Outside The Beltway | OTB » Dodd Harris

OTB Latenight – r.e.m.

Dodd — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:30:59 +0000

OTB Latenight – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

Dodd — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:30:32 +0000

OTB Latenight – The Jesus & Mary Chain

Dodd — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:30:37 +0000

Caption Contest Winners

Dodd — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:08:58 +0000

The Holy Toothpaste! Edition OTB Caption Contest™ is now over.

✰ THE WINNERS ✰

First: yetanotherjohn – Behold the majestic eagle … as it is passed out of a joint committee with bipartisan support.

Second: FormerHostage – What’s the difference between this and Barney Frank? One’s a creepy, blood-sucking rodent that craps on the floor, and the other’s a bat.

Third: Lisa T. – Alfred, how many times do I have to tell you – STOP PUTTING MY BAT SUIT IN THE DRYER!

✰ DODD’S END OF THE DOCKET ✰

“I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” – Phil Smith

Speaker Pelosi prepares for her next press conference. – Wyatt Earp

Rodney will return November 23rd.

OTB Latenight – “Weird Al” Yankovic

Dodd — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:30:09 +0000

Caption Contest

Dodd — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:24:39 +0000

Time for an OTB Caption Contest^TM

Winners will be announced Tuesday-ish.

OTB Latenight – Alice In Chains

Dodd — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:30:54 +0000

OTB Latenight – Styx

Dodd — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:30:43 +0000

OTB Latenight – Soft Cell

Dodd — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:44:47 +0000

Do You Have the Right Not To Be Framed?

Dodd — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:59:22 +0000

The Supreme Court hears oral argument today in Pottawattamie County v McGee, wherein they will have to decide if prosecutors have immunity from lawsuits even if they frame someone for murder.

On one side of the case being argued are Iowa prosecutors who contend “there is no freestanding right not to be framed.” They are backed by the Obama administration, 28 states and every major prosecutors organization in the country.

On the other side are two black men — Terry Harrington and Curtis McGhee — men who served 25 years in prison before evidence long hidden in police files resulted in them being freed.

[...]

The Supreme Court has indeed said that prosecutors are immune from suit for anything they do at trial. But in this case, Harrington and McGhee maintain that before anyone being charged, prosecutors gathered evidence alongside police, interviewed witnesses and knew the testimony they were assembling was false.

Hard though it might be to believe, this is actually a difficult decision. The balance between protecting diligent prosecutors from suit and protecting defendants from the bad apples is not a simple thing. The good news is that a case like this is amenable to a bright-line rule against intentional misconduct. The bad news is, the Supreme Court has shown a consistent disdain for bright-line rules for some time.

Heretical Ideas previewed this case last month.

OTB Latenight – Ednaswap

Dodd — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:08:54 +0000

Compare to the “original” of the cover:

OTB Latenight – The Allman Brothers Band

Dodd — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:49:52 +0000

OTB Latenight – John Cleese

Dodd — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:01:07 +0000

In honour of John Cleese’s 70th birthday, here’s something completely different:

OTB Latenight – Sister Hazel

Dodd — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:30:58 +0000

OTB Latenight – Linda Ronstadt

Dodd — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:30:00 +0000