In trial, credibility is everything. If the jury believes the criminal-defense lawyer, the defendant has a fighting chance even in the face of evidence that is on its face strong; if the jury thinks the criminal-defense lawyer is a liar, the defendant is doomed even if the facts against him appear weak.So there is a certain logic to Orlando criminal-defense lawyer Jose Baez asking for a mistrial

When Norm Pattis was being real, I enjoyed reading him even when he and I fought. But I confess that I have had little interest in his writings since he hired a marketer to rebrand him and his blog. Norm is no longer being real. Norm is a fighter, but on his blog he picks at people passive-aggressively, referring to other bloggers without naming or linking to

Too good to keep to myself, from Brazoria County criminal-defense lawyer Jeff Purvis:This tip comes courtesy of my fellow Brazoria County lawyer, David Sharp. How many times have we all worked out a sweetheart deal for some 3 time ex-con charged with a 3rd degree or better felony only to communicate the offer and be met with, "Why can't I get me a 12.44(a)? E're body in

My fellow Texas criminal-defense lawyers:We elected Gary Trichter to the presidency of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, breaking the Board's monopoly on nominations.We helped kill the proposed State Bar rule changes. We helped install a criminal-defense lawyer as president of the State Bar of Texas. It looks like our votes may make a difference. So…If you are a member of TCDLA and you're going to be in

From the transcript of the hearing on Dontrell Deaner's request to fire Joseph Rakofsky from Deaner's criminal case:It was apparent to the Court that there was a—not a good grasp of legal principles and legal procedure of what was admissibIe and what was not admissible that inured, I think, to the detriment of Mr. Deaner. And had there been—If there had been a conviction in this case,

Joel Rosenberg, father, husband, science-fiction writer, second-amendment advocate, habitué of the blawgoshphere, rouser of rabble, outspoken critic of police misconduct, and all-around fearless proponent of what he knew to be right, has died.I will miss him.

I was otherwise occupied, and didn't write about this at the time, but nobody I follow did either, so I figure it's worth a small post:When TSA let three boxcutters through security at JFK and onto an airplane,[TSA] Spokeswoman Davis was quick to put the embarrassing incident behind her, assuring the traveling public that the TSA is still ahead of the curve: There have been a number

Send this to San Felipe by Express night & day To The People of Texas and All AmericansCommandancy of the Alamo— Bejar, Fby. 24th 1836— To the People of Texas & all Americans in the world— Fellow citizens & compatriots—I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna—I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost

What do you do if you're a U.S. District Court judge who's concerned that the people handling security at a high-school prom might molest high-school students?You order a "TSA certified person" to supervise, of course. Because TSA-certified people would never grope high-school students? Because TSA-certified people pat people down only when there are reasonable grounds? Or because our kids should get used to being molested the US

Kashmir Hill writes:Republican Dan Patrick, who was the sponsor of the bill in the Senate, withdrew it when he realized he would not have the votes he needed to pass it. “There was a time in this state, there was a time in our history, where we stood up to the federal government and we did not cower to rules and policies that invaded the privacy of