The Valley Current®: CCP 170.6 Now not an Absolute Right Anymore!

The Valley Current®: CCP 170.6 Now not an Absolute Right Anymore!

For nearly 50 years, California litigants wielded a powerful courtroom weapon: the ability to remove a judge with a simple declaration of perceived bias, no evidence required. In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo examines the California Supreme Court's landmark 2026 decision in J.O. v. Superior Court, which places new limits on the once-untouchable CCP §170.6 peremptory challenge. The ruling arose after allegations that institutional repeat players systematically "papered" judges they disliked, disrupting specialized court dockets and threatening judicial independence. Jack explores the history behind this controversial rule, the game theory that fueled its abuse, and why the Court concluded that strategic judge shopping had become too costly for the justice system to ignore. The result is a major shift in California litigation and a new balance between fairness, efficiency, and judicial autonomy. Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com [Jrusso@computerlaw.com] www.computerlaw.com [https://www.computerlaw.com] https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso] "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️

The Valley Current®: Could a War with Iran Last Beyond the 21st Century?

Could a democratically elected government sustain a conflict that lasts longer than its own leaders? In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo explores the provocative thesis that the greatest advantage in modern geopolitics may not be military strength, economic power, or technology, but time itself. Drawing on game theory, economic research, and historical examples spanning ancient Athens, the American Civil War, Korea, Vietnam, and today's confrontation with Iran, this discussion examines how election cycles and leadership turnover can shape the outcome of long-running conflicts. As U.S. policy toward Iran has repeatedly shifted between diplomacy, sanctions, and military pressure, a troubling possibility emerges: Iran may not need to defeat the United States. It may only need to outlast it. In a world increasingly defined by frozen conflicts and strategic patience, this episode asks whether time has become the most powerful weapon in global affairs. Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com [Jrusso@computerlaw.com] www.computerlaw.com [https://www.computerlaw.com] https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso] "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️

The Valley Current®: Is AI More Persuasive on Public Policy Issues Than Real Human Experts?

What if the most persuasive voice in public policy is no longer human? In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo examines emerging research suggesting that large language models may now rival or outperform human experts in persuading people on controversial public issues. While fears of AI deciding the 2024 elections largely fell flat, a quieter and potentially more profound disruption is underway. As trust in institutions declines and AI grows more personalized, tireless, and conversational, the battle may no longer be over misinformation alone but over who defines reality itself. From debate-winning algorithms and machine persuasion to the legal divide separating the United States, Europe, and China, this episode explores a troubling possibility: if AI becomes more trusted than human expertise, public opinion may be shaped less by truth and more by whoever builds the most persuasive machine. Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com [Jrusso@computerlaw.com] www.computerlaw.com [https://www.computerlaw.com] https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso] "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️

The Valley Current®: What the PTO Does, the Courts Undo?

A government-issued patent is supposed to be a shield for innovation. But in today's AI economy, it may be more like a temporary passport into a legal war zone. In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo unpacks the growing divide between the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the federal courts. While the PTO is rolling out a more founder-friendly approach to AI and software patents, judges continue striking many of those same patents down as abstract ideas. The result is a fractured two-track system where patents are easier to win but harder to defend. For startups, investors, and tech builders racing to secure an edge in artificial intelligence, the stakes could not be higher. Is America fueling the next wave of innovation or issuing paper assets destined for courtroom collapse? Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com [Jrusso@computerlaw.com] www.computerlaw.com [https://www.computerlaw.com] https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso] "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️

The Valley Current®: Do Former Presidents Have Privacy Rights?

What happens when deleted memories are no longer truly gone? In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo examines a high-stakes 2026 legal showdown involving former President Biden, recovered memoir recordings, and a government effort to release deeply personal audio to the public. This is not just a political story, it's a warning about the collapse of digital privacy itself. As courts grapple with forensic recovery, FOIA battles, and allegations of shifting government justifications, a larger question emerges: if even a former president must race to court to stop private recordings from becoming public, who is protecting the rest of us? From "practical obscurity" to the legal limits of transparency, this episode explores whether privacy rights can survive in an age where delete may no longer mean delete. Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com [Jrusso@computerlaw.com] www.computerlaw.com [https://www.computerlaw.com] https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso] "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️