The Judge Who Hated Red Nail Polish & Other Crazy but True Stories of Law & Lawyers

The Judge Who Hated Red Nail Polish & Other Crazy but True Stories of Law & Lawyers

Fun legal facts

Attorney Richard Stim , Ilona Bray, J.D.

April 2010, 1st Edition

The Judge Who Hated Red Nail Polish & Other Crazy but True Stories of Law & Lawyers compiles fun legal facts, case histories, human interest tales, and much more from among the often-hidden annals of legal history. Find out about:

which gangster started the tradition of “taking the Fifth”
whether you can legally keep treasure found in a sunken ship
and, of course, the Supreme Court Judge who hated red nail polish

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Bankrupt celebs, Typhoid Mary’s court battles, lawsuits by sports fans, and much more

With just over 1.1 million practicing lawyers in the U.S. today, this small portion of the population has produced no shortage of entertainment for the rest of us. Or is it just that Americans sue each other over the darndest things?

From famous court battles to obscure triva and facts, The Judge Who Hated Red Nail Polish is filled with often-surprising legal tales and facts, compiled by Nolo's team of attorney-editors. Learn about:

how courts treat the sales of haunted houses
which gangster started the tradition of “taking the Fifth”
what judges in centuries past had to say about morality
daring jail breaks - from sneaky escape tunnels to brazen prison yard pickups
whether you can legally keep treasure found in a sunken ship
the history of and customs surrounding British barristers’ wigs
lawsuits over which fan caught the stray baseball
and, of course, the Supreme Court Judge who hated red nail polish

Perfect for lawyers, law students, or the trivia buff in your life, The Judge Who Hated Red Nail Polish shows how fun and interesting the law can be.

ISBN 9781413311914

Pages 250 pp

A Roadtrip Through Loony U.S. Laws
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Lawyers
Barbie Goes to Court
How One Woman Survived the Most Rigorous Law School Admission Process in History and Still Managed to Feed the Kids and Clean the House
Reality TV in the Courtroom
Biggest Beyond-the-Grave Control Freaks
Five Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Clarence Darrow
Famous Prisoners’ Last Meals
Five Reasons Why John Donne Was Meant to Be a Poet, Not a Lawyer
Memorable Cases of False Advertising
Typhoid Mary Goes to Court
Lawyers Who’ve Won Nobel Prizes for Literature
A Lexicon of Ne’er-Do-Wells
Behind-the-Scenes Players in the U.S. Law Biz
Lawyers Who’ve Won Darwin Awards
Longest Jury Deliberations
Finding M&Ms in Court, in Contracts, and in Compromising Legal Situations
The Judge Who Hated Red Nail Polish
World’s Longest Prison Sentences
Literary Lawyers Quiz
Must-Visit Travel Destinations for Law Buffs
Nellie Mitchell, Age 96, Takes on a Tabloid
Times May, in Fact, Have Changed: Old Court Opinions
Consider Yourself Warned!
Top Ten Songs That Are Really, Truly About Lawyers
Test Your Knowledge of Impeachment
Celebrities With Law Degrees
Seven Rules You’d Think Every Bank Robber Would Know
Who Did You Say Went Bankrupt?
The Lawyer Who Invented Copying
Haunted History: The Salem Witch Trials
Would the Law Protect You From Buying a Haunted House?
Ooh, You Could’ve Bought Madoff’s Rolex!
High Fences Make Spiteful Neighbors
A DUI for Driving a What?!
Taking the Fifth: How “Funny Girl” Helped Popularize the Most Famous One-Liner in Criminal Law
Do You Know Enough About Law to Pass the U.S. Citizenship Test?
Toupee or Not Toupee? All About British Barristers’ Wigs
Worst Excuses Ever for Committing a Crime
Ten Best Crime-Solving Lawyers in Mystery Series
Wanna Play Auditor?
Take Me Out to the Ball Game—But Don’t Get Between Me and That Home Run Ball
What’s in a Name?
Whose Sunken Treasure Is It?
How Copyright Law Found Its Mojo
‘Til Death—Or the Tabloids—Do Us Part: Messy Celebrity Divorces
Man’s Best Friend?
Best Scenes From Movie Courtrooms
Take My Wives, Please: Polygamy Law FAQ
How Robert Crumb Almost Lost “Keep on Truckin’”
Trials of the Centuries
“Oops” Headlines About Law and Crimes
How Rich People Avoid Getting Beaten Up in Prison
How Much Can a Fake Lawyer Earn?
Can You Name That Supreme Court Case?
Most Creative Jail Breaks
The United States Constitution—Not Written in Stone (Sort Of)
You Can Have the House and Kids, But Not the Dog!
Five Defective Products That Changed the Law
Biggest U.S. Family Legal Feuds
Off to Court in a Chicken Costume
When Judges Get Fed Up
Five Strange But True Butt-Related Inventions

