Law Humor

By Judge Jerry Buchmeyer

From District Judge Willie B. DuBose of Midland (385th District Court), this excerpt from a cocaine possession case he tried earlier this year. Judge DuBose sets the scene: Tom Parker, assisted by Bob Stevens, was representing the defendant and Wayne Frost was prosecuting. The witness, a police officer, presented three sealed envelopes, one of which contained the cocaine. He opened the first two, but there was no cocaine, so he opened the third - but pulled out a syringe that had never been mentioned in connection with the defendant. The jury was removed from the court, and then...

Mr. Frost: The evidence we have been looking for.

The Witness: Right here.

Mr. Parker: Well, you have already opened that one over there and said that was the one.

Mr. Frost: It wasn't the one.

Mr. Parker: It wasn't the one?

The Witness: It wasn't.

Mr. Frost: Put this back in there.

Mr. Parker: Stevens, think of something here. We have exhibited something to the jury [the syringe] that didn't come from him. It seems like I ought to make an objection. I'm just not sure what it is.

Judge DuBose: You figure it out, and I'll figure out how to rule on it.

Full post as published by Say What! on August 03, 2009 (boomark / email).