Manuel Noriega has died.

Manuel Noriega has died.  Here's a sketch of him by Arthur Lien from his 1992 trial before Judge Hoeveler.

He received a sentence of 30 years and served 17. Because he was a prisoner of war, he had to receive a jail cell in accordance with the Geneva Convention. That meant he had his own cell with TV, a computer, and exercise equipment. Corrections officers called it "the presidential suite."

More federal judges?

Senators Rubio and Nelson have proposed more federal judges in Florida, with 3 new judgeships going to SDFLA.  But we have a bunch of openings now and a bunch more coming, so I'm not sure how adding more slots that aren't being filled is going to help...

RIP AUSA Beranton J. Whisenant Jr.

RIP AUSA Beranton J. Whisenant Jr.
He was only 37. So sad.
I did not know him, but I heard he was a good guy. 
Please feel free to remember him in the comments.

More on Kevin Newsom, 11th Circuit Nominee

The Vetting Room has a long, informative post about 11th Circuit Nominee Kevin Newsom here:

Kevin Newsom, President Trump’s first nominee to the Eleventh Circuit, is a seasoned appellate litigator, seemingly universally respected, with extensive experience in diverse areas of law.  A longtime member of the Federalist Society, his confirmation would cement the somewhat evenly balanced Eleventh Circuit back onto a firm conservative footing. 

11th Circuit rules that dogs aren't people

Uh oh... get ready for the hate mail. How could you rule that dogs aren't people?

Judge Rosenbaum starts off this entertaining qualified immunity case like this:

In history and literature, the name “Draco” has been associated with some notorious characters. Draco of ancient Greece is perhaps best known for the harsh legal code he composed, which inspired the word “draconian.” Antonios Loizides, Draco’s Law Code, ANCIENT HISTORY ENCYCLOPEDIA http://www.ancient.eu/ Dracos_Law_Code/ (last visited May 12, 2017). Draco Lucius Malfoy, of course, is Harry Potter’s perpetually maleficent rival in the Harry Potter literary series.*

And to the list of infamous Dracos, add Defendant-Appellant Draco. Draco is a police canine who was involved in the apprehension of Plaintiff Randall Kevin Jones. Unfortunately, Draco inflicted some serious damage on Jones when Draco refused to release his bite. Jones sued Draco, among others, for negligence. Georgia law by its terms, however, does not provide for negligence actions directly against dogs. We therefore hold as much today and reverse the district court’s denial of Defendant-Appellants’ motion to dismiss Draco.

But while Georgia law does not allow for a negligence suit against a dog, it does permit negligence claims against a state officer who is not entitled to official immunity. Title 42, United States Code, Section 1983 likewise authorizes an action against a police officer who employs a dog in an exercise of excessive force. And Jones also sued the officers responsible for Draco’s encounter with Jones. In response, Defendant-Appellant Officers invoked official and qualified immunity and moved to dismiss. The district court summarily denied Defendant-Appellant Officers’ motion. Today we must reverse that denial and dismiss the claims. Jones has failed to allege facts establishing that the officer acted with malice, so the officers are entitled to official immunity. Nor does binding precedent allow for the conclusion that Defendant Officers’ employment of Draco in the circumstances of this case violated Jones’s clearly established rights, so the officers have qualified immunity.

*See J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997); J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998); J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999); J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000); J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003); J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005); J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).