Amusing book references in law....

I was reminded by todays news of one of my favorite cases from law school. In this famous (among law students, at least) case, the judge explores whether the court has jurisdiction over Satan and in pertinent part writes:

While the official records disclose no case where this defendant has appeared
as defendant there is an unofficial account of a trial in New Hampshire where
this defendant filed an action of mortgage foreclosure as plaintiff. The
defendant in that action was represented by the preeminent advocate of that
day, and raised the defense that the plaintiff was a foreign prince with no
standing to sue in an American Court. This defense was overcome by
overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

This is, of course, a reference to the brilliant 1937 Stephen Vincent Benet short story, The Devil and Daniel Webster. Great story and a great, now passed, judge.