I support Kozinski

I don’t know how much my support means, but here is why I support the Ezrider.

First of all, there is no indication that any of his internet activities (i.e. the images) were illegal, at least as far as normal people are concerned. As the song goes, “The Internet is for Pr0n.”

Second, Kozinski may be an egomaniac, but he is hardly a hypocrite. Unlike other judges that prattle on about how they are really intellectual Kozinski makes no bones about the interaction between politics and the law. I do get annoyed when he tells other people how to practice law, but Kozinski isn’t the only one that does this.

Third, Kozinski has never hid behind his robes. At this moment, you pretty much know his thoughts on any hot-button issue. He doesn’t pretend that he is “thinking” about issues that are forgone conclusions that will be decided on political grounds, anyway.

Fourth, he has never ducked controversy. Even when California was saying that he shouldn’t meet with anyone on death row (even if he wasn’t involved in any of the connected proceedings), Kozinski continued doing what he was doing.

So, if anyone is marking down what the blogosphere thinks of Kozinski-server-gate, let please mark this blog down in his favor. I hope he doesn’t need a legal defense fund, but if he does, I will contribute, and I would urge all of you to contribute.

And just in case you are going to ask, I have no cases currently pending before the Ninth.

Update: Legal Ethics Forum provides a series of good reasons about why this discussion about "appearances" misses the mark.