McCormick Motion Moot · May 23, 01:15 PM

Yesterday, Judge William Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order finding as moot the Motion to Quash Third-Party Subpoena issued by Mr. Clifford Shoemaker to Dr. Marie McCormick of the Harvard School of Public Health, in connection with the now-dismissed case, Sykes v. Bayer.

Dr. McCormick’s motion was filed on April 9 by attorneys from the Washington D.C. firm Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, who represent the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine. Eight days later, Mr. Kevin Conway of the vaccine-injury firm Conway, Homer & Chin-Caplan submitted the Sykes’ opposition to the motion. The court then ordered the deposition postponed, and scheduled oral argument for May 7. On April 30, Dr. McCormick’s attorneys formally registered to appear in the Massachusetts court for the then-upcoming hearing.

Twenty-four hours later, Sykes v. Bayer was history. Mr. Conway then withdrew the Sykes’ opposition, explaining that the Sykes family no longer sought to depose Dr. McCormick. On May 5, that motion was granted and oral argument was canceled. No further motions were submitted by either party, so yesterday the court closed the case file.

There is no indication on the docket whether Mr. Shoemaker or his clients offered to compensate Dr. McCormick, the National Academy of Sciences, or the Institute of Medicine for the time, trouble and expense of responding to the subpoena.

Comments


  1. Weasels.

    — isles    May 23, 06:22 PM    #

  2. Yeah, weasels, or maybe rats. Whatever.

    — Clay    May 23, 07:14 PM    #

  3. Do not insult weasels by comparing them with creatures like this Shoemaker. Don’t even insult rats. Hagfish, maybe.

    — LW    May 23, 07:27 PM    #

  4. It would be unkind to call Shoey a shark, even. I prefer dog vomit slime mold or the stuff that lives underneath dog vomit slime mold, whatever that is…

    — Ms. Clark    May 23, 11:30 PM    #

  5. ad hominem ad infinitum!!! ;-)

    — Clay    May 24, 05:28 PM    #