Articles Posted in Legal News & Commentary

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The Oregon cell phone bill that became law: House Bill 2377 (or link to the enrolled bill from here): Relating to use of mobile communication device while driving; amending ORS 811.507

When signed, it will show up at the Governor’s webpage and, when given a Chapter number, as an Oregon Law. It will not appear in the ORS until the Oregon Laws are codified by Legislative Counsel, most likely early in 2010. Then, look for the 2009 ORS, online and in print. Until then, you need to read it in its session law form.

The DMV will likely have more information soon about the cell phone law.

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Liz alerts me to the Oregonlive Track a Bill service. For the average Jo(e), it sure is easier to use (though not more comprehensive) than the Legislature’s (official) bill tracking webpages, though the Oregonlive service will be around only as long as Oregonlive is around, which is why librarians want governments to preserve and protect government information on government websites. This too is an imperfect system, but for different reasons – elections!

In any event, take a look at the website, OregonLive Your Government and the Track a Bill slice. Interesting and educational.

You can read more about tracking Oregon legislation from this OLR post.

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If you haven’t heard about this iPhone Scam Alert, in the newspaper, online, from the Oregon AG’s office, and beyond, then you need to think about ratcheting up your news tracking. This scam is not the worst out there, but if you’re not hearing daily about some food or product recall or scam, then you can’t complaint about the world going to hell in a handbasket. It takes two to be scammed, and to tango. So put on your crap-detectors, slow down, and think before you play or pay.

In other words, let’s have a little more caveating out there. See FBI, Snopes, beware urban legends, and check out Recalls dot gov. But you’re on the front line so Caveat Emptor.

I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use the very funny line of Tom McCarthy’s from his review of the Clancy Martin book, “How to Sell.” McCarthy’s line in his article, Art of the Deal (from the 5/17/09 NYT Book Review): “To bastardize the Latin, emptors need to sober up and exercise a little caveating over that one….” Yes, McCarthy said it in a completely different context! But the sentiment works amongst us legal types, doesn’t it?

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This is not a rhetorical or even a political question. It is a school assignment! Hurrah for teachers, especially those who try out their own assignments before handing them over to their students (and their students’ parents).

Librarians get to help answer students’ reference and research questions, public librarians more than law librarians, but we (Oregon law librarians, that is) also often have the opportunity and honor to pitch in to help students answer their law-related questions, especially when the question comes through L-net, the Oregon statewide online reference service. (Many states have one of these online reference services, in addition to email/IM reference services offered through individual libraries or library systems.)

So, how about that Abuse of Power and Constitutions assignment? It had a follow-up exercise too: “Give an example of a nation that is not a constitutional government.”

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An event in the Portland metro area (previously blogged about), open to all Oregonians, to assist people who facing possible foreclosure:

Home Ownership Preservation Event

FREE
Open to the public
Saturday, May 2, 2009
10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Portland Memorial Coliseum
300 Winning Way, Portland, OR 97208
Free parking
On the TriMet MAX line, Rose Quarter Transit Center

To register, please click here or call (in Salem) 503-947-7854 or 503-947-7068. Please note that childcare will not be provided.

Other foreclosure posts on the Oregon Legal Research blog.

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The Oregon State Bar (OSB), Winter 2009 issue of the Debtor-Creditor Section newsletter (online only to section members) has a sobering article by Oregon attorney Terrance J. Slominski:

“Foreclosure Rescuers: Good Samaritans or Scam Artists?” with a description of 4 categories of foreclosure scams, including: Sale-Leasback, Equity Stripping, Loan Modification, and Stealing the Home.

These sound harmless enough, don’t they? Beware. Please talk to an attorney who is qualified and experienced in creditor-debtor matters if you have serious financial problems.

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May 2, 2009: Foreclosure Prevention Event at the Memorial Coliseum (Oregon)

If you haven’t quite grasped the magnitude of the foreclosure problem, notice that this is a foreclosure “event” (not a “meeting,” a “presentation,” or “seminar,” but a foreclosure EVENT) that is being held in the Memorial Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of over 12,000.

Save the Date:
Saturday, May 2
Come to a Foreclosure Prevention Event at the Memorial Coliseum
Sponsored by:
City of Portland
Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
For more info call (503) 823-3486

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For many of us, keeping on top of federal case law is a lower priority than tracking changes to our state’s laws. But we still like, and need, to stay in the loop, especially since these cases affect our day-to-day lives as much as our own state laws do: family law, criminal procedure, employement law, etc.

For U.S. Supreme Court opinions (and other courts’ opinions too), you have a number of quick ways to stay current, one of which is the Willamette Law Online service:

“Willamette Law Online functions as a notification service, alerting users to legal decisions and trends, and is neither intended to be a comprehensive resource of case law nor a substitute for in-depth legal research….”

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Justice Bedsworth welcomes you to February 2009, via the heat of August 2008 (LOL!):

MCLEmentary: “Beds has to forego a forgettable knowledge seminar.”, by Justice William W. Bedsworth:

Excerpt: “The National Judicial College is located in Reno, Nevada. I don’t know why. I always assumed that is where the founders’ wagon train ran out of food and water.

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I still run into people (parents! yikes!) who say,”what peanut paste (or butter) recall?” Duh.

** FDA website and here and here.

** CDC website and here and here.

Maybe we still need paper boys (and girls) running through the streets shouting out headlines: PEANUT PASTE RECALL! READ ALL ABOUT IT! DON’T EAT YOUR PEANUT PASTE!

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