A Tale of Two Associations

Posted on April 24, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized |

Compare and contrast:

The purpose of ACDLA primarily is educational, and ACDLA provides its members with a variety of educational opportunities related to protecting the individual rights guaranteed by the Texas and the United States Constitutions, preserving the citizenry’s and court system’s commitment to those rights, and promotion of competent and ethical representation of persons accused of crimes.

and

Our Mission Is to Assist, Support, and Protect the Criminal Defense Practitioner in the Zealous Defense of Individuals and Their Constitutional Rights. It Is Further Our Mission to Educate and Inform the General Public Regarding the Administration of Criminal Justice and the Need for an Independent, Ethical, and Professional Criminal Defense Bar.

In pursuit of our mission, we have set out to achieve the following goals:

To ensure zealous advocacy, due process, and justice for persons accused of crimes;

To maintain a high standard of integrity, honor and ethics in the practice of criminal law;

To maintain a close relationship with national, state and local criminal justice organizations;

To provide for the professional advancement of the individual members of the association;

To encourage persons of integrity and ability to aspire to the defense of the accused;

To cultivate a spirit of good fellowship among members;

To sponsor quality continuing legal education;

To keep members and the public informed of current criminal justice issues; and

To provide a referral service for accused citizens.

Comments

6 Responses to “A Tale of Two Associations”

Ron in Houston on April 25th, 2008 5:21 am

I do hope the the leadership of HCCDA takes note of the Adam Reposa mess and actively works to prevent that happening here.
Colin on April 25th, 2008 7:46 am

So on the one hand you have a bridge club. on the other hand you have a union.
Ron in Houston on April 25th, 2008 10:00 am

Well, if they’re a union, they’re doing a crappy job of collectively bargaining their fee structure.
El Cucuy de la Corte on April 25th, 2008 1:40 pm

Well, Adam Reposa has certainly gotten quite an education. He learned that he’s been sending his dues money straight down the drain.
Anon on April 25th, 2008 3:43 pm

Reposa was not a member of ACDLA at the time of this incident. Get your facts straight.
Eve Schatelowitz on April 27th, 2008 10:51 pm

There are many members of ACDLA that are worth their salt and then some, but the “organization” is useless in terms of defending defense attorneys. (I had to leave that group, after the constant barrage of insane listserv jibber-jabber made me almost permanently apoplectic. I’m much, much happier with NACDL’s quality of discourse on their listserv.)

ACDLA seems best at sitting around scratching its collective noggins as to what to do - and whether to even contemplate contemplating what to do. Meanwhile, Karyl Krug sprang into action and within less than 8 hours, thanks to Karyl’s Motion for Bond pending the writ, the CCA granted the bond and freed Mr. Reposa pending further notice from the CCA.

Like him or not, Mr. Reposa isn’t the problem here. The problem is the inbreeding between the defense bar and the the State in Travis County. It’s hailed as “unique” in Texas, in that there is, by and large, a great deal of cooperation between the defense bar and the State. This is very helpful, of course, a great deal of the time - especially with plea bargaining and negotiations. But it has two major problems: 1. It leads to a defense bar that doesn’t know how to file motions or try cases, when a prosecutor won’t back down. The number of skilled trial lawyers couldn’t fill a bar room. 2. It leads to a passive, and sometimes active, agreement of contrition on the part of the defense bar - and when the “old guard” decides to go after someone, the “agreement” is that no one will stop them.

It is the latter of the two problems that got Adam Reposa to this point.

I watched the entire 5 1/2 hour contempt hearing against Mr. Reposa on April 15th. I nearly needed a defibrillator to keep me alive from the successive heart attacks I suffered while watching the lynch mob at work.

The whole situation here is appalling and sad.

-ES

p.s. Grow a sac, “Anon,” and put your name to the words you post.