When you are defending former Blackwater security contractors accused of shooting unarmed Iraqi civilians, naturally it takes a lot of words to explain your side of things.

But in an apparent attempt to submit a longer filing than would be allowed, the attorneys single-spaced their document.

U.S. District Judge Richard Urbina was not pleased. He issued a notice saying that any future failure to meet the court's filing requirments would result in sanctions.

The judge could have stricken the pleading, but did not do so, he said, due to the "nature" of the case and the "proximity to trial."

So, come to think of it, they got away with it. You never want to anger a judge, but maybe the lesson is risking over-submission JUST ONE TIME could be without consequence. On the other hand, if your filing gets kicked back, you've got no one to blame but yourself. Or, more likely, your associate.

The Washington Post Crime Scene blog covered it here. The ABA Journal noted it here.