It's not everyday that we get to break news here on the Southern District of Florida blog, so here goes: Pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act, Judge Moreno has appointed Hugo Rodriguez (at a rate of $90/hour) to represent Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela, who is accused of once being the largest cocaine distrubutor in the world.
UPDATE: When it rains, it pours. Here is more breaking news -- the government has decided to ask for rehearing on the Cuban Spy decision. Here is the press release they sent out today: "Today, United States Attorney R. Alexander Acosta and the members of the trial team in United States v. Camp, submitted to the EleventhCircuit Court of Appeals a Petition requesting that all twelve activejudges of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rehear that case. The Petition respecfully expresses a belief, based on a reasoned and studied professional judgment, that the panel decision in this case is contrary tothe decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States and of the EleventhCircuit, and that consideration by the full Court is necessary to secureand maintain uniformity of decisions in the Eleventh Circuit." The press release was emailed to every news outlet in Miami, even though the brief has not even been filed yet in the 11th Circuit.
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The government's brief press release, emailed to every conceivable press outlet in a grotesque act of pandering, makes for great conversation, but not in the way R. Alex hoped. It is filled with mistakes and raises odd questions. First,the errors: Acosta is not the "United States Attorney" (unless the Senate confirmed his nomination in hearings and a vote not revealed to the public). Second, there is no defendant named "Camp" in the alleged Cuban spy case (perhaps Acosta was referring to Campa, but he was distracted by fond memories of summer camp -- heck, it's hard to fault him since he wasn't around when the case was tried, anyway). Third, the word "respecfully" is mispelled, missing a "t." All told, the press release is missing "interim, a "t" & "a." These errors are in the original press release, not just in this blog's quote of the press release. I wonder if such attention to detail and accuracy will also be reflected in the government's petition for rehearing.
ReplyDeleteQuestions: Are only "Acosta and the members of the trial team" filing the petition for rehearing en banc? Is the US Attorney appellate division not participating? Is the appellate division not mentioned because those lawyers cannot in good faith challenge the panel ruling? And, are the "members of the trial team" not named individually because the press will then know precisely who the court of appeals found committed prosecutorial misconduct at trial?
I'm very dissapointed by those typos. I thought we just heard THIS same U.S. Attorney saying that he'd pay "serious attention" to t&a.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous -- It can't be the "same US Attorney" -- R. Alex hasn't even been nominated, no less confirmed. He is an interim, or perhaps he's just acting, but he's definitely not the real deal. Just a very young and inexperienced political caretaker who has no concept of priorities in law enforcement. And who hasn't figured out how to spellcheck a press release he sent to 147 media outlets nationwide.
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