"To take this right away, is to reduce a man to slavery."

by Not Scalia

Judge Patricia Seitz began her Order finding Florida's Third-Party Voter Registration Law unconstitutional with this quote from Thomas Paine. Because this law chilled the rights of third-party groups to register voters, Judge Seitz' decision is a victory for democracy and should be applauded.

You can find the Order here.

Phineas Paist

by Brian Tannebaum

As we prepare for the opening of the new federal courthouse (anyone know the opening date?), now is as good a time as any to learn about Phineas Paist, the architect of many of Miami's most famous landmarks, including the old Miami Federal Courthouse.

Interesting guy, died in 1937, in Miami.

Here's an excerpt from the site about his life:

Around 1920 in Miami Phineas will evolve from his association at the Deering estate [Vizcaya] to become a city planner and lord of architecture for The Coral Gables Plantation heir George Merrick.

Phineas Paists contributions of the Douglas entrance, the Police and Fire Station bldg. and the new Miami Federal Courthouse
will prove to be a unique collection of buildings in the Beaux Arts Style,

Vacation time...

I'm going to be on vacation so I've invited a couple guest-bloggers and have asked prior posters to pitch in while I'm away. I've also asked them to identify themselves at the top of the post so you know who the author is. You can also check at the bottom of the post where the blogger template inserts their name. Enjoy!

In the meantime, here is an interesting article by Vanessa Blum about the Padilla hearings yesterday in which I am quoted.

News and notes

1. Judge Cooke has denied the Government's motion to reconsider dismissal of Count I in the Padilla case.

2. Sun-Sentinel: "Pompano man gets 37 months in prison for plot to hire out illegal workers."

3. Miami Herald: "Lawsuit claims young boys were forced to ride camels." Read the lawsuit here.

The Scalia of the 11th Circuit...

Lawyers who practice in the 11th Circuit like to compare Judge Ed Carnes to Justice Scalia. Here's the opening paragraph of Carnes' most recent opinion addressing whether a district court can dismiss a civil case with prejudice because the plaintiff had filed his complaint and litigated the case up to trial using a false name:

If, as the Bible says, "[a]n honest answer is like a kiss on the lips," Proverbs 24:26 (N.I.V.), a pleading founded on a lie is like a kick in the gut. The question this appeal presents is whether a district court can dismiss a case with prejudice because the plaintiff filed and litigated his complaint under a false name.

Carnes answers yes. Scalia-like? Hat Tip to Orin Kerr.

Santiago Alvarez and Osvaldo Mitat to plead guilty

Cuban exiles Santiago Alvarez and Osvaldo Mitat cut plea deals on one count of conspiring to possess illegal weapons, which carries a five-year maximum prison penalty. The men, who remain in custody, face sentencing Nov. 14. Jay Weaver's article here. The following interesting note from Vanessa Blum's article:

Before his arrest, Alvarez was best known for his support of Cuban militant Luis Posada Carilles. Cuban and Venezuelan authorities accuse Posada of orchestrating the bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976 that killed 73 people.When Posada mysteriously arrived in Miami in 2005 after years in hiding, Alvarez acted as his chief spokesman and defender. Posada is in federal custody in El Paso, Texas, where he has been held since his arrest on immigration charges.Last year, an immigration judge ruled Posada should be deported but said he could not be sent to Cuba or Venezuela.On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney ruled Posada should be set free while he waits to be deported, according to Posada's El Paso attorney, Felipe D.J. Millan. If a federal district judge upholds the ruling, Posada could be released in about 30 days, Millan said.

"‘Biz op’ scams a quick way to get fleeced"

That's the headline of John Pacenti's DBR article this morning. Looks like the U.S. Attorney's office is doing its best to get some favorable press these days. Here's the intro of the article:

In the world of South Florida schemes and cons, there is always a new way to dress up the same old pig. These days it’s peddling “business opportunity investments” in DVD vending machines, dial-up ATMs, mobile check-cashing units and Internet kiosks to those susceptible to the get-rich-quick American myth. The scam artists have been keeping the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of Florida busy. Federal prosecutors nickname these types of crimes “biz op” — short for business opportunity fraud. U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta said his office is cracking down on scams that have robbed millions of dollars from thousands of victims. Since February 2005, the USAO’s Economic and Environmental Crimes division estimates it has filed charges against about 40 people involved with about a dozen companies. They promised people a way to earn big-time income with relatively little effort in mostly turnkey businesses. Federal prosecutors say members of the public are targeted when they bite on advertisements — television, Internet or others — for a generalized business opportunity. These leads are then passed on to boiler rooms, where skilled phone sales staff peddle the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity. The technique has been working for decades. Prosecutors say the companies have defrauded more than 4,000 victims of $60 million.

What struck me about the article was not so much the words, but Alex Acosta's picture... Check out how mean he's looking above:

Remembering 9/11

I was actually in trial on 9/11 -- a false passport case in front of Judge Ungaro. I vividly remember the courtroom deputy handing the Judge a note. We didn't stop at that point but I could see something was wrong. I didn't have a cellphone on, but I did have a beeper (does anyone have beepers anymore) which started to buzz and buzz. Then a second note. This time, Judge Ungaro said we would be taking a recess. I looked at my beeper. I was getting 911 beeps from my wife. I left the building, turned on my cellphone, and called my wife. She told me what was going on and to leave the building because the news was reporting that Miami might be a target. I ended up watching the towers come down in a little pawn shop on North Miami Avenue. It was completely surreal, standing there on the street watching all of this unfold. It's still hard to believe. When the courthouses reopened the following week, Judge Ungaro declared a mistrial...

Please share where you were on 9/11.