A Criminal Waste of Space
An "irreverent look at legal matters." This blawg is updated on a monthly basis.
Author: William W. Bedsworth is an associate justice of the California Fourth District Court of Appeal. He is also the author of A Criminal Waste of Time.
Blawg Related Categories: States • California • Judge • Humor
Recent Posts from A Criminal Waste of Space
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Its Alright Ma (Im Only Bleeding)
I have gone gently into the good night of geezerhood. I'm not sure exactly when it happened. At some point, apparently while my attention was diverted, I went from being "The Kid"1 to being "Acting…
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Two More Cases I Would Have Gotten Wrong
I was a trial judge for ten years without ever being assigned to Family Law. Turns out all you have to do is deny a coupla divorces and the Presiding Judge decides you're not cut out…
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MCLEmentary
The National Judicial College is located in Reno, Nevada. I don't know why. I always assumed that's where the founders' wagon train ran out of food and water.Whatever the reason for the location, it's problematic. …
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Crime and Punishment
My first year criminal law professor spent a great deal of time - an inordinate amount of time, I thought then - on the philosophy of punishment. I was a lot more confident at twenty…
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The Tyranny of Small Laws
G. K. Chesterton said, "When you break the big laws, you do not get liberty. You do not even get anarchy. You get small laws." And when you break the small laws, some poor judge…
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Is That a Kielbasa in Your Pocket?
It occurred to me today that it's a long, long time from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.1 Which means that by November, the days have grown short enough…
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Just Another Day in the Monkey House
When novelist Kurt Vonnegut died last year, Sports Illustrated ran an obituary. This was unusual. SI has a section in which they typically run short obituaries of sports figures, but Kurt Vonnegut was not, at…
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The Ruby Laffoon Rule
I try really hard not to throw rocks at legislators. For one thing, they have a very tough job, a very boring job, a job most of us wouldn't take unless they'd stopped hiring at…
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Schaddenfreude a la Spitzer
My wife and I work together. This means I get to spend pretty much every minute of my life with her. This sometimes gets in the way because, of course, it means I have to…
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Gorilla Warfare
I must admit I was startled. I had not expected to see a gorilla when I left the golf course. And I certainly hadn't expected to be within 20 feet of one.1 Yet there he…