The Controversy of SOPA and PIPA The Natalee Holloway Case

Volume 1, Issue 3
February 2012
THE GAVEL
The Official Publication of the University of Illinois Pre– Law Club
Find us at www.illinoisprelaw.com
T he C o n t rover s y o f S O PA a n d P I PA
Photo Courtesy of ww.westernskycommunications.com/
By Lillian Fitzmaurice
On May 12, 2011 and October
26, 2011, the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online
Piracy Act (SOPA), respectively, were
introduced to the legislature. The
House of Representatives debated on
SOPA and the Senate took PIPA.
As we progress further into
the 21st century, the influence and
resources of the Internet only continue to expand. With this expansion of
technology, there has been an increase in online piracy and copyright
infringement. The most effected from
this illegal activity are the music and
movie industries.
The United States government has now decided to take action
against piracy. The introduction of
SOPA and PIPA are attempts to diminish copyright infringement by
targeting large search engines, like
Google, that link people to foreign
websites that illegally provide
streaming and downloading of media.
These bills have been met
with much controversy. Despite support from major figures like the Motion Picture Association of America
and the Chamber of Commerce, opposition has come from many of the
biggest Internet companies and users.
Acts of protest have included a brief
shutdown of Wikipedia and open opposition of the bills shown on
Continued on page 5
The Natalee Holloway Case
Featured Articles:
Pre-Law Club News:
The LSAT Breakdown with
Kaplan Test Prep p. 3
Domestic Law:
Illinois Supreme Court to
Allow Cameras in Circuit
Courts
p. 5-6
International Law:
Knox’s Parents Face Legal
Problems
p. 7
EU Levies Further Sanctions
Against Iran
p. 8
Consequences of 21st
Century Titanic
p. 9
Opinions:
The Fine Line of Intellectual
Property and the Internet p.
10
Entertainment:
Game Change Reveals
Backstage Tensions During
2008 Election
p. 11
Sudoku p. 12
Cartoon Lawyers p. 12
By Kyle Lundin
In the early hours of May 30, 2005, Natalee Holloway was seen leaving a nightclub on the tiny
Caribbean island of Aruba in the company of several men. This was the last time anyone saw her alive. On
January 12, 2012 an Alabama judge declared her legally dead; she would have been 25 this past October.
There is very little known about what actually transpired in Aruba seven years ago. A Dutch man,
Joran van der Sloot, was arrested but never charged in connection to Natalee’s disappearance. He was one of
several men to exit the night club with Natalee, but after that point, the facts become muddied.
Continued on page 4
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A letter from the editor
The GAVEL
Editor-in-Chief
Maria Zyskind
Layout/Design Editors
Allison Gerns
Erjing Cui
Section Editors
Andrea Sinele… International Law
Anna Choi….. Entertainment
Becky Bradshaw… Copy Editor
Rebecca Kaplan… Copy Editor
Christopher Lowery… Law News
Dan Szczesny… Sports Law
Jordan Morris.. Pre-Law Club News
Lillian Fitzmaurice…. Domestic Law
Megan Gil…. Domestic/International Law
Featured Writers
Lillian Fitzmaurice
Jordan Morris
Matt Fishman
Becky Bradshaw
Kyle Lundin
Gwendalyn Lavigne
Christopher Lowery
Featured Writers
Pre-Law Club Executive Board
President: Neil Vohra
Vice President: Iga Cyganczuk
Secretary: Dan Coultas
Special Programming Internal: Kate Trader
Special Programming External: Ann He
Membership/ Public Relations: Stephanie
Gilbert
Treasurer: Dan Szczesny
Webmaster: Stephanie Chiarelli
Gavel Editor: Maria Zyskind
Dear Gavel Readers,
Welcome back to school! I hope you have all enjoyed your winter breaks and are geared up for an exciting semester. As classes
get busier, I hope you take time to relax. After all, law school
will soon follow for many of us here. The Gavel is here to help
provide you with useful information as you go on your way in
your legal careers.
Pre-Law Club has been working hard to bring you a host of exciting social events, speakers, and trips. Our hope is that you
gain an inside look into the legal profession from experienced
professionals. Additionally, Pre-Law Club has social events and
a pre-professional barn dance in the works for this semester!
The start of 2012 has brought with it a swarm of news stories,
and Gavel members have been busy writing. Our aim is to provide you with interesting, up-to-date information. We are excited to introduce this issue containing a variety of topics in law,
ranging from EU Sanctions on Iran to developments of SOPA
and PIPA. Our goal is to always give you valuable knowledge
about the field of law in an engaging format.
As we are always looking to improve The Gavel to please our
readers, we have a special issue coming. Next month, get ready
for our campaign issue!
Sincerely,
Maria Zyskind
Editor-in-Chief
Pre-Law Club Honors Executive Board:
Co-President: Meghana Joshi
Co-President: Kate Poorbaugh
Secretary: Sean Peters
Treasurer: Tabitha Atkin
Special Programming: Anna Mangia
Exec Pro Temp: Meagan Leonard
Philanthropy Chair: Katie Clausing
Membership Chair: Michelle Bolos
Are you interested in writing for The Gavel?
Contact mzyskind@gmail.com for more
information.
2
P r e - l aw c l u b N e w s
The LSAT Breakdown with Kaplan Test Prep
By Maria Zyskind
At Pre-Law Club’s
February 1st meeting, Kaplan
representatives, Dwight Steward
and Alexis Dyschkant, came and
gave an overview of the LSAT
and the different Kaplan courses
available to students.
Alexis Dyschkant gave
students an overview of the test.
The LSAT is made up of two
portions: the quantitative and
qualitative. The quantitative part
makes up two thirds of the test. It
consists of an applicant’s LSAT
score (weighted 60% in the
quantitative category) and GPA
(weighted 40% in that category).
The qualitative is made up of a
student’s extracurricular activities,
resume, and personal statement.
Some people wonder why
the LSAT is such a big deal.
Interestingly, Dyschkant stated
that it is a great predictor of how
one will do in law school.
The LSAT is out of 180,
with an average score being
around 151. Scoring is done on a
bell curve. In addition, the LSAT
only has 100 questions scored, as
the experimental section is unscored. Law schools care about
percentiles. A student who scores
in the 70th percentile only needs
to get 66 questions correct on the
test. A 159 places an applicant in
the 80th percentile, with 71 correct
answers. Meanwhile, 164 gets an
applicant to the 90th percentile.
Thus, a person scoring in the 7080th percentiles, scored above
30,000 other LSAT test takers.
The LSAT is an important
factor as it also determines how
much money a student will
receive from law schools.
Pre-law Club Profile:
Alexis Dyschkant
Pictured is Alexis Dyschkant
addressing students at a Pre-Law
Club meeting. Dyschkant is a Kaplan
representative and instructor, who is
teaching Kaplan’s LSAT Extreme
course that starts in late February.
Dyschkant received her J.D. in
International Human Rights law and
has a Ph.D. in Legal and Moral
Philosophy.
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Photo Courtesy of Allison Gerns
3
D o m e s t i c l aw
Continued from front page
Van der Sloot claimed that he had
left her on the beach drunk and
that was the last he had seen of
her.
The legal declaration of
Natalee Holloway’s demise
comes in concert with the
sentencing of Joran van der Sloot
in another international murder
mystery. One day after Natalee
was declared dead in Alabama,
Van der Sloot was slapped with a
28-year prison sentence in Peru.
Whether or not he played
a direct role in the disappearance
of Natalee, in which he is highly
Photo Courtesy of AOL News
Pictured above: Van der Sloot after he was arrested.
suspected, there is little doubt in
the Peruvian case.
On May 31, 2010, Van der
Sloot met 21-year-old Stephany
Flores at a casino. Later that night
he strangled her to death in his
hotel room. Other than finding the
body in Van der Sloot’s hotel
room, the prosecution also has a
confession under its belt: “Yes, I
want to plead guilty. I wanted
from the first moment to confess
sincerely.” Van der Sloot said in
court, “I truly am sorry for this
act. I feel very bad.”
