s the deal. I’m worried about Trump. But not merely because I disagree with his politics, but because, as all Americans should be, I’m concerned about his lack of respect for the Constitution, particularly free speech, due process, equal protection, and separation of powers. That
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: Cell phone companies may not add charges to your bill from outside companies without your clear consent, must clearly identify these charges as from outside companies, and must give you the option to block the charges.* This one may seem pretty obvious, but many companies are apparently just now getting the memo about it, in the form of a bill
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: You have the right to peacefully gather with others on public sidewalks, and police may not unreasonably restrict this right.* What’s the news? Police apparently love telling people to keep it moving, claiming that it helps maintain order. Or perhaps it’s secretly part of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign? In any case, police might not be able to
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: Companies or individuals may not block or interfere with your personal Wi-Fi hotspot.* What’s the news on this right? Hotel chain Marriott International has agreed to pay the government a penalty of $600,000 for “jamming” guests’ personal Wi-Fi hotspots. What law did Marriott violate and how? The Communications Act contains a very broad prohibition on anyone blocking any “radio
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: If you are pregnant, you have the right to an abortion up until the time the fetus becomes viable*, and the government may not place significant** restrictions on your ability to do so.1U.S. Constitution, 14th amendment (due process clause); Roe v Wade (1973); Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992) *A fetus is legally considered viable when it
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: Websites that show your* photos (or other content you own) without your permission must quickly remove them when you send them a valid “takedown notice.”1Digital Millennium Copyright Act Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities whose photos were hacked and leaked on the internet are taking advantage of this relatively easy to use legal tool to get these photos taken down. Thanks to
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: The government may not place restrictions on voting that would likely have the effect of limiting voting by racial minorities. 1Voting Rights Act of 1965, codified at 52 U.S.C. § 10301(a); U.S. Constitution, 14th amendment Last year, North Carolina changed some of its voting rules. Today, just one month ahead of the November elections, a federal
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: You are entitled to a substantial “whistleblower award” for providing original information to the government about violations of federal financial regulations that leads to successful enforcement action where the penalties involved are over $1 million.1Section 21F(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), 15 U.S.C. § 78u-6(b)(1), and Rule 21F-3(a) thereunder, 17 C.F.R.
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: You have the right to sue a police officer for using his/her authority to violate your rights. 1U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1983 Photo: Occupy Wall Street demonstration Dec 2011. From Bigstockphoto.com A man in New York filed a lawsuit last week against NYPD police officers who he claims improperly arrested him and held him at the police station, all for
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YOUR RIGHT OF THE DAY: If you are charged with a serious crime, and cannot afford an attorney, the government must provide you with a defense attorney free of charge. 1U.S. Constitution, 6th amendment; Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963); Argersinger v. Hamlin, 407 U.S. 25 (1972) More specifically, this means low-income people cannot be put in jail without being provided an attorney (usually a “public
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