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SOPA (Temporarily?) Washes Out Blogs

January 17, 2012 By Rick Leave a Comment

This is a criminal defense law blog. For a criminal defense law office. As a criminal defense lawyer, I usually write about things that are of interest to those looking for criminal defense attorneys, or for other criminal defense attorneys, or just people who are interested in criminal defense.

But what someone has — or, rather, a few very rich someones have — been trying to do is a crime.

So today, I’m writing about SOPA/PIPA. Sounds like some kind of disease, doesn’t it? Soh’-pah pih’-pah. Maybe a virus.

And it is, actually. It’s the most powerful Internet virus yet.

Out of Sight

January 12, 2012 By Rick Leave a Comment

The last couple of days, I’ve been pondering something Jeff Gamso wrote, at least partly as a response to a comment I made on his blog. As with a lot of Jeff’s stuff, it’s taking me longer to consider than most things I read. I like that. I like that Jeff makes me think. Too many people in the world don’t seem to spend enough time thinking, or helping others think, these days.

Take these two cops, for instance.

The Importance of History for Freedom

January 9, 2012 By Rick 1 Comment

Like so many of my posts — I think this is why I sometimes have difficulty settling on what to write — this one is the culmination of an inchoate irritation that’s been growing in me for a long time. But, again like so many of my posts, it is finally birthed because of something specific that causes me to think my thoughts are finally falling into place well enough to begin writing.

Let’s see if that helps me give form to my thoughts in a way that you, dear readers, might begin to develop a similar, hopefully less-inchoate, irritation on the issue. Perhaps we can even arrive at a place at least more solid and substantial than President Obama’s backbone.

Public Pretenders

January 5, 2012 By Rick 2 Comments

At the risk of talking myself out of a job or two, let’s clear something up immediately: Even though it doesn’t apply to me (because as long as I’ve practiced law, I’ve always been a private attorney), I hate the phrase “Public Pretender.”

I hate that people use it; I hate to hear it. It’s pointless, usually slanderous, and in almost all cases — except perhaps in Kings County, California, where it is said contract attorneys will lose their contracts if they upset the ~~prosecutors in their black robes~~ judges – unwarranted.

I’ve never been a public defender. But when people ask, “Are you an attorney, or a public pretender?” my reaction is “a what?! what’s that?” I know exactly what they mean, of course, but I ask it in a tone that (I hope) communicates that I’m wondering if it’s some street performer, maybe a homeless actor or comedian.

And that I’m quite amused that there’s a name for such persons.

The Pain of Knowing

January 5, 2012 By Rick 1 Comment

Last night, after a conversation with another attorney about politics, the direction the country is taking, and how the attitudes developing drive law enforcement and the distortions we see in the criminal “justice” system, I published a blog post.

Don’t look for it: I’ve de-published it.

The post was a wonderfully fulfilling piece of venting.

I woke several times in the night, however, thinking about it and considering that it might not be what I wanted for my blog.

What I want for my blog is to use it to explain and to show that what is happening in the world of criminal “justice” is not at all what you — and I’m hoping by “you” that I’m targeting ordinary people; not just attorneys; not just the choir — really want.

Godwin’s Constitution

January 2, 2012 By Rick 5 Comments

The latest blog posting of a man — a criminal defense lawyer — whose opinions I very much respect, ~~even if the feeling does not appear to be mutual, and~~ (Scott says this isn’t true, so I’m crossing it out) even though I sometimes disagree with his opinions, inspires today’s blog post here. He appears to draw a connection between complaints “addressing any aspect of our fragile criminal justice system” that lead to some statement that “we live in a police state, our elected officials are tyrants and the Constitution is dead” and what he calls another corollary — Corollary 92 — of Godwin’s Law.

As with his statement that “it’s wrong,” I can find no support for calling it Corollary 92, but at least the latter claim is funny.

The former — plus the claim that it is “unhelpful” to make such statements — is not only unconvincing because similarly unsupported, but demonstrates why the mere statement of Godwin’s Law itself should not be considered the talisman it has become for discounting those with whom we disagree.

Since I am one of those who frequently claims that the Constitution is dead and since I think the position stated above is the one which is unhelpful, and even harmful, it is only fair that I respond.

Massachusetts Resurrects Star Chamber

December 31, 2011 By Rick 5 Comments

Let me apologize in advance for not doing some fancy-schmancy end-of-the-year post. It’s not that I’m not grateful to see 2011 starting to move into the rearview mirror. It’s more that I’m not wanting to waste another minute on it. If anything, 2011 seems to me to be the year the world’s police officer, the United States, finally turned itself — like too many other police officers these days — full-face towards corruption and fascism.

The fact that they aren’t crushing everyone (after all, I’m writing this, right?) yet, doesn’t really mean much. As Scott Greenfield put it in a slightly different context, “The laws are already in place, and continuing to be developed….”

Hold Out, Cossack & Other Adages

December 30, 2011 By Rick Leave a Comment

This post may sound self-congratulatory.

I don’t give a sh*t. It’s not meant to be that way. But after you read the post, maybe you’ll understand why I’m grateful my year can end on such a note.

This post is about how it feels sometimes to be a criminal defense attorney and about the occasional need to stop and remember that, no matter what, I have to keep going.

The End of the Rule of Law

December 24, 2011 By Rick Leave a Comment

I’m not sure what’s more disturbing about this story: the vague report making it unclear for which crime the man was convicted, the argument of the prosecution and determination of the judge that he should register as a sex offender, or the reaction of the idiots leaving comments — particularly comments attacking the defense attorney.

Frankly, I think it’s actually the combination of the three; they are all symptoms of the breakdown of the rule of law, our grossly dysfunctional society, and demonstrative of the fact that there are many more criminals amongst us than anyone cares to admit. Many of them are sitting judges, practicing prosecutors, or are busy leaving inane or ignorant comments on news websites.

Freedom of Speech & Blogging

December 21, 2011 By Rick Leave a Comment

I had intended to write today about something Scott Greenfield posted on his blog regarding questionable “studies” over the number of children being arrested in the United States. Is it increasing? Or decreasing?

At any rate, something more important came up.

SOPA (Temporarily?) Washes Out Blogs

Out of Sight

The Importance of History for Freedom

Public Pretenders

The Pain of Knowing

Godwin’s Constitution

Hold Out, Cossack & Other Adages

The End of the Rule of Law

Freedom of Speech & Blogging

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