How Appealing



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

“The record fully supports Judge Conrad’s findings that Peoples’ profane language in Judge Currie’s courtroom constituted intentional misbehavior that obstructed the administration of justice.” So holds a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a ruling that you can access here.

As I noted in this earlier post, last month Mike Scarcella of The National Law Journal reported on this case in an article headlined “F-bomb’s collateral damage: Obscenity case explores the limits of courtroom expression.”

Posted at 10:54 PM by Howard Bashman



“Federal court rules in favor of monks, sends casket case to Louisiana Supreme Court”: The Times-Picayune of New Orleans has a news update that begins, “In a sometimes harshly worded ruling, a panel of federal appellate judges Tuesday evening smacked down the Louisiana funeral board’s continued attempts to prevent the St. Joseph Abbey monks from selling their hand-crafted caskets.”

You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit at this link.

Posted at 10:44 PM by Howard Bashman



“NY top court says lap dance isn’t art, is taxable”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A sharply divided court in New York says lap dances don’t promote culture in a community the way ballet or other artistic endeavors do, and so shouldn’t get a tax break.”

You can access today’s 4-to-3 ruling of the Court of Appeals of New York — that State’s highest court — at this link.

Update: In other coverage, Bloomberg News reports that “Strip-Club Fees Aren’t Tax Exempt, N.Y. Top Court Rules.”

And Reuters reports that “N.Y. court finds pole dancing revenue can be taxed.”

Posted at 10:32 AM by Howard Bashman



“Did the Dark Money Group that Spurred a Landmark Ruling Mislead the IRS?” Kim Barker of ProPublica and Emma Schwartz of Frontline have this report.

Posted at 8:07 AM by Howard Bashman