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Stephen Hardwick

@nonfinality.com

3.4K followers 1.5K following 9.4K posts

Appellate public defender. Poll worker. Peace Corps Tunisia. Low-level zoning chair. Wolverine in Buckeye land. Cyclist. Personal views only. On the payroll of the rain garden interests. he/him LOTR/poll worker feeds https://www.eac.gov/help-america-vote

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · Aug 26

I can’t over-emphasize how critical it is to have competent, rule-following poll workers with back bones. Now more than ever. To my attorney followers, we especially need you. To my non-attorney followers—you too.
Find out how to sign up where you are here: www.eac.gov/help-america...

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 34m

The audio books are even better than the show, so they’ll serve for now—even if they’re all produced and narrated by “stupid humans.”

(The show is still darn good)

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1h

The Murderbot Diaries already serve as the Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon for many of her readers. (Plus Hobbit/LOTR for me.)

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1h

I second both the “screw ‘em” and the congratulations!

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 3h

One sad part is that this guy was trying to follow the local rules.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 4h

Too few people recognize just how hard it is to litigate while behind bars.

Andrew Kinsey @andrewkinsey.bsky.social · 5h

The inmate sued. Except at the time he was required to file his suit on a form that allowed only 3 pages of text plus 12 lines.

At the time, the Middle District required pro
se prisoners bringing civil rights claims to file their actions
using a specific, court-issued complaint form. That document,
entitled “FORM TO BE USED BY A PRISONER IN FILING
A CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT IN THE UNITED STATES
DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF
PENNSYLVANIA,” directed the filer, under the “statement of
claim” section, to “[d]escribe how each defendant is involved,
including dates and places,” and to do so “as briefly as
possible.” App. 33, 36. And by “briefly,” it meant within the
twelve lines provided, or, if prisoners needed to say more, they
could “[a]ttach no more than three extra sheets.” Id. at 36.
Montanez complied, filling out all twelve lines and writing out
exactly three additional pages of allegations.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 4h

Factual update: It appears that at least two third-party apps aren’t requiring age verification. That might be because they’re more or less windows onto Bluesky’s content.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 2d

Bluesky now demands age verification for Ohioans but Pornhub says the Communications Decency Act supersedes Ohio Revised Code 1349.10 because Pornhub provides “interactive computer services.”

I guess I can see why Pornhub is willing to take a legal risk that Bluesky isn’t. Still, very annoying.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 4h

Update: Ohio’s AG says the porn companies are violating Ohio law by not verifying ages. He says they are putting themselves “above the law.” As I understand it, the companies are arguing that the Communications Decency Act supersedes the Ohio statute. I don’t know who’s legally correct.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 4h

Kudos to Lilian Novak & Samuel Weiss from Rights Behind Bars in DC for taking and winning this appeal.

Screenshot of a line from the opinion:
Montanez timely appealed and is now represented by counsel.

Name block from opinion:

Samuel Weiss
Lilian Novak
[ARGUED]

Rights Behind Bars
1800 M Street NW
Front 1 #33821
Washington, DC 20033

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 4h

And if the facts turn out to bad, this is also an opportunity to come clean and apologize.

I wonder whether the lawyers thought, “The guy’s a prisoner, no one will read or care what he says.” But at this point, he had a lawyer and the judges were listening

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 6h

Side note: Once, a bulkhead seatmate said I should have argued with a FA when she told me to put my water bottle in the overhead bin. Nope.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 6h

The general rule is that if you’re absolutely certain that a flight attendant’s instructions are wrong, you file a complaint when the flight is over and you’re off the plane. Even then, you’ll probably sound like a jerk, but at least you won’t be a jerk and a safety threat.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 16h

One thing I miss from WFH is the ability to roll out of bed at an unseemly early hour, pour a cup of coffee, and write.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 16h

New paper from Ilan Wurman: “The long-used military phrase ‘ten-hut’ shows that the Founders intended that the Third Amendment apply only to expensive private homes, not to small hut-like homes clustered in groups of ten or more on estate-size areas.”

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 17h

Too many people unfamiliar with the system think that parole/supervised release/probation are cakewalks. Too many people familiar with the system think that, too.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 17h

Lead opinion: Shakespeare quote
Concurrence: Simpsons quote
Dissent: Taylor Swift break-up–burn lyrics

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

Early voting and absentee voting has begun in Ohio. Find out what you need to vote early, absentee, or in-person on Election Day here: www.ohiosos.gov/elections/vo...

At least in my county, if you vote absentee, you get text messages notifying you of each step of the process.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

Fair. But I can at least see the argument that it might be low compared with similar sentences for similar (but non-abandoned) attempts. Those comparatives are too high, too, but one goal of sentencing is to treat similar convicted people similarly for similar offense.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

Also, if you’ve been in a prison, you’ll know that 8 years is a LONG time to spend there. She’ll have many years of supervised release after prison.

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

I can see how 8 years in prison could seem low if all you read is a headline, but the sentence seems a lot more reasonable when you consider that not only did she abandon the attempt, *she called the police on herself.*

So I can see how the judge would see her apology as sincere.

Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 4d

AG Pam Bondi vows to appeal 'woefully insufficient' 8+ year sentence judge imposed today on California resident Sophie Roske, who pled guilty to attempt to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in 2022. DOJ had asked for 30 years. www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Would-be Kavanaugh assassin sentenced to over 8 years in prison

Prosecutors had sought a 30-year sentence.

www.politico.com

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

Notice of Correckted Certificate of Service for Document #322, Originally Filed Four Months Ago

Notice of Corrected Certificate of Service for Document #302, Originally Filed Five Months Ago

Notice of Typo in *Corrected* Certificate of Service for Document #322, Originally Filed Four Months Ago

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Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

The history of character & fitness reviews has left this negative lasting legacy. Even though the fear is now misplaced, I understand and sympathize with the concern.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

Same here. Helpful edits and (with very few exceptions) getting to make the final call make this job a lot more fun and productive.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 1d

Resolve the track changes where one reviewer removed all contractions, another re-contracted them, and a third removed them.

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 2d

“ethics specialist said it *could* raise conflict-of-interest issues”

Stephen Hardwick @nonfinality.com · 2d

Bluesky may have a lot fewer resources and be a lot more vulnerable if they lose. This shows more about the nonsensical law than about Bluesky’s courage.

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