It's been a week when both defendants and lawyers have found themselves writing desperate apology notes to judges.
A US lawyer found himself ordered to write a 200 word letter of apology after a judge deemed his motion "unprofessional and disrespectful of opposing counsel". The judge said that the motion was "utterly frivolous and reflects total ignorance of the applicable rules", and made the unfortunate attorney write a note setting exactly how he had "misread and / or ignored" them. They don't teach you that at Harvard Law School.
He subsequently wrote an apology which explained that he was on speed at the time, and didn't know what he was doing. He also begged not to be sent back to jail - and it seems the judge may have taken pity as he escaped a prison sentence.
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