Lately, I have observed an increase in the frequency with which the State Bar’s Creed of Professionalism and Civility has been used as a cudgel. Just because your opposing counsel is dominating you doesn’t mean they are being uncivil. Just stop it.
Do you also remember Alpine Village and the chicken soup? Or Machiavernas and the singing waiters in Commercial Center? How about That’s Italian and Chicken Luciano?
I have the actual recipe for that soup straight from the kitchen, along with the cottage cheese seasoning, a bottle of which I bogarted from my mothers pantry in about 1993 and used until it ran dry in 2001.
I had the cottage cheese recipe saved to my email. The chicken soup is a very yellowed and weathered typewritten piece of paper. I need to pull it out of the recipe folder in my pantry and type it up electronically.
Alpine Village cottage cheese dip:
2 lbs cottage cheese, small curd
1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seed
1 1⁄2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Accent seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon dried chives
1⁄2 teaspoon celery salt
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons Accent
1 pound ground chicken (cooked)
1 medium onion, ground
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
2 to 3 carrots (ground)
Yellow food coloring (optional)
Roux:
1/2 cup oil
1 cup flour
Boil all soup ingredients together for about 30 minutes. To prepare the roux, heat oil until smoking, add flour and stir with a wire whisk. It should be the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add to soup and use the wire whisk to blend. Adjust the color with yellow food coloring.
Did the Magistrate here violate procedural due process and the rules/process regarding sanctions? Shouldn’t she have set it for a hearing first? Sounds like conclusions without evidence or a hearing. Sounds like it could have been handled in court on the record instead of in an order. It is like a contempt finding without a hearing or show cause. This is why federal court is such a dangerous place to practice.
Koppe is probably the best magistrate judge on the bench. She isn’t a monster. She likely recognizes that he’s having a mental break. I have no way of knowing for sure. But that seems plausible to me.
I haven’t drawn her in years, but Koppe has been my least favorite magistrate for the last decade or so. At least in years past, she focuses on minutia rather than substance and needlessly increases the cost of litigation. That being said, she clearly has the authority to reprimand an attorney for their misconduct that happens in a proceeding she is presiding over. Even civil contempt can usually be issued sua sponte. An attorney’s due process rights are not violated by a magistrate’s written reprimand. Even if the attorney is sanctioned or held in civil contempt they can challenge that order. Again, no fan of NJK, but she is familiar with the local rules and was within her discretion here.
Don’t know that calling mentally unwell people batshit crazy provides any additional insight. But I hope he gets the mental health/ medical treatment he appears to need.
There are various levels, differences in severity, of “mentally unwell”. “Batshit crazy” is one of the more severe levels. “Crazy as a shithouse rat” is probably slightly more severe than “batshit crazy,” but perhaps they are about the same. I think either one applies to T.M. given what he apparently filed.
I posted earlier at 1:21. Out of curiousity I then did a quick Odyssey search. It revealed a complaint filed by this attorney within the last few days. I will not repeat the claims here, but I am alarmed. If anyone here knows him, he clearly is in need of help. This is not a post designed to be snarky or to make light of something. If you know him or know someone who may be in a position to reach out, it is clear that there is a serious crisis going on here. I am not joking, and please keep any smart remarks to yourself.
I went back and now see that. Having had some personal experience with someone in this type of situation, I hope that a friend or colleague has been able to reach out.
Guest
Anonymous
July 1, 2025 3:35 pm
Remember the CCSD cop who beat the bejeesus out of the kid at Durango High School because the kid was filming him? The one that CCSD paid $1 Million over his conduct? What if I told you CCSD thought it would be a good idea two years later to put that officer in charge of training all of the other officers?
1st
blawg is dead
Omnibus Ed Bill
Looks like a good thing, kicking under performing school districts in the butt. Hope it helps move CCSD to teaching.
Hope springs eternal.
Lately, I have observed an increase in the frequency with which the State Bar’s Creed of Professionalism and Civility has been used as a cudgel. Just because your opposing counsel is dominating you doesn’t mean they are being uncivil. Just stop it.
Example?
What a weird thing to say
oddly specific… only one major “civility” case lately
Being a complete a-hole doesn’t mean you are “dominating” your opposing counsel.
Just another example of the Mandela Effect. I remember when it was the Froot Loop.
Do you also remember Alpine Village and the chicken soup? Or Machiavernas and the singing waiters in Commercial Center? How about That’s Italian and Chicken Luciano?
I have the actual recipe for that soup straight from the kitchen, along with the cottage cheese seasoning, a bottle of which I bogarted from my mothers pantry in about 1993 and used until it ran dry in 2001.