Free Chapters

A Roadtrip Through Loony U.S. Laws

We’ll start with a reality check. The truth of the matter is, most loony laws that you’ve read about—over and over, after your great aunt forwarded that email for the umpteenth time—are fiction. Urban legends. May have existed once, but someone wised up and took them off the books.

That means you can, without fear of legal repercussions, grow a beard in Brainerd, Minnesota, take a bath less than once a year in Kentucky, and (if you’re a moose) walk down a sidewalk in Alaska. (Sighs of relief all around.)

Nevertheless, if you happen to take a road trip across the United States, you might smack into a few remaining oddball laws. Remember, ignorance of the law is no defense! So unless you want to collect misdemeanor convictions, take our advice below.

In Kentucky:

Keep your chameleon under wraps at church

You’d better have at least $50 on hand for the fine if you decide to display, handle, or use “any kind of reptile in connection with any religious service or gathering” while in the Bluegrass State. Iguana worshipers, beware. (Kentucky Revised Statutes, § 437.060.)

In Oregon:

Don’t hunt in a cemetery

Hmm, what if you’re hunting for ghosts? (Oregon Revised Statutes, § 166.645.)

In West Virginia:

Don’t taunt someone who refuses to duel

Let’s say you know someone who’s been challenged to a duel and says, “No.” You may be thinking, “Come on, you lily-livered chicken, grab your sword and pistols and defend your honor!” In West Virginia, these are thoughts to keep to yourself. In particular, steer clear of any “reproachful or contemptuous language.” Unless you’d like free board at a local jail for up to six months. (West Virginia Code, § 61-2-24.)

In New Mexico:

Don’t expose yourself while waitering

Actually, this seems like a fairly sensible law. When we sit down to lunch or a drink, we like to see the waiter’s hands and smiling face, but that’s about it. Like so many laws, however this one makes you wonder what happened to bring “indecent waitering” to the attention of an entire legislature. (New Mexico Statutes § 30-9-14.2.)

In Virginia:

Don’t hunt raccoons after 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning

Any other time of the day or week is fine for taking aim at little Rocky. But as for other wild birds or animals, Sunday is “declared a rest day,” and you’ll have to suppress any hunting urges. At least until Monday rolls around. (Virginia Code, § 29.1-521.)

In Massachusetts:

Make sure your sleigh-drawing horse wears three bells

Two bells won’t do it; not if you plan to “travel on a way with a sleigh or sled drawn by a horse.” Actually, we like this law so well we think it should be applied to all forms of transportation. Jingle all the way! (Massachusetts General Laws Annotated 89 § 3.)

In Little Rock, Arkansas:

Don’t beep at a sandwich shop after 9 p.m.

Beeping at noodle shops or coffee shops may be alright, but check the menu first. The statute, a model of specificity, says that “No person shall sound the horn on a vehicle at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9:00 p.m.” (Code; City of Little Rock, Arkansas 1961, § 25-74.)

New York:

Don’t detain dead deadbeat debtors

We’ll spell this one out for you: If someone owes you money, but dies, you have to curb your temptation to say, “Pay up, or you’re not going anywhere.” Don’t try asking a police officer for help, either: It’s illegal to arrest the dead debtor. (New York Public Health Law § 4219.)

In Washington, DC:

Don’t play ball in the street

Geez, they’re serious in DC. You’re not allowed to play football, any other ballgame, or even “bandy, shindy, or any other game by which a ball, stone, or other substance is struck or propelled by any stick, cane, or other substance in any street, avenue, or alley” within the city. So where’s a kid supposed to play shindy? (District of Columbia Code § 22-1308.)

In Ohio:

Don’t let your horse have sex in public

For real. The law says: “No owner of a stallion or jack or the agent of such owner, shall permit it to serve a mare within thirty feet of a public street or alley in a municipal corporation.” Say no more. (Ohio Revised Code § 959.19.)