Defending People

the tao of criminal defense trial lawyering

Jail Hell

Mark Bennett | September 11, 2009

Randall Patterson’s Houston Press article on conditions inside the Harris County Jail, based on inmate interviews. If you believe the government, this must be a vast conspiracy of defamation conducted by inmates. If you believe the inmates, federal crimes are routinely committed by jailers.
Which story is more credible? Considering that the inmates aren’t even organized [...]

I Would Bet That It Has

Mark Bennett | January 7, 2009

In Broward County, Florida, the judge has kicked the whole DA’s office off a murder case because two prosecutors had listened to two phone calls between the jailed accused and his lawyer. (H/T Social Services for Feral Children.) The trial started in September; it’s “on hold” now (not even a mistrial?).
In her order, the judge [...]

Some Houston-Area (and elsewhere) Criminal Justice Links

Mark Bennett | June 21, 2008

Texas Counties with Criminal Case Information Online:
Brazoria County, Texas Criminal Case Search by Defendant Name
Brazos County, Texas Criminal Case Search by Defendant Name
Collin County, Texas Criminal Case Search (H/T Lars Isaacson)
Dallas County, Texas Criminal Background Search
Dallas County Jail Inmate Lookup (H/T Lars Isaacson)
Denton County, Texas Criminal Case Search
Denton County, Texas Jail Inmate Lookup (H/T Lars [...]

North Texas Criminal Court and Jail Information

Mark Bennett | June 21, 2008

Lewisville, Texas federal criminal defense lawyer Lars Isaacson (my erstwhile second-chair, who learned from me how to take a severe beating, if nothing else) has posted a page of court and jail contact information (telephone numbers, URLs) for state and federal criminal cases in the Dallas area — Denton, Dallas, Collin, and Tarrant Counties and [...]