Prosecutors asked for a 30
year prison sentence for first
degree murder and theft. For a
Peruvian court it is considered a
fairly stern decision. However,
due to several Peruvian laws, Van
der Sloot could get out after
serving half his allotted 28 years.
In conjunction with his
sentencing in Peru, Van der Sloot
is also wanted in Alabama court
for attempted extortion of the
Holloways. Prosecutors say he
attempted to solicit $250,000
from the Holloway family
in exchange for providing
information about what happened
to their daughter and where to
find the body. The U.S. District
Attorney in Birmingham and the
Holloways are keen to see Van
der Sloot tried in a U.S. court;
previously stating that they had
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
Pictured: Natalee Holloway
talked to Interpol about having
Van der Sloot extradited to
the United States.
While the legal declaration
of the death of Natalee Holloway
is sobering news for the entire
Holloway family and those
connected to the case, it does in
some respects offer a sense of
closure. It allows her affairs to be
put in order. Joran van der Sloot is
yet to be tried or formally charged
with anything in relation to the
Holloway case, but the recent
development in his murder trial in
Peru has fueled the
budding sense of closure amongst
the Holloway family. However, as
stated by Dave Holloway,
Natalee’s father, “this is
something you never get over.”
“The Natalee Holloway Case”:
1. Gates, Verna. (2012, January 12). Alabama judge declares Natalee Holloway dead. Reuters, Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/us-death-alabamaholloway-idUSTRE80B22V20120112
2. CNN. (2012, January 12). Natalee Holloway declared legally dead. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2012-01-12/justice/justice_alabama-natalee-holloway_1_slootdave-hollowayvan-der?_s=PM:JUSTICE
3. Scott, Cathy. (2012, January 14). The Jig Is Up: Joran Van Der Sloot Gets 28 Years... And A New Prison Home. Forbes, Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/
crime/2012/01/14/the-jig-is-up-joran-van-der-sloot-gets-28-years-and-a-new-prison/
4. Curry, Colleen. (2012, January 13). Joran Van Der Sloot Gets 28 Years in Peru, Now US Wants Him. ABC News, Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/joran-vander-sloot-28-years-now-us/story?id=15353765#.Ty7vNFy0xTJ
4
D o m e s t i c l aw
Continued from front page
Google’s homepage.
The impact of this opposition has been far reaching. Some
Republicans in the Senate have
already withdrawn their support of
PIPA. Both the House and Senate
have decided to stall voting on
their respective bills. President
Obama’s administration has spoken openly against major components of SOPA and PIPA.
What came as a major
shock to the online community
was the shutting down of the website Megaupload, a major online
video streaming site. Several people linked to the site have been
charged for crimes related to copyright infringement.
Amongst this conflict,
there still remains the issue of
how to solve online piracy. Internet companies agree that something needs to be done about copyright infringement. One of the
arguments that has been made
states that Internet companies
need to be included in legislative
talks. One problem the legislators
see, however, is that the methods
suggested by the companies are
not severe or effective enough to
combat the issue.
SOPA and PIPA are not
eliminated from legislation. Debate has been halted, and voting
has not taken place yet. Yet, both
the House and Senate have not
Photo Courtesy of Free Court Dockets
Megaupload was one of the recent piracy sites to be
shut down.
dropped the bills. Online piracy
remains a point of contention and
cooperation between the Internet
companies, government, and
entertainment industries.
Illinois Supreme
Court to allow
Cameras in Circuit
Courts
Illinois was one of fourteen states
that disallowed cameras in trial
courtrooms, according to the Radio Television Digital News Association. As Illinois Chief Justice
Thomas Kilbride indicated, coverage of the court room can act as a
check on the court’s power by
making the workings of elected
officials, such as State’s Attorneys, visible to the public. “If we
don’t have cameras in courtrooms,
it’s left up to shows like Law &
Order to give the public an impression of what is going on in the
judiciary,” stated Al Tompkins, a
senior faculty member at the
Poyner Institute. Circuit court
judges are not required to implement the “pilot project.”
