Associate Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant

Associate Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, speaking at the New Lawyer Ethics Program, held at the Utah Law & Justice Center, on October 20, 2011. His topic was professionalism, civility & practicing Law

F. McKay Johnson

Legally Enforceable Puns

I think its fun (=nerd) to look for typos in legal databases. What else are they really good for?

• "The husband's estate received a martial deduction." PA Bank & Trust Co. v. US. It must have been the estate of Chuck Norris.
  

• "unclear hands" City of Reno v. Nevada First Thrift. There is also a rule against translucent hands. . .
  

• "a patter of behavior" Chun v. NY. What, no pitter?

• "He clamed Banker called him on the night in question." State v. Martinez. There's something fishy about that.
  

• "probate of the decadents will" Lefkowitz v. Bank of New York. By coincidence, the word "taste" in Spanish can be translated as "probar."
  

• "He contests the members hip" Gibson v. Babbitt. The membership's connected to the knee bone.

• "by warranty dead." Jackson v. United States Postal Service. This is the opposite of a living will.

• "the fist element." Home Health Care Affil. V. North American Indem. Also look out for the second and turd elements.
  

• "the implied convent of good faith and fair dealing." Horn v. Provident Life & Acc. Ins. Co. Sounds impliedly religious.
  

• "he singed the document." US v. Melendez Santiago. And technically, singing a document (much like signing one) could be legally significant if intended as an identifying mark.
  

• "[the defendant] could not be liable to the Owners for beach of contract." HUD Cienega Gardens v. US. Otherwise, damages would be measured in star fish and cigarette butts.
  

• "The revised promissory not was never presented." DeClaire v. G & B MCINTOSH FAMILY LTD. This one can be read either as a typo on note, or as a really awesome double negative.
  

• "a communication with tis attorney waived his attorney-client privilege." US v. Jackson. Spell Check: tis a dangerous thing.
  

• "The maximum penalty here under the new federal statue would be a maximum of $786 million." In Re Valdez. Beware the pigeon poo.

• Fictitious payee checks are not to be deemed payable to bear unless the signer thereof is aware of the fraud. Edgington v. Security-First National Bank. I can haz commercial paper?

• "The state court authorized the receiver to mange the partnership." In re StatePark Building Group, Ltd. Gross, mange is a skin parasite.
  

• "Plaintiff is barred by the principles of red judicata." George v. McClure. Hey, let's replace all the latin with basic colors.

• "An Ohio law establishing an early fling deadline for independent candidates." Citizens for Legislative Choice v. Miller. Sounds scandalous.
  

• "The defendant is entitled to a trail by jury." Petersen v. Vallenzano. However, the trail need not be paved.