New evidence becomes available almost daily in impeachment proceeding (updated)

A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Friday that Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, can provide Congress with evidence in his criminal case that is of interest to impeachment investigators. The Washington Post reports, Giuliani associate can give impeachment investigators phone data, documents seized by prosecutors, judge says: U.S. … Read more

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit hears Don McGahn appeal (updated)

Two panels of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard back-to-back oral arguments today for the House of Representatives enforcing its subpoena for the testimony of former White House counsel Don McGahn, and obtaining the grand jury materials of Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation. Politico has an early report of what happened … Read more

What has Trump done?

Last night, the United States launched a drone strike that killed Iran’s leading commando in international guerilla and proxy war, intelligence, and terrorist tactics, Qaasim Suleimani. It also resulted in the death of the leader of the radical Iraqi branch of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Iran has, of course, vowed revenge. Tears should not be … Read more

Donald Trump Raised $46 million last quarter. So What. Democratic Candidates so far have raised over $120 Million.

Donald Trump had an impressive fundraising year in 2019. He and his supporters raised about $46 million in the final fundraising quarter and about, depending on the source, somewhere between $400 million and half a billion dollars overall for his reelection. Unfortunately for him, the Democratic Presidential Candidates had a better 2019. Looking at the … Read more

“The Perfect Storm” – Expanded Arizona Supreme Court Sets Two Records In 2019

The Arizona Supreme Court set two new records in 2019, and Chief Justice Robert Brutinel notes that it was the “perfect storm”. He says 2020 will show a noticeable increase in the number of opinions from the expanded court.

The Supreme Court’s 26 opinions in 2019 are the fewest issued by Arizona’s highest court in modern times* Also, the 7 justices have not issued an opinion since the Brush & Nib opinion attracted national attention on September 16; never* has the Supreme Court gone this long without releasing an opinion.**

Brutinel tells AZ Law that it is “a funny set of circumstances” that led to fewer opinions being issued. Among the confluence of events was the departures of Chief Justice Scott Bales and Justice John Pelander, the resulting appointment of two new justices “who really want the first ones to be good” and naming of a new Chief Justice and Vice Chief Justice. In addition, a “minor factor” may have also been the difficulty and 110- page length of the Brush & Nib opinion. (James Beene and Bill Montgomery are the two new Justices.)

“We’ll get back into a regular rhythm as people get a little more experienced,” the new Chief Justice explained. “The reality is we’re trying to take more cases, (we are) a group of people that wants to work hard – they’re here to write opinions.”

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