Posted on 01/02/2008 1:55:23 PM PST by rellimpank
Acting D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles has fired the city lawyer who had been preparing to defend the longtime District ban on handguns in the high-stakes Supreme Court case this spring.
Alan B. Morrison, who has argued roughly 20 cases before the high court, was asked to leave his post as special counsel by the end of this week, Morrison said today. Morrison had been hired by former Attorney General Linda Singer, who resigned two weeks ago, and put in charge of arguing the handgun case.
The city has appealed to the Supreme Court to maintain the handgun ban after a lower court overturned the ban in the spring. The high court agreed to hear the case, probably in March, which would mark the first time the Supreme Court has examined a Second Amendment case in nearly 70 years.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ooooh... trouble in Gun Grab Town.
It looks as if this is fallout from a corrupt mayor’s decision to replace the DC AG with an old buddy of his.
I don’t think it has anything directly to do with support of the DC gun law. But obviously it will affect their case.
I wonder if they’ll use the brief already prepared, or ask SCOTUS for a delay? Firing a lawyer just as an important case is coming on line doesn’t seem too bright, but obviously corruption comes first.
Enough delay and there will probably be a less Second Amendment friendly president in power (given who the front runners for both major parties are). Maybe a decent delay would work in the cities favor.
But changing horses mid-stream is such a wise strategy, how could they resist? :-)
I'm liking the climate for this SCOTUS case more and more.
This mayor is not corrupt. He made a mistake appointing Singer who was not up to the job. Perhaps he didn’t think much of her appointee either. I oppose the gun law but most DC residents do not.
The smart thing for the opposition to do now would be to modify the DC gun ban law in such a way as to make the current case moot - make it a bit more lenient in other words. I think they are losing this one and I just don’t see the left being stupid enough to let the case run its course.
“I’m liking the climate for this SCOTUS case more and more.”
Looks good.
Why? What does the President in power have to do with a case before a sitting court? Now if they delayed in order to get more favorable judges appointed, but even that could be a long time and the case is before this court right now.
I haven’t kept up with events in DC recently. If the mayor isn’t corrupt, he’s the first one in a long, long time, and I’m glad to hear it. DC government has been a cesspool.
So, thanks for the update on DC politics.
Yup... some other lawyer wants the glory of being the one to appear before the Supreme Court.
> It looks as if this is fallout from a corrupt mayor’s decision <
I live very near DC, and although it’s clear that the new mayor is a super-liberal of the flaming variety, I haven’t heard anybody charge him with corruption. In fact, most people hereabouts think the opposite. But maybe you know something I don’t.
See 10.
“Most DC residents do not”.
Being a "super-liberal" means one is, by definition, corrupt - at least morally so.
Nobody could hold those views without violating (at a minimum) the 10th Commandment. No doubt they also violate most of the others as well.
Probably having a hard time putting together an emotional defense to a constitutional question.
IF the case is delayed until the next term because of this, and IF the next President is a Dem, you can bet everything you own that the US Attorney General (likely Spitzer or Schumer) will file an Amicus Brief in favor of DC. It might not sway the Court, but it surely won't be an item in the column entitled, "Reasons why the US Supreme Court will uphold the 2nd Amendment in the Heller case."
Does anyone know if something like this is likely to result in the USSC granting a delay in the case?
Don’t count your chickens yet.
I take no comfort in this news; it sounds like the are trying to line up the A-team
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