Book Opener

Agreements to Obstruct JusticeAny contract that interferes with the administration of justice isillegal. Such agreements include protecting someone from arrest,encouraging lawsuits, giving false testimony, or bribing a juror. Thiscategory also includes an agreement to pay a nonexpert to testify at atrial, or an agreement not to prosecute a person who has committed acrime in return for money.Example 9. Kelly, an employee at Van City, stole $5,000 fromthe company safe. Kelly returned the stolen money, and Van Citypromised not to prosecute if Kelly paid them $1,000. Kellyagreed, but then refused to pay Van City the money. The companycould not enforce this illegal agreement in a court of law.Agreements Inducing Breach of Duty or FraudMany persons hold positions of trust. They have a responsibility forthe well-being of other people. Your representative in Congress, yourstate senator, and all other public officials fall within this class. Theseofficials owe a duty to work for the best interest of the public. AnyUniform Computer Information Transaction ActIn March of 2000, Virginia was the first state in the country to pass a lawcovering Internet contracts. This act, the Uniform Computer InformationTransactions Act, creates uniform provisions for contracts made over theInternet. Software licenses, such as the one that appears when downloadingAcrobat Reader, are an example of such contracts. The law would allowsoftware companies to send binding legal notices about software restrictions bye-mail to software users. Because contract law varies by state, many softwarecompanies support some uniformity. However, many consumer groups opposethe law, arguing that it turns a simple buying decision into a bindingagreement. Virginia lawmakers will study the impact of the new law within thestate. Similar bills are also being debated in Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, andOklahoma. (Source: EE Times, March 15, 2000)Connect Visit the state of Virginia’s Web site. Search for the text of theUniform Computer Information Transactions Act and see what is says aboutsending binding legal notices to customers.198 Unit 2: Entering Into Contracts