United States v. One Big Six Wheel

ROSS, District Judge.

In a recent case involving the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (the “AEDPA”), Pub.L. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1214, Justice Souter remarked, “All we can say is that in a world of silk purses and pigs’ ears, the Act is not a silk purse of the art of statutory drafting.” Lindh v. Murphy, — U.S. -, -, 117 S.Ct. 2059, 2068, 138 L.Ed.2d 481 (1997). This case demonstrates how true this statement rings, as the court is called upon to discern the impact of a miscellaneous provision of the AEDPA on preexisting section of the criminal code that deals with shipboard…