America consists of three branches of government, all working together to guarantee us – even alleged criminals – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Except, of course, that it doesn’t – not at all. First of all, they aren’t supposed to work together. They are supposed to be in tension, serving to check and balance […]
Five-Year Anniversary of Police Trampling Bay Area Citizens’ Rights, Killing Their Dogs And Burning Their House
Last Friday, Vallejo police fired tear gas into a house that they thought was inhabited by robbery suspects. They were wrong. The suspects weren’t in the house — just two little dogs. By the end of the assault, the house was on fire and one dog was dead. When I read this KGO news report, […]
Sometimes the evidence is stacked
Sometimes the evidence is stacked against you. There’s a clear, well-lit video on which you can be seen and heard stating “As God is my witness, my name is John Q. Public and I am acting of my own free will!” before punching someone in the face, or drinking 10 shots of Jägermeister and driving […]
2013.09.19: The Guy Who Came
2013.09.19: The Guy Who Came In From The Cold 2013.09.03: Show Your Work 2013.08.31: Good Cops, Bad Cops 2013.07.16: Prisoners of Second-Hand Stupidity 2013.05.09: Frankly, Defendant, They Don’t Give A Damn — Better Hire An Attorney Who DOES! 2013.04.11: The Long, Fumbling, And Arbitrary Arm Of The Law (Just Hung Up On You) 2013.04.02: What […]
It’s not surprising that mental
It’s not surprising that mental health issues and substance abuse problems are major contributors to crime in California. What is surprising is how few attorneys seem to know how to have a meaningful discussion with their clients about these issues. Some of my clients suffer from profound mental illness; they’re hard to talk to. If […]