It's been an exciting week in the Third Circuit. Pennsylvania joined the ranks among the more enlightened set of states that recognize same sex marriage.
And in more entertaining news, the hacker whose sentence was recently vacated by the Third Circuit has sent the U.S. Government an invoice for Bitcoins totaling about $13 million.
Don't we all feel modern and cool here in the Third?
Weev's Open Invoice Letter
You may remember 'weev' as the hacker who proclaimed that he was being sent "to jail for doing arithmetic." He was convicted of identity theft and conspiracy to commit unauthorized access to a protected computer, in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act ("CFAA"), when he accessed and leaked 114,000 email addresses of iPad users, and sentenced to 41-months in prison.
In April, the Third Circuit vacated his conviction on venue grounds, and amusingly, one of the first things weev said he needed after his release from prison was bacon (well, bacon is delicious).
Well Andrew Auernheimer is back to his shenanigans. The latest? An open letter to "members of the New Jersey District Court, FBI and DOJ," which contains an invoice for 28,296 Bitcoins valuing approximately $13 million, according to Computerworld. Why is he invoicing the government? For lost time. Why bitcoins? I'll let him explain: "I do not accept United States dollars, as it is the preferred currency of criminal organizations such as the FBI, DOJ, ATF, and Federal Reserve and I do not assist criminal racketeering enterprises."
Pennsylvania Same Sex Marriage Ban Struck
The writing was on the wall. Judge John E. Jones III of the District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania was not letting the state off easy in a case challenging Pennsylvania's "mini-Doma." He denied the state's motion to dismiss, and the state's motion for certification for interlocutory appeal. In April, both parties moved for summary judgment, effectively saying trial was not necessary and seeking a judgment on the briefs.
On Tuesday, both parties got their answer: Judge Jones III struck down the ban on same sex marriage, reports Reuters. He closed the opinion with this: "We are better people than what these laws represent, and it is time to discard them into the ash heap of history."
On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett released a statement saying that after reviewing the opinion, he would not appeal the district court's decision. Noting his Roman Catholic faith, Corbett stated, "the traditional teaching of my faith has not wavered. I continue to maintain the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman." But, he added, "My duties as Governor require that I follow the laws as interpreted by the Courts and make a judgment as to the likelihood of a successful appeal."
Welcome to the club Pennsylvania. As of this writing, twenty down, thirty to go.
Related Resources:
- Andrew 'weev' Auernheimer's Appeal, and Judge Weis Remembered (FindLaw's U.S. Third Circuit Blog)
- 3rd Cir. Gay Marriage Round Up: Del. and N.J. Lead the Way, Pa. Lags (FindLaw's U.S. Third Circuit Blog)
- PA Court Clerk Ordered to Stop Issuing Gay Marriage Licenses (FindLaw's U.S. Third Circuit Blog)
