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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DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With only days left until December 31, we've raised about half of our $400,000 goal—but we need a huge surge in reader support to close the remaining gap. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters.

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. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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