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When is it Okay to Swear?

Everyone who watches courtroom dramas is familiar with the swearing in of witnesses. “Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” But, why do we do this? How did this practice come about? The truth is essential to our concept of a fair trial. To convictContinue reading “When is it Okay to Swear?”

A Suggestion for Speaker of the House

I have watched the intrigues over the removal of the U.S. Speaker of the House with interest. I have also followed the post impeachment attacks on the Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan. Speakers of the House in our system are political partisan animals, and subject to the storms of politics. As can beContinue reading “A Suggestion for Speaker of the House”

So Two Attorney’s Pass the Bar…

Sounds like the start of a good lawyer joke. But what does it mean when we say a lawyer has passed the bar? Well today we mean they have passed the Bar Exam which is required before a lawyer can be licensed to practice law. But that is not where the phrase originated. In theContinue reading “So Two Attorney’s Pass the Bar…”

The Fergusons

We survived the Fergusons. We will survive the Paxtons too. As the impeachment trial of Ken Paxton starts next week, I thought a little historical context might help, no matter what happens. It is easy to get cynical and despondent over the state of politics today. The rancor and division is so thick you canContinue reading “The Fergusons”

The Most Important Lawyer You Have Probably Never Heard Of

Sir William Garrow (1760 -1840) You have probably never heard of Sir William Garrow. Don’t worry. Most people haven’t. Yet he is probably the one lawyer who has had the most profound effect on your legal rights as citizens. It is hard to believe now, but as late as the 1770s, when Garrow came onContinue reading “The Most Important Lawyer You Have Probably Never Heard Of”

Is an unborn child a person?

Many of you read the story about the lawsuit where the Attorney General is arguing that an unborn child was not a person. Many news outlets made a lot out of the AG’s argument and its inconsistent, even hypocritical stance compared to his position on abortion and when life begins. The AG is making aContinue reading “Is an unborn child a person?”

About Hogg’s Blawg

I am starting this blawg (law blog) over. I have tried blawgging off and on but I quickly lose interest because they are usually boring posts about recent developments in the law. Those are usually not very interesting to anyone besides lawyers. So this time I am going to try something completely different. My aimContinue reading “About Hogg’s Blawg”