In a recent ruling, the US District court accepted the Amicus Brief filed by a list of distinguished Americans in support of Jonathan Pollard's motion 2255 to vacate his sentence and rejected a subsequent motion to expand the list of signees in support of the brief.
The list of distinguished Americans who were rejected by the US District Court as amicus curiae signees in the Pollard case include Benjamin Hooks Esq., the former head of the NAACP and Robert Abrams Esq., the former Attorney General of New York.
An "amicus curiae" brief is a "friend of the court" brief. Amicus briefs are submitted to the court by organizations and distinguished individuals to support a case or issue that the court must decide. Amicus briefs can only be filed with the consent of the court.
No explanation was given as to why the following illustrious Americans were rejected:
Neil Cogan
Dean and Professor of Law
Whittier Law School
Samuel Dash
Professor of Law
Georgetown University
Howard Glickstein
Dean and Professor of Law
Touro College of Law
Benjamin Hooks, Esq.
Director Emeritus
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
Robert Abrams, Esq.
Former Attorney General
State of New York
Hon. Edolphus Towns
Member, U.S. Congress