RHDefense: The Law Office of Rick Horowitz
Home of Probable Cause: The Legal Blog with the Really Low Standard of Review
If MySpace and Facebook mean anything, looking like a clown is the new cool.1 However, if you’ve been charged with a crime, you might want to consider at least temporarily re-vamping the camp: a MySpace makeover could keep you from suffering a stiffer sentence if you are convicted. A Facebook face-lift can make it easier for your lawyer to convince the District Attorney you deserve a break.
Endnotes:It’s always nice to win. It’s even nicer when you win and your client appreciates it. I received the following letter yesterday from a client and he gave me permission to share what he wrote: that’s why he wrote it, so that others would know what I did for him. I have, however, decided to use his first name only.
As they say on the Internet, “More after the jump.”
Earlier today, I received a call from someone seeking an attorney to defend them on a charge of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.1 One of the questions — a perfectly reasonable one — concerned my experience in defending DUIs.
Endnotes:In 1895, the United States Supreme Court noted that
The principle that there is a presumption of innocence in favor of the accused is the undoubted law, axiomatic and elementary, and its enforcement lies at the foundation of the administration of our criminal law.1
The Coffin Court, after stating this principle, pointed out that the concept is so well-established that “[i]t is stated as unquestioned in the text-books” and went on to explain that the presumption of innocence can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman law and even to the book of Deuteronomy.2
So why has the United States Department of Justice decided to officially abandon the principle?
Endnotes:
The Law Office of Rick Horowitz provides criminal defense services
in Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Kern, Madera and Merced Counties.
The Let’s-See-If-We-Can-Destroy-America Party
Before starting this post, let me point out that for years I was a card-carrying registered Republican. My beliefs about the Democratic Party are such that even after coming to the sad conclusion that I could no longer support the Republicans, I registered as “No Preference.” For reasons mostly relating to time, I won’t go into all the reasons for this right now.
However, I miss the old Republican Party. If we had truth-in-advertising laws, the new Republican Party would change its name to the “Let’s See If We Can Destroy America” Party. Then maybe we could have a real Republican Party again.
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