Criminal Law

"'Bummer, dude' doesn't really cover it, does it?"

Posted on April 03, 2009
One of my colleagues made quite an impression on Fallout Kid:The cat that runs the show for Juvenile Law is a nice enough guy... He talked about how he is a Washington State Juvenile Public Defender. He handles a huge f*cking caseload: 100 cases, sometimes 80...

WA: chop chop

Posted on April 03, 2009
We made KIRO TV tonight, and not for a good reason:Huge Impact Possible With Cuts To Thurston County CourtsFour public defenders who handle a total of more than a 1,000 cases a year are on the chopping block - the result will be a caseload increase for the remaining public defenders with potentially serious consequences...

IL: Ed Burnette's swan song

Posted on April 01, 2009
From Chicago Breaking News Center:Public defender wins last case over StrogerDuring his last day in office today, Cook County Public Defender Edwin Burnette was savoring a legal victory over County Board President Todd Stroger. The victory came in the form of a unanimous ruling from the First District Illinois Appellate Court...

ID: "I was just coming from midnight mass, officer"

Posted on April 01, 2009
In the hub city of the Magic Valley, good news for would-be midnight ramblers, from the Twin Falls Times-News:Idaho appellate Court: Wendell curfew no goodThe Idaho Court of Appeals said Tuesday that curfew rules in the town of Wendell violate the constitutional rights of kids...

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Hey, we could use some stimulus over here!

Posted on March 29, 2009
From the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, all you could want to know about Thursday's Congressional hearing concerning indigent defense:Hearing on the Representation of Indigent Defendants in Criminal Cases: A Constitutional Crisis in Michigan and Other States?In a historic move, the U...

PA: evil judge, juvy do-over

Posted on March 29, 2009
From the New York Times:Clean Slates for Youths Sentenced FraudulentlyThe Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on Thursday ordered the slate cleaned for hundreds of youths who had been sentenced by a corrupt judge.The young people had been sent to privately run detention centers from 2003 to 2008 as part of a judicial kickback scheme that shocked Pennsylvania and the nation...

WA: high school killing - intentional or delusional?

Posted on March 27, 2009
From the TNT: Foss High shooter?s fate now up to juryA jury Thursday began deliberating the first-degree murder case against Douglas S. Chanthabouly, who?s accused of shooting a fellow student to death at Tacoma?s Foss High School two years ago...

The great recession hits home

Posted on March 27, 2009
Earlier this week all our support staff were reduced to 3/4 time, at 3/4 the pay. Today lay-offs were announced, effective May 31st, for four dedicated young lawyers in my office. The rest of us will do one week's leave without pay and apply what were our COLA's to our health insurance premiums...

Best headline of the recession

Posted on March 27, 2009
From SF Weekly:Nation's Public Defenders, Including San Francisco's, to Meet, Discuss Who's Getting Screwed Over the Worst

ID: Bull Connor's ghost sighted south of Boise

Posted on March 25, 2009
From the AP:Mean dogs stand guard at Idaho prisonNobody has broken out of the Idaho State Correctional Institution in more than 20 years. Prison officials like to think a hard-bitten corps of sentries with names like Cookie, Bongo and Chi Chi has had something to do with that...

ID: "If I hadn?t have got here, I?d have been dead"

Posted on March 25, 2009
The Idaho State Journal is continuing its "City on the Hill" series on the Pocatello Women?s Correctional Center, with the most recent installments covering medical and mental health care in prison:Treating InmatesEvery woman in Idaho placed under the care of the Department of Correction is screened at PWCC, even if they are headed for other facilities...

WA: the whole world's a panopticon

Posted on March 24, 2009
I for one welcome our watchful WSP overlords; here's an upbeat report from KING-5 on our bright future of total surveillance everywhere, all the time:Graffiti vandals spotted by WSP patrol planeGraffiti taggers usually wear dark clothing and commit their crime in the shadows at night...

Proverbs 12:6

Posted on March 22, 2009
With thanks to Life, Love & Laughter, from a March 2009 comment to a March 2006 post on a similar theme.

