July 15, 2020

Can Your Speed Dial Be Used Against You In Court?

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I have a busy day ahead, so there probably won’t be much blogging today. Instead, I’ll leave you with something completely different and totally trivial.

Here in California we have a DUI attorney called No-Cuffs. If you get pulled over for drunk driving, give them a call! In fact, says a recent ad, you should put them on your speed dial.

Your speed dial! So here’s what I wonder. Suppose that some bright young assistant DA decides to subpoena your cell phone and sees that No-Cuffs is, in fact, on your speed dial. What impact would this have? Could a good lawyer use this as evidence that you intended to drive drunk? Or what? Do I have any criminal lawyers out there who can advise us whether it’s really a good idea to have a DUI attorney on speed dial?

See you tomorrow.

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The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

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