Gotcha

Sorry for the slow blogging lately -- very very busy... But here is some news from the Miami Herald about Christopher John Clarkson, aka Stephen Duffy, who has been on the lam for 30 years, using a dead child's identity. Unbelievable story.

First Roberts' Court opinion

Paul Rashkind at the U.S. Supreme Court blog posts this interesting bit of trivia regarding the first opinion of the Roberts' Court. Here's a taste:

A bit of trivia: For whom did the Roberts' Court rule in its historic first published opinion? It ruled in favor of convicted murderer Paul Allen Dye, who sought a writ of habeas corpus based on prosecutorial misconduct. Check out Dye v. Hofbauer, 526 U.S. ___ (2005) (per curiam) here.

Cuban spy panel discussion

The American Constitution Society has put together a panel discussion regarding the Eleventh Circuit's opinion in the Cuban Spy case. Panelists are Judge Stan Blake (11th Judicial Circuit), Former Chief Judge Edward B. Davis (Southern District of Florida) , Former U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis (Southern District of Florida), and Federal Defender Kathleen Williams (Southern District of Florida). I'll be moderating what is sure to be a very lively debate. Any suggestions for questions?

News and notes

The Federal Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division had a luncheon today. Judge Ursula Ungaro was the featured speaker. Very nice turnout. We learned that the new federal courthouse isn't going to open until June 2006. Also, the Southern District is going to implement the all e-filing system, i.e., no paper, in the near future. More on that to follow when I get info.

Bond for alleged Katrina scammer

Magistrate Judge Patrick White set bail at $125,000 (the Sun-Sentinel article, which is otherwise good, does not mention whether this is a corporate surety bond, 10% bond, or personal surety bond) for the supposed Katrina scammer, Gary S. Kraser. Defense lawyer is Alvin Entin. Prosecutor is Joan Silverstein.