"You cannot use civil proceedings to further a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings to further a civil investigation," said Thomas V. Sjoblom, a Washington-based lawyer with Chadbourne & Parke who is on Mr. Scrushy's legal team.
Once the dispute had been resolved, snowfalls pushed proceedings back further, to Dec. 30.
The farcical nature of the proceedings is further etched by Mr. Pellicano's decision to represent himself.
In her letter, Ratcliffe said she felt for the sake of the families that it was important not to delay proceedings any further by protesting the charges.
The court was scheduled to act on those cases, Ortiz v. United States, No. 02-11188, and Sinisterra v. United States, No. 03-5286, earlier this month, but instead requested the record of the lower court proceedings for further review.
The extradition hearing goes ahead after the House of Lords refuses the cleric leave to appeal against his UK convictions, which would have delayed the proceedings even further.
This time round, its opponents will want to prolong proceedings even further, because if the Referendum Bill survives un-amended it can then be forced into law via the Parliament Act, if it is amended or blocked in the Lords.
Happier orchestrating proceedings from further away, via healing and charged attacks?
