The Board of Student Advisers invites you to attend the Final Round of the Upper Level Ames Moot Court Competition this Thursday, November 17th at 7:30pm in the Ames Courtroom in Austin Hall.
Presiding over this year’s Final Round argument are Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Frank Easterbrook of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Peter Rubin of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
This year’s Final Round case is Garfield v. United States. The case presents two questions: First, whether the Stolen Valor Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 704(b), (d), a statute that authorizes a prison term of up to one year for those who lie about receiving certain military honors, is invalid as applied to petitioner Otis Garfield under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. Second, whether Garfield is entitled to resentencing because the District Court deprived him of his right to speak at sentencing, in violation of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(i)(4)(A)(ii).
Representing the petitioner Otis Garfield is The Honorable John McCarthy Roll Memorial Team: Avis Bohlen, Adam Hallowell (oralist), Jessica Palmer (oralist), Yvonne Saadi, Matthew Scarola, and Benjamin Watson.
Representing the respondent, The Belva Ann Lockwood Memorial Team: Caroline Anderson (oralist), Matthew Greenfield (oralist), Stephen Pezzi, Mitchell Reich, Stephanie Simon, and Noah Weiss.
Viewing the Argument
Admission to the oral argument in Ames Courtroom is ticketed, with distribution starting at 4pm on a first-come, first-served basis:
– A set number of green admission tickets will be handed out to those first in line – doors to Ames open at 6:45 for seating, tickets good for admission until 7:10p
– Several yellow stand-by tickets will then be given out once the guaranteed admission tickets have all been distributed, any available seating will be opened to those with stand-by tickets beginning promptly at 7:10p
– Students must have a valid HLS ID card to enter Ames Courtroom for the argument
– Dean of Students Office staff will collect tickets upon entrance to the Courtroom – please use the restroom and store your belongings before returning to the Courtroom for seating prior to the event, as no one will be allowed in or out once the argument begins
– No bags, backpacks, cameras, food or drink will be allowed into the Courtroom, and all cell phones must be turned off or silenced for the duration of the argument
– Seats cannot be reserved and will be reassigned if left unoccupied
– Once Ames Courtroom is at capacity, students will be permitted to watch the webcast in the overflow classrooms – Austin West, Austin East, and Austin North
The record and briefs are available at http://hlsorgs.com/bsa/final-round/
The argument will also be live-blogged at: http://harvardcrcl.org/amesliveblog/
