Andres & Brownlee

The United States Constitution embodies all the hope and complexities of 18th century thinking. Somehow modern concepts of equality, due process, and freedom of expression were put next to clauses upholding the brutality of slavery and subjugation of women. Our Constitution was not perfect, yet it paved the way for the modern society we live in. What does every person say when we are threatened by authority: “Where’s your warrant?”, “I don’t want to talk to you without my lawyer”, and…

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For the last few decades there has been a growing cultural phenomenon among jurors regarding forensic evidence. Reasonable and intelligent people confuse what’s on TV with what is physically in front of them. Unfortunately these assumptions have dramatic consequences every day in court rooms across the country. The phenomenon comes from the endless barrage of criminal investigation series on television. Shows like C.S.I., N.C.I.S., Criminal Minds, Law and Order, Bones, and Dexter all revolve around clever investigators who are able…

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In the trenches of fighting for fair and equal justice, the battle is difficult and often discouraging. Plaintiffs and their lawyers must overcome what often seems to be a hopeless no man’s land of procedure, financial costs, and protective politics. If we succeed, then what? Is the local culture magically transformed with all wrongs mended? Once the Court hands down a favorable opinion many activists hang up their signs thinking the battle over and done with.

This story opens with a Georgia Representative, plotting with fellow legislators on how to reform the state’s public defender system.

You don’t have to wear a tinfoil hat to see potential problems when local police use controversial technology and massive data surveillance techniques to secretly acquire people’s information. Citizens (especially lawyers) need to start being mindful and actively vigilant against these techniques and the Constitutional ramifications that inevitably come up with their wide spread use.

Marines sent into countries consumed by civil war and political instability, often greet shocked new comers with the phrase “welcome to the suck”. We like to think The United States is a stable government with solid political and judicial institutions that protect democratic processes from self-destruction. Elections are a key part of this stability. The United States has a long history of moderate governance. It has an equally long history of controlling populist candidates and parties who undermine the system….

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If you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of needing a divorce you will have to navigate a complex legal process and make many difficult decisions about your family and finances under enormous emotional stress. To explain the process of divorce, it is helpful to begin with the final result. All divorces in Georgia are finalized by a judge’s written order, typically referred to as a Final Judgment and Decree of Divorce, or Final Decree for short. The terms of…

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A brief rebuttal on the misconceptions of “the flag” debate and why it matters most in the Deep South.

A legal battle is currently being waged between Apple and the F.B.I. Read Apple’s Motion to Vacate for more backstory. Comedian and reluctant journalist, John Oliver recently ran a segment explaining the tensions between compromised software security and national interests on his show Last Week Tonight. Most journalists are following John Oliver’s lead and focusing on the same issue. What many journalists fail to mention is the Apple case’s implication of freedom of expression and speech. The overlap between computer language…

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