Criminal Law

Thinking about getting qualified

Posted on January 29, 2013
Thinking about getting qualified to defend death penalty cases.  It's a scary thought.  Have to do a couple of murder trials as second chair in order to get qualified.  Have been assigned two.  One is really bothering me. A dead child...

A Not Guilty Client

Posted on April 09, 2012
We shall see tomorrow. I won't say he's innocent. Did some very questionable things. Some very stupid thing. But can the state prove it?I don't think so. I don't like defending people charged with trying to molest kids. But it comes with the job, as you all know...

How to defend the defenseless?

Posted on December 15, 2011
I've had more than my share in the last ten years. Clients without a defense. But the attitude that, "If they are going to charge me, they are going to spend the money for a trial." I get that they are entitled to a trial. I get it more than most people...

Do I Want a New Job??

Posted on November 20, 2011
Not really a new job. Just a different location. All my family is in another state. I live in Florida. I keep looking, keep applying. Everything tells me to stay put. Except my family. I love them. I hate missing the big events. I've never been to a birthday party of my siblings' children...

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The System Does Work

Posted on November 20, 2011
Wow!!! A loooong time since my last post.New office, new clients. I've been reassigned to a smaller office, only two attorneys. Luckily, I was able to take a good friend with me. The secretaries are great, unbelievable actually. They seem to know what to do before I tell them...

The mother from Hell...

Posted on May 19, 2010
I had something happen today that I have never encountered."Ma'am, do you have kids?" "No, I don't." "Well, that would explain why you just don't understand."WHAT???I've been a juvenile PD for 8 years, and I don't understand? Just because you don't like the fact that I represent your child, and have to abide by his wishes rather than yours? Because you want him to get drug treatment, not be on probation? Because you called the cops on him when you found pot in his backpack, and thought the cops wouldn't write a report? Are you f***ing kidding me??? What the hell did you think would happen?And to say that I am not helping your child because I am listening to what he wants, rather than what you want? I realize you are the parent, and what I do in no way affects what you feel you need to do as a parent...

A very uncommon occurance...

Posted on April 27, 2010
I handle both juvenile and felony cases. Juvenile, because I absolutely love it. Felony, because I'm the senior attorney in the office. Very often the paths cross. Too often. Either I have parents of my juveniles in felony court, sometimes with the same charges...

Public Defender Revolution: THE POWER OF YEP!

Posted on April 27, 2010
One of the best blogs I've ever read....Public Defender Revolution: THE POWER OF YEP!

Well, it's been a while....

Posted on April 27, 2010
I keep plugging along, and don't always keep up with things the way I should. Including keeping people who follow this "sometimes" blog informed.I like to talk about my cases, but obviously have to be very careful about details. Not sure how the bosses would appreciate me posting things...

And now, for something completely different...

Posted on February 14, 2010
It's funny what a song can do.I miss my dad.My father died almost 24 years ago. I was 17. He's been gone longer than I knew him. But it hurts. Alot. Sometimes...most times...I hate emotions.I was always a "daddy's girl." Always wanted to tell him first about everything that happened...

WOW....

Posted on November 10, 2009
I know it's been a loooooong time. But I've been made aware of something that I can't ignore....WOW!!! That's all I can say about this video. Unbelievable!I am so glad that I don't practice in Maricopa County, AZ. I think all public defenders, and defense attorneys in general, at least on occasion, question the actions and integrity of law enforcement...

The Sixth Amendment

Posted on May 05, 2008
I wish I could understand the mentality of some prosecutors. A person accused of a crime is granted the right to a public and speedy trial. A right so important, the states have adopted it in their criminal procedure rules. So why should persons accused be punished for exercising their rights?? It never ceases to amaze me the number of times that a prosecutor is OFFENDED by the fact that a client wants a trial...

New page part

Posted on May 02, 2008
I have added a new part to my page. It's supposed to be called My Daily Diversions, but I'm still working on the formatting.It seems that the one thing that will calm me down and clear my head after a really tough day at work is cuteness! There are several pages that I view regularly, including Cute Overload, The Daily Puppy, and Funny Cat Pictures...

An Update..

Posted on May 02, 2008
I know it's again been a while. But so, so busy. Just a quick update on some prior stories.Bar Complaint -It took a while (such a loooong while from my perspective). But the Bar finally said that my client had no basis for complaint. Just as an aside, I've learned from another client that the one that filed the complaint is now regretting it...

Bar Complaints

Posted on January 25, 2008
I know it's been quite some time since I've posted to this blog. Alot has been going on at work. People quitting, people retiring, caseload shifting, additions, subtractions, promotions. The list goes on and on. But today prompted me to renew my blog...

Children in Handcuffs...and Shackles

Posted on April 11, 2007
This story bothers me. It shouldn't be true. But it is.But I think what bothers me more is the amount of people on the web that think this is a joke, an April Fool's Day prank. It just couldn't be true. People, we couldn't make this stuff up!!I guess none of those people read this story in the Orlando Sentinel...

I hate reading the paper...

Posted on April 11, 2007
Aside from the fact that I get genuinely depressed by reading about all the war, death, destruction, and turmoil in the world, I really hate reading the local paper. Why is it that small town newspapers always have a "Police Blotter" section?After working here for a while as a PD, reading the Police Blotter is like old home week...

Monday was a good day...and Tuesday wasn't bad.

Posted on April 11, 2007
I had an old friend come into town Monday. He's a former public defender, now working for a prosecutor's office in a small county. So small there are only three prosecutors for the whole county. Well, there are supposed to be three. But one is out on maternity leave...

A miracle worker?

Posted on March 20, 2007
Unfortunately, I'm not. Unlike what most of my clients think.They bad-mouth the public defender, calls us public "pretenders." Public "offenders." Mostly because we can't get their case dismissed and have the prosecutor and the judge give them a public apology...

Just another day at the office...

Posted on March 17, 2007
After struggling for a couple of days coming to terms with the fact that my client, in my opinion wrongfully convicted, will likely be going to prison, I go back to work to try and get another client out of jail. She's had the third death in her family in three years...

Sometimes I hate this job...

Posted on March 14, 2007
That's not true. Really, it's not. I love my job. It's so frustrating though! Seeing the same clients over and over and over again, same crime, different victim, same crime, different drug, same crime, different location, yada, yada.But today has to be the most frustrating kind of day...

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