Well, today is Constitution Day. According to 36 U.S.C. § 106, "[t]he civil and educational authorities of States, counties, cities, and towns are urged to make plans for the proper observance of Constitution Day . . . and for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens." The law school here at UNC is hosting a promising-sounding talk about the Supreme Court confirmation process at noon. Anyone know of other events offered by the "civil and educational authorities"? One person who really, really vigorously exercises his constitutional rights is Jonathan Lee Riches. He's a federal inmate who, according to this AP article, has filed more than 3,800 lawsuits -- sometimes as many as four per day -- targeting defendants like Plato, "the celestial body formerly known as the planet Pluto," and Somali pirates, as well as celebrity targets like football coach Bill Belichick and dog fighter Michael Vick. Apparently nicknamed the "Patrick Ewing of Suing" and "Johnny Sue-nami," Riches is now a defendant in a civil suit designed to limit his access to the courts. In other news: 1. The Eleventh Circuit has extended the Supreme Court's effective assistance of counsel ruling in Padilla v. Kentucky -- which my colleague Sejal Zota explored here -- to cover faulty advice about whether a conviction carries with it the obligation to register as a sex offender. Sentencing Law and Policy has the basics here. I'm trying to convince Jamie to do a more detailed analysis of the issue. Stay [...]
Faculty Coordinators
