Yearly Archives: 2006
Gubernatorial Election Recall: A Historical Perspective
A state in economic crisis, job growth nonexistent, land values dropping, state population in decline for the first time and a narrowly-elected governor was being challenged to a recall election by the Republican Party. Sounds like those crazy Californians, right? Try North Dakota, circa 1921.… Continue reading
Queen’s English Bring and Take — A New York Mistake
People sometimes confuse bring and take and use one when the other is appropriate. Not New Yorkers; among those whom I know, they are consistent; they always reverse them! No need to go to war with a whole city, especially the country’s largest, but it… Continue reading
Where There’s a Will…
In the last issue of the Law Update, I wrote an article about choosing an executor of a will. So, you may ask, what happens if someone appoints you as the executor of his or her will? (The chances of this happening are actually quite… Continue reading
Recent DUI Legislation
Governor Rendell has signed new legislation reducing the maximum permissible blood alcohol level (“BAC”) from .10% to .08%. As a result, it will take fewer drinks to send you over the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle on Pennsylvania highways. The change in the… Continue reading
HUD Looks at Home-Lending Practices
These days, there’s hardly any business like the mortgage business. A cottage industry has evolved around historically low interest rates and easy credit; people who refinanced their residential mortgages two years ago found themselves doing it again a year later, and some have even done… Continue reading
Postscript: The Inn at Rest!
On August 20, 2000, the King of Prussia Inn, which had been an inaccessible patch of historical architecture completely surrounded by high-speed highways, was moved about one-quarter of a mile to a sylvan setting on Bill Smith Boulevard. After the move contractors went to work… Continue reading
An Avoidable Tragedy
In 1990, Teri Schiavo apparently suffered from a chemical imbalance that caused her heart to stop beating for an extended period which resulted in severe brain damage. Most doctors who have examined her believe that she has been in a persistent vegetative state since her… Continue reading
Happenings
Denise Ciampitti is scheduled to teach a seminar on Law for the Layman at the Haverford Township Adult Night School in February of 2004. Ken Butera just found out he is expecting his 8th grandchild in the Spring. BBC&B wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.— BBC&B
Queen’s English The Hypen — Let the Fog Descend!
Most punctuation is used to separate words or thoughts; not so with the hyphen and, to a lesser extent, the slash. They are used to join words where they might otherwise be either separate or “closed” (i.e., joined to form a single word). The rules… Continue reading
Use of Roadblocks by Police; What Role Should They Have?
Some consider sobriety checkpoints an infringement on motorists’ right to privacy, while others consider them a vital tool in the war against drunk driving. Sobriety checkpoints spark heated debate among opponents and proponents, however, the Supreme Court has ruled that they are here to stay.… Continue reading