I do not know what happened, but, yes, if a judge fails to follow procedure, then that is a problem. The trial of Sharon Keller started yesterday. She is presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals. That means, she is the chief judge for the highest court in Texas regarding criminal cases. If she
General
Remember Who Your Friends are on Facebook
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
If you add your boss to your Facebook page, be sure to remember that when you start complaining about your job. Workplace professors describe a British worker who apparently forgot she had added her boss. She described him later as a "pervvy wanker" and said other unflattering things about him and her job. The…
Fight Club Attracts National Attention
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
One of the trials regarding the fight club at Corpus Christi State School started on Monday. It has attracted national attention. I have talked about this before. It is shameful conduct at the expense of some of our most vulnerable citizens. But, let’s face it, we have the state school system we are willing…
Four Day Work Week a Success in Utah
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
So, the four day work week is a popular success in Utah. As reported by the workplace professorblog. As some might recall, Utah state government employees went to a 4 day work week earlier this year, I believe, due to budget issues. Apparently, it has been a success and very popular with many…
The Growing Effect of TBI
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
We don’t understand it. But, so many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans get it: traumatic brain injury. LTC Rivas got it and apparently died from it. We get it stateside, too, but TBI has become a singular feature of the current war. The IED’s (improvised explosive devices or "roadside bombs") are unique to this war. When…
It Must be Tough in Your Average Detention Facility
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
It must be tough in prison. Allen Stanford, the investor who stands accused of bilking his clients out of millions of dollars has filed a motion asking to be transferred from the Conroe detention facility to a downtown Houston facility. Seems the air conditioner at the Conroe facility has been out for a week. There…
Big Verdicts Require Big Salaries and Benefits
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
Half a million dollar verdicts are very rare in employment cases. As I have explained to many clients, the big dollar verdicts generally go to the clients with big lost income. CEO’s, doctors, etc. get the big verdicts because they lose so much money in salary and retirement benefits. So, it is no surprise that…
“Reasonable” Settlement Offers Lend Credibility
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
A lawyer friend had a client once who insisted on asking for $1.5 million to settle a discrimination case. The client did not make anywhere close to a six figure salary. He had lost very little income income. My friend the lawyer, tried and tried to describe to him the reality of low damage cases…
The (Few) Rights of Terminated Employees
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
For a good summary of the rights of Texas employees when they lose their job, see Aaron Ramirez’ post from last March. Note that Aaron makes no mention of the employer paying the employee for any accrued vacation or sick leave. An at-will employee, which includes most employees in Texas, has no right to…
Requiring Facebook Passwords Not a Winning Policy
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
The City of Bozeman, Montana will no longer require Facebook passwords as part of its application process, as reported in Delaware Employment Law blog. That was a risky decision. How many applicants would pass up this relatively large employer (in that neck of the woods) if they have to reveal too much. Too, the…