Any chance you can post the chicken soup recipe? We also had a small bottle of the cottage cheese dip seasoning, I’d give anything for another one!
I had the cottage cheese recipe saved to my email. The chicken soup is a very yellowed and weathered typewritten piece of paper. I need to pull it out of the recipe folder in my pantry and type it up electronically.
Alpine Village cottage cheese dip:
2 lbs cottage cheese, small curd
1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seed
1 1⁄2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Accent seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon dried chives
1⁄2 teaspoon celery salt
You are the best! Thank you kindly!!
FOUND IT!
ALPINE VILLAGE CHICKEN SUPREME SOUP
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons Accent
1 pound ground chicken (cooked)
1 medium onion, ground
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
2 to 3 carrots (ground)
Yellow food coloring (optional)
Roux:
1/2 cup oil
1 cup flour
Boil all soup ingredients together for about 30 minutes. To prepare the roux, heat oil until smoking, add flour and stir with a wire whisk. It should be the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add to soup and use the wire whisk to blend. Adjust the color with yellow food coloring.
https://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/nevada/nvdce/2:2023cv01901/165557/34
hmmm
Did the Magistrate here violate procedural due process and the rules/process regarding sanctions? Shouldn’t she have set it for a hearing first? Sounds like conclusions without evidence or a hearing. Sounds like it could have been handled in court on the record instead of in an order. It is like a contempt finding without a hearing or show cause. This is why federal court is such a dangerous place to practice.
Yep. Unless you know those local rules pat (and the FRCP), stay out.
No, contempt requires charging, then setting a hearing. This was just a warning, maybe just to make a record to support a potential future contempt.
offensive, unacceptable, inappropriate … but only a slap on the hand to correct his behavior.
I will try to put this as delicately as possible. When I saw the name of the individual involved, my reaction was not one of shock or surprise.
Koppe is probably the best magistrate judge on the bench. She isn’t a monster. She likely recognizes that he’s having a mental break. I have no way of knowing for sure. But that seems plausible to me.
I couldn’t decide if I should use the “Sure, Jan” meme here or just say “Uh huh, Nancy.”
Can you imagine Koppe and Kishner at lunch with each other?
this is my personal outer darkness….
Cackling. Hahahaha.
I haven’t drawn her in years, but Koppe has been my least favorite magistrate for the last decade or so. At least in years past, she focuses on minutia rather than substance and needlessly increases the cost of litigation. That being said, she clearly has the authority to reprimand an attorney for their misconduct that happens in a proceeding she is presiding over. Even civil contempt can usually be issued sua sponte. An attorney’s due process rights are not violated by a magistrate’s written reprimand. Even if the attorney is sanctioned or held in civil contempt they can challenge that order. Again, no fan of NJK, but she is familiar with the local rules and was within her discretion here.
And by reprimand I meant admonishment
By “mental break,” do you mean “batshit crazy”?
Don’t know that calling mentally unwell people batshit crazy provides any additional insight. But I hope he gets the mental health/ medical treatment he appears to need.
I had a relative who was schizophrenic–this brought back memories.
Same.
I think “batshit crazy” is perfectly apropos in any relevant context.
There are various levels, differences in severity, of “mentally unwell”. “Batshit crazy” is one of the more severe levels. “Crazy as a shithouse rat” is probably slightly more severe than “batshit crazy,” but perhaps they are about the same. I think either one applies to T.M. given what he apparently filed.
I posted earlier at 1:21. Out of curiousity I then did a quick Odyssey search. It revealed a complaint filed by this attorney within the last few days. I will not repeat the claims here, but I am alarmed. If anyone here knows him, he clearly is in need of help. This is not a post designed to be snarky or to make light of something. If you know him or know someone who may be in a position to reach out, it is clear that there is a serious crisis going on here. I am not joking, and please keep any smart remarks to yourself.
It was discussed here in great detail (with case number posted) a few days ago. The same concerns were raised by many others.
I went back and now see that. Having had some personal experience with someone in this type of situation, I hope that a friend or colleague has been able to reach out.
Remember the CCSD cop who beat the bejeesus out of the kid at Durango High School because the kid was filming him? The one that CCSD paid $1 Million over his conduct? What if I told you CCSD thought it would be a good idea two years later to put that officer in charge of training all of the other officers?
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/ccsdpd-chief-pulls-appointment-of-embattled-officer-to-oversee-training-sources-say/
Well duh. How else are the new officers going to learn how to beat children properly?
Beating smart-ass misbehaving high school kids is forgivable.
Thank God for public unions. Without them we wouldn’t have these kinds of stories to shock and entertain us.
Job security for attorneys too.