Only reputable members
of news media are allowed to photograph or record trial proceedings. That is, bloggers and
unprofessional individuals are
prohibited from taking pictures or
By Jordan Morris
The Illinois Supreme
Court announced on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 that cameras will be
allowed in Illinois’ twenty-three
circuit courts if a chief judge’s
application is approved by the Supreme Court. If approved, members of the news media must electronically apply to cover certain
cases.
Prior to the announcement,
Photo Courtesy of www.burlesonisd.net/
“The Controversy of SOPA and PIPA”:
“Copyrights and Internet Piracy (SOPA and PIPA Legislation)” 2012 (NY Times). “H.R.3261 -- Stop Online Piracy Act (Introduced in House - IH) ” 2012 (The
Library of Congress). “Bill Text 112th Congress (2011-2012)” 2012 (The Library of Congress).
5
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taping such proceedings.
More restrictions are to be
implemented. Potential jurors cannot be photographed. Recording
devices are not permitted in cases
involving “juveniles, divorces,
child custody and evidence sup-
pression.” Further, only two television cameras and two photographic cameras are authorized to
be in the courtroom simultaneously. Confidential informants, sufferers of violent felonies, and people in the witness protection pro-
gram can appeal to prohibit any
type of recording device in the
courtroom. In addition, smaller
cases are not expected to be covered by the news media.
“Illinois Supreme Court to Allow Cameras in Circuit Courts”:
“Illinois supreme court gives ok for cameras in trial courts” 2012 (Illinois Statehouse News).
Announcements
What: John Marshall
Chicago Law School
Trip
When: March 9
Pre-Law Club will be
taking a trip to John
Marshall Law School in
Chicago. There will be
a mini open house,
complete with a tour of
the law school, lunch,
and a mock law class.
We will have left over
time to spend in the
city.
What: Pre-Law Day
When: March 31
Pre-Law Day takes
place at the Illinois
College of Law.
Students are able to
gain valuable
information about what
law school is really like.
Students are able to
explore the Illinois
College of Law and
speak to faculty and
students about their
own experiences.
Photo Courtesy of http://www.judithleidl.com/
6
What: Pre-Professional
Barn Dance
When: TBA
A barn dance is in the
works for Pre-Law
Club! We are working
on collaborating with a
host of other preprofessional
organizations. Look out
for details ahead
I n t e r n at i o n a l l aw
Knox’s Parents Face Legal Problems
By Christopher Lowery
The parents of recently
freed American student Amanda
Knox are now facing legal
troubles in Italy. Knox, who was
previously acquitted of murdering
her roommate in Oct. 2011, has
since returned to the United
States. She faced slander charges
against the Italian Police
back in Nov. 2010. A hearing on
the charges is set for July.
Her parents, Curt Knox
and Edda Mellas, are also facing
the same charge. The former
couple could face up to three
years in prison for an interview
that was given to London’s Sunday Times in 2009.
In the interview, Curt
Knox told the paper, "Amanda
was abused physically and verbally.
She told us she was hit in
the back of the head by a police
officer with an open hand, at
least twice. The police told her,
“If you ask for a lawyer, things
will get worse for you” and “If
you don't give us some explanation for what happened, you're
going to go to jail for a very long
time.” Mellas also told the paper
her daughter was told by the police she would never see her
family again.
Photo Courtesy of CBS News
Amanda Knox’s own
charges stem from when she testified in her defense that the
police “yelled at her, denied her
a lawyer and cuffed her on the
back of the head several
times during a marathon interrogation.”
Despite the nearly four
years Knox spent in an Italian
prison, she recently said she still
enjoys the country of Italy and
would like to return.
Carlo Dalla Vedova, one
of Knox's lawyers, said Knox
"loves Italy and likes Perugia."
She also stated that Knox would
like to return to Italy "as a tour-
ist, but if necessary she
will return to testify in the trials
against her parents."
