Although I don’t know the context, or the underlying issues in the case that led to this opinion from Justice Kagan, I’m not sure it really matters.
Apparently there was some dispute about whether a statute authorized criminal sanctions for fishermen who allegedly dispose of undersized fish. The arguments involved the legal meaning of the term “tangible object” and whether fish — red groupers, to be specific– qualified. To lend veracity and authenticity to her reasoned and erudite opinion, Justice Kagan cites an authority beyond dispute, and in so doing, surely she wins the award for the all-time greatest single citation to ever appear in a United States Supreme Court opinion.
To wit…
– mcd
PS – Thanks to my colleague and cohort in crime John D. Burns for letting me know the case: Yates v. United States. (Go to page 29.)
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About Mike
Mike Daisley is a civil litigation attorney and Certified Mediator in Charlotte, North Carolina, and owner and president of "DaisleyLegal" a virtual law firm focused on helping victims of drunk driving injuries and other careless individuals and corporations. He devotes a significant time of his practice as a mediator in North Carolina's Superior Courts, using his 35 years of litigation experience to counsel and assist opposing parties to resolve their disputes and lawsuits cooperatively, avoiding the high expenses and time commitments involved in going to trial.
In addition to his commitment to Civil Trial Advocacy and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mike is also an avid writer, and has a wide array of interests outside of his legal practice, including stints as a columnist for The Charlotte Observer, political analyst for WCNC-TV and WBT Radio. Mike’s biggest passion outside the law is learning and writing about theology, and especially the role doubt plays in faith, the role faith plays (or should play) in politics, and (as he puts it) the “beauty and deep mystery” of the liturgy.
Mike is a lifelong Episcopalian, and often jokes that means "I am a raging agnostic at least two or three days a week.” In 2019, he was appointed by the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina as a licensed Lay Preacher in the Episcopal Church.
(A sample of Mike’s preaching can be heard here: http://www.stmartins-charlotte.org/content.cfm?id=2245&download_id=269#attached_content)
To discuss the possibility of teaching, lecture, sermon or interview requests (or to make any comments or suggestions about the “WithGladness” blog) you may contact Mike at any
Office email : Mike@DaisleyLegal.com
Personal email: MikeDaisley@outlook.com
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