Re: Message Boards & The Law
Posted by Petra Challus on March 12, 2002 at 22:02:37:

Hi Roger,

The entire site is copyrighted, so none of the information can be used anywhere else.

As for your programs, I can't answer that question became I didn't ask it. But as a logical possible answer, your description of a program on the site is still different from placing a program on the site that then would become part of it. But you'll have to consult an attorney to be certain.

Actually, the law is rather black and white about most issues. The only time it is not is when it is left up to others such as jurors to put their own spin on it.

For anyone who has not served as a juror I can tell you they site the law before you go into deliberations. But while the jurors are there they make decisions on many things other than the law itself. They can include not liking how someone looked at them, how people dress, physical body language to name a few. But one of the larger issues can be one of the attorneys involved in the case.

Sometime ago I served as a juror and the attorney who represented the woman who was accused of theft via forgery was rather unpleasant. When he would make the rounds asking each juror questions, each time he got to me he asked me the same question. On the third time I looked at the Judge and I told him I already answered it twice and I would not answer it again and if the attorney wished to excuse me, that was ok. The Judge asked the attorney if he wished to excuse me and he did not.

That man whinned through the entire case, made excuses why he failed to look at the available evidence and in the end, his client went to jail. He did to later when he was found guilty of tax evasion. He got a ten year sentence. Oh well.

Petra