Knox is expected to be
the sole witness for the defense of
her parents, whose trial will
begin in Perugia on March 30.
Dalla Vedova told ABC News
regarding Knox’s parents, "I hope
they will be acquitted. They certainly didn't make any defamatory remarks when they repeated
Amanda's statement to the press."
“Knox’s Parents Face Legal Problems”:
1. Battiste, Nikki and Newcomb, Alyssa . (2012, January 24). Amanda Knox 'Loves Italy' and May Go Back. ABC News, Retrieved from http://
abcnews.go.com/International/amanda-knox-love-italy-return/story?id=15429853
2. Battiste, Nikki and Wise, Ann. (2010, November 8). Amanda Knox Indicted for a Second Time by Italian Court. ABC News, Retrieved from http://
abcnews.go.com/International/amanda-knox-indicted-slander-italian-court/story?
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i n t e r n at i o n a l l aw
EU Levies Further
Sanctions Against
Iran
By Matt Fishman
The European Union (EU)
announced on January 23, 2012
an official Union-wide embargo
on the import, purchase and
transport of all Iranian crude oil
and petroleum products. This action was in response to Iran’s acceleration of uranium enrichment
in an underground nuclear facility
in Fordow, near Qom, Iran. According to the announcement, no
new contracts can be created and
all existing contracts within the
EU will be terminated by July 1.
The EU press release cites
the Iranian’s continued refusal to
cooperate with international obligations in accordance with the
International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), which has addressed concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. The European
Council (EC) has reiterated previous concerns over Iran’s development of military nuclear technology, reporting uranium enrichment
levels of up to 20%—a level
deemed high enough to develop
nuclear weapons. The EC states
that the enrichment activities are
in flagrant violation of six United
Nations Security Council (UNSC)
and eleven IAEA resolutions
against the Iranian nuclear program. The embargo will last until
Iran fully cooperates with both
the UNSC and IAEA.
It is estimated that the EU
imports approximately 20% of
all Iranian petroleum products.
This figure is considered to be a
significant enough portion of
Iran’s oil exports to severely
cripple, though not necessarily
topple, the Iranian economy.
The embargo also extends beyond oil products. It
commits additional restrictions in
“the financial sector, including
against the Central Bank of Iran,
in the transport sector … notably on gold and on sensitive dual
-use goods and technology.”
Such dual-use goods and technology refer to items that can be
used in times of peace, but can
also be used to propel war efforts. Thus, the EC believes that
the sanctions will help the sides
avoid violent conflict and find a
diplomatic solution to the Iranian
nuclear issue.
British Prime Minister
David Cameron, French Presi-
dent Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
insisted in a statement that the
EU has no issue with the Iranian
people. They stated that the sanctions are designed to put pressure
on Iranian leadership to “suspend
its sensitive nuclear activities and
abide fully by its international
obligations.” The statement urges
Iranian leaders “to engage in serious and meaningful negotiations
about its nuclear program.” The
EU’s sanctions are supported by
both the United States and the
United Nations, both of which
have already placed sanctions
against the Iranian oil sector in
protest of their nuclear program.
Iran has threatened to retaliate by blocking the Strait of
Hormuz, where an estimated 20%
of the world's oil exports pass.
The United States has countered
by saying it will not allow Iran to
close the route, leaving the distinct possibility of a conflict in an
area of the world where tensions
have been rising for years. Meanwhile, European oil prices are
already rising because of the embargo, a seemingly small price to
pay to limit Iran’s nuclear military capabilities.
Photo Courtesy of presstv.com
“EU Levies Further Sanctions Against Iran”:
“Iran: EU oil sanctions 'unfair' and 'doomed to fail'” 2012 (BBC News). “PM, Merkel, Sarkozy: We call on Iran to suspend nuclear activities and abide by
international obligations. ” 2012 (Number 10– The Official Site of the British Prime Minister’s Office). “Council conclusions on Iran” 2012 (OYEZ).
“Supreme Court of the United States” 2011 (Consilium Europa).
