Defending People

the tao of criminal defense trial lawyering

Somebody Call the Tort Reformers.

Mark Bennett | February 20, 2010

The industrial workplace can be a dangerous place. Accidents happen in work zones; people get hurt and killed. Isaac Sheridan knew this and Fernando Rodriguez knew this; they acknowledged it by strapping on hard hats and reflective vests at the beginning of every day’s work in a construction zone.
On Thursday afternoon, when Sheridan was running [...]

Warren, What’s Your Tribe?

Mark Bennett | May 23, 2009

“There is no comparison between the crimes and the sentence,” said
Sheik Fadhil al-Janabi, a Sunni tribal leader in Anbar Province. “That
soldier entered an Iraqi house, raped their underage daughter and
burned her with her family, so this sentence is not enough, and it is
insulting for Iraqis’ honor.” (NYTimes.com)
When I read that Iraqi tribal leaders are upset [...]

HPD and Video Redux

Mark Bennett | December 29, 2008

HPD Officer Paul Lassalle comments on this long-ago post about his communications with Harris County Assistant District Attorney Warren Diepraam (who will likely be at the coronation on Thursday) concerning whether HPD has to actually use the videotaping equipment that the statute requires them to have and maintain.
When a man with a gun and a [...]

DUI No-Refusal Weekend

Mark Bennett | July 3, 2008

Harris County prosecutor Warren Diepraam (mentioned before here and talking about “honoring the dead” here) writes in the TDCAA forums:

Harris County is doing a July 4th No Refusal Program and hopefully joining some area counties for a multi-jurisdictional effort. Ours will be for all agencies in Harris County with one prosecutor stationed in the northwest [...]

Three Stupid State Tricks

Mark Bennett | March 28, 2008

Williamson County’s John Bradley says, “The government has already decided, as a matter of law, that [marijuana] is not available for such a [medical] purpose. No defense permitted.” (H/T Robert Guest, via Grits.) Oops, sorry, John!
DPS Troopers are shopping for Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant County judges to “go to for blood warrants.” Not to worry, [...]

Honoring the Dead with Destruction?

Mark Bennett | June 8, 2007

Today’s big criminal defense story is this: two of Houston’s best lawyers, Stanley Schneider and Robb Fickman (no good link to Robb), prevailed in the trial of a bus driver accused of manslaughter for accidentally running over and killing a 9-year-old girl. The driver was acquitted.
In a post-loss interview the prosecutor washed his hands of [...]