March, 2017

Published on: March 27, 2017

Oregon Judicial Branch Online Records: Free, Public Access to Selected Court Documents

By Laura Orr

Oregon Judicial Department Online Records Search: Free, Public Access:

“The Oregon Judicial Department is pleased to provide free online access to limited case information in the circuit courts and Tax Court of this state. The displayed information is not the official ORS 7.020 register record, and, therefore, should not be relied upon as an official record of the court. Specifically, individuals should not use this system for background checks or other purposes that require more complete identity or case information. The full official register for non-confidential case types can be accessed at the courthouse public terminals or, for certain business entities, through a subscription to OJCIN Online.” [Link to portal.]

Published on: March 27, 2017

Is the Trump/Kushner “White House Office of American Innovation” the 21st Century’s Bush/Quayle “White House Council on Competitiveness?”

By Laura Orr

Remember the 1989-1992 George HW Bush and Dan Quayle “White House Council on Competitiveness”?

It does not have a website (or even a Wikipedia page – do not confuse other competitiveness councils with the GHW Bush, D Quayle White House Council on Competitiveness, which was dissolved in 1993. (White House webpages, and all others, were in short supply back then, in fact virtually non-existent.)

It also should not be confused with the former White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs inside the Office of Management and Budget.

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Published on: March 16, 2017

Scotland Buys the U.S. Declaration of Independence for a Song: Scoot Your Votey McVoteface

By Laura Orr

Scotland’s voters in favor of a second vote for independence have purchased the mothballed U.S. Declaration of Independence.

A Scottish “man on the street” was heard to say, “they weren’t using it anymore anyway, so we bought it. Americans will sell anything for the right price – their liberty, independence, health, and their children’s welfare – and it was going for a song, so we sang. We did refrain from offering them our bagpipes, which might have, ur, scotched the deal.”

Read more about Scotland and its Brexit fall-out, aka Scotch Eggsit, Scoot, Votey McVoteface, and more:

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Published on: March 16, 2017

Rivers in New Zealand Can Have Legal Status as Persons (NYT)

By Laura Orr

In a case that will be of interest for those following the Children’s Trust lawsuit:

“In New Zealand, Lands and Rivers Can Be People (Legally Speaking),” by Bryant Rousseau, July 13, 2016

“Can a stretch of land be a person in the eyes of the law? Can a body of water?

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Published on: March 16, 2017

Yay for the Oxford Comma! (New York Times)

By Laura Orr

“Lack of Oxford Comma Costs Maine Company Millions in Overtime Dispute,” by Daniel Victor, March 16, 2017, New York Times.

“A class-action lawsuit about overtime pay for truck drivers hinged entirely on a debate that has bitterly divided friends, families and foes: The dreaded — or totally necessary — Oxford comma, perhaps the most polarizing of punctuation marks.

What ensued in The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and in a 29-page court decision handed down on Monday, was an exercise in high-stakes grammar pedantry that could cost a dairy company in Portland, Me., an estimated $10 million….” [Link to full NYT article.]