1) Judge Sullivan’s hiring of private counsel to represent him in the DC Circuit’s proceedings on @SidneyPowell1 ‘s writ of mandamus has made a rare, unusual situation even more rare and unusual, possibly unprecedented. #appellatetwitter
2) As I noted in my thread two days ago, by ordering (not requesting) Judge Sullivan (and not amicus) to personally respond to the writ petition, the DC Circuit took the most extreme and rare of options available. #appellatetwitter
3) So far as I have been able to determine, this is the first time the DC Circuit has ever ordered (not requested) a district judge to personally (and not through amicus) respond to a writ petition. #appellatetwitter.
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13) And like the Third Circuit in In re School Asbestos, here the DC Circuit has ordered the district judge to personally, and not through amicus, respond to the writ petition. #appellatetwiter
14) But UNLIKE the district judge in In re School Asbestos, who responded himself to the writ petition, here Judge Sullivan has hired outside, private counsel to respond for him (which is not the same as amicus). #appellatetwitter
15) The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure do not explicitly address such a situation, and it is far from clear whether a district court judge ordered to respond to a writ petition may do so by hiring private counsel. #appellatetwitter
16) What does seem to be clear is this…….(cont) #appellatetwitter
17) Judge Emmet Sullivan appears to be the first-ever federal judge who, having been ordered to personally respond to a writ petition, has hired outside private counsel as an attempted means of doing so. #appellatetwitter
18) I originally predicted this was going to be far from dull going forward. This is certainly appearing to be the case. #appellatetwitter