Why Men Should Wear Man Purses

As a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles, I spend a LOT of time in security lines.  Being an attorney, I’m usually able to skip to the front.  However, from time to time, I find myself stuck behind men who are taking FOREVER to put their belongings in that little plastic tray that goes on the conveyor belt and into the x-ray machine.

They take their wallet out, then their keys, then their cell phone.  They start to go through the metal detector.  Wooops!  It beeps.  They have to go back – what could be beeping?  Ohhhh, you have all that change in your pocket.  Yes, that’s metal.  It will make the METAL detector beep…

Meanwhile I am tapping my foot behind them, ready to place my purse with ALL my belongings, on the conveyor belt.  So easy!

Men should wear Man Purses like this one:  

 

That way they don’t have an impatient criminal defense attorney behind them…

 

 

Related Articles

• Mind Of Man: Don’t Call It A “Man Purse” (thefrisky.com)
• A Historical View of Purses and Handbags (handbags-luggage.suite101.com)

Sheriff Baca – Are you a lawyer?

I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m a criminal defense attorney that I find today’s article in the LA Times about LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, funny.   What I found particularly funny wasn’t his stance against the legalization of marijuana (predictable, snoooooze), but the fact that Baca predicted that Prop 19, if passed, would be superseded by federal law (true) and would be found unconstitutional (huh???).

When did Sheriff Baca become an attorney?  And why exactly does he believe that it is within his purview to enforce laws that are no longer in existence simply because he believes that they could be found unconstitutional at some later point?  That’s preposterous.   His job is to enforce the laws of the State of California – he doesn’t get to choose which laws are enforced and which are not based upon his own personal opinion of what might happen at a later date in some appellate court that he will not even be permitted to argue in front of.

Phaedra Parks: Real Housewife of Atlanta? Or Real Waste of an Opportunity?

I hate to admit it, but I am an avid fan of Bravo TV’s, Real Housewives of Atlanta.   The outfits, the makeup, the shopping, the bickering, the pop songs and wigs … what a great formula for irresistible trash TV! (Don’t judge me, I also read – just finished “The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen.  It’s all about balance).  So of course I was more than excited about this upcoming season as I heard that an attorney (and a criminal defense attorney at that!) would be featured as one of the Housewives.   I was wondering what kind of casting Bravo had done – would she be a cliche?  

Episode 2 of Season 3 was entitled “Model Behavior”.  They introduced the final housewife, who is in fact, a model.  It was of course, a play on words as good behavior is always an issue with the any of the housewives.  This episode also shows Phaedra Parks in her office and that particular scene surprised me.

Living in Los Angeles, I am surprised I don’t bump into a reality TV production crew on every street corner.  When I was a public defender, I heard rumors of a reality show focusing on some of the attorneys in that office.  Another time there was an email being sent around our office about some filmmakers who wanted to do a documentary on the lives of public defenders.  My understanding was that most of these projects got shot down because of issues of confidentiality.  How would the producers of these projects be able to capture criminal defense attorneys in their natural habitat?  Getting cameras in a courtroom would be problematic, and certainly cameras wouldn’t be allowed into lockup or during client interviews…

So that was why I was so surprised with that particular scene.  I’m assuming she had him sign a waiver of confidentiality for that particular scene.  Even still…I found it disturbing.  She allowed her client to make a statement about his case ON CAMERA.

I spend most of my time telling my clients not to say anything to anybody, ESPECIALLY if they know they are being taped or recorded.  That is my gut instinct as a criminal defense attorney – the less statements from your client, the easier your job is, the better you can protect them.

Of course her clients’ statement was a denial, and was it just me, or did the whole thing seem staged?  I’m not questioning his innocence, because after all, we are ALL innocent until proven guilty, right?  And I shouldn’t be surprised that reality shows are often staged…it’s just that the whole scene just didn’t sit right for me.

I understand that these women go on these shows to promote themselves and maybe make some cash (Don’t be Tardy for the Party – Woaaaahhhh, woaaahhh), but that scene got to me.  I don’t care that she’s married to an ex-felon, and I don’t care that she used to represent Bobby Brown (and as Nene artfully pointed out – “EXCUSE ME, Bobby Brown was 10 years ago!”).  But if she wanted to expose the inequalities of the criminal justice system, she wasn’t doing that in that scene.  She was just promoting herself  – that was all about how great Phaedra was – you see her receptionist in the front of her posh office which appears to be in a highrise building.  She meets him in a tastefully appointed conference room, dressed to the nines, makeup perfect, and not a hair out of place.  She posts something on Bravo’s website “Phaedra on Felons” but the comment seems more like an after thought and an opportunity to – surprise – promote herself further and justify her upcoming nuptials to an ex-felon.

First of all – no one cares – you’re not the first attorney to marry a client or an ex-felon, and you probably won’t be the last.  Secondly – what a waste of a unique opportunity!  You’ve got a national platform to talk about the criminal justice system and instead you sandwich that between 2 paragraphs about your fiancee on Bravo’s website?!?

What a Real waste.

Law & Order? I don’t think so – Prosecutorial Misconduct in California

My last post criticized the LA Times – this post is going to praise them.  An article about prosecutorial misconduct! As criminal defense trial lawyers, we know it happens – we hear about it when it happens to our friends and colleagues, and we see it for ourselves.  I have often been asked  how I can live with myself doing the job that I do –  Well this article highlights one of the most important reasons I am a criminal defense attorney:  to defend the public against people like this.  

Now don’t get me wrong – I have had the pleasure of going up against many fine and ethical prosecutors.  In my personal experience, most prosecutors have an excellent standard of ethics.  It’s the ones who you know are playing hide the ball – that are pushing you and your client towards trial with the knowledge that they can’t prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, when really, they should either be dismissing or offering you a really REALLY good deal.  Now I know that behavior may not be defined as prosecutorial misconduct by an appellate court, but I happen to think that it’s shady.  Sometimes our opinions may differ – I may think they have a weak case, they may look at it differently – but that’s not the situation I’m talking about.  It the situations where they KNOW they haven’t been able to speak to a key witness, or where they spring a suggestive six pack color lineup on you during trial where identification is the defense (that happened to me in my first trial EVER) – those are the situations I’m talking about.

What was most disturbing to me about the article, wasn’t that it happens- but that reprimand by the State Bar is so infrequent.  6 out of the 707 cases of prosecutorial misconduct over the past 12 years have been disciplined.  Only 6.  Keep in mind that these are just the cases that are reported – if a court finds the misconduct to be harmless, they are not required to forward this finding to the State Bar.  They should be.

After reading this article, I hope the general public starts to understand how important a criminal defense attorneys job is.  I feel like I’m always whining about how under appreciated we are, but maybe there’s a good reason for it.  I had a prosecutor friend say to me the other day, “You should come over to the side of Law & Order.”  And my response was, “I already am!”

The Press – Friend and Foe

I woke up this morning to get ready to go to court – just have one  matter and I will be done in court for the day.  I was going through my morning routine, which includes reading the news, getting my breakfast ready, picking out the clothes I am going to wear, when I came across this LA Times Article “Judge Halts Execution of Rapist and Murder”.  I am an opponent of the death penalty so this article piqued my interest, and especially the way the article was titled.

That title is meant to get you incensed – how on earth could a judge do such a thing? Save a rapist?  Save a murderer? Halt this monsters’ execution?

But if you read the article, it’s about the legality of the method in which a person is put to death in California. It reveals that recent inmates who have been executed in California may have not been completely anesthetized and may have suffered extreme pain from the cocktail of injections they received.  The way I read it, it suggest that the method in California may be cruel and unusual punishment, which is unconstitutional in our great nation.

It’s not about a judge “saving” a murderer or rapist.  The title is the first thing you read – it’s the theme that you carry with you while you read the article.  Will the average reader be able to read that article objectively?  Is the title just meant to grab the readers’ attention? Or is it meant to create fear that our justice system is getting soft and we need to toughen up on crime?  Because I can tell you, from working the front lines, a criminal defense attorneys’ job just gets harder and harder.

In my mind, I’ve always framed the death penalty issue as a human rights issue, and an issue for humanity.  I am sure that there are philosophers out there who can put it more eloquently than I will ever be able to express, so I will simply say that I oppose the death penalty.

The Press can be a friend to a cause as well – take for example, Jose Antonio Vargas and his series on the AIDS epidemic in Washington DC.  His work has inspired the documentary “The Other City”, a powerful film chronicling the real life experiences of those suffering from HIV/AIDS in our nations’ capital.

I don’t think the LA Times article does anything helpful for the anti-death penalty cause, and I have no idea if that was even the point.  I saw the title, was interested, and then immediately annoyed.  That title was there to get me to click on it.  Thoughts?

Related Articles

• Executions in the U.S. delayed by shortage of lethal drug (calgaryherald.com)
• Shortage of lethal injection drug halts US executions (telegraph.co.uk)
• Honor homicide victims – oppose death penalty (sfgate.com)

Juvenile Criminal Defense – 2 very different stories

I had a juvenile criminal case today which I was able to settle favorably.  The minor was a very nice kid, 14 years old, who came from a stable 2 parent, middle class household.   He made a silly mistake and his parents stepped in right away to correct the behavior.  The criminal courts stepped in as well, which cued my entry into the whole thing.  I have hopes that I was able to settle the case in a way that would allow my client to lead a happy and productive life, but also learn from his experience and not repeat the behavior.

Today I spoke with a fellow criminal defense attorney friend of mine who had a 14 year old client – only he was not a juvenile court client, his case was being adjudicated in adult court.  Even though he was not an adult, he was being treated as one. I didn’t get a chance to ask my friend what he was charged with, but for a 14 year old to be in adult court, it was probably a very serious crime, perhaps murder, attempted murder, or something of the sort.

I started to wonder if there were any similarities between her client and mine.  Was it possible that her client came from a middle class background?  From a stable 2 parent household?  Did he go to school?  Did his parents step in with a firm hand the first time he had a brush with the law?

I don’t know, but I am guessing that my client and hers came from very different backgrounds.  That while the above questions could possibly be answered in the affirmative, it was likely that they would not be.  Representing juvenile clients has been some of my most rewarding work as a criminal defense attorney, but it is not without its moments of unbelievable sadness.  It’s sometimes difficult to get out of bed in the morning and make your way to the office or to court.

The best you can do is remember who you are fighting for – the underdog, the under represented, the often misunderstood, and sometimes, the under cared for.   Remembering that makes it easier to keep fighting.

Saved by the Bell

I was having a really rough week.  As a criminal defense attorney, you deal with all sorts of cases:  sex crimes, juvenile cases, DUI, domestic violence, drug possession, etc, etc.   And on top of that you often have to be in 2 places at the same time (if you’re lucky enough to be that busy, which thankfully, I am).  Because of the hurdles and hoops I must sometimes jump through, along with the constant demand for my time and attention, it can be easy to lose sight of why I am a criminal defense lawyer.  And today on the way back from criminal court, I was starting to feel that way – distracted with daily procedure and protocol.  Frustrated and stressed out.

Then the phone rang, but I was unable to pick it up in time.  They left a voicemail.   It was the mother of a juvenile client I had represented in a potentially life changing case. She was calling to thank me and left a heart felt message that almost brought tears to my eyes.  Cheesy I know.  But it snapped me right back onto the right path and reminded me of why I love being a criminal defense attorney – even through all the procedure, the stress, the frustration, the anxiety – I am able to make a difference, and that feels good.

Rough day at the office

Man, today felt rough.  I had several court appearances in two different courts.  Timing (and timeliness) means a lot in this business and you have to make sure NOT to cultivate a reputation for being late and unreliable.  I had to pay a locksmith a bunch of money and I’m sure that I was swindled somehow, but I was on such a tight schedule that I didn’t really have a choice.  Dealing with the locksmith placed me behind schedule about 30 minutes.   I had several clients who were in custody and I wanted to make sure that I spent enough time with each of them so that they understood what was going on.  Clients inevitably have lots of questions, which is fine.  This can be complicated stuff, and especially when they’re in custody, tensions can be high.  Efficiency is something I learned at the public defender’s office.  Thankfully in private practice I have more time with my clients, but every once in awhile I go right back into the efficiency mode.  That’s usually just when I have to go to court and am juggling a lot of appearances in one day.  It doesn’t happen often as I’m pretty good at managing my calender.  One thing that is always helpful though is being nice, polite, and having a smile on your face – even when you don’t want to.

What DID put a smile on my face was the new website I have is coming along very nicely and the finishing touches are being done as we speak.  It should be up and running by next week!

Criminal Defense: Vile? Or Necessary?

Image by dbking via Flickr

I had known in law school that I wanted to practice criminal defense and the minute I passed the bar I applied to and was accepted for employment with the Los Angeles County Public Defender‘s Office. I had clerked there for 2 years in law school and was so excited to be able to finally do what I was sure I would love.

And I did love it. Only when I told other people (even other lawyers) that I was a criminal defense attorney, most people looked at me with shock in their face. This shock did not come from the fact that I was young (I was 26 when I started practicing law), but from the fact that I was practicing (in their opinion), a vile and despicable area of law. I fielded (and continue to field) questions like, “How do you sleep at night?” “How can you live with yourself?” “Aren’t you scared of your clients?” “Well you plead them all guilty automatically if they’re guilty, right?”

I don’t really look at criminal defense that way. Some people have the luxury of making it a black and white issue. I do not. My job is to make sure that the constitution is protected. My job is to make sure that the constitution isn’t just a lot of words written down in a book, but an actual way of life. My job is to prevent the police from just stopping you on the street for no reason. My job is to prevent the government from locking you up without probable cause or reasonable suspicion. My job is to prevent us from living in a police state. My job is to make sure that laziness and bureaucracy do not take precedence over your rights and what is just. My job…is hard.

I am in private practice now and my philosophy hasn’t changed. Of course there is a business aspect to it, but I make sure that my clients rights come first, sometimes before my own needs, and of course, within reason. It is easy for the people in ivory towers and the talking heads to brand someone a criminal, call them guilty, and move on to the next news story about the latest celebrity scandal. But people are not perfect, and you never know when a simple mistake, a bad decision, an unfortunate circumstance, or bad timing, can put you in a position where you or your loved one are forced to defend your reputation, your freedom, and even your life. If you or someone you loved were ever to be in that situation, wouldn’t you want someone who didn’t pass judgment on you? Wouldn’t you want someone who treated you like a human being, and respected and revered the constitution and all the rights and liberties it bestows on everyone here in America? I would.

So, to answer one of the oft asked questions – I sleep just fine at night.

Related Articles

• The Age of Government Terror (disquietreservations.blogspot.com)
• WWJD? Criminal Defense :: South Carolina Criminal Defense Blog (southcarolinacriminaldefenseblog.com)
• What is Criminal Defense? (brainz.org)