Fifth Circuit Closed After Gustav
From his evacuation site in Montgomery, Alabama, my blogging colleague Tad Bartlett of The Bartlett Blawg reported that the Fifth Circuit will be closed following the passage of Hurricane Gustav. As he wrote this morning:
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is officially closed September 2 & 3 (oral arguments for this week have been moved to Texas courthouses), and all filings due between September 1 and 5 have been automatically extended to September 8, 2008. At 10 a.m. on September 2, a team will inspect the New Orleans courthouse and clerk’s offices and make further determinations regarding closure and reopening. Expect further updates to be posted at the Court’s website.
Since then, Tex Parte has reported that the Fifth Circuit was spared from any damage. The Court will remain closed this week, but will open for business on Monday, September 8.
Of those who did not evacuate, Ray Ward of Minor Wisdom and the (new) legal writer has posted by Blackberry that all is well. And Ernie the Attorney has taken citizen journalism to a whole new level with his frequent Twitter updates.
9/3/08 Update: Jeff Rambin at Tyler Appeals took Gustav as an opportunity to discuss the Texas Supreme Court's Task Force to Ensure Judicial Readiness in Times of Emergency. Read Jeff's comments here.
