legalxml-courtfiling — archive

[John Messing]

My understanding comes more from contemplating personal and anectodal programming experiences rather than formal training. My claim to expertise is thus all but non-existent, but to me there a number of attributes like a role which do not meet a necessary level or degree of persistence which I think is implicit in a proper definition of a property. Your question about multiple roles involves perhaps less case management issues(relational database tables) and more courtroom formalities, strategies and tactics, including legal arguments, precedents and authorities. One does not normally describe what happens in a courtroom in terms of roles (participants are more interested in processes and results generally speaking). It is difficult to give an honest answer about the existence and need for multiple roles without a new discipline of thought emerging specific to this content area. The RDF statement about the criminal law looks like it could adapt itself more readily to such an undertaking than straight XML from what you have said. I find the attempt at creating a hierarchy of entities to be noteworthy. Too often it is tempting for the sake of expediency to include in a dictionary terms in pork-barrel fashion so that a certain cartesian legal quality is immediately compromised and like the saying about virtue itself goes, once compromised, it is not easily regained. Unfortunately, the particular hierarchy you have outlined from time to time inadvertently steps through a minefield of semi-sacred terms and politically correct behaviors with the grace of a bull in a china shop, but that is only out of unfamiliarlity with the terrain, which perhaps is easily cured by obtaining the services of a guide who knows the way. I think you posting may be of considerable help to those looking to work on 2.0 and data dictionaries. Best regards.