The Tom Spargo Witchhunt

I ran across a mention of Tom Spargo today and figured I'd look into his situation. I've always liked him. I knew him before he was a judge. He handled an election law case in front of the judge I worked for, and was a pleasure to work with. I knew him as a judge, and he was one of my favorites. He combined brains, hard work and common sense. That last one is very special.I also worked with him

Dan Abrams and the Presumption of Innocence

I just read this op-ed piece by Dan Abrams in the Wall Street Journal. He responds to criticism about media ignoring the presumption of innocence. In one sense he is correct -- that the presumption really applies to juries. The general public is not required to presume someone innocent. But his characterization of the criminal process is what got me.My favorite quote is this one: Essentially we

Interesting cross-examination by a prosecutor

The video below shows inappropriate conduct for a prosecutor, or any attorney, in a courtroom, and I'd say the same for the judge. The witness is Stacy Castor in Syracuse. Read more about it at the Syracuse Post-Standard. You think a defense lawyer would be allowed to scream at a cop like this?

Craig Watkins: A Great Prosecutor

Solid article in the Wall Street Journal today about a prosecutor in Dallas. Craig Watkins was elected DA there in 2006. He's made a name for himself by thoroughly reviewing dubious convictions and using DNA evidence for that purpose.He actually created a unit within his office, the "Conviction Integrity Unit," to review cases. They've cleared six innocent men so far. Some of the article includes

Prosecutors: Some Things Never Change

I've blogged a lot in the past about prosecutors in the Albany area. I had a new experience about a half-hour ago that I feel compelled to relate.In one local county the District Attorney's office has undergone a lot of changes in the past year or so. I had substantial problems with that office in the past. With the recent changes I had hoped that things would be better. Today tells me I might be

San Diego Criminal Court - The Marine Widow Case

We finished the San Diego Superior Courts, and I came across a great story in the process. It's apparently called the Marine Widow case, and that link is to a story about it. Heard in San Diego Criminal Court.Short version: Marine dies. Wife responds by getting a boob job with the life insurance money, joining wet t-shirt contests, and shagging other soldiers. Also buys herself out of substantial

Sad Irony - A Good DWI Prosecutor Charged With DWI in Albany

I got a couple e-mail last night or this morning. My friend Joe Meany, an Assistant District Attorney in Albany, was charged with DWI. You can read some of the details (I can't verify the accuracy) in an article in the Times Union.Joe prosecutes, or perhaps I should say used to prosecute, DWI cases in Albany. My regular readers (all three of them :-) ) will be surprised to see me say this about a

David Soares - One of the most feared and respected politicians in NY?

The 1/18/07 issue of the Metroland features Albany District Attorney David Soares on the front cover. The photo has him in a "tough" pose - arms crossed, no smile. There's a similar photo at the first page of the article, which you can also see on the online version: http://www.metroland.net/back_issues/vol30_no03/features.htmlThe cover text indicates that Soares is now "one of the most feared

Criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors

A question/comment I hear from time to time is this: How can you defend someone you know is guilty?There are a some variations. My favorite is: What if you were defending someone you knew was guilty and you won? How would you feel about that? Answer: I'd feel GREAT!!! It means I did a great job.Now here's how I really respond: Do you ask prosecutors how they can prosecute someone they know is