Snow White's dwarfs more famous than US judges: poll

Here's a great article that I came across (hat tip: ScotusBlog) about Americans' knowledge of the Supreme Court and government in general. Here are some tidbits:

• Three quarters of Americans can correctly identify two of Snow White's seven dwarfs while only a quarter can name two Supreme Court Justices, according to a poll on pop culture released on Monday.
• Twice as many people (23 percent) were able to identify the most recent winner of the television talent show "American Idol," Taylor Hicks, as were able to name the Supreme Court Justice confirmed in January 2006, Samuel Alito (11 percent).
• Respondents were far more familiar with the Three Stooges — Larry, Curly and Moe — than the three branches of the U.S. government — judicial, executive and legislative. Seventy-four percent identified the former, 42 percent the latter.

What do you think the results in Miami would be if we asked about local judges? I'm afraid to ask...

Janet Reno's speech at NACDL

The National Assocation of Criminal Defense Lawyers recently had its annual meeting in Miami Beach, Florida. Janet Reno spoke. Here is her speech, with an intro from Neal Sonnett.

NG NOTB

Not Guilty North of the Border. What a relief! I'm still convinced there is no better feeling than hearing those two words...

I'll be back in the office today trying to get the computer back in order, catching up on stuff, and then finally getting back to the blog.

Profiling Prosecutors and Public Defenders

This morning's Daily Business Review profiles prosecutors and PDs. AUSAs Ed Nucci, Caroline Heck Miller, and Richard Gregorie are discussed as well as AFPD Faith Mesnekoff. There is also a long story about why public servants join these offices and why many must leave.

Crash

So we didn't finish the North of the Border Trial today as I had hoped. Summations will be Monday, which means a stressful weekend. Even worse, my Microsoft Exchange Server crashed at the office today, and my tech guy tells me that I've probably lost all my data. I thought this stuff never disappears... So do I start from scratch, hire a data recovery team, or try to recreate what I can from different places? UGH!!!!!

Still North of the Border

I'm still in trial and plan on catching up this weekend with SDFLA news. In the meantime, I did notice that the en banc 11th Circuit affirmed Judge Lenard in the Cuban Spy case (USA v. Ruben Campa), in which a panel of the 11th Circuit originally reversed on venue grounds. The original panel (Judges Birch and Kravitch) dissented. And the en banc court remanded to the panel to consider the other issues raised on the appeal. I haven't had a chance to read the opinions which run over 120 pages, but when I do this weekend, I'll post some thoughts. If any of you have read it, please post your comments.

A stranger in a strange land...

Sorry for the slow blogging... I'm in trial in Broward State Court (or as Rumpole would say: North of the Border). Here's an article about the trial if you are interested.

Big news in federal court -- drum roll please -- attorneys are now permitted to bring camera phones into the courthouse. I commend Chief Judge Zloch for amending the old rule prohibiting such phones. Pictures, of coures, are still prohibited..

Congrats to U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta

... who was confirmed today by the Senate.

We wish him, a rumored reader of the blog, all the best.