Explaining Things To Non-Lawyers

It doesn’t seem like Jack Smith is wasting much time renting office space or ordering stationery. https://t.co/XllFYZPQkb

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 25, 2022

Jack Smith may still be physically at The Hague.

He didn’t write this letter. (And it’s short because it has to be. Think of it as a tweet: you can’t go over the limit.)

Smith’s name is on this because he has appeared in court (again, via paper, not physically) as lead counsel for the government. His name here could be no more than that: a formality. I’m sure the lawyers working this case didn’t wait for Smith’s imprimatur before filing this letter (just as I am sure he knows about it).

And court calendars don’t necessarily recognize holidays. Filings have to be filed in a timely manner, and “But judge, we were eating turkey!” is not a good reason to be late.

It’s an interesting (and very professional) rebuttal that proves what was said in court (IIRC), that Trump needs competent appellate counsel (and he doesn’t have it). But that’s all it is.

JMM and everybody in replies at the original tweet fanboying over this is, frankly, silly. It doesn’t mean nearly what they think it does; and what it does mean they miss entirely.

So it goes.