United States v. I. Lewis Libby
Scooter has lots of friends.
Heh. The judge is not a happy camper.
United States District Judge Reggie Walton's footnote to his order granting motion for leave to file amicus brief:
It is an impressive show of public service when twelve prominent and distinguished current and former law professors of well-respected schools are able to amass their collective wisdom in the course of only several days to provide their legal expertise to the Court on behalf of a criminal defendant. The Court trusts that this is an indication of these eminent academics' willingness in the future to step to the plate and provide like assistance in cases involving any of the numerous litigants, both in this Court and throughout the courts of our nation, who lack the financial means to fully and properly articulate the merits of their legal positions even in instances where failure to do so could result in monetary penalties, incarceration, or worse. The Court will certainly not hesitate to call for such assistance from these luminaries, as necessary in the interests of justice and equity, whenever similar questions arise in the cases that come before it.
In response to this:
MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE BRIEF AS AMICI CURIAE AND BRIEF OF LAW PROFESSORS VIKRAM AMAR, RANDY E. BARNETT, ROBERT H. BORK, ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ, VIET D. DINH, DOUGLAS W. KMIEC, GARY S. LAWSON, EARL M. MALTZ, THOMAS W. MERRILL, ROBERT F. NAGEL, RICHARD D. PARKER, AND ROBERT J. PUSHAW AS AMICI CURIAE IN CONNECTION WITH DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR BAIL PENDING APPEAL
Because, they believe:
THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL, CLOSE QUESTION ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE APPOINTMENT OF A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WHO WAS NOT APPOINTED TO THE RELEVANT POSITION BY THE PRESIDENT AND TAKES NO ORDERS FROM A DEPARTMENTAL SUPERIOR, EVEN IF THAT PROSECUTOR IS REMOVABLE AT WILL
Fancy that.