How Appealing



Thursday, August 12, 2010

“Army defender on morphine after collapsing at war court”: Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has a news update that begins, “Omar Khadr’s lone defense attorney, an Army lieutenant colonel, collapsed in court Thursday and was taken away to a base hospital on a stretcher, halting the first day of the Canadian’s war crimes trial.”

Posted at 10:35 PM by Howard Bashman



“Court OKs use of tracking devices in Medford drug case; Suspect Juan Pineda-Moreno challenged use of the electronic bugs after his arrest last year for possession of marijuana”: This article appeared earlier this year in The Mail Tribune of Medford, Oregon reporting on a ruling that a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued.

Today, the Ninth Circuit issued an order denying rehearing en banc in the case, over the passionate dissent of Chief Judge Alex Kozinski in which four other judges joined.

As Judge Kozinski’s dissent observes, “There’s been much talk about diversity on the bench, but there’s one kind of diversity that doesn’t exist: No truly poor people are appointed as federal judges, or as state judges for that matter. Judges, regardless of race, ethnicity or sex, are selected from the class of people who don’t live in trailers or urban ghettos. The everyday problems of people who live in poverty are not close to our hearts and minds because that’s not how we and our friends live.”

Posted at 4:27 PM by Howard Bashman



Congratulations to my wife on the very positive Publishers Weekly review of her forthcoming book, “Wanted Undead Or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil.” You can access the review directly at this link and also here (scroll down). Additional information about the book, including links to pre-order, can be accessed here.

Posted at 3:54 PM by Howard Bashman



Stay of judgment denied in California’s same-sex marriage Proposition 8 case: The docket entry text for this afternoon’s order states, “ORDER by Judge Walker denying Motion to Stay. The clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment forthwith. That judgment shall be STAYED until August 18, 2010 at 5 PM PDT at which time defendants and all persons under their control or supervision shall cease to apply or enforce Proposition 8.” You can access the district court’s ruling at this link.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Judge keeps gay marriages in California on hold.”

Posted at 3:39 PM by Howard Bashman



“Court Orders Lawyer to Return Documents About an Eli Lilly Drug”: This article appeared in December 2006 in The New York Times. And in early 2007, the newspaper published related articles headlined “Judge Rules Drug Documents Must Be Returned to Eli Lilly” and “Documents Borne by Winds of Free Speech.”

Today, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued this decision affirming the injunction against that lawyer.

In September 2008, the documents in question appear to have been unsealed, according to another NYTimes article.

Posted at 12:03 PM by Howard Bashman



“Judge finalizes jury for war-crimes case; A military judge seated a jury in the case of a Canadian accused of killing an American soldier when he was 15”: Carol Rosenberg has this article today in The Miami Herald.

The Toronto Globe and Mail today contains an article headlined “And then there were 7: The jury who will decide Omar Khadr’s fate; U.S. military officers to weigh case against 23-year-old Canadian at Guantanamo.”

The Toronto Star contains an article headlined “Captain critical of Gitmo to stay as Khadr jurors picked.”

The New York Times reports that “Tour of Guantanamo Offers a Look, but Little Else.”

CNN.com reports that “Military trial begins for Gitmo’s youngest detainee.”

Reuters has an article headlined “Keep or close Guantanamo? Military jurors weigh in.”

MSNBC has reports headlined “Officer off Gitmo jury for agreeing with Obama; Prosecutors exclude juror for wanting to close the prison” and “Anyone for karaoke at Gitmo tonight?

The Independent (UK) has a dispatch from Robert Verkaik headlined “Camp Delta’s ‘good kid’ fights for a second chance.”

The Toronto Sun has blog posts titled “Khadr jurors not voted off the island” and “For Omar Khadr, it’s Maher Arar to the rescue.”

And at “The Huffington Post,” Maher Arar has an essay entitled “Why Is Canadian Child Soldier Omar Khadr Being Tried by a Military Court?

Posted at 11:00 AM by Howard Bashman



“Vander Plaats touts campaign to oust Iowa justices”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Gay rights opponents on Wednesday promised an intense and well-financed campaign to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices who joined last year’s unanimous decision that legalized gay marriage in the state.”

And The Des Moines Register reports today that “Branstad won’t join ouster bid.”

Posted at 8:47 AM by Howard Bashman



“Judge to rule on stay Thursday in Prop. 8 case”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “The federal judge who overturned California’s same-sex marriage ban is set to rule Thursday on whether gay marriages should resume immediately in the state or await an appeals court’s input. Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker announced late Wednesday that he would issue his decision by noon on requests to impose a stay that would keep Proposition 8 in effect while its sponsors appeal his decision.”

Posted at 8:37 AM by Howard Bashman