Attack of the Balloons on Gotham

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October 7, 2014

Criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot…which is why weather balloons strike terror into their hearts.

Well, not really, but Gotham again poses interesting legal questions in The Balloonman. The city is extremely corrupt, with police taking bribes and treating the Bill of Rights like it is an inconvenient obstacle to beating suspects. Throw in politicians on the take from the mob, a Cold War developing between crime bosses, plus the mayor illegally arresting children to be interned “upstate,” and it is no surprise a civil servant lost his mind. His weapon of choice to extract justice: weather balloons.

The Red Balloon

This might surprise you, but my legal research search for “weather balloon” w/p murder OR homicide OR manslaughter did not yield any search results. Apparently, no one has tried “balloonicide” in a capital case yet besides on the Prisoner.

That being said, killing the corrupt police officer would have been first degree murder in New York (assuming New York State since Gotham looks like Manhattan), because the suspect intended to cause the death of a police officer engaged in his official duties (which included beating another suspect, but that illegal act does not negate the fact the victim was a cop on the clock). NY CLS Penal § 125.27(1)(a)(i).

It’s Raining Men

What about the poor lady walking her dog that is killed after the balloon pops and the victim falls to Earth? Her death would be at least second degree murder, because the suspect intended to kill the police officer, causing his body to fall back to Earth, evidencing a “depraved indifference to human life” and recklessly engaging in conduct that caused a grave risk of death to the dog-walking victim. NY CLS Penal § 125.25(2).

There is no way the Balloonman could NOT have excepted weather balloons to fall back to Earth. Gravity is a law of physics that cannot be ignored. The fact the Balloonman was launching human beings somewhere between 60,000 to 105,000 feet into the air would mean the bodies would fall that distance in return (also the velocity of a 180 pound person in free fall from 60,000 traveling at 9.81 meters a second would likely leave a crater). This conduct showed a “depraved indifference to human life” and would be enough for a jury to convict the Balloonman for second degree murder of the woman walking her dog.

Star Wars Rebels: A New Legal System

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Josh Gilliland

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October 4, 2014

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Star Wars Rebels is a fantastic feeling of stepping back into Star Wars in 1977. Hats off for creating the same feeling of awe in discovering the Force, the view of a Tie Fighter Pilot in the cockpit, and Storm Troopers missing at point blank range. We even have Ezra yell, “It’s a trap!” Well done.

Rebels is an excellent look at the laws of the Empire.

Sure, the Imperials have a great sense of fashion, but it is a nightmarish legal system.

In the opening minutes of “Spark of the Rebellion,” we see a merchant farmer harassed by Imperial officers, because “all trade must be registered with the Empire.”

After being knocked to the ground, with an inspection officer eating some of the farmer’s fruit, the merchant is charged with treason.

A government has a very strong interest in regulating sales of food to ensure it is fit for human consumption and proper sales licenses. However, charging someone with treason for not filling out forms for street sales of fruit is nightmarish. At best this should be a county fine, not a firing squad by a militarized Department of Agriculture.

Our Rebel heroes stole blasters and other items from the Empire. This act would not just be grand theft, violate a ton of gun-related laws, but also terrorism in arming the residents of Tarken Town (who likely had they property taken in Eminent Domain proceedings without just compensation). However, the entire heist provides a huge look into the Empire’s law enforcement procedures.

The Empire does not use a police force, but its military to conduct law enforcement. While the Rebels did steal the crates from Storm Troopers, the responses to the theft was ordering an air strike to end a high speed chase. By way of comparison, police helicopters are not armed with air-to-surface missiles to fire on anyone fleeing from a crime scene.

We also learn the “Kessel Mines” are slave labor camps for political prisoners of the Empire. The fact there are slave labor camps for “traitors” makes the Empire sound a lot like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and every other totalitarian country. It is likely the Wookiees sent to Kessel were not tried for their “crimes” and merely sentenced administratively by the arresting officer (perhaps for indecent exposure). The Empire is a government without any sense of due process, because if there was, any good lawyer would defend those Wookiees with the Chewbacca Defense.

The Politics of Agents of SHIELD with Gerry O’Brien

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Josh Gilliland

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October 3, 2014

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Could President Ellis have a chance for re-election after his Vice President committed treason AND HYDRA’s helicarriers crashing in the Potomac?

Veteran politic consultant Gerry O’Brien shares his real world experience on the politics of the fictional Marvel Universe.

And both Gerry and Josh are not afraid to geek-out over the new season of Agents of SHIELD.

Can the Gotham Police Beat a Confession to Save 30 Kids from Being Eaten?

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Josh Gilliland

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October 1, 2014

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Oh, Gotham. Thank you for presenting such a wonderful legal issue on whether it is “OK” for the police to beat a confession from someone in order to save 30 kids from being sold overseas to be a meal. Or worse. We never really learned what the Dollmaker had planned for the children.

While the orphans, the public, politicians, and press, would not have a problem with Detective Bullock beating a prisoner with a phone book to find out where kidnapped children were being held, a Court would begrudgingly say, “Don’t Do that Again.” Any thing learned from the suspect would tainted as “fruit from the poisonous tree” and in admissible in Court. The bad guy would walk because of the beating.

Police can conduct a search without a warrant when there are “exigent circumstances,” namely imminent and ongoing danger to life. Additionally, police can question someone arrested without giving them Miranda Rights if there are “overriding considerations of public safety.” New York v. Quarles, 467 U.S. 649 (1984). This generally involves finding bombs left around town or where a loaded gun was left in a field. However, it is rare to find a modern Court giving a judicial thumbs up to police brutality.

