Defending People

the tao of criminal defense trial lawyering

Two Legislators, One Cup.

Mark Bennett | June 24, 2009

Bryan, Texas criminal defense lawyer Stephen Gustitis (The Defense Perspective) is representing a guy charged with harassment for making an “obscene” comment in a written communication (artist’s depiction follows):

Texas Online Solicitation of a Minor Statute Overbroad

Mark Bennett | December 19, 2008

A person who is 17 years of age or older commits an offense if, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, the person, over the Internet or by electronic mail or a commercial online service, intentionally communicates in a sexually explicit manner with an individual who represents himself [...]

No More Sources For You! [Updated]

Mark Bennett | May 22, 2008

Seeking a scoop, rookie reporter Jennifer Latson from the Houston Chronicle went and tried to interview to a person accused of a serious felony without the person’s lawyer’s permission.
If the accused had said something incriminatory, it would have been front-page news in the Chronicle the next morning: the reporter would have been able to do [...]

Why We Must Keep the Church Out of Government

Mark Bennett | March 22, 2008

In my first Blog Against Theocracy 2008 post I discussed why little-r-religion — people’s religious beliefs, as opposed to big-R-Religion (the Church) — is inevitably a part of criminal justice policy.
Most churches have something to recommend them: they provide guidelines for how humans should behave in relation to each other. Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t [...]