Criminal Defense
Succeeding with even the most despicable-seeming opponents through sticking, keeping within arms length, the joy of intelligence, non-duality, and equanimity
Remember importance of keeping proverbial physical contact with opponents, because maintaining physical contact with an opponent gives us the best chance not only to listen to and anticipate where they are coming from now and next, but also to neutralize and overcome their attacks much...
The landmines of inmates’ pretrial conversations with friends and family — all recorded
At some point, people detained pending their criminal trials -- and their friends and family -- let their guard down that all their conversations (save attorney-client communications, ordinarily) are tape-recorded and often reviewed and used by law enforcement and prosecutors.
Police must at least be competent and should instead be highly qualified
The Tulsa sheriff's department's hiring of volunteer sheriff Robert Bates on the apparent cheap cost the life of Eric Harris, a tragedy for Mr. Harris's family, Bates's conviction and pending sentencing, and likely a huge dollar payoff from any lawsuit that Mr. Harris's family has...
Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights for Over 200,000 Who Have Completed Their Felony Sentences
On April 22, 2016, Virginia's governor Terry McAuliffe restored the voting rights, and right to run for office and be a notary public, for over two hundred thousand people who have completed their felony sentences, and any supervised release, parole or probation.
The lengths to which the courts allow the Fourth Amendment to be stretched to its breaking point
This police state still exists because too many people support and tolerate it, and because it has taken on a life of its own. The police state can still be reversed, but we need to work together and doggedly to reverse it.
Make Marijuana Legal By The Next 4/20
By now, with medical marijuana legalized in so many states and legalized in four states for recreational use, we know that marijuana appeals far beyond stereotypical stoners. Its medicinal uses for pain, anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorder come without many of the undesirable side...
Persuasion through seed planting and seed watering
A criminal defense lawyer has a choice between wowing a client with oratory and panache, or delivering results in a more subtle way. Results are always more important than oratory and panache, although sometimes all can be accomplished at once. When the client has faith...
Virginia Court of Appeals affirms felony drag racing conviction
Those who drag race in Virginia face serious penalties if convicted. Racing on any roadway or other places open to traffic is a class 1 misdemeanor jailable up to one year for reckless driving, and requires a driver's license suspension of six months to two...
The necessity of a trial flowchart and preserving the record for appeal
Bailey underlines the necessity of going to trial with a flowchart listing the elements needed to prove the case, and to preserve issues for appeal, which Bailey's trial lawyer here accomplished by timely arguing that the evidence was insufficient to convict.
Listen to your gut if you sense danger and to your nose if you smell toxicity
When I point out the importance of maintaining no anger against, no paranoia with, arms-length distance to, compassion for, and non-duality with our opponents, that does not mean to avoid our common sense against playing with fire, turning our backs on someone who will try...