One new law that took effect on January 1 is to allow bars to stay open longer.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20131227-NEWS-131229822

"New Hampshire bar patrons will be able to drink up until 2 a.m., but only if the local governing body passes an ordinance allowing the change, according to a law taking effect on Jan. 1."

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/16/ny-police-officer-ticket-car-washer-own-driveway/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000588

"In Garden City, NY, there is apparently a village ordinance aimed at preventing people from washing their cars (and furniture) in public places. That doesn't sound terribly absurd, but what what takes things up a notch is these officers' judgement – their reading of the code about "public places" also includes washing vehicles on private property in public view."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/pippi-longstocking-tami-erin-arrested_n_4452482.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

"Former "Pippi Longstocking" star Tami Erin was arrested Saturday (Dec. 14) for DUI and felony hit-and-run.

Erin was arrested in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon after hitting three cars on three separate occasions and fleeing the scene. When cops found her, they conducted a field sobriety test and said she was "totally out of control ... just out of it."

The former actress was arrested and held on $100,000 bail, according to TMZ. One person was taken to the hospital after the incident."

http://news.yahoo.com/judge--nsa-spying-%E2%80%98almost-orwellian---likely-unconstitutional-200101613.html

"

In a stinging rebuke to President Barack Obama’s surveillance policies, a federal judge on Monday branded the National Security Agency’s mass collection of Americans’ telephone data “almost Orwellian” and likely a violation of the Constitution.

Appeals Court Judge Richard Leon invoked Founding Father James Madison and the Beatles in a frequently scathing ruling. Leon, appointed by then-President George W. Bush, ordered the government to halt bulk collection of so-called telephony metadata and destroy information already collected through that program. But he suspended his order as the case works its way through the courts.

“I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘abitrary invasion’ than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval,” Leon wrote.

It is often said the judge is like a second prosecutor. In this case, it appears to be so. I am guessing criminal charges won't be brought, but that conduct could well had been interfering with justice, or possibly some form of witness tampering.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/24/texas-judge-forced-to-resign-after-caught-texting-instructions-to-assistant-da-during-trial/\"

Elizabeth E. Coker may forever be known as the "texting judge," but her notoriety will soon be all that is left of her days on the bench of the 258th District Court of Polk, Trinity, and San Jacinto Counties. Coker signed an "AGREEMENT TO RESIGN FROM JUDICIAL OFFICE IN LIEU OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION" with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct…

The agreement comes in the wake of a recent investigation revealing Coker texted instructions from the bench to a Polk County Assistant District Attorney who was assisting in the prosecution of a case in Coker's court.

"

"

[J]udge Coker used Assistant District Attorney Jones to privately communicate information about the Reeves case to the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case; to suggest questions for the prosecutor to ask during the trial; to ensure that a witness was able to refresh his memory and rehabilitate his testimony by reviewing his videotaped interview with law enforcement before he took the stand for the second time the following day; and to discuss legal issues pertinent to the case. in an unsuccessful effort to assist the State obtain a guilty verdict in the case…

[t]he Commission investigated claims that Judge Coker allegedly engaged in other improper ex parte communications and meetings with Jones, other members of the Polk County District Attorney's Office, the San Jacinto County District Attorney, and certain defense attorneys regarding various Cases pending in her court; Judge Coker allegedly exhibited a bias in favor of certain attorneys and a prejudice against others in both her judicial rulings and her court appointments: and Judge Coker allegedly met with jurors in an inappropriate manner, outside the presence of counsel, while the jurors were deliberating in one or more criminal trials…

"

"t]he Commission also expressed concerns that Judge Coker discussed the Commission's investigation and Judge Coker's written responses to the investigation with a material witness prior to that witness' testimony before the Commission in an apparent attempt to influence that witness, and that the judge may not have been candid and truthful in her testimony before the Commission when questioned about her contact with the witness..."