NSA LEAKER EDWARD SNOWDEN SAYS IN AN ONLINE FORUM THAT HE CAN'T GET A FAIR TRIAL IN THE U.S. *

SNOWDEN SAYS ON THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER WEBSITE THAT THE U.S. GOVT "IMMEDIATELY AND PREDICTABLY" DESTROYED ANY POSSIBILITY OF A FAIR TRIAL AND OPENLY DECLARED HIM GUILTY OF TREASON *

SNOWDEN SAYS HE DIDN'T REVEAL ANY U.S. OPS AGAINST LEGITIMATE MILITARY TARGETS AND MAINTAINS HE ONLY POINTED OUT WHERE THE NSA HACKED CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE *

RUSSIAN PRES VLADIMIR PUTIN TELLS PRES OBAMA THAT THE TWO DON'T SEE EYE-TO-EYE ON SYRIA *

PUTIN REMAINS ONE OF SYRIAN PRES BASHAR ASSAD'S STRONGEST POLITICAL ALLIES, WHILE THE U.S. IS GEARING UP TO ARM OPPOSITION GROUPS *

BOTH LDRS SAY THEY AGREE ON THE NEED TO PUSH FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO END THE COUNTRY'S TWO-YEAR CIVIL WAR *

OBAMA SAYS THE MEN ALSO SHARE AN INTEREST IN STOPPING VIOLENCE AND SECURING CHEMICAL WEAPONS *

PUTIN AND OBAMA MET AT THE G-8 SUMMIT IN N IRELAND MON *

SYRIAN PRES BASHAR ASSAD WARNS EUROPE "WILL PAY A PRICE" IF IT DECIDES TO ARM OPPOSITION GROUPS *

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A GERMAN NEWSPAPER, ASSAD SAYS DOING SO WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO ARMING TERRORISTS *

ASSAD ALSO DISMISSED U.S. FINDINGS THAT REGIME FORCES USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS ON REBELS *

STATE DEPT SAYS IT SEES NOTHING NEW IN N KOREA'S OFFERS OF HIGH-LEVEL TALKS WITH THE U.S. *

THE NORTH OFFERED UNCONDITIONAL TALKS THIS WEEK AFTER MONTHS OF TENSIONS SINCE A NUCLEAR TEST IN FEB DREW UN SANCTIONS *

BUT STATE DEPT SPOX SAYS THE FIRST STEP TO MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WOULD HAVE TO BEGIN WITH THE NORTH TAKING CREDIBLE STEPS TO GIVING UP ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS *

WHITE HOUSE THREATENING TO VETO HOUSE'S FIVE-YR FARM BILL BECAUSE OF FOOD STAMP CUTS INCLUDED IN THE LEGISLATION *

THE BILL WOULD SAVE A TOTAL OF $4 BIL ANNUALLY *

BUT $2 BIL OF THOSE CUTS WOULD COME FROM FOOD STAMPS *

WHILE THE HOUSE PREPARES TO CONSIDER THE BILL THIS WEEK, WHITE HOUSE IS ARGUING THOSE CUTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SUBSIDIES LIKE CROP INSURANCE *

U.S. IDENTIFIES 48 GUANTANAMO BAY PRISONERS SLATED FOR INDEFINITE DETENTION *

THE MEN ARE CONSIDERED TOO DANGEROUS TO RELEASE, BUT THE U.S. LACKS THE EVIDENCE TO PROSECUTE THEM *

PENTAGON SPOX SAYS THEY ARE BEING HELD UNDER THE ACT OF WAR AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS IN 2001 *

THE GOVT RELEASED THE NAMES AFTER BEING SUED UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT *

CO INVESTIGATORS TREATING REMAINS OF MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN THE STATE'S HISTORY AS A CRIME SCENE *

RESIDENTS NEAR BLACK FOREST IN THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA AREN'T BEING ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES AS INVESTIGATORS DETERMINE THE CAUSE *

WET WEATHER HELPED SUBDUE MOST OF THE FIRE MON, AND IT STANDS AT 75% CONTAINED *

THE FLAMES TORCHED 22 SQUARE MILES OF FOREST SINCE ERUPTING A WEEK AGO, DESTROYING MORE THAN 500 HOMES AND KILLING TWO PEOPLE *

TURKISH DEPUTY PM SUGGESTS THE ARMY COULD BE BROUGHT IN TO SETTLE HIS NATION'S CIVIL UNREST *

A POLICE CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS WHO LED AN 18-DAY PROTEST IN ISTANBUL'S CENTRAL SQUARE LEFT FIVE PEOPLE DEAD AND MORE THAN 5,000 INJURED *

LABOR UNIONS AND ANTI-GOVT PROTESTERS ARE NOW RALLYING ACROSS THE COUNTRY *


 

NOTE TO CHIEF JUDGE Alex Kozinski of the 9th Circuit: you left out something in your letter to Senators Sessions and Grassley!

Senators Grassley and Sessions wrote the Chief Judge of the 9th Circuit demanding to know why the 300 + government employees are going to Hawaii (to a spa) for a judicial convention.  I have the letter …and I think the Judge was a bit remiss in how he responded.  He writes:

“…As you know, Circuit Conferences are authorized by law “for the purpose of considering the business of the courts and advising means of improving the administration of justice within the circuit. [citing 28 USC Section 333]“

I read the statute – 28 USC Sec 333 – and note that the statute says the Circuit MAY hold a conference.  It is not mandatory.   The fact that it is NOT MANDATORY was left out of this letter.  I think it hugely important to note that the law does not require the 300 + employees have this conference (not to mention holding it in Hawaii at an enormous cost to taxpayers…especially now when the nation’s unemployment is 8.2% and there is a huge shortage of revenue meaning social programs will get cut or taxes raised.)

The Chief Judge’s letter is long and full of his justifications and I have made notes in the margin for tonight’s OTR at 10pm.

One of the justifications I rolled my eyes at is that there will be “business meetings attended by the judges, court staff and members of the bar.  Meetings ….beginning as early as 7am and continuing late into the afternoon.”

Do you want to take bets on the attendance at those 7am meetings?   And how many business meetings?

One of the topics that will be discussed is “docket congestion caused by a glut of prisoner litigation in the Eastern District of California.”  Do you know a great way to handle ‘docket congestion?’ Stay at work and do the work — not take the week to go to Hawaii.  And here is another idea — Judges with a not so busy docket can take some of the cases and help.

Look…I would not be so appalled if it were not for the fact that so many Americans are going through very tough economic times.  Judges should be an example.  This conference is not a necessity…not in these tough times.

 









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