Dylann Roof (remember him?) has his federal hate crimes trial scheduled first - why?

State prosecutor Scarlett Wilson criticized the federal court system during a hearing Monday, saying it is circumventing South Carolina’s trial of Dylann Roof, the 22-year-old white man accused of fatally shooting nine people at a historic black church in Charleston in 2015.

Roof’s federal trial is set for Nov. 7—about two months ahead of the state trial, set for Jan. 17. According to the Post and Courier and the Associated Press, Wilson said the survivors and family members of the victims would be forced to spend the holiday season in courtrooms.

Article here (via aba journal). 

It is a jurisdictional question - and also a punishment question. On jurisdiction: shouldn't the state have precedence to try him for murders first? And on punishment: federal courts typically don't sentence a death penalty sentence, so isn't the federal trial going first a little on the lenient side (possibly)? I say there's another issue: If he's found guilty first in federal court, the guilty verdict at the state level seems a foregone conclusion. State prosecutor also argues the sympathy side of things: if the federal trial begins when it is supposed to, victims' families will spend all of the holiday season in court rooms (typically not a cheerful place).

Federal Appeals Court holds that chicken sandwich isn't copyrightable

A ham sandwich, as popular lore has it, may well be indictable.

But a chicken sandwich isn’t copyrightable, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Agreeing with a trial court’s decision, the 1st U.S. Court of Appeals on Friday held (PDF) that a fast-food worker seeking a $10 million share of the profits allegedly reaped from his chicken sandwich concept is out of luck.

Article here.  (via abajournal).

Federal agents say fake IDs produced in Wyoming, Michigan house; sold in Grand Rapids

After a months-long investigation, police have arrested two suspects who allegedly created and sold fake documents, including fraudulent permanent residency cards and Social Security cards, federal records show.

Tito Perez-Mijangos and Joel Baron-Vidal are named in a criminal complaint alleging the two conspired to produce and transfer fake identifications. The arrests are among a string in recent years where fraudulent documents have been produced, often in houses in Wyoming, and sold throughout the Grand Rapids area.

Article here. 

Federal Courts and the government shutdown: Are they still open?

Federal courts haven't yet been affected by the shutdown, according to the ABA Journal. From the article, "the federal courts will remain open through at least Oct. 17 and possibly Oct. 18, the Department of Justice has announced."