The Reason for This Rule Has Expired.
Most court files are maintained as public records. In our Family Law courts, all records are deemed public unless there is a compelling reason to seal the record. See California Rules of Court, Rule 2.550(c). As a matter of law,...
The Morality of the Law Part 1 of 3
Walking through the halls of various courthouses in Southern California, I overhear people saying, "That isn't fair," or "How can he/she do that to me/our kids? Isn't that wrong?" and the essential, unvoiced question is always, "How can the Court...
The Morality of the Law Part 2 of 3
When I was just getting started as an attorney, a well-known practitioner of my art offered me a job. He said, that by working for him, I would "learn the rape-burn-pillage-and-kill side of the law, not the fairytale version." Perhaps...
The Morality of the Law Part 3 of 3
Most legal codes agree that certain behavior is wrong. Most demand simple justice: you did this bad thing, you get this punishment. Our legal code allows for that beautiful element of mercy to be blended with justice. The history of...