"BLOG TO COURT: CHECK YOUR

“BLOG TO COURT: CHECK YOUR FACTS”: Wired News reports that “When attorney Howard Bashman noticed a small error in the footnote of a 5th Circuit appellate court opinion, he quickly noted it on his weblog”.

The next day, Judge Jerry Smith, who wrote the opinion and also happens to be a reader of Bashman’s blog, fixed the error in an amended version (PDF). The judge e-mailed Bashman, personally thanking him for bringing the mistake to his attention.

“It’s the first time that I’ve noticed a weblog credited for pointing out an error and causing a correction (in a court decision),” Bashman said. “This example is noteworthy because it’s the first time that something like this has come to light.”