Articles Posted in Commentary and Opinion

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BOLTS* “ The Texas supreme court closed out 2023 by blocking an abortion during a medical emergency, forcing a woman to flee the state. Just days before Christmas, Wisconsin justices struck down the state’s GOP-drawn gerrymanders. So far this year, Montana’s supreme court has stepped in to protect voting rights, while a decision in Alabama threatened in vitro fertilization treatments. 

In each of these states, unlike at the federal level, voters chose who sits on the bench and which judges get to dictate such profound consequences. And the 2024 elections may now reshape who holds power on supreme courts across the country.

Thirty-three states have elections for their high courts this year; some have as many as five or six seats on the ballot. In total, 82 seats are up for voters to decide. 

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The AI Elections Accord is a voluntary agreement among leading technology companies to combat the deceptive use of AI in the 2024 elections. Recognizing the potential for AI to generate highly realistic but false content, known as deepfakes, the accord aims to protect the integrity of elections worldwide. The signatories have agreed to the following voluntary framework of principles and actions to advance seven principal goals:

  1. Prevention: Researching, investing in, and/or deploying reasonable precautions to limit risks of deliberately Deceptive AI Election Content being generated.
  2. Provenance: Attaching provenance signals to identify the origin of content where appropriate and technically feasible.
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On July 17, 2024, we noticed a posting from Wisblawg which stated in part that “In recent months web developers and SEO experts have noted significant changes in Google’s Indexing practices observing a shift toward more selective indexing of web content…” Having already received other indications over the past year of impending changes in indexing practices by Google, we decided it was time to take a deeper dive into the subject.

The following is a compilation of our findings, ending with statistical information derived from an AI search using ChatGPt:

 Introduction

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Isaac Saul and his team have published A Closer Look at the Secret Service in the July 19, 2024, issue of Tangle. The article provides a detailed and balanced description of the Secret Service as an organization from several perspectives, including its history, organizational structure, funding, and the Trump shooting.

We believe that with this article, which needs to be read widely, Isaac Saul and his team have contributed in a significant way to bringing clarity to the issues covered.  We are therefore pleased that Saul has granted us permission to post his article, with an abstract of my own, followed with a link to the entire article.

Quoting from the article: “The effects of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump are sure to reverberate across our country for months — and potentially years — to come.”  “The incident could also have a major impact on the Secret Service — the agency tasked with protecting current and past presidents, their families, and other high-profile politicians.”

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The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday was a dreadful and unspeakable event, marking a significant and alarming blow to America’s already tenuous grasp on democracy and the rule of law. Such an attack on an individual campaigning for the highest office in the nation is not just an act of violence against a person but a direct assault on the foundational principle that every voter has the right to choose their representatives freely and without fear.

The health of a democracy relies on the steadfast rejection of political violence as a tool to silence opponents, particularly those whose views we find most objectionable. The moment we resort to such means, we undermine the very fabric of democratic society. For democracy to thrive, it is essential to tolerate a broad spectrum of views, even those that challenge our own beliefs. Respecting the choices made by the electorate, even when they result in the election of candidates we vehemently oppose, is crucial.

.Amherst professor Austin Sarat in his essay, Trump Assassination Attempt is the Latest Threat to America’s Already Fragile Democracy, But it is Not the One, published in VERDICT, discusses this topic in greater detail. Quoting from professor Sarat’s  introduction:

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The internet, a vast tapestry of information and connection, stands on the cusp of a transformative era. Artificial intelligence (AI), with its ability to analyze, learn, and adapt, is poised to usher in a fundamental change in how we experience the digital world. This article will delve into the multifaceted impact of AI on the internet’s future, exploring both the potential benefits and challenges. While most observations will be general, a specific paragraph will be devoted to law libraries

Faster and more efficient data transmission:

AI-powered networks can transmit data more quickly and efficiently, which could lead to faster download and upload speeds and reduced latency.

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During the last few days we have been almost totally immersed in matters related to our Supreme Court–both listening and writing. Witnessing all of the anxiety and concern about the need for a Court capable of both  lending stability and being a centerpiece in preserving our representative democracy, we began searching for an authoritative source to provide clarity about the state of the  Court in these uncertain times.  Our search has  led  to the  essay The 2023-24 Supreme Court That Was – And Wasn’t by Michael C.Dorf, Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University:

The 2023-24 Supreme Court That Was—And Wasn’t

2 JUL 2024
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Although retired as an active law librarian, I try to keep up with current developments by maintaining memberships in AALL, SLA, ABA, and maintaining contacts with friends currently active in the profession. I also have been publishing articles on the Criminal Law Library Blog since 2007 on various subjects, including those related to law, law librarians, and artificial intelligence.

I am grateful to have been able to maintain all of these relationships through the years and hope the below article will help my professional colleagues realize the potential of AI as a powerful ally. In my view, AI has the potential to revolutionize the services provided by law librarians through various means including those outlined below.

  1. Enhanced Legal Research
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From the Congressional Budget Office (CBO):

June 4, 2024

CBO’s Director, Phillip Swagel, testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Social Security about the significant financial challenge the program faces in the coming decades

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The recent high-profile trial of former president Donald Trump has reignited discussions on the role of jury instructions in shaping verdicts.  This post is based in part on the following query we asked Gemini following the triaI: I need a broad discussion of jury instructions and charges to the jury in trial courts of the state of New York. The following explores the purpose and content of jury instructions in New York courts. We’ve also included a link to the final instructions and a transcript from the recently concluded trial of Donald Trump

Jury instructions and charges are a cornerstone of a fair trial in New York courtrooms. They act as a bridge between the complex legal world and the understanding of laypeople on the jury. Let’s delve into the significance of this exchange and the considerations involved. For more detailed information see: New York Criminal Jury Instructions and Model Colloquies.  For the latest additions and revisions see CJI2d & MC History. For New York Civil Jury Instructions see  CPJI- Civil Pattern Jury Instructions –all from the New York State Unified Court System.

The Importance of Clear and Precise Instructions

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