| Bio | https://khalil.law/about-joshua |
Court Watch #15 is out. Our weekly roundup of the most interesting court records in the federal dockets. In this issue, we talk about right/left wing energy threats, a nationwide human trafficking network, a popular rapper under investigation for living his lyrics, an spoofed bank, and Instagram weed, to name a few.
https://seamushughes.substack.com/p/court-watch-15-dont-do-it-for-the
Super excited to be able to publish @kathryntewson's first Techdirt guest post... You do not want to miss this one.
"The World’s First Robot Lawyer Isn’t A Lawyer, And I’m Not Sure It’s Even A Robot"
On January 24, 2023, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will sit en banc to decide how much deference courts should give commentary to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The full Court will do so in the much-anticipated case of United States v. Vargas, 21-20140. Specifically, the Court will decide whether the Supreme Court’s decision in Kisor v. Wilkie, which limited judicial deference to agency interpretations, extends to the Guidelines. By Jennifer Freel & Michael Murtha
what a great piece by slate. thank you, this is straight facts. #publicdefender #mentalhealth #appellatemastodon
https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/public-defender-mental-health-trauma.html
I've been struck by this Greg Jaffe article about one of the January 6 defendants and how hard it is to decide what sentence would be fair. Each defendant is far more than the one terrible event bringing them into court, but how do you balance everything?
The article is really about two defendants, with both cases involving a mix of crime, grace, and mercy. No matter your view of either crime, it's a beautiful picture of how hard criminal #sentencing is in every case.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/05/jan-6-rioter-prison-or-mercy/
The Third Circuit is going en banc to decide whether it is constitutional to prohibit people with certain non-violent felony convictions from possessing firearms. Oral argument is set for February 15.
This is fascinating. New Scientist reports that next month, at a court hearing for a speeding ticket, a defendant will be advised by an AI "legal assistant" communicating through an earpiece.
#Appellate Nibs No. 4: Oral argument is a listening exercise.
You’re writing a brief. How amazing would it be to magically peek inside your judges’ minds and learn what they really think of your arguments? To know which issues they see as problematic? To learn where they’re already persuaded, so you can focus on what matters?
You can! …at the podium. That’s why, at argument, it's so important to listen. To inquire. To treat it as a conversation. And to never say, “I’ll get there, but first…”
Seamus Hughes
Mike Masnick ✅
Caroline Platt
Aaron Landau