NOT SO SIMPLY PUT.
The Fourth Amendment assures the Constitutional right to be free from “unreasonable searches,” but does it apply to rental cars? That’s just what the U.S. Supreme Court wrestled with recently. A fellow by the name of Byrd was stopped and told police that the authorized driver was his fiancee and she gave him permission to drive the car; but, oh, the police searched the trunk and found drugs and body armor. The government argued that since Byrd was not on the rental agreement, he had no expectation of privacy. Byrd’s lawyer argued that “If you’re given permission by the renter… you have a reasonable expectation of privacy.” One Justice worried that the government’s theory would allow every rental car to be stopped and searched simply because there is an unauthorized driver. TLB will let you know of the decision in June.
A LIFETIME!
Kyle was 21 when he met SK, 18 (so she said) on a dating app and started a relationship that included sex. She became pregnant and at some point revealed that she was 16. Whoops!! After the conviction, Kyle was sentenced to jail and mandatory sex offender registration for the rest of his life. His lawyer argued on appeal that those restrictions, including where he can live, where he can travel, social media publicity, and driver’s license renewal every year was meant for sexual predators and not for Kyle, whose relationship was consensual and was only charged due to their ages. The Illinois Appellate Court agreed, though the Leagle Beagle believes that the legislature needs to rethink that statute!
IF IT’S SPRING, IT MUST BE BASEBALL.
Dustin Fowler was a New York Yankee last summer when he ran into an unpadded electrical box attempting a catch in right field at Guaranteed Rate Field and ended up with a ruptured tendon in his knee. He’s now suing the White Sox for negligence in not taking action to keep players from contact with the box. Here’s the kicker: this happened in the 1st inning of his major league debut; Dustin was called up by the Yankees from AAA Scranton only hours earlier!
PAWS ACT PENDING.
The Pet and Women Safety Act, which supposedly has bipartisan support in the US Congress, would help protect both domestic violence victims and their pets everywhere in the country and give grant money to help shelters to accommodate their pets. Statistics show that as many as 83% of those entering shelters say that their partner threatened, beat, or even killed the family pet, often to control, scare, or punish the victim and causing the abused to stay in the violent relationship. Right now, only 3% of shelters allow pets. (The Act also covers male victims.)
LET SOME LIGHT IN.
A Pennsylvania woman was stunned, dumbfounded, and terrified when she opened her electric bill: $284 billion! Once she was revived and officially told that the bill was in error, somewhat candidly explained: “We had put up Christmas lights and I wondered if we had put them up wrong.”
OREGON UNREST??
Oregonians finally got a new law that gives them the right— or “opportunity” — to pump their own gas. Oh… it upset some people! One citizen wrote: “I REFUSE to pump my own gas. I had to do it once while visiting my brother in California and I almost died!”
