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In the United States, some states elect their judges, while in others they are appointed. Judges in Massachusetts are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, also known as the Governor’s Council. This has been so ever since 1780, …Continue Reading How a judge is selected in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a glorious heritage, with important historical figures such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. Shots fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts in 1775 initiated the American Revolution. Great literary figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau, …Continue Reading Chocolate Chip Cookie: the official state cookie of Massachusetts
Words of law is a regular feature of Massachusetts Law Updates, highlighting a particular word or phrase and its meaning in law. Today’s phrase is habeas corpus. habeas corpus. [Law Latin “that you have a body”] (18c) A writ employed to bring a person before a …Continue Reading Word(s) of the month– habeas corpus
Lying or spreading “false news” was treated as a crime in colonial Massachusetts. In 1645 the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law which stated: “Whereas truth in words as well as in actions is required of all men, especially of Christians, who are the professed …Continue Reading The Law Against Lying and False News in Colonial Massachusetts
Early in 1692, a group of girls in Salem Village (now the town of Danvers) began to accuse people of witchcraft. Accusations swelled, and soon, many people had been examined and jailed, awaiting trial. What laws were followed during the Salem witch trials of 1692? Under …Continue Reading Witchcraft law up to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692
Massachusetts regulations (105 CMR 590.007) follow the federal Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code (1999 edition) (section 6-501.115), which states that “live animals may not be allowed on the premises of a food establishment”, with certain exceptions, which include fish in aquariums or edible seafood under refrigeration …Continue Reading Can You Take your Dog to a Restaurant or Grocery Store?
Hate crime and hate speech are related, but not identical topics. A hate crime is a crime that is motivated by bigotry. See our earlier blog post about hate crime in Massachusetts. Hate speech is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary (10th ed., 2014) as: “Speech …Continue Reading Hate Speech Law in Massachusetts
“Hate crimes” and “hate speech” are hot topics in the realms of education, the courts, the media, and in our daily lives. These are two separate but related issues. “Hate speech” will be a subsequent post. According to Black’s Law Dictionary (10th edition), a “hate …Continue Reading Hate Crime Law in Massachusetts
Many of us have pesky squirrels stealing bird seed from our bird feeders. Sometimes it looks like a particularly smart squirrel has figured out a way to get to the feeder, while others haven’t figured it out yet. We’d like to get rid of the …Continue Reading Can You Move that Squirrel?
Saturday, September 10, 2016 is “Endangered Species Day” in Massachusetts. American Bittern (Botaurus Lentiginosus) According to Massachusetts General Law chapter 6 section 15EE: “The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the second Saturday in September as “Endangered Species Day” and recommending that said day shall …Continue Reading Endangered Species Day
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