Which brings us to Detectives Harvey Bullock and James Gordon. The police arguably did not gain the exact location of the warehouse from the suspect, because Gordon figured out what the images were to identify the company logo. Even if the beaten suspect described the logo, there is an argument the information was available from the original child victims and if Bullock also saw the truck in the gunfight. As such, the information would have been available from independent sources other than the unlawful interrogation.

There is no question Bullock and Gordon had “exigent circumstances” to search the warehouse for the missing children without a warrant. However, there really is no way around a 1983 action against Bullock and the police department for beating someone in custody.

What Are Henry's Ethical Duties to Frank Irving as an Attorney?

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Josh Gilliland

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September 30, 2014

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The Horseman of War on Sleepy Hollow is a lawyer. Or pretending to be one. Either way, just lovely for our reputation as attorneys.

The reveal came at the end of The Kindred when Henry visited former Sheriff Frank Irving in a prison psychiatric hospital. The NEW Sheriff in town apparently was pushing the limits on cruel and unusual punishment, seeking not just psych evaluations, but threats of electric shock therapy. “Henry the Lawyer” appeared to put a stop to the tests, which is what a lawyer is exactly supposed to do for his client at object police torture.

However, Henry had Irving sign papers (most likely the engagement letter) that pricked the former sheriff’s finger, in effect making him sign the engagement letter in blood.

This raises many important legal issues. No one should EVER sign a contract of any type without reading it first. God knows what evil clause is in there that could negatively impact Frank Irving. No legal fees or retainer could include someone’s soul, even though not specifically stated in any state’s ethical rules.

Henry might be a powerful warlock, but that does not mean he passed the bar in the late 18th Century. New York does not permit people to engage in the unauthorized practice of law, warlock or not. The law specifically prohibits any “natural” person from holding themselves out to the public to practice law (including appearing in Court and advertising), without having been licensed, admitted to practice law in New York, and taken an oath to the Constitution. NY CLS Jud § 478.

If Henry is a licensed attorney, he has several major breaches of his ethical duties. The first being having his client sign a blood oath that likely goes against his client’s interests. This act would violate his Duty of Loyalty to Frank Irving to not act adversely against his client.

Henry also has a significant conflict of interest with Irving, as Henry’s goal is to bring about the Apocalypse under the direction of Moloch, which goes against Irving’s interests. A lawyer may not represent someone if a lawyer’s professional judgment will be adversely affected by the lawyer’s own business or personal interests. NY CLS Jud Appx R 1.7(a)(2). As Henry wants to destroy the world and use Irving in some way to achieve that goal, this conflict of interest unquestionably would violate Henry’s ethical obligations to Irving.

Henry is also violating his duties to New York State and the US Constitution, with his active criminal conspiracy to kidnap his mother, commit murder, and bring about the end of the world. All of these actions would result in disbarment.

Did the Doctor Need Courtney Woods to Have a Permission Slip to Travel in the TARDIS?

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Josh Gilliland

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September 29, 2014

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The Doctor Who episode “The Caretaker” ends with the Doctor taking the 14-year-old student Courtney Woods (who called herself “Destructive Influence”) on a trip in the TARDIS to dispose of Skovox Blitzer in deep space.

Could a school janitor take a 14-year-old off school premises in a time machine without a permission slip? The law in most countries would say no.

The state of California is a good example of the requirements for conducting a “field trip.” A school district can conduct ” excursions in connection with courses of instruction or school-related…educational…activities” within the state, outside of the state, or in a foreign country. Trips abroad can be “permitted to familiarize students with the language, history, geography, natural sciences, and other studies relative to the district’s course of study for pupils.” Cal Ed Code § 35330(a)(1).

Legally speaking, leaving planet Earth for a distant section of space would be “outside of the state.” As the Doctor took Courtney just into space, she was not in “a foreign country,” but an interstellar void.

A school district has broad immunity on field trips, because “all persons making the field trip or excursion shall be deemed to have waived all claims against the district for injury, accident, illness, or death occurring during or by reason of the field trip or excursion.” Wolfe v. Dublin Unified School Dist., 56 Cal. App. 4th 126, 128 (Cal. App. 1st Dist.1997), citing Cal Ed Code § 35330.

However, there is one giant requirement with field trips: Students need written parental consent to go on a field trip. This consent is known as a “permission slip.” Generally speaking, students who do not have a signed permission slip remain at a school in an alternative activity. Wolfe v. Dublin Unified School Dist., 56 Cal. App. 4th 126, 128 (Cal. App. 1st Dist.1997).

Some permission slips need to explain what the students are doing and know risks in order for parents to give their informed consent (such as after school sports). As such, parents are giving their express agreement to assume the risk of the activity. Such express agreements are valid if they do not violate public policy. Allan v. Snow Summit, Inc., 51 Cal. App. 4th 1358, 1372 (Cal. App. 4th Dist.1996).

Which brings us to the Doctor and Courtney. It is highly unlikely there was a permission slip signed by Courtney’s parents for her to travel into space. Just imagine what such a permission slip would look like to include known risks. While there would be high educational value in deep space exploration with an alien to dispose of an alien war machine, the risk of doing so would in no way be approved by a school district, even with Ian Chesterton as headmaster.

No Fly Lists & False Imprisonment on Agents of SHIELD

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Josh Gilliland

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September 25, 2014

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Jessica Mederson and Josh Gilliland loved the season premiere of Agents of SHIELD. Josh & Jess breaks down how the No Fly List works, Grant Ward’s due process claims for false imprisonment, and just why the heck did Xena grab the 084?