8
i n t e r n at i o n a l l aw
Consequences of
21st Century
Titanic
By Gwendalyn Lavigne
On Friday, January 13,
2012 the world turned on the
news and watched a disaster
reminiscent of the sinking of the
Titanic, nearly a century after the
historic liner’s tragedy. The Costa
Concordia hit a reef only hours
into its Mediterranean cruise with
4,200 passengers on board.
According to reports by
BBC, Captain Francesco Schettino diverted from the correct
route towards the Italian island of
Giglio Porto, hitting a reef that
contained large and damaging
rocks. A 98 foot (30 meter) hole
was torn into the hull, which was
made of pure steel. The gargantuan tear, with boulders still protruding from it, became completely visible from the side of the ship
still above water. In the ongoing
investigation, authorities have
discovered numerous pieces of
amateur video to piece together
the havoc that killed over 32 people from at least six different
countries. Because the liner was
only in its first few hours of its
voyage, the passengers and most
of the crew had very little
knowledge of the ship’s crisis
protocol.
When the lifeboats were
finally launched and most of the
passengers were rescued, the
Italian Coast Guard and cave divers went in and tried to rescue
as many passengers as they
could. Numerous individuals
were pulled out and 32 bodies
were identified. No passengers or
crew members are still reported
missing.
In the meantime, authorities have arrested Captain Schettino for manslaughter. There has
been outrage over reports of his
conversation with the Italian
Coast Guard that places him in
what may have been one of the
first lifeboats launched. In the
recorded radio discussion, the
Coast Guard captain berates
Schettino for not staying with his
passengers that were still trapped
on the sinking ship.
Many lawsuits have al-
ready begun against the captain
and Carnival, the American parent company of Costa Cruises.
Lawyers are flocking in from all
over the world, asking Italian
companies such as consumer
company Codacons to direct potential clients in their directions.
According to Reuters, lawyers
claim that they want to announce
cases in order to reach out
and “inform clients of their
rights.”
The disaster is still under
investigation, and litigation has
yet to start for any lawsuits for
the captain.
Photo Courtesy of csmonitor.com
“Consequences of 21st Century Titanic”:
1. BBC . (2012, January 24). Consta Concordia. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/costa_concordia
2. Hals, Tom and Longstreth, Andrew. (2012 January 30). Lawyers Jump Into Cruise Ship Disaster Cases. ABC News, Retrieved from http://
www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/01/30/233126.htm
id=12084612#.Tx73GnKwUq8
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T h e o p i n i o n s pa g e
The Fine Line of Intellectual Property and the Internet
By Becky Bradshaw
On January 18th, everyone
encountered a strange occurrence,
in which they could not
search on Wikipedia. To be more
exact, they could search; however,
their topic would pop up
for a second or two and then
switch to a screen informing them
that for the day, Wikipedia was
protesting the SOPA Bill. It
advised them of several links if
they wanted more information.
Having never heard of the SOPA
Bill, I was thoroughly confused
and a little annoyed that my quick
-use search engine just stopped
working for the day. Regardless, I
delved into what this bill entailed
and whether it was a real threat to
taking down some of the biggest
internet companies that I knew.
As it turns out, there are
two such movements going
around in congress. The first is
indeed the SOPA Bill in the
House of Representatives. The
Stop Online Piracy Act concerns
national piracy issues. Its intent is
to protect music publishers,
moviemakers and anyone else at
risk for copyright infringements.
The other bill is the
Protect IP Act (also known as
PIPA) in the Senate, which targets
foreign websites. Supporters of
both of these bills include The
Motion Picture Association of
America, U.S. Chamber of
Photo Courtesy of Hitwise Intelligence
Commerce, and The Walt Disney
Company.
If this bill was put into
effect, those who hold copyrights
would file a court order against
violators. Depending on whether
the court order is granted, it
would immediately allow them to
shut down websites and even
receive compensation. The case
would never even see the inside
of a courtroom. As for internet
users who type in the violator’s
URL, an error message would pop
up as if that website never
existed.
