Defending People

the tao of criminal defense trial lawyering

Maybe We Can Fix It At The Auto De Fe

Mark Bennett | December 17, 2009

Nobody could possibly have predicted way back in August that Pat Lykos’s failure to seek outside counsel to prosecute Don Jackson, a misdemeanor judge before whom she had appeared (through her assistants) every court day since January, and before whom she may have to appear again every court day until one of them leaves office, [...]

Texas House Resolution to Investigate Sharon Keller

Mark Bennett | April 23, 2009

81R8266 JSA-F By: Burnam H.R. No. 480
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the Texas Legislature has exclusive power to present articles of impeachment against a state officer under Section 1, Article XV, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 665, Government [...]

Stand and Deliver in Tenaha

Mark Bennett | February 8, 2009

For those who like to pretend that the government can be trusted to do the right thing, I offer this Houston Chronicle article about black drivers driving through the town of Tenaha, Texas, near the Louisiana line, being pulled over and shaken down:
Law enforcement authorities in this East Texas town of 1,000 people seized property [...]

Dialing for Defense Dollars

Mark Bennett | August 7, 2008

I just got a telephone call at the office from someone asking me for a campaign contribution for the judge of a Harris County district (felony) court, before whom I occasionally practice and before whom I have a case right now.
This has never happened to me before. I don’t know if it’s happening now because [...]