a non-criminal post by special request: Living Wills and Living Trusts

 “Living,” in its adjectival sense, is one of those descriptors which is really only useful as a contrast to its opposite.  Saying that Tobias Wolff is “A Great Living Author” is just a euphemism to point out that Mr. Wolff is not dead, unlike so many other great authors.  Similarly, Living Wills and Living Trusts are unlike most regular wills and trusts because they become effective before the person who makes them is dead.

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putting the “strict” back in “strict liability”

Thank you Parking Enforcement Officer P515 for the ticket you left on my car last Saturday, in front of my house, on the morning of the day that my registration expired!  I can picture it now: a quiet weekend morning in a tree-lined neighborhood, the early fall air is still and cool, birds are chirping, the sun is just cresting the mountains to the east and warming your face, Parking Enforcement Officer P515, as you walk from car to car dealing out tickets to the slightly lazy registered-car-owners of Salt Lake City!  Your proud efforts give me occasion to wax lawyerly about Strict Liability, and for that I thank you!  Carry on!

Anyway, my ticket says that the owner and driver of the car is “strictly liable” for any parking infractions.  In that context, strict liability can probably be translated as “don’t try Continue reading