Giving individuals rights
to their intellectual property
seems like something everyone
could agree to; however, with the
internet being so vast, how can
anyone begin regulating it?
There are pages of pirated
content and borderline pirated
content on the internet. Is it a
possible task to regulate all areas
of the internet and issue fines? In
addition, what is the exact
definition of pirated content?
There is gray in certain situations.
Who will objectively decide if
that gray area represents pirated
content? On the other hand, the
artists who work hard deserve
credit and payment for their
work. Intellectual property needs
careful treading and inspection.
The question remains to
be decided: are SOPA and the
PIPA bills going too far or just
taking the law where it should
have been years ago?
“The Fine Line of Intellectual Property and the Internet”:
1. Murray, James . (2012, January 19). Wikipedia Blackout sends info junkies to mobile website. Hitwise Intelligence, Retrieved from http://
weblogs.hitwise.com/james-murray/2012/01/wikipedia_blackout_sends_info.htmlid=12084612#.Tx73GnKwUq8
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E n t e r ta i n m e n t
Game Change
Reveals Backstage
Tensions During
2008 Election
By Christopher Lowery
Americans will be able to
watch one account of the 2008
presidential race on the small
screen in March. Game Change,
based on the best-selling book
with the same name, documents
the decision and debut of vice
presidential candidate Sarah Palin
into the race between the
2008 nominees.
Julianne Moore will be
stepping into the heels of the
former Alaska governor, while Ed
Harris portrays U.S. senator and
navy hero, John McCain, R-Ariz.
Set to premiere on HBO, the
television movie explores the
behind the scenes relationship
between Palin, McCain, and his
team of advisors. Woody
Harrelson also co-stars as
McCain’s strategist and advisor,
Steve Schmidt.
The film has already
garnered flack as an “anti-Palin
propaganda piece,” but the
network has promised a nonpartisan account of the election.
HBO has released two trailers for
the film as of the beginning of
February. The first one
shows McCain’s decision to create
a “dynamic moment in the
campaign” in an attempt to
beat then U.S. Senator Barack
Obama, while revealing the stress
the campaign placed on
Photo Courtesy of People.com
Julianne Moore dressed as Sarah Palin for her new
movie role.
Palin. In the second trailer, a
winking Palin tells Schmidt, “I
have to win this thing. I so don’t
want to go back to Alaska.”
The film is based on the
third section of the novel, Game
Change: Obama and the
Clintons, McCain and Palin, and
the Race of a Lifetime, by political
journalists John Heilemann and
Mark Halperin. The pair
conducted more than 300
interviews with campaign insiders
for the novel.
The film adaptation
focuses on McCain and Palin,
leaving out other sections detailing
the turbulent relationship between
Obama and the Clintons and the
John Edwards affair
scandal.
Despite the high
anticipation for the film, the reallife McCain vowed not to watch it.
"It'll be a cold day in Gila Bend,
Arizona, when I watch that
movie," McCain told CNBC.
Similarly, the real-life
Palin is disregarding the film's
depiction of her. "I think I’ll just
grit my teeth and bear whatever
comes with that movie," she said
to Sean Hannity in March 2011.
Jay Roach, who previously
directed the HBO film Recount,
detailing the 2000
presidential election, is directing
this film that is set to premiere
March 10th on HBO at 9
p.m.
Photo courtesy of Variety
“Game Change Reveals Backstage Tensions During 2008 Election”:
“'Game Change': Sarah Palin on the verge of a nervous breakdown" 2012 (LA Times). "‘Game Change’ trailer released by HBO; Julianne Moore plays Sarah Palin in film
derided by right" 2012 (NY Daily News). "McCain will not watch 'Game Change'" 2012 (NY Daily News). "
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Sudoku: Can You Solve This Logic Puzzle?
Courtesy of websudoku.com
Cartoon Lawyers
Lionel Hutz from The Simpsons
Mr. Burns’ Lawyer from The Simpsons
Photos Courtesy of http://calawreport.com/2010/10/top-7-greatest-cartoon-lawyers-of-all-time/
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