Under advisement

[Guinevere]

Today, after about a 3 1/2 year process, I tried my very first divorce case. The Women's Bar Foundation of the Women's Bar Association has a program to provide free legal services for battered women who have few resources, in matters of divorce, child support, and custody, so this is all pro bono work supported by me and my law firm. I've been with the client through the criminal proceedings when she testified against her abusive spouse (he was convicted by the jury then the conviction was set aside be use of a stupid comment the DA made in closing), through this lengthy proceeding where the spouse at first refused to participate, didn't show up at hearings, and then would never speak with me or hire his own lawyer. When a party doesn't participate the court cannot just make any orders it deems appropriate because of the fundamental Constitutional rights involved.

Anyway, we finally had the trial this morning, even though I made every effort to resolve the case, so as not to put my client through the process. She did beautifully. He lied through his teeth. At the conclusion, the judge said he would take it "under advisement" which is standard, but incredibly anticlimactic. When we left the courtroom, the judge was still on the bench and I bet he was asking his clerk and the court officer for their take on the credibility of the two witnesses. I just hope they do right by my client and her two little boys.

It will take me a while to come down from the stress and pace and monkeybrain sleeplessness of the last few nights. It's really hard to describe the rollercoaster of trial work but it's amazing highs and sometimes sucky lows.

[Sue U]

Congratulations! Take at a day out of the office. I have found that every trial has one surprise, usually bad. What was yours?

[Guinevere]

I wish I could but I have a big deadline in another case on Friday!

No really big bad surprises. It was a 2 1/2 hour proceeding, so not too much to be surprised about. I suppose some of the lies. The judge gave me the ability to put my client back on the stand for a short rebuttal and I made a couple of points on cross. There is always the thing you think of after you've left the courtroom. Or at least I do. It's that monkeybrain thing at work....

[MajGenl.Meade]

Good deal - hope your client obtains justice. Well done

[oldr_n_wsr]

Glad you do that kind of work Guin. I see many a battered woman (and a few men) in the rooms. (mot times, both parties were alkies/users) They all can use law help. We can handle the sobriety work.
Thanks again.

[Gob]

Respect due Guin!

[rubato]

Good job, best of luck to your side.


yrs,
rubato

[TPFKA@W]

We really need a mind reading machine so things can be cut and dry.


Thank you for what you do.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Brian Aldiss drew the line at this kind of thing - said that it "would be the ruin of British diplomacy"

Meet the Kokoro Scanner, a modern, portable take on the polygraph machine by Japanese toy giant Takara Tomy. For the reasonable price of 2,700 yen (about $25), you can now debase yourself in front of friends and family more conveniently than ever.

Like most traditional lie detectors, the head-mounted scanner determines whether the wearer is fibbing according to fluctuations in his or her pulse. Its light flashes green if there’s no change (you’re telling the truth), or yellow if your heart rate increases slightly (maybe you’re telling the truth). Red means you’re lying—or as Akihabara News wonderfully puts it, “You are pretty much disturbed.”

In a particularly genius flourish of cruelty, the wearer can’t see the color of her own light, because it’s positioned smack in the middle of her forehead. The gadget also comes with a deck of 15 cards with suggested questions, so that the well of social torture may never run dry.

The Kokoro Scanner will hit stores in Japan on Oct. 30. What holiday shopping list would be complete without the gift that keeps on humiliating?

[Bicycle Bill]

Brian Aldiss drew the line at this kind of thing - said that it "would be the ruin of British diplomacy"

Meet the Kokoro Scanner, a modern, portable take on the polygraph machine by Japanese toy giant Takara Tomy. For the reasonable price of 2,700 yen (about $25), you can now debase yourself in front of friends and family more conveniently than ever.

Like most traditional lie detectors, the head-mounted scanner determines whether the wearer is fibbing according to fluctuations in his or her pulse. Its light flashes green if there’s no change (you’re telling the truth), or yellow if your heart rate increases slightly (maybe you’re telling the truth). Red means you’re lying—or as Akihabara News wonderfully puts it, “You are pretty much disturbed.”

In a particularly genius flourish of cruelty, the wearer can’t see the color of her own light, because it’s positioned smack in the middle of her forehead. The gadget also comes with a deck of 15 cards with suggested questions, so that the well of social torture may never run dry.

The Kokoro Scanner will hit stores in Japan on Oct. 30. What holiday shopping list would be complete without the gift that keeps on humiliating?

Call it the "iScanner" and have Apple sell it for $350, and *EVERYBODY* will want one.

-"BB"-

[rubato]

Polygraphs have been proven not to work. They are more likely to show that a liar is telling the truth and a truthful person is lying than they are to catch a liar.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

He's right. I've tried saying "yes" every time a polygraph expert asks if one of rubato's posts is true and the damn machine wiggles "lie" every time. Obvs, useless technology