ID: Judge Burdick, how could you?

Posted on March 20, 2009
From Tara Rowe of The Political Game:Still don't think Zeb Bell's voice is an influence outside of his direct broadcast range in the Magic Valley? Zeb's guest this morning, a regular guest Senator Denton Darrington (R-Declo) brought on a guest of his own: Justice Roger S...

The view from the jury box

Posted on March 19, 2009
How it looks to Crista in California:They are public defenders and their dress, their hair, their speech all says "not paid enough..."

CA: kind-hearted principal in a black robe

Posted on March 19, 2009
From Monterey County Weekly:Tough Love in Juvenile Court - Judge Jonathan Price works to rehabilitate Monterey County?s youthAn ashamed-looking teenager shuffles into Judge Jonathan Price?s courtroom wearing bright orange sandals. The 16-year-old boy settles into a wooden chair next to his cheerless mom, as well as his attorney...

WA: turning away from the flat rate in Pasco

Posted on March 18, 2009
From the Tri-City Herald:Franklin County urged to restructure public defender contracts Franklin County should restructure its public defense contracts to reduce its vulnerability to lawsuits, county commissioners were warned Monday. "A county actually can be sued for the indigent defense services they provide, whether they be insufficient, of low quality or whatnot," said Eric Hsu, public defense coordinator for Benton and Franklin counties...

Gideon v. Wainwright, age 46

Posted on March 18, 2009
Awfully nice of Dennis at SCOIDBlog to remember Gideon on his big day:Today is the anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright. A sincere SCOIDBlog thank you to all the public defenders and appointed counsel...

CA: p.d. can fight city hall

Posted on March 17, 2009
Longtime blog readers know that I think San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi is pretty damn cool. Still, it's always worth considering contrary views, like this one from Ken Garcia at the Examiner:Public defender?s grandstanding masks office issuesPoliticians grandstanding in public will almost certainly attract headlines...

ID: the cost of justice in Lewiston

Posted on March 15, 2009
From the AP,via the P-I:Murder trials boost N. Idaho county's expensesTwo murder trials in northern Idaho's Nez Perce County have caused the county to dip into special funds but the county hasn't gone over budget, an officials says...

WA: almost midnight for condemned murderer

Posted on March 12, 2009
Here in progressive Washington, it looks like we're proceeding to an execution. From the Seattle Times: WA judge denies bid for execution stay A Thurston County judge denied a stay of execution Wednesday for Cal Coburn Brown, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection early Friday for the 1991 rape and murder of a 22-year-old Seattle-area woman...

Walter Mondale ?s p.d.s

Posted on March 11, 2009
For indigent defense, the former Vice-President wants to know, where's the beef? From the Washington Post:A Key Legal Right at RiskIt is crucial that the states rededicate themselves to providing competent defense counsel to all people facing criminal charges who cannot afford to pay...

SCOTUS: no speedy violation in Brillon

Posted on March 10, 2009
The Supreme Court has decided Vermont v. Brillon. Pro: Bobby G. Frederick at South Carolina Criminal Defense Blog. Contra: Jon Katz at Underdog Blog.

The scourge of lawyer advertising

Posted on March 09, 2009
Because if you've been injured, somebody somewhere owes you money:Unscrupulous? Perhaps.

AS: tweaking, fa'a Samoa

Posted on March 09, 2009
Take one of this blog's long-time preoccupations, add one of its odd enthusiasms, and what do you get? Methamphetamine news from American Samoa. From Radio New Zealand:Public Defender warns of growing drug problem in American SamoaThe American Samoa Public Defender, Ruth Risch, has urged the territory to pay attention to the growing drug problem...

MT: p.d. work not recession - proof

Posted on March 04, 2009

WA: it gets worse for King County's teen - battering deputy

Posted on March 03, 2009

ID: how to argue insanity in Idaho? "very carefully"

Posted on March 03, 2009

MN: "this job is stressful because, if you care, you can't help but be emotional"

Posted on March 01, 2009

WA: deputy assaults teenage girl in detention

Posted on February 28, 2009

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