Eric Turkewitz is a master.  No, a genius.  When it comes to fools, there’s none better.  Over at New York Personal Injury Law, Eric led yesterday with

Supreme Court Grants Cert in “Fantasy Baseball” Case; Three Justices Recuse Themselves Due To Participation in High Court League

The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari today in the “Fantasy Baseball” case of CBC Distribution v. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. The suit is remarkable not only for the First Amendment and right to publicity issues that form the basis of the dispute, but because Justices John Paul Stevens, Samuel Alito and Stephen Breyer recused themselves due to their participation in a fantasy baseball league comprised of current and past court personnel. Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who also participate in the league, declined to disqualify themselves, exposing a non-ideological split in the court on the issue of when justices should step aside when conflicts appear.

Absolute nonsense, of course, but so well done, so very believable, that the news flew around the internet. 

Who got taken in?   New York Magazine,  San Diego Tribune, Eugene Volokh,  David Lat and a host of others, including the Baseball Think Factory.   Then there’s PrawfsBlawg, which took down it’s post after finding out it was a goof, as did Sports Law Blog.  Seriously, how cool is this?

Naturally, I was not fooled by Eric’s post.  But then, he gave me a heads-up a few days earlier when he asked me to vet his post for credibility.  It was picture perfect until Eric disclosed the “source” of the story:

While obviously not wanting to be identified here, s/he told me of a trip to Florida two weeks back for an annual spring training vacation with friends and to watch a cousin, Siddhartha Finch, at the New York Mets’ spring camp in Port St. Lucie. Over twenty years ago Finch gave up a promising baseball opportunity to pursue a career with the French horn. He is trying to become the first rookie over the age of 50 to break into the big league as part of a book project.

Sidd Finch?  Didn’t anybody notice that one?  Unfortunately, when New York Magazine picked up the story, Lat, apparently letting the ex-prosecutor get the better of him, felt compelled to snitch on Eric and let them know it was a joke.  Maybe he was hoping for a 5K1.1?

Runner-up for best April Fool’s post was  Gideon’s announcement that he was leaving indigent defense to serve new masters. 

I’ve taken a position with the general practice firm of Houlihan and Horowitz, where I will be dabbling in various fields, such as real estate, civil litigation, med mal and insurance defense.

So long, then, and thanks for all the fish.

My pathetic attempt at an April fool’s post was an embarrassment next to Eric’s and Gid’s.  I’m not worthy.

While many people here aren’t all that interested in personal injury law, Eric’s blawg is terrific and he really does a great job, both in breaking new stories and in analyzing the state of affairs.  It’s great stuff, and he’s got unbelievable tolerance in dealing with those who believe the tort and med mal system is the end of American civilization.