Last December, the New York Post wrote a series of articles harshly criticizing Eastern District Judge Frederic Block for a decision he made on a suppression motion. We thought the criticism […]
Judge Victor A. Bolden Sworn in in Connecticut
On January 7, 2015, Judge Victor A. Bolden was sworn in as the 38th U.S. District Judge for the District of Connecticut. He is the third Barack Obama appointee to take office in the District […]
A Day in the Life of a BOP Inmate
Divergent descriptions of a day in the life of a Bureau of Prisons inmate were presented at a program sponsored by the Council’s Committee on Sentencing and Alternatives to Incarceration. So at odds were […]
Implications of the 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules on Patent Cases
The December 1, 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”), including amendments to Rules 1, 4, 16, 26, 33, 34, 37, 55, and 84, will have a clear and immediate impact on federal […]
A Southern District Tradition
On December 4, 2015, a group of thespians presented the annual Courthouse Follies at the Moynihan Courthouse in Manhattan. The Follies, a send-up of current […]
The Answer to Gun Control
Here is the answer to the gun control problem: Put a GPS chip on every gun so it can be tracked wherever it goes. Satellite networks can be programmed to send warnings to law enforcement whenever […]
A Few Good Men
John Chestnut Whittaker was one of the first black cadets appointed to West Point. He was born a slave on the Chestnut plantation in South Carolina. He was owned by James Chestnut, who ordered the first shot to be fired […]
How FBI Misconduct in 1968 Affected the “Amount in Controversy” in 1976
Prior to 1976, no action based on a federal question jurisdiction could be brought without satisfying the “amount in controversy” requirement (then $10,000.) In 1970, I was a candidate for U.S. Congress in the Democratic primary […]
From the President
I recently returned from the Federal Bar Council’s Fall Bench and Bar Retreat where over 160 adults and 35 children spent a wonderful weekend at Mohonk Mountain House. The weekend was full of interesting […]
The Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project
The Federal Pro Se Legal Assistance Project of the City Bar Justice Center opened its doors at the Eastern District of New York courthouse in March 2015. Chief Judge Carol Amon, City Bar President […]