Rocketry Planet

WASHINGTON, District of Columbia USA — Assistant United States Attorney Channing D. Phillips, acting counsel for the defendant Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, was back in court today asking Judge Reggie B. Walton for yet another extension in time for the filing of their response in opposition of attorney's fees sought by plaintiffs Tripoli Rocketry Association and the National Association of Rocketry.

In the original extension request dated June 26, 2009, the filing cited myriad reasons for the delay, including the fact that the defense attorney with daily responsibility for this case, Jane M. Lyons, was on vacation.  It appears from the current filing that Ms. Lyons has returned from vacation, only to have two other agency staffers key to the case follow suit, with the filing stating they would be "away from the office on vacation in the days leading up to July 13 and during the remainder of that week." 

Ms. Lyons was referenced as facing a new crisis, with the filing citing "the Assistant United States Attorney with daily responsibility for this matter will be attending to an unexpected family matter during the weekend of July 11-12, 2009 which will reduce the time she had planned to devote to this matter."

The new request asks for a time extension until July 21, 2009.

The motion was unopposed by the plaintiffs being granted by the court according to the filing. The plaintiffs' motion, filed in U.S. District Court on June 13th, 2009, seeks over $395,000 in fee recovery in the landmark hobby rocketry lawsuit seeking relief from ATF regulation of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP).