Legal

Sometimes, when I read about federal law enforcement, it seems like they have magical superpowers that allow them to blow past any need to prove guilt in a courtroom. Congress has been passing so many criminal laws, and federal criminal procedure seems so slanted, that merely being investigated by the feds is the equivalent of a guilty verdict at the state level. I am reminded … [Read more...] about When the Justice Department Takes On a Corporation

New York Criminal Defense Lawyer Scott Greenfield has a fascinating examination of the dismissal motion in the Lori Drew prosecution. Drew is accused of helping her daughter set up fake MySpace page to trick a troubled young girl named Megan Meier into thinking she had made a new friend. Later, this "friend" turned mean and abusive and ultimately suggest that Megan should kill … [Read more...] about Greenfield On the Lori Drew Dismissal Motion

In the Chicago Tribune, Jon Hilkevitch is writing about increased enforcement of Scott's Law: Scott's Law, also known as the Move Over Law, requires a driver to change lanes, if it is safe to do so, or to reduce speed and proceed with caution when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle displaying flashing warning lights. Readers who were here last year may remember that I got … [Read more...] about One More Twist In My Criminal Career

Back when I reviewed Barry Cooper's Never Get Busted Again DVD, I wrote this about the third chapter: This chapter also has what's probably the most controversial piece of advice: Don't refuse the officer's request to search your car. That goes against everything I've ever read. However, on reflection, Cooper's argument isn't totally insane: As former defense attorney Ken … [Read more...] about Knowing When to Bend Like a Reed In the Stream…

Lawyer Steven Molo has posted a couple of comments to my review of his book, Your Witness: Lessons on Cross-Examination and Life From Great Chicago Trial Lawyers, and I thought they were interesting enough that I'm excerpting them here: I apologize if my comment about not being an avid reader of blogs was off-putting or had any ring of arrogance. I meant it more as an … [Read more...] about Steven Molo Comments