Thank you for your comments. For those who come later, here is a link to TX CURE.

Wife of retired Army WO
Helga Dill, Chair, TX CURE
(Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants)

Thanks for the comment. Yes, it is my blog; I’m right and you’re wrong. But you’ll notice that I posted your “view alternative to my own” here.

This discussion is getting a little far afield from the topic of veterans in the system. I may move your comment to a new post and respond there.

Do you not accept or recgonize views alternative to your own? It’s yoru blog, so of course you can say what you want. Like my Dad always says “it’s America”

Let’s say you have a violent offender who has robbed and seriously injured someone to the point they had to go to the hospital or someone who has violently raped another person. Extreme examples, but bear with me. In your world view what would you like to see happen? You have victims who want justice, retribution, what have you. Do we go back to the Old West and round up a Posse to go after the offender? Do we resort to vigilantism and let things work themselves out? We have laws going back to Moses on the Mount, that state how we should interact with one another. Assuming you think that laws are a good thing, should they not be enforced? Understand I’m not talking about drugs, DWI, etc. I’m talking about my examples.Those victims deserve a fourum and the right to be heard. They have an expectation that the person who wronged them will be held accountable. That doesn’t make them oblivious. Whether the jury finds them guilty or aquits, they’re still doing their duty, it’s still Justice.

Thanks for the comments.

Prosecutors are what they are. I call them like I see them. In Harris County the typical (though by no means universal) prosecutorial career path is: nice white high school, nice white college (fraternity/sorority), nice white law school, DA’s office. These privileged folks have had little opportunity to experience bad luck.

I think getting one’s ass kicked by the universe a few times teaches compassion, humility, and empathy — three traits that (because of the typical prosecutor’s lack of real-world life experience) are in short supply in the prosecutors’ offices with which I have experience.

You’re right that nobody should have been charged in the dope-in-the-car case. We see lots of those cases, though. The accused’s status as a serviceman on his way back to Iraq should have been just one more factor militating against charging him.

Justice requires that people in the same circumstances be treated the same way. Military service is a circumstance that should be considered.

I’m not worried about people losing faith in the criminal justice system. Anyone who has faith in the criminal “justice” system is either on the government teat or oblivious.

“Prosecutors, if a soldier with two tours in Iraq behind him and one ahead is in a car with a couple of guys and some dope, ask yourself whether it makes sense to charge him” Probably shouldn’t charge anyone because it’s a tough constructive possession case and you can’t prove who the drugs belong to, not because a service man is in the car.

Justice requires that every person charged with the same crime be treated the same way and have the same laws applied to them. I’m sure people will disagree with that b/c every case is diffenet in soemway. What I mena by it is yu shouldn’t do something for person A that you wouldn’t do for person B. That’s a quick way for people to lose faith n the criminal justice system.

This is great blogging. You are an asset to the defense bar.

I dismissed many cases so defendants could join the forces. I dismissed many cases of those who were in the forces.

The courage and duty it take to fight for our country should be an affirmative defense to many of our criminal laws.

Your comment hit very close to home. As I was one of those vets who was stopped, charged and pled to a concealed waepons charge when I returned from Desert Storm. I was a Marine and after coming home I fely “naked” not being armed. I wasnt a gang banger, stick up man or thief; I was just a shell shocked young vet who saw to muc at an early age. Fortunate for me I recieved probation, but applying to undergrad, lawschool and the bar was extremly difficult because of it.
Now im working in the Pd’s office in MS and now and then we get a few National Guardsmen from Camp Shelby who have one too many drinks or get caught chasing the wrong skirt. I have been very successful with the convincing judges that a year in Iraq/Afganistan is worse than 3 years PRS.