There is a lot of loose talk out there about the legal status of the Trillion Dollar Coin idea. Let’s go to the statute books.

Once the new terms take effect, existing users will have only 30 days to opt out. New users will have only 30 days after they join. And if you want to opt out, you’ll have to have to do it by snail mail. The only other choice: Cancel your Instagram account. But, according to lawyers who are suing Instagram, if you do that, you lose all rights to photos you’ve already uploaded.

A federal court dismissed a lawsuit against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The suit, brought by Donald Vance, a US Navy veteran and former defense contractor, and Nathan Ertel, also a former defense contractor, alleged he was responsible for torture they had experienced in an American-run prison in Iraq for nearly one hundred days. The dismissal effectively makes it even more impossible for US citizens to sue high-ranking officials, who are responsible for their torture.

It’s been about six weeks since two anarchist activists were thrown in a Seattle jail to force their testimony in a grand jury hearing ostensibly convened as part of an investigation into vandalism at a May Day rally. Neither activist has been charged with any crime, nor are they suspects in the case. They are simply people who may or may not have knowledge that could potentially help the FBI with its investigation.

Since their testimony could tend to incriminate themselves, their fellow activists and the causes they stand for (that’s the whole point of the exercise, after all), the two activists have refused on principle to participate. Now they could be locked up for as long as 18 months without a single charge being filed against them, for doing nothing but refusing to help the government crack down on their movement.

Assume GZ were convicted of murder 2 and O’Mara had not presented any character evidence that TM was kown to be an MMA-style fighter and aggressive bully who picked fights. As I have stated elsewhere, such character evidence would have been admissible regarding who was the aggressor.

Let’s put aside and forget for the moment that introducing evidence of that pertinent character trait would open the door to allow the State to present evidence that Zimmerman was an aggressive bully.

Further assume that O’Mara had not subpoenaed TM’s school records and they did contain evidence that TM was an MMA-style fighter and aggressive bully who picked fights. I do not believe this is true, but let’s assume that it is for purposes of this teaching moment.

From the federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, news that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is about to go on life support.

Medical marijuana will finally get its day in federal court tomorrow. On Tuesday the United State Court of Appeals for the DC district will hear oral arguments in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration regarding the scheduling of marijuana.

Marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule I drug, which according to federal law Schedule I substances “have a potential for abuse, have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.” Because marijuana is legally considered to have no accepted medical use it can’t be legally prescribed under federal law, even though 17 states have approved the medical use of marijuana.

“My convictions are unwavering and will not be shaken by their harassment. Today is October 10th, 2012 and I am ready to go to prison,” declared Leah Plante, in a statement issued before going to jail.

Plante was imprisoned at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center in Seattle on October 11 for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury. She entered a jail cell knowing she could be imprisoned until March 2014. But, she was resolute and chose to resist because talking to the grand jury would mean succumbing to fear and isolation. It would mean enabling the targeting of people in society for their political beliefs.

David Cay Johnston has given us another great book full of fascinating accounts of how corporations profit not by delivering a better product or being a more efficient producer but by gaming the system. This is not a pretty picture.

The prosecutors, the rich, the politicians: all buddies in the rarefied atmosphere of wealth and power. How could one of them possibly be a cheat? And if there is a slip-up, they cover up.