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stranger81

(2,345 posts)
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 05:31 PM Mar 2018

Federal judge rips Kobach at contempt hearing (ACLU trial - Kansas Motor Voter)

For anyone who hasn't been following this trial closely, you're missing out . . . . a constant comedy of errors by Kobach, and just today, a hearing on whether the court should find Kobach in contempt:

"Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach could be facing a contempt order from a federal court after a judge on Tuesday tore into the Kansas Republican about repeatedly skirting her orders.

U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson chastised Kobach, a candidate for governor, at a contempt hearing for suggesting that her previous orders have left any room for ambiguity.

"I've had to police this over and over and over again,” Robinson said with frustration during the hearing in Kansas City, Kan."

---snip---

"Robinson will rule in the near future whether to hold Kobach in contempt of court and will separately rule on the overall case, which will determine whether thousands can cast ballots this November when Kansas elects a new governor."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article206025749.html#storylink=cpy

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Federal judge rips Kobach at contempt hearing (ACLU trial - Kansas Motor Voter) (Original Post) stranger81 Mar 2018 OP
would be interesting to hear a statement from the NASS.org on Kobach's antics diva77 Mar 2018 #1
I would love to see that, too. stranger81 Mar 2018 #6
no matter how they respond, it's going to be awkward for them -- but no worries for them cuz no one diva77 Mar 2018 #12
I would hope that kobachs competition SonofDonald Mar 2018 #2
Here's another good piece summarizing the background of the trial stranger81 Mar 2018 #3
Probably that first time anyone ever held him accountable. procon Mar 2018 #4
I think you're right. stranger81 Mar 2018 #5
This has been my favorite soap opera Gothmog Mar 2018 #7
I will confess to a large dose of schadenfreude stranger81 Mar 2018 #9
Kobach is clearly not a trial lawyer Gothmog Mar 2018 #13
That was a great Mother Jones piece. stranger81 Mar 2018 #14
Two people you never want to piss off. Bantamfancier Mar 2018 #8
He probably should have hired Frito the lawyer from Idiocracy Dread Pirate Roberts Mar 2018 #10
I love the ACLU's response to that argument. stranger81 Mar 2018 #11

diva77

(7,599 posts)
1. would be interesting to hear a statement from the NASS.org on Kobach's antics
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 05:40 PM
Mar 2018

from the OP:

Kobach's office removed the election manual, which serves as a guide for election officials, from its website after the ACLU raised concerns because it stated that voters needed to provide proof of citizenship, in direct contradiction of the Robinson's order.

"Instead of making that correction, Secretary Kobach simply took the manual down. He took his ball and went home," said Ho, the director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project.

The judge told Kobach that she never instructed him to take down the manual, and she rejected his suggestion that changing the manual would be too complicated to accomplish quickly.

"That's ridiculous. It's a ridiculous process. ... An online publication can't be updated except for every seven years?" she said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article206025749.html#storylink=cpy

stranger81

(2,345 posts)
6. I would love to see that, too.
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 06:59 PM
Mar 2018

Though I don't know how much the NASS is in the pocket of any particular secretaries who may be its constituents at any given time.

diva77

(7,599 posts)
12. no matter how they respond, it's going to be awkward for them -- but no worries for them cuz no one
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 07:55 PM
Mar 2018

ever asks for a statement from them

SonofDonald

(2,050 posts)
2. I would hope that kobachs competition
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 05:44 PM
Mar 2018

For the position of governor of Kansas uses the judges final verdict and transcripts of the trial to inform any voters how ill suited kobach is for any job that is paid for with their taxes.

I think kobach needs to re-enter the private sector for employment, fast food establishments are always hiring........

stranger81

(2,345 posts)
3. Here's another good piece summarizing the background of the trial
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 05:44 PM
Mar 2018

and Kobach's utter inability to competently try the case himself, for those who might be interested:

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/kris-kobach-is-a-loser.html

procon

(15,805 posts)
4. Probably that first time anyone ever held him accountable.
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 06:30 PM
Mar 2018

Kobach has been wrapped securely within the GOP bubble where he gets to write all the rules and do whatever he wants without fear of so much as a question let alone judge demanding his total submission.

stranger81

(2,345 posts)
5. I think you're right.
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 06:58 PM
Mar 2018

Just the way he interacts with the court makes that pretty clear. You NEVER, EVER, EVER, interrupt a federal judge when they're speaking from the bench, and Kobach's been doing that consistently throughout the trial. He doesn't seem to get that he's not in charge of this particular game.

stranger81

(2,345 posts)
9. I will confess to a large dose of schadenfreude
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 07:37 PM
Mar 2018

while reading the trial recaps. The live coverage on Twitter has been a hoot. And a reminder that, if you're not really a trial lawyer, it's not in your client's best interest to try to impersonate one.

stranger81

(2,345 posts)
14. That was a great Mother Jones piece.
Thu Mar 22, 2018, 02:42 PM
Mar 2018

Thanks for posting it.

God to have been a fly on the wall in that courtroom. I sure wish this trial had been live streamed.

Dread Pirate Roberts

(1,896 posts)
10. He probably should have hired Frito the lawyer from Idiocracy
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 07:37 PM
Mar 2018

He would have done a better job than Kobach did.


Kobach Exposed at Trial

At trial, Kobach was only able to identify 18 noncitizens — out of 1.8 million voters —who have successfully registered to vote over a nearly 20-year period. Only five of them actually cast a ballot. Kobach was not able to show that these 18 instances constituted intentional cases of fraud, rather than mistakes stemming from clerical errors.

Regardless, Kobach claims that these numbers represent “just the tip of the iceberg.” In his crusade to find the rest of the non-existent mass, he seems willing to accept the more than 35,000 people who were actually blocked from registering to vote under his law as collateral damage.


https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/kobach-exposed-trial

stranger81

(2,345 posts)
11. I love the ACLU's response to that argument.
Wed Mar 21, 2018, 07:47 PM
Mar 2018

"Kobach has often said that the evidence of fraud he’s uncovered in Kansas is only “the tip of the iceberg.” In his closing argument, [ACLU Attorney Dale] Ho said, 'The iceberg, on close inspection, Your Honor, it’s more of an ice cube.'"

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/kris-kobach-just-got-humiliated-in-federal-court/

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