Author:   ammedina@juno.com (Anthony M Medina) at Internet
Date:     3/13 0 03:50 PM
Priority: Normal
BCC:      citation at AO-OCPPO
TO:       citation@ao.uscourts.gov at Internet
Subject:  Comments on Public Domain Citations

                          Message Contents

     Does the implementation of the public domain citation scheme 
mean that the courts will no longer distinguish cases which are 
"published" or "reported" cases from those cases which are 
"unpublished" or "unreported"?

     Does this scheme mean that any and all cases decided by the 
courts will have full value as precedent?

     Does this scheme mean that any and all cases decided by the 
courts will become binding in the appropriate jurisdictions?

     I disagree with the notion that there is a "West monopoly" on 
citations. The existence and reliance upon publishers such as 
American Maritime Cases, Bureau of National Affairs, United States 
Patents Quarterly, Mealey's Litigations Reports, to name a few, 
speaks volumes about the competitive nature of the legal publishing 
industry. There is no "West monopoly" in the legal publishing 
industry.

     To the extent that this topic includes the envisioning of courts 
posting their decisions on web sites accessible via the Internet, 
please read the following article that discusses how there is no 
permanence on the Internet. Given the dynamic and fluid nature of web 
site technology, where is the wisdom of moving the *law* to this 
environment? As of 3/13/97, the URL is

http://www.slate.com/webhead/97-02-27/webhead.asp

     The irony is that no one knows whether this article will exist 
next week, or in what location.

                                   Anthony Medina, Esq.
                                   Seattle, Washington
                                   ammedina@juno.com