To: Terry Seale
In response to your message concerning the West Comparing Department
etc. (see below):
Well, what about the intentional misrepresentation of many facts by
official spokespersons of West ... I guess you really do not mind them
referring to an "informal letter" as as "report commissioned by
Congress". With all due respect, we do not intentionally promulgate
erroneous and misleading information, and, when we do make a mistake, it
is corrected immediately. So, it seems to me that your bias is showing.
.. and, yes Virigina, even the West Comparing Department makes an error
from time to time. We find them in the Federal Reporter. Example: West
is the slip printer for the Fifth Circuit and provides the text that is
posted on the Fifth Circuit bulletin board. Putnam v. U.S. on the slip
opinion prepared West, docket no. 93-4969, has the date September 9,
1994. When West published the case in 32 F.3d. 911, the date was
September 8, 1994. So, someone made a mistake at West, either in the
slip opinion department or the Federal Reporter departement (assuming
they are different). This was just from a recent Federal Reporter.
P.S., the clerk of the Fifth Circuit has written me to state that the
opinions on the Fifth Circuit bulletin board are perpared by their slip
opinion printer (i.e. West). we located this discrepancy while I was on
line answering your message.)
By the way, have you personally ever taken a random circuit court slip
opinion and compared it to a the version in West Federal Reporter. Given
what one must accomplish in law school to become a clerk for a federal
appellate judge, the result should not surprise you.
Interestingly, if you compare an opinion from most circuits, you will find
that one of the West "editorial enhancements" is to delete the docket
number of the district court below. This is particularly interesting
because West argues that any new citation standard should include the
docket number. But, if you are reading a circuit court case and think
you can find the case below easily by using the docket number, good luck.
P.S., the United States Supreme Court does not include the docket number
of the case below either, just the West citation!!!
Alan Sugarman
HyperLaw
sugarman@panix.com
212-873-1371
On Fri, 11 Nov 1994, Terry Seale wrote:
> I don't think (with all due respect to Mr. Sugarman) that this error
> could ever have gotten through the West Comparing Department where they
> verify the text and cites.
> ........................................................................
> Terry Seale "No one can guarantee success in
> sealet@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us war, but only deserve it."
> ........(c)1994.............................--Sir Winston Churchill.....
>
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