...in front of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The entire argument, from start to finish, including the opposing side, lasted 3 minutes and 42 seconds. The attorney is asked if he wants the 7th Circuit to overturn the Supreme Court, and says that no, he's asking the court to find some way to distinguish it from the Supreme Court precedent (implying he himself cannot). Audible are the judges' sighs and laughter, and one judge asks him why he's wasting the court's time.
The attorney gives up, and then proceeds to try fleeing the courtroom, and is verbally admonished by the judge that his "seat is at counsel's table." Attorney for the respondent said two substantive words: "I don't" in response to whether he wanted the 7th Circuit to overtrun the Supreme Court's decision.
The briefs in the case, USA v. Robert Lee Johnson (04-2732) are not available online, but the oral argument can be heard on MP3.
I hope that poor man at least had a good, big drink after that showing.
(Thanks to: Keren Zwick)
Thursday, March 03, 2005
A poor sod goes down in flames...
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1 comment:
I cracked up over that MP3; my wife, who's a law student, cringed in sympathy. Thanks for passing it along.
And as for hoping the guy had a nice, big drink afterwards... I can't help but wonder if the guy's original problem was that he'd already had a nice big hit of some mind-altering substance beforehand.
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