New Zealand district judge David Harvey has stepped down from his role presiding over accused piracy king Kim Dotcom’s extradition trial after stating publicly that the United Sates is the enemy. “We have met the enemy and he is U.S.,” Harvey said during a discussion about trade talks with the U.S. The judge surrendered his role in the trial voluntarily according to The New Zealand Herald, and the case will now be heard by Judge Nevin Dawson. “[Judge Harvey] recognises that remarks made in the context of a paper he delivered on copyright law at a recent internet conference could reflect on his impartiality and that the appropriate response is for him to step down from the case,” district court chief judge Jan-Marie Doogue said in a statement. Dotcom’s extradition hearing is set to begin in March next year.

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