Defending People

the tao of criminal-defense trial lawyering

“Years of Trial Experience”

| August 21, 2010

Divorce lawyer John Clinton, running for criminal court judge, seems to be saying that when he was a Houston police officer he “amassed years of trial experience.” (Full video here.) This could be true only in the sense in which a career criminal has amassed years of policing experience. Maybe Clinton spoke awkwardly, and meant [...]

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Reasonable Expectation of Publicity

| August 13, 2010

It is unlawful, in Maryland, for any person to [w]ilfully intercept, endeavor to intercept, or procure any other person to intercept or endeavor to intercept, any . . .oral . . . communication[.] "Oral communication" means any conversation or words spoken to or by any person in private conversation. "Intercept" means the aural or other [...]

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They’d Have to Be Crazy

| June 18, 2010

"UTMB’s Correctional Managed Care program has an agreement with Lone Star College involving its Law Enforcement Phlebotomy Program. The participating Houston police officers at the units were there as part of the Lone Star College course they were taking. Having blood drawn is part of the standard intake process at TDCJ and mentally ill offenders [...]

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Quote of the Day

| September 28, 2009

Police officer to me: “I do have some questions for your client, but I’m not goofy enough to think you’re going to let him answer them.”

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Cop Blogs

| June 14, 2009

I’ve added a section to the blogroll for cops’ blogs. You wouldn’t guess it from reading offense reports, but some of these guys can write. If you got stopped….you deserved itA motorcycle cop. Officer “Smith”: Thoughts From Behind the BadgeA California cop. The LawDog FilesA Texas cop, but not an enemy of the Fourth Amendment. [...]

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Don’t Dial 9-1-1

| February 25, 2009

Steve Hobart says he’ll never forget the frantic moments after his 19-year-old son was shot. He’ll never forget seeing a bloodied Aaron Hobart die in front of his eyes as he struggled to give him CPR. “We wanted Aaron to get help,” Hobart said with watery eyes Tuesday. “We didn’t want him to die.” Stafford [...]

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