Practice Management

You think?

By Dan Hull

It would be personally and judicially disrespectful to the United States Supreme Court and its justices for me to proceed in this or any other matter involving Massey.

--West Virginia Chief Justice Brent Benjamin

Okay, be hard on yourself, if you must. We almost missed this one on an issue that interests us, and should interest you, too. Especially if, like us, you'd rather spend your time reading the five cases cited in your brief than picking out a really boss Mickey Mouse tie on the morning of your next appearance before a popularly elected state court jurist. The Associated Press reported on February 2 that "West Virginia Justice Bows Out Of Massey Cases Amid Scrutiny". Apparently, Brent Benjamin's memo announcing the "bowing out" was dated January 30, 2009. In mid-November of last year, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear and decide if Benjamin's past refusal to recuse himself from a Massey case after Massey's CEO contributed $3 million to Benjamin's election win in 2004 violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Full post as published by What About Clients? on February 18, 2009 (boomark / email).