This afternoon I got an e-mail which advised me that the Calfornia First District Court of Appeal had ruled in my client's favor in the appeal I argued on Wednesday. I don't usually like to weblog wins and losses, because that would unduly underscore the competitive won/loss nature of my work life. Yet I mention this one because rarely is the decision handed down so quickly.
Although a weblog is a poor place to discuss work and legal matters, a weblog is a wonderful place to discuss personal foibles. One of my slogans is that I always know when I have won an appeal--the words "Not to Be Published in the Official Reports" appear atop the opinion. When I lose an appeal, by contrast, the words "Certified for Publication" never fail to appear.
I know that many of my readers suffer from insomnia, so thta it is tempting to set the opinion behind a cut-tag, so that those who have difficulty sleeping could use it as a kind of tonic. I love that things that fascinate me would, if examined by others, prove to be less than scintillating. Witness 73.28% of this weblog.
Today was the last day of early voting in Texas before the Tuesday primary. I arrived at our local polling place at 6:30 p.m. I live in Allen, in Collin County, Texas, north of Dallas by some twenty five miles. My county is one of the heavily Republican counties in our state. I have been a registered Democrat since my teens.
In past primaries, I have gone to vote on election day and literally been the only person in the Democratic line to vote. One year, the Democrat election folks suggested I come that evening to the party caucus. They promised me warm cookies if I came. I did not go, by the way. I may belong to a party, but that need not make me a joiner.
This year, when I arrived at our polling place in the Municipal Courts building, 100 people were in a long line. Roughly ninety percent were Democrats. The handful of Republicans were able to go and vote in mere minutes. It took me 55 minutes to get to the front of the line. I imagine living in Berkeley must be a lot like this for a Democrat.
When I signed in, I noticed that most of the voters had not previously registered with the party, according to the forms filled out. I had the impression that history was being made in Collin County, and I suspect it is being made throughout Texas. Turnout figures for the early voting have been staggeringly high.
When I left, they did not offer me an "I voted!" sticker. I think they ran out.