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Judge To Taitz: You're Not Off The Hook On $10K Fine For Frivolous Filings
Justin Elliott | September 28, 2009, 4:18PM
Orly Taitz
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Judge Clay Land today granted Birther attorney Orly Taitz's motion to withdraw as counsel for her ex-client, but said he was not authorizing any breach of attorney-client privilege, and reminded her that she still must respond to his threat of sanctions for frivolous filings.
Land, of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, writes in the order today:
The Court further notes that this order shall not be construed to authorize Plaintiff's counsel to breach any attorney-client privilege that may exist due to counsel's representation of Plaintiff. Moreover, the Court notifies counsel that in issuing its show cause sanctions order, the Court did not rely upon the letter sent by Plaintiff purporting to discharge counsel (Doc. 18), nor does the Court intend to rely upon that document in future proceedings regarding sanctions against Plaintiff's counsel. Whether Plaintiff expressly authorized counsel to file the motion for reconsideration is irrelevant to the Court's determination of whether the filing was legally frivolous.
The letter he references was a message to the court from Taitz's ex-client, Army Capt. Connie Rhodes, that denounces Taitz and disowns an emergency motion she filed. Read Land's whole order here.
Taitz asked over the weekend that she be allowed to divulge "privileged attorney-client communications" as part of her defense against a $10,000 fine the judge has threatened for frivolous filings.
In his new order, Land does not address Taitz's suggestion that she will try to call witnesses to defend herself against sanction. Tatiz has until October 2 to respond to the judge's threat.
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Xantar
September 28, 2009 4:53 PM
I know it's sort of an unwritten rule at TPM that there must be a large, disturbing photo of a crazy person's face at the top of the page as much as possible, but this is seriously starting to freak me out. Please make the nightmares stop!
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ohyeathatsright
September 28, 2009 5:33 PM in reply to Xantar
Seconded. Yarly!
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Frankly_my_dear
September 28, 2009 5:41 PM in reply to ohyeathatsright
When I look at those eyelashes I can't help but think about Garfield's current battle with the spiders. Not that I have anything against arachnids in general — some of my best friends ...
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SkippyFlipjack
September 28, 2009 6:52 PM in reply to Frankly_my_dear
Garfield's still running?
And that strip actually has running plot lines?
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SkepticRising
September 28, 2009 8:22 PM in reply to SkippyFlipjack
Well, not plot lines per se, but Garfield squishes spiders with his newspaper (another use we're going to have trouble filling) and the cartoon representation looks a lot like Orly Taitz' eyelashes. (Thanks a lot, Frankly_n, now I won't be able to read Garfield without thinking of Orly and shuddering.)
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jeffgee
September 29, 2009 12:01 AM in reply to Frankly_my_dear
Or the droogs in Clockwork Orange.
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Richardxx
September 29, 2009 12:38 AM in reply to ohyeathatsright
That's the best looking Taitz photo I have seen yet. If she wants something better, she should hire a professional photographer and a makeup person and get a decent photo distributed.
Until then, it's all taitz' fault.
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Andre Alessi
September 28, 2009 5:47 PM in reply to Xantar
Xantar, you obviously have that reaction just because your conscience is wilting in the face of a person not afraid to speak the truth.
Kidding, she's crazier than a Miley Cyrus fan and her mascara creeps me out.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
September 28, 2009 8:18 PM in reply to Andre Alessi
Hell, she's crazier than an adult male Miley Cyrus fan.
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lousgirl84
September 29, 2009 5:05 PM in reply to Andre Alessi
It's the phony eyelashes !!!
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Evlon
September 28, 2009 10:05 PM in reply to Xantar
Actually, I was thinking about how one can make love to this woman. Just imagine you are going for a kiss... *VOMIT*
On 9/12, she vowed on camera that she would remove Obama from the office of presidency by proving that he is not a US citizen. Clock is ticking.
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merlot
September 29, 2009 12:01 AM in reply to Evlon
Personally, I think Orly could turn most any straight man gay. :)
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Richardxx
September 29, 2009 12:44 AM in reply to merlot
Don't anyone share this revelation with Sen. Coburn's (OK - R) Chief of Staff. He'll add it to his sermon that says all pornography turns young men gay.
And this revelation might even have some validity!
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Neal Deesit
September 28, 2009 5:46 PM
Sure, it's kinda freaky and disturbing, but think of it as an example of what Diane Arbus would have done with color film.
