Afternoon Briefs: Election lawyer referred for court discipline; public defender waiting list declared unconstitutional
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Lawyer refers election lawyer for discipline
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia has referred a Minneapolis lawyer to a court grievance committee for possible discipline after he allegedly made “irrelevant allegations of fraud” in an election suit that did not rely on any fraud theories. The lawyer, Erick Kaardal, had filed the suit in December in an effort to overturn election results in five states. Boasberg said Kaardal had asked him to overturn election results in states where he has no jurisdiction. (Law.com, Politico, Boasberg’s Feb. 19 order)
Judge says putting poor defendants on public defender waiting list is unconstitutional
A Missouri judge has ruled that the state is violating the Sixth Amendment right to counsel by putting criminal defendants on waiting lists for public defenders. Judge William E. Hickle of Phelps County, Missouri, said some defendants were waiting more than a year for a lawyer. Hickle stayed the case, however, to give lawmakers time to fix the problem. (Courthouse News Service, Hickle’s Feb. 18 ruling)
Dominion sues MyPillow CEO for alleged defamation
A maker of voting machines has filed a defamation suit against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for allegedly making false claims that the machines were used to rig the election. Dominion Voting Systems alleged that Lindell used his false claims to promote his products, telling customers to use promo codes “QAnon” and “FightforTrump” for discounts. Lindell told the Washington Post that he was happy to be sued because “now I can get to the evidence faster.” (The Washington Post, Dominion’s Feb. 22 lawsuit)
