Moritz Legal Information Blog

CALI has launched The Free Law Reporter (FLR), a searchable electronic case reporter including "nearly every recent appellate and supreme court opinion" in state and federal courts since January 1, 2011. The FLR uses the bulk feed from Public.Resource.Org's Report of Current Opinions (RECOP) discussed here in December . One interesting feature of the FLR is that cases are available for downloading in epub format for compatibility with e-readers. Searching is limited to basic keyword searches, though more advanced search options are in development.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued an opinion in the case of Kentucky v. King (previously discussed here ). The Court held (8-1, Justice Ginsberg dissenting) that police were permitted to conduct a warrantless search of an apartment when they smelled marijuana, knocked and announced their presence, then heard noises they thought were indicative of drugs being destroyed--that the exigent circumstances rule applied because the police did not violate or threaten to violate the Fourth Amendment. Opinion here . Commentary: NPR The Wall Street Journal Law Blog The Volokh Conspiracy

In its Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room , the CIA recently made accessible the U.S. Government's six oldest classified documents. The documents are from the World War I era and describe how spies concealed information by secret writing. Method #25 from document 6 is dipping a toothpick in common milk and writing between the lines of an ordinary letter. Ironing the letter with a hot flatiron supposedly reveals the concealed writing. Via Barco 2.0

For your summer listening, the Library of Congress has created the National Jukebox , a collection of historical sound recordings freely available to the public. The collection consists of recordings issued on record labels now owned by Sony Music Entertainment including the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). The initial recordings are from 1901-1925 and include genres such as classical, blues, ragtime/jazz, traditional/country, and religious. Sony granted the Library a license to stream the recordings from the LOC website. While the music is not downloadable, users can create playlists for web listening.

When a grocery-store customer heard the bark of a dog, she ran through the store and eventually attempted to climb onto a freezer to escape. But the customer, who admitted to an extreme terror of all dogs, had to laugh when she finally saw what the dog was: a four-pound dachshund puppy belonging to the store manager. Nonetheless, the customer sued the store, arguing that the store was not kept in a safe condition and that shoppers should have been warned of the presence of the dog. The jury awarded plaintiff $130,000. The Mississippi Court of Appeals reversed, ruling that the presence of a four-month-old puppy did not create a dangerous condition in the store. Court of Appeals opinion: Penny Pinchers v. Outlaw Commentary: The Volokh Conspiracy Lowering the Bar

Former Texas litigator Tom Mighell has created a blog called "iPad4Lawyers" that discusses apps and tips relevant to attorneys. The blog is a companion to his book recently published by the ABA. While his discussion is geared toward the practice of law, some posts have relevance to an academic setting as well. Recent posts include Better File Management with Dropbox , "Forgetting" Wireless Networks , and Best Practices for Presenting on an iPad .

The U.S. Government Printing Office and the Federal Judiciary are beginning a one-year pilot program to allow the public greater access to opinions in Federal courts. The program will start with 12 courts, and may eventually include as many as 42. Opinions will be available (and searchable) through the GPO's Federal Digital System . News Release from the GPO here . Hat tip: 3 Geeks and a Law Blog