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cwnidog
September 28, 2009 6:10 PM in reply to Neal Deesit
You know, that kind of works for me.
And you can think of her court motions as what Salvador Dali would have done with the law.
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AltonDarwin
September 28, 2009 6:27 PM
Honestly, she looks like one of those forlorn models in a 60s magazine ad... "Why does my mascara come out so clumpy???" or
"I'm facing eviction, need a divorce AND chipped my tooth, is there a Realtor/lawyer/dentist I can turn to?"
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neesy08
September 28, 2009 7:00 PM
Her eyelashes look like bird claws! Frankly, I find it disturbing that she wants to reveal a clients confidence.
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Kuyleh
September 28, 2009 8:00 PM
Is she a post-op female? She really doesn't look all that feminine...
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mcc
September 28, 2009 9:13 PM in reply to Kuyleh
*sigh*
No, and it kind of weirds me out that most Taitz threads get a post like this at some point.
What you want to focus on is bone structure. Most sex characteristics can be either changed by surgery (noses, adam's apples) or will naturally change as a result of hormone therapy (fat distribution). But bones are set after puberty, and can't be changed later. So if you're trying to identify someone's birth gender you want to hone in on bone shapes-- primarily the cheekbones and jawbones, because they're fairly distinct in birth males and they're hard to cover up. (Shoulders can also reveal a lot but can be misleading, there are plenty of broad-shouldered ciswomen. ) Orly Taitz may make inexplicable makeup choices but that's just makeup, it doesn't really tell you anything. On the other hand those are very feminine cheekbones.
Even were this not the case Taitz's documented immigration history makes it extremely unlikely she could hide something like that.
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antsinpants
September 29, 2009 12:23 AM in reply to mcc
Fake eyelashes have become associated with drag queens, that's why.
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JNagarya
September 30, 2009 1:26 AM in reply to mcc
"Taitz's documented immigration history makes it extremely unlikely she could hide something like that."
I've still not seen even her short-form birth certificate. Until she provides that, I'll continue to believe she is a frivolous, specious existence.
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XL
September 28, 2009 9:39 PM
It does not matter whether or not the relationship with her client has ended. If she divulges privileged conversations without a written waiver from the client, she is subject to the discipline by the California State Bar. That his occurred outside California is beside the point, she is still a member of that Bar. The exception to disclosure of privileged client information or communication is a narrow one, as it is limited to preventing an imminent crime that could result in death or bodily harm. Again, that is not the case here. What Ms. Taitz has done is put herself within the sights of the Disciplinary Board of the California State Bar. It will be delight to read about her suspension or disbarment a few months from now, and it will improve the quality of the profession to have her out of it.
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JNagarya
September 30, 2009 1:28 AM in reply to XL
"That his occurred outside California is beside the point, she is still a member of that Bar."
I suspect she's a member of more than one bar. And I want their names so I can avoid patronizing them.
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jheartney
September 29, 2009 2:15 AM
While I enjoy watching the Orly trainwreck as much as anyone, comments denigrating her sexual appeal and questioning her gender are juvenile and uncalled for.
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Minne sconsin
September 29, 2009 8:03 AM in reply to jheartney
Amen to that.
Orly is crazy as anything. If we want to trash her, her politics and "legal writing" give ample and easy opportunity.
But from what I've read here, a 48-year old woman is supposed to look like a teenager (and an attractive one at that) or she's "enough to turn a straight man gay". Well, she's no Cindy Crawford. My guess is most guys posting here are no Brad Pitts.
Let's turn the overt sexism down a notch, shall we?
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wake up
September 29, 2009 9:05 AM in reply to Minne sconsin
It's the expression, not the face. If Orly Taitz had the mind and spirit of Michelle Obama and looked like that, she'd be a beautiful woman, in her way. Leave the looks out of it -- her thoughts and actions are what count.
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lousgirl84
September 29, 2009 5:04 PM in reply to jheartney
But oh so tempting, I must admit
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jottawalee
September 29, 2009 8:45 AM
forgive me if this has been raised before (I searched the site but found nada), but are there any parallels or compare/contrasts to be drawn between the 'truthers' who pursued Bush, Nat'l Guard service, and cocaine use -- the nat'l guard service arguably ruining Dan Rather's run -- and the 'birthers'?
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dbl.r7711
September 29, 2009 11:28 PM
Orally, looks like a man in drag !!!
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