713-224-1747
Recent Blog Posts
Don't Dial 9-1-1
Steve Hobart says he'll never forget the frantic moments after his 19-year-old son was shot. He'll never forget seeing a bloodied Aaron Hobart die in front of his eyes as he struggled to give him CPR. "We wanted Aaron to get help," Hobart said with watery eyes Tuesday. "We didn't want him to die."Stafford police have said Aaron attacked officer Jesus Estrada after police responded to a 911 call at his parents' Aspen Lane home last week. During the struggle, Estrada shot and killed Aaron, police said.But Aaron's father and a family attorney said Tuesday that the unarmed, mentally ill man was shot four times after Estrada pushed him away.His father said Aaron was in a psychiatric crisis. He was delusional and had refused to take his medication. His parents hoped police would either persuade him to take the pills or take him to the hospital.
(Moises Mendoza, Houston Chronicle)
Instead of persuading Aaron to take his pills or taking him to the hospital, the scared 23-year-old kid who showed up with a badge and a gun in response to the 9-1-1 call shot Aaron to death.
Prosecutors Are So Dreeeeeeamy!
From the TDCAA forums, via Grits:
Hi, everyone. Some of you know me from my days prosecuting statewide for the AG's Office. I took a new position about year ago with the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. Among other things, I am responsible for seeking compulsory discipline against any Texas attorney convicted of certain crimes; these include any felony of moral turpitude and all theft, barratry,and embezzlement cases. We do a pretty good job of learning of these cases and taking action, but as you can imagine, it is difficult to keep up with what every county in the state is doing. If you would, please contact me whenever you have convicted an attorney of one of these crimes, or even if you just know of someone who has been convicted. It will help us do our job better to make sure we don't have attorneys out there practicing who have no business doing such. If you're unsure whether a crime meets our definition please contact me and we can discuss it. Thanks so much! I still think prosecutors are the best bunch of people around and I am proud to know so many of you! Keep up the great work!
A Defending People Retrospective
It all began on March 19, 2007:
I'm a criminal-defense lawyer in Houston, Texas. I represent people accused of all sorts of crimes in state court all over Texas, and in federal court all over the country. In this blog, I plan to talk about anything that relates in any way to the practice of criminal defense law. In my mind, that's a very broad category, encompassing not only law and current events but also politics, religion, culture, society, sex, comedy, love, fear, literature, theatre, psychology, psychodrama, hypnosis, history, science, technology, and just about anything else that you could name.
Time now to check in.
Post #999 – A Taste of Things to Come
Takuan Soho, The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom, from The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman
Even though you know principle, you must make yourself perfectly free in the use of technique. And even though you may wield the sword that you carry with you well, if you are unclear on the deepest aspects of principle, you will likewise fall short of proficiency.
Pat Lykos's Diversity Record
Murray Newman posts about Pat Lykos's terrific success utter and complete failure in making the Harris County District Attorney's Office more diverse. Not only are there not more non-white lawyers there than there were before Lykos came along, but there will also be fewer non-white lawyers in the Office a week from Friday.
My only complaint about Murray's post is that he throws away fodder for a several other blog posts.
The A.D.A.'s are being told that the budget has already been expended.
The morale within the Office continues to plummet.
Lykos is spending a large amount of time in the basement parking garage smoking like a chimney while forcing her staff to come with her to talk business.
The Office is hemorrhaging money having to pay for special prosecutors to handle every case where Jim Leitner or Clint Greenwood acted as defense attorneys.
When Official Woman Kills
The ordinarily-effete Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct, faced with bad press and public outcry (including a complaint from HCCLA), has grown some backbone and initiated formal public proceedings against Sharon Keller.
Here is the pleading.
The "official woman" of the title is not Keller, who is accused of ignoring the court's standing procedures to kill Michael Richard, but to Marty, who blindly followed Keller's instructions to cause Richard's death. It looks to me like Court of Criminal Appeals General Counsel Edward Marty is going to have some explaining to do at the time of the final reckoning.
Cross is Not Supposed to Be Angry
Via Norm Kent (The Broward Law Blog), a prosecutor loses his cool during cross-examination:Stacey Castor questioned about day her daughter fell ill
Blog for Profit. Please.
You're going to the law bookstore looking for some interesting reads. You browse the spines of the books, pick one, and pull it down off the shelf. It's three hundred pages; every page ends with a call to action - "if you've been injured, call me." Skimming the text, you notice that the words "truck accident," "lawyer," "attorney," and a few others are mentioned over and over and over again. You put that book back and try another. It's got more of the same, except instead of "truck accident" it has repeated references to "DUI." You'd be interested in learning about both topics, but the writing with all those repeated phrases is hackneyed, and you don't care to be sold. That one goes back on the shelf.
The next book you choose has interesting information without the marketing; you put it in your basket and continue. After about fifteen minutes you realize that 75% of the books in the store are thinly disguised advertising. The other books are what you're looking for, but they're hard to find, and it's frustrating.
Blawg Review #199
This Week, in 2009 and in History
February 9th was the 100th anniversary of the federal "war on drugs", writes WindyPundit in 100 Years of FAIL. This week South Carolina cops did their part to expose the WOD for a pathetic farce. Radley Balkoff (The Agitator) writes in The Michael Phelps Witch Hunt Gets Surreal:
Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff's Department went out and arrested eight people on marijuana charges allegedly associated with the now-famous bong photo of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
Houston prosecutor "Arthur Seaton" (Saturday Night and Monday Morning) never one to mince words, says of this, "Goddammit This is Stupid."
Contact Us if You're
Ready for a Better Future
Schedule a consultation today by filling out the form below or calling our office at 713-224-1747. We look forward to representing you.
The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.
I have read and understand the Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.
From our office in Houston, we represent clients throughout Harris County and across the state of Texas. We assist with criminal cases in Conroe, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Bellaire, Friendswood, Highland Village, West University Place, Cypress, Willis, Austin, Dallas, For Worth, Arlington, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Tyler, Plano, Spring, New Caney, Porter, Humble, Atascocita, Aldine, Cloverleaf, Pasadena, South Houston, Pearland, Fresno, Missouri City, Sugar Land, Pecan Grove, Richmond, and Katy.
Results listed are not a guarantee or indication of future case results.
917 Franklin Street, Fourth Floor, Houston, TX 77002
713-224-1747
