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Top 10 Blog Articles of 2014
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Top 10 Blog Articles of 2014

The year 2014 was quite eventful with headlines that often sounded like Hollywood movie plots. The Ebola outbreak terrorized Africa and the rest of the world. ISIS became a supervillain organization that used social media to horrify the world. Malaysia Airlines lost two commercial planes in the span of four months—one mysteriously disappearing and the other shot down over Ukraine.

The year wasn’t all doom and gloom, however. Rosetta, a robotic space probe, took a 10-year journey and successfully landed on a comet. In July and August, the power of social media helped raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through the “Ice Bucket Challenge.”

Here are LegalMatch’s top 10 blog articles for 2014.

1. The Solution for Homelessness

Besides dropping a few quarters or dollars into a cup, what can be done to truly help the homeless? In Utah, the state government is taking an innovative approach to solving its homelessness issue with the “Housing First” program. The goal is to safely house the homeless, while saving the state money, and eventually ending chronic homelessness.

2. Was It Legal to Record Donald Sterling’s Conversation?

The name Donald Sterling has become synonymous with: the L.A. Clippers’ owner, racism, and Instagram. Also: wiretapping. California has specific laws about wiretapping and when this evidence can be used. Luckily for Sterling, the NBA’s “court” was the only court that could judge him based on the recording.

3. Contempt of Cop: the Law of Standing up to Police Officers

Interacting with law enforcement, especially when you feel like you did nothing wrong, can be a tense situation. Making wisecrack comments is probably never in your best interest. So what exactly does contempt of cop mean? Basically, it means that you were being a smart aleck and, through the perspective of law enforcement, you were disrespecting their authority.

4. Can I Get Fired for Smoking Marijuana?

With more states legalizing medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, you would think the line for firing someone would be in a gray zone. Well, actually this isn’t really the case. It’s still illegal under federal law to use marijuana and private companies aren’t required to change their drug policies if a state legalizes it. Users beware: smoke at your own risk because a doctor’s note isn’t enough.

5. 5 Reasons to Start a Food Truck Rather than a Restaurant

Let’s face it, opening up a restaurant is expensive and the costs to maintain it can be just as bad. But you love food and want to venture into this industry, so what can you do? Food trucks! That’s right, food trucks have lower overhead costs, and they still allow you to be creative and make delicious food. Besides, every corner needs a good food truck, especially ones with names like: Baguettaboutit (French cuisine), Mamas and the Tapas (Caribbean tapas), and The Chairman Bao (steamed buns).

6. Legal Analysis of Jay Z’s 99 Problems

Most people know their Miranda rights because of popular TV shows like Law and Order. Others think they’re courtroom experts after watching My Cousin Vinny. The entertainment industry is always depicting or commenting on the law, and Jay Z is no exception. Unfortunately, sometimes artists don’t get the law right and that’s just one of Jay Z’s 99 Problems.

7. Can Police Lie?

“If you’re a cop, you have to tell me.” Everyone’s heard this phrase, but is a police officer really obligated to tell you the truth at all times? No, unfortunately; officers can tell white lies about most things in order to get to the bottom of a case.

8. Police Detain Actress for Prostitution after She’s Seen Kissing Her Husband

Showing some public displays of affection isn’t illegal, but Danièle Watt and Brian Lucas, an interracial couple, were detained in Los Angeles for doing just that. The officer asked for the couple’s identification and Danièle refused. This incident led to the question: when can officers ask for ID? The answer is officers need reasonable suspicion that something illegal was happening.

9. Peeping Toms Can Legally Take Photos up Women’s Skirts

Peeping toms can take pictures of your private parts and it’s legal because you decided to wear a skirt out in public instead of jeans. Sounds absurd, but this is what two courts have concluded in Texas and Washington D.C. It’s a sad reality, and essentially the courts are using the rationale: “if she didn’t want someone to take pictures of her private parts, then she shouldn’t have been wearing that.

10. Should Islamic Laws Be Allowed in US Courts?

Sharia law typically comes up in family law cases and the main fear for those opposed to its presence in US courts is that it will supersede American laws. An outright ban may not be the best option because of constitutional issues, and most solutions seem to be fueled by fear instead of practicality.

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Law Library Staff

  • Jessica Tran

    LegalMatch Law Library Managing Editor

    Attorney at Law