An intoxicating way to celebrate the Gall ruling

Long-time readers with great memories may recall an entertaining opinion written in right after Booker by US District Judge Richard Kopf.  In this opinion, as detailed here, Judge Kopf promised to buy a beer for judicial colleagues who took a different view of Booker if Judge Kopf’s view turned out to be wrong.   As explained here, after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Gall, Judge Kopf concluded not only that he owed his judicial colleagues a beer, but also that he owed me one, too. 

Though I did not think Judge Kopf owed me anything, I was not about to refuse a beer from a federal judge. (According to a little known Czech legend, the deity Radegast, who is the god of mutuality and is said to have invented beer, ensures that a lawyer will have his motions denied for a full year after he refuses a beer from a judge.)

But, as I wondered how Judge Kopf might “pay up,” never did I expect what arrived in my office today: a huge box shipped from from Bucket O’ Brew.  As the picture above reveals, Judge Kopf selected the Northwest Bucket (see UPDATE) for my imbibing pleasure (and just in time for a long weekend with lots of great sports to watch).  As the picture above shows, Judge Kopf sent me a total of six beers, which means I have an extra beer to share with almost every member of the Gall majority. (I have a feeling that Justice Souter is not much of a beer drinker, but that I might need to keep the fridge full for the likes of Justices Scalia and Ginsburg when they get together to party). 

To reinforce what a great sense of humor Judge Kopf has, check out the shipping label that Judge Kopf engineered.  If you click on the second picture here, you should be able to see that my last name is misspelled as “Beerman.”   To paraphrase one of my favorite philosophers, “Mmmmm, Beer-man.”

UPDATE:  I was pleased to discover, after getting home and unpacking my brew bucket, that Judge Kopf had in fact sent me the Party Barge.  This smooth-sailing barge includes a full dozen beers, which means that I have a brewski for every member of the Court and even a few extra for Justices Alito (who perhaps can start to understand the hidden genius of both Booker opinions if he gets a little sloshed).  I wonder what drinking games the Justices like to play at their parties.