04-25-2012, 02:15 PM
Dr. Dolphin has a great case, if he can get someone to hear it. The NY "wall of shame" case seems right on point with this situation. If Gollin is (as he claims) a "state actor" then he and Contreras were violating everyone's constitutional rights with their grandiose proclamations and lies. As WilliamW stated in that post, no "limitless and eternal notoriety" without due process.
The way it seems to work with federal judges, if they want to hear the case they will find "minimum contacts" and if they don't they won't. If it's some "activist" judge looking at an "activist" political issue they will find jurisdiction. This judge either doesn't want to deal with lawsuits against government entities, or like most of them he just likes clearing his case load. Finding no jurisidiction lets him dump it on some other judge somewhere else, assuming it doesn't just fade away altogether.
Obviously that judicial approach doesn't always make for an accurate application of the law, but you have to play the cards as they are dealt. Based on the court's ruling on the jurisdictional issues, it looks like Dr. Dolphin is going to have to file in Illinois to get Gollin, Schwartz and UIUC. Similarly, he'll need to file in Oregon to get Contreras and ODA.
I hope Dr. Dolphin keeps after it. This latest complaint unveiled some of the underlying racial bias issues that have been commented on here many times. Clearly Gollin hates blacks and that no doubt motivates his vicious attacks against Dr. Dolphin and Liberian higher education. Emphasis on that angle might influence someone sympathetic to that political constituency to get involved.
The way it seems to work with federal judges, if they want to hear the case they will find "minimum contacts" and if they don't they won't. If it's some "activist" judge looking at an "activist" political issue they will find jurisdiction. This judge either doesn't want to deal with lawsuits against government entities, or like most of them he just likes clearing his case load. Finding no jurisidiction lets him dump it on some other judge somewhere else, assuming it doesn't just fade away altogether.
Obviously that judicial approach doesn't always make for an accurate application of the law, but you have to play the cards as they are dealt. Based on the court's ruling on the jurisdictional issues, it looks like Dr. Dolphin is going to have to file in Illinois to get Gollin, Schwartz and UIUC. Similarly, he'll need to file in Oregon to get Contreras and ODA.
I hope Dr. Dolphin keeps after it. This latest complaint unveiled some of the underlying racial bias issues that have been commented on here many times. Clearly Gollin hates blacks and that no doubt motivates his vicious attacks against Dr. Dolphin and Liberian higher education. Emphasis on that angle might influence someone sympathetic to that political constituency to get involved.