27 April 2005

Around the Web

1) The difference between a trial and an appeal.

2) Don't steal from your clients. In particular don't steal from cripples. Yeesh.

3) Another "foolproof" method to spot liars. Here's betting this one won't catch the same people that the modern lie detectors don't and that it will register false positives just as much on anxious people. Via CrimProf

4) People are fighting efforts to bring back mandatory sentencing.

5) Does putting more people in jail stop crime? Probably not. Does keeping them there longer? Probably yes. Will we all go broke trying to do this? Depends on if we adopt the federal government's definition of "broke."

6) Giving her the finger.

7) Somebody doesn't like defence solicitors.

8) Wow. Every single one of my grand larceny cases can be made federal. That's insane.

9) Okay. Now I'm nervous about my jury trial on Monday.

10) The Catch-22, of course, is: How do you prove the erased tape was exculpatory if it has been erased?

11) Judges upset that the government is trying to take too much power away from them. And no, it's not about Congress.

12) A discussion of the Florida "shoot if he looks at you cross-eyed" law.

13) Don't take Meth into the courthouse (or the jail - my clients keep trying to sneak it into the jail).

14) Was Martha in contempt? In any court wherein I practice she would be so found. Home incarceration is supposed to be a burden.

15) Show of hands. Who out there has had this happen to one of his clients? I can think of at least two off the top off my head.

16) Deer farms? Illegal hunts? If it's a farm and you raise them to be killed does it matter how it's done? I mean, of course, unless they have to be kosher or halal.

17) Curses, yet again I am foiled in my attempt to be named among the top blawgs.
via Alaskablawg

18) If you can't keep your pistol in your holster, at least keep your pants up.

19) Duckman v. Virginia Trooper.

2 comments:

123txpublicdefender123 said...

I'm raising my hand to #15. The case was forgery. The true defendant's birthday was in Oct. 1960; my guy's was June 1960. They were both black males. The true check forger had provided a thumbprint when he passed the checks. The prints were matched by AFIS to him. My guy, who was on parole, got arrested for them. I still remember the look on the DAs face when the Sheriff's Dept. fingerprint guy confirmed that it wasn't my guy.

Mister DA said...

#15. Heck,stuff happens. Especially if you're named John Smith. It's even more fun when the real violatior gives a false name and knows the victim's vitals because it's their sibling. Ticket goes unanswered and warrant issues. Victim shows up, usualy so long after the ticket was isused the officer goes, "damnifino" and we start trying to figure out who the real violator is -- this guy standing here of his no-good brother (see why the ID gets difficult?)

The best story on that line I've experienced is the guy who was stopped for an expired plate and didn't have his driver's license on him. He gave his name, address, and dob. Whoops! Supsended license. So, he spends the night in jail until the sheriff can take a check to the bank and cash it. Off he goes, with an appearance ticket in this pocket. Several weeks go by. No one cares. But. . .

He spent about 20 hours in the lock-up so he owes the county for three meals and use of bed, heat and light, so the asset recovery clerk sends him a bill.

A lady calls. You've sent my husband a bill for spending a day in your jail. Yes, ma'am, we have indeed. Well, says she, that;s impossible. He died three years ago. Whoops. His no-good brother. Natch. Who just happens to be in jail in the next-door county, doing a few months for bad checks or some such. ID is not problem. The officer assigned takes the booking photo and the print card with him and has the pleasure of bringing this clown back to be re-booked and re-areigned.