All SDFLA jury trials to be continued until at least 4/27

The judges had a meeting today and agreed on this date.

Latest update from SDFLA

Chief Judge Moore issued the following order, which in effect puts the District on "telework" except for a skeleton crew.

We should be releasing all non-violent offenders on personal surety bonds immediately

It's amazing to me that this hasn't happened yet.  Some magistrate judges are asking for lawyers to revisit bond issues.  Below is one in the Northern District of California.  Come on judges (and prosecutors), let's be proactive and leaders on this issue.

11th Circuit procedures for oral argument week of March 30

Two choices — submit on the papers or do it by phone. The panel is Carnes, Marcus, and Luck. Here’s the email that went out this morning (I have an argument on 4/2).

Supreme Court and BOP closed, other updates

No oral arguments for the Supremes in March.

And BOP is closed for 30 days -- no visits of any kind and no movement.

As of this morning, the 11th Circuit is still planning on conducting oral arguments the week of March 30. 

District Court is still open but judges are being very good about continuing matters and trying to help. 

SDFLA cancels jury trials scheduled to begin March 16 until March 30 (UPDATED WITH ORDER)

Update -- here's a link to the order.

They won't occur until "further order of the Court."

"All trial-specific deadlines in criminal cases scheduled to begin before March 30, 2020, are continued pending further order of the Court.  Individual judges may continue trial specific deadlines in civil cases in the exercise of their discretion."

There's more to the Order, but no link yet on the Court's webpage.  As soon as there is one, I will post it.

Of note: "Judges are strongly encouraged to conduct court proceedings by telephone or video conferencing where practicable."  But criminal matters "such as initial appearances, arraignments, detention hearings, and the issuance of search warrants" before Magistrate Judges "shall continue to take place in the ordinary course."  And Grand Juries are still going forward.

Federal courts around the country have started to suspend jury trials and other hearings

The SDNY is an example.  From the NY Post:

The federal court district that covers Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester County and several other New York counties will suspend jury trials that are scheduled to begin next week in an effort to stanch the spread of coronavirus, court officials said Thursday.

The suspension comes as the Southern District of New York attempts to limit the number of people entering federal courthouses in Lower Manhattan and in Westchester County amid the outbreak, District Executive Edward Friedland said. The court suspended non-case-related activity Wednesday.

There are also issues with prison visits in that district. The Post also covers the horrible conditions at MCC in New York with Avenatti:

“Mr. Avenatti’s cell was infested with rats. The jail reeks or urine. As of yesterday, Mr. Avenatti had not shaved in weeks. Meanwhile, across the country, public officials are declaring states of emergency as a result of the spread of the coronavirus,” [Scott] Srebnick wrote.

“Health officials are uncertain of the actual risks. And, by all accounts, a prison facility poses among the highest risks of spread of infection,” he added.

“Given the uncertainty regarding the coronavirus, the ease with which it spreads, and the documented unsanitary conditions at the MCC-New York, I am requesting that the … background interview be adjourned,” he wrote.

There are lots of rumors floating around about what SDFLA is going to do and what is going to happen with FDC. (One rumor is that social and legal visits are going to be shut down for a few weeks.) Also unclear is whether the 11th Circuit will go forward with oral arguments.  As of now, everything is still a go. I will post updates as soon as I have official word.

News & Notes (UPDATED)

UPDATED -- the 11th Circuit has canceled its judicial conference.  From Ed Carnes:

Because of the evolving threat represented by the outbreak and spread of the
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States and in the State of Georgia, and in
view of the warnings issued by the Center for Disease Control, as well as by
Governor Kemp, I have decided to cancel the Eleventh Circuit Judicial
Conference, which had been scheduled to be held May 6 through May 9, 2020 in
Atlanta. Although circuit judicial conferences provide a good opportunity for
judges and lawyers to learn from each other and from speakers, I concluded that
the cancellation was necessary and prudent in the interest of the health of all of
those who would have attended the conference.
Given the importance of these conferences to the bench and Bar, we hope to
be able to reschedule this conference for 2021 if circumstances permit.

1. Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years. From the NY Times:

Two of Mr. Weinstein’s victims gave emotional statements about the damage he had done to them. Miriam Haley, who testified Mr. Weinstein forced oral sex on her in 2006, said he had forever altered her life, crushing her spirit.

“He violated my trust and my body and my personal right to deny sexual advances,” she said.

Given a chance to speak, Mr. Weinstein suggested in a rambling speech to the court that he thought his relationships with his victims were consensual.

“We may have different truths, but I have remorse for all of you and for all the men going through this crisis,” he said, addressing his accusers.

He added: “I really feel remorse for this situation. I feel it deeply in my heart. I’m really trying, I’m really trying to be a better person.”

2. The Herald is covering the cert petition Miladis Salgado, which the blog posted about here back in January. From the Herald:

Now, Salgado is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to make her whole for the misguided May 11, 2015, raid on her home, arguing that a forfeiture law allows victims of wrongful money seizures to recover attorney’s fees in addition to their actual losses from the government. The outcome of a petition brought by the 57-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Colombia could affect thousands of people nationwide whose money is seized by federal agencies without criminal charges ever being filed against them.

“This is a game that the Justice Department plays — it’s a war of attrition,” said lawyer Justin Pearson with the Arlington, Va.-based Institute for Justice, which is representing Salgado free of charge. “This is a cash grab by the government to take money away from people who don’t have the ability to fight back.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide in April whether to hear Salgado’s petition. After the solicitor general for the Trump administration signaled that he was not going to respond to her claim, the high court ordered his office to do so. In a recent filing, Solicitor General Noel Francisco asserts that Salgado had not “substantially prevailed” against the government, reasoning that when the feds returned her money, they did not lose the right to refile their civil forfeiture case and therefore did not owe her attorney’s fees.

3. The 11th Circuit in a 2-1 decision today said that the state prison system did not violate the rights of a transgender inmate by not treating her appropriately. This decision reversed a lengthy opinion by the district court. Newsom wrote the majority, which was joined by a visiting Alabama district judge. Judge Wilson wrote the dissent. I will summarize the opinion shortly, but it's definitely worth a read. Here's a Herald article discussing the issue of transgender inmates, including Reiyn Keohane (the inmate as issue in this case) back from December.