I've been working all weekend on my powerpoint for my talk on Email and Social Media Evidence: Uploading Guilt, Downloading Impeachment. I have to have it done by Weds when i leave for Aspen and NORML's Legal Seminar.

I'm sure there will be news, so here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

A pre-trial motions hearing begins at 9:00 am in the George Zimmerman case.

Here's a link to watch live.

You can read all the pleadings on the Zimmerman web site. For analysis and discussion, visit DiWataman.

Here's a thread to discuss the proceedings.

Enjoy the holiday everyone. This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

It's Champion League Final Day!

Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund (or BVB for those in the know) in an all German club final.

I invested in Dortmund at the quarterfinal stage at 8-1, so a hedge is in order - Bayern (-1) at (+135) for 3 units. But a Dortmund win nets me a 37 unit win.

So go BVB!

Open Thread.

Your turn. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

There's been a spate of new pleadings in the George Zimmerman case. (This morning's filings are discussed here.) The defense is asking for a trial continuance (motion here) because of expert Alan Reich, who it appears, is not a speaker identification expert or analyst but a "speech" analyst. The state didn't turn over his report making this evident until May 10. It wants more time to verify Reich's credentials and determine whether his area of expertise really is an area of expertise, and to retain its own expert. (My analysis of Reich's report, which I called a joke, is here.)

The defense also filed another motion for sanctions against the state (available here). Turns out, the state didn't deliver and hasn't delivered any reports of items extracted from Trayvon Martin's phone, or identify any items extracted from the phone. What it did was turn over a raw "bin" file which is unreadable without special software. The state has the software and the defense says it is "undeniable" that the state analyzed what's in the bin files and compiled reports, but failed to identify any items extracted from the files as exculpatory or impeaching and failed to disclose any reports on the items extracted. As O'Mara says, it's like they turned over the letters A to Z and said all the words you need are in there, go find them. That's not what Brady and Giglio require. [More...]

The jury has deadlocked on the sentence for Jodi Arias and the court declared a mistrial.

Under federal law, that would mean a life sentence. Not so in Arizona. A new jury will be seated to give the state another shot at killing her.

Under Arizona law, a hung jury in the death penalty phase of a trial requires a new jury to be seated to decide the punishment. If the second jury cannot reach a unanimous decision, the judge would then sentence Arias to spend her entire life in prison or be eligible for release after 25 years. The judge cannot sentence Arias to death.

Arizona has some really misguided laws. If a jury can't unanimously decide on death, why does the state get a second bite of the apple? If there is one person who has a doubt about whether someone should be put to death, that should be doubt enough.

(Larger version here)

The defense in the George Zimmerman case today released another batch of discovery it has provided the state. They include text messages and photos extracted from Trayvon Martin's cell phone. Several texts pertain to guns (Martin wanted one), marijuana, fighting, and his school suspension. There are many messages with Witness 8.

You can view all the items here. Diwataman has some of the most relevant screenshots here. [More....]

While unnamed officials continue to tell the media that Ibragim Todashev "implicated" himself in the killing of three men in Boston in 2011, his wife (from whom he was separated) and father are speaking out and disputing the media allegations.

Ms. Manukyan, an Armenian who converted to Islam before marrying Mr. Todashev, says she met her late husband in 2010 through a mutual friend in Boston. She says she separated from Mr. Todashev last November but was still in regular contact with him and was partly supporting him through their joint bank account. She says she saw him last week when he came to visit her in Atlanta and spoke to him this week.

[More...]

Lots of work today. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper today granted a reprieve from the death penalty to Nathan Dunlap, who is scheduled to be executed in August for killings 15 years ago at a Chuck E. Cheese pizza parlor.

The reprieve is not clemency. A future governor could lift it. But it means Dunlap's execution date is canceled and Hickenlooper says he is unlikely to revisit the decision.

"It is a legitimate question whether we as a state should be taking lives," the order says. "Because the question is about the use of the death penalty itself, and not about Offender No. 89148, I have opted to grant a reprieve and not clemency in this case."

The Governor's press release is here. The Executive Order granting the reprieve is here. [More...]

In a letter from Attorney General Eric Holder to Congress today, for the first time, the U.S. has admitted killing 4 American citizens in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.

The letter is here. It says only Anwar al-Awlaki was targeted for killing. Samir Kahn was killed in the same strike. al-Awlaki's son was killed in another drone strike in Yemen, and Jude Mohammed was killed in drone strike in Pakistan. [More...]