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Helpful Judges

Eugene Volokh | 7.17.2026 3:22 PM

A footnote from today's D.C. Circuit opinion by Judge Justin Walker in U.S. v. Littlejohn; the underlying issue was whether a district court judge acted improperly in asking a question of a government lawyer that may have been aimed at helping the government's case:

[Littlejohn] notes that the district court repeatedly pressed the Government about why it brought only one felony charge against him when far more charges were possible. But that is hardly evidence of a predetermined sentence. When the district court asked about the charging decision before the plea hearing, the district........

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