Law and Magic Blog

David Copperfield's Canadian Tax Woes

David Copperfield is having problems with Ottawa, and they're the kind that he can't vanish without legal magic. According to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Copperfield says his former accountant filed to file Canadian tax returns for him for a number of years, leading to tax liability and penalties, in the hundreds of thousands of Canadian dollars. The magician has filed suit in Los Angeles.

Sounds like we need an expert witness to explain a little about Canadian tax law. Maybe David Ben, the wonderful Canadian magician and former tax lawyer? 

Ghosts, Busted

Afraid the house you want to purchase might be haunted? If that property is in the UK, the Ghostfinder Paranormal Society will check it out to make certain that no paranormal entities are around and will certify it ghost-free.

The service is only available until October 31st, and House Network, which has apparently contracted with the Ghostfinder Paranormal Society, says it isn't responsible for the results of the GPS's investigation if the Society actually finds a ghost on the property. Such an investigation can cost between 100 and 500 pounds. More here.

It's not clear to me, however, what happens if the purchaser, having bought the house believing it to be ghost-free, then finds that the property isn't free of a ghostly tenant. How does she 1) rid herself of the occupant 2) prove to the GPS that the tenant is there and 3)collect on any warranty that might have been issued?

A Symphony of Spirit Writing

Suddenly a lot of media coverage of ghosts. The New York Times discusses the rise of interest in ghosts and ghost hunting here, , Business Insider on the psychology of belief in the paranormal here and The Guardian on the sudden rise of fiction about ghosts and hauntings here. Is it just because Hallowe'en is coming?

Psychology, Evidence, and Magic

Tony Barnhart on misdirection and psychology here at The Science of Magic podcast.

Interesting insights with regard to eyewitnesses, memory, and evidence.

Florida County School Board Settles With Families After Students Commit Suicide After Being Hypnotized

The Sarasota County School Board has unanimously agreed to a $600,000 settlement with the families of three students who committed suicide after apparently undergoing hypnosis by former North Port High School Principal George Kenney. Mr. Kenney admitted he hypnotized more than 70 students, seemingly in attempts to assist them in overcoming various problems. He was convicted of practicing therapeutic hypnosis without a license and sentenced to probation and community service; he also gave up his teaching license in 2013. More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune here, from Slate here.

We're not talking here about stage hypnosis or entertainment, here, but stage hypnotists have been sued over after-effects of their shows. Michael Heap writes about some instances here.  See also Garrett Epps, "When You Wake You Will Feel No Remorse:" Stage Hypnotism and the Law," in Law and Magic: A Collection of Essays 263-278 (CAP, 2010).

Jared Kopf, a Texas Lawyer/Mentalist

Jared Kopf believes in the randomness of the universe. He might say that it was entirely random that I happened to be watching Penn and Teller: Fool Us rather than working on a piece that I need to send to my editor, that I'm interested in law and magic, that I maintain this blog, that he was on P&T: Fool Us tonight, and that all of these events came together.

Nevertheless, Mr. Kopf is the latest addition to the list of: LAWYER MAGICIANS. Mr. Kopf attended SMU's School of Law, graduating in 2011. He is a member of the Texas Bar.

Visit his website here.

And by the way, I thought his performance on P&T: Fool Us was amazing.