The Real "Crisis" Behind Gun Violence

Is gun violence in the United States a public health crisis? There are plenty of people who seem to think so. And these folks are quick to call for improved mental health services as a way of addressing what they regard as an epidemic.
I’ve news for the public healthniks: gun violence is far more serious than a public health matter. It reflects a broader crisis in the legitimacy of public institutions. Gun violence is a cry for help, all right, but not just from a few unhinged folks. We’re all in need of help just now.
What is legitimacy?
It’s the...
December 16, 2015

Getting Radicalized in an Era of Jihad

I have a confession to make. It’s not pretty. Indeed, given the argot of the day, it’s pretty terrifying. You see, I’ve been ”radicalized.”
Why, I am even going to take a course to qualify for a pistol permit, this coming from a guy who once wrote, and still believes, that repeal of the Second Amendment would be a good idea — the world would be better without guns.
But I’ve been radicalized, you see. Maybe a gun or two isn’t such a bad thing.
ISIS, or ISIL, or Daesh, or what President Obama referred to the other night in a...
December 10, 2015

Allahu Akbar? No, Thanks.

“So, will you be voting for Donald Trump?”
The question came from a public defender in a quiet voice, scarcely audible above the sound of the judge advising a defendant of something. We were sitting in the well of the court, misbehaving.

“I don’t think so,” I giggled. “But these days, you just can’t be sure.”

You see, I’ve become an Islamophobe, and, as with most things related to opinions, I discuss it openly. A friend of mine who writes an opinion column...
December 8, 2015

Public Trials for Public Killings

At least two people a day are shot to death by police officers in the United States each and every day. As of Tuesday, the total for the year is 895, according to a website updated daily by The Washington Post — 66 folks have been killed in the past 30 days. Two of this year’s deaths were in Connecticut; both decedents were white males.
I did not call the persons shot “victims” for a reason. Police officers are trained to use deadly force, and they have the right to use it when faced with near and grave danger. Just how officers are trained to perceive risk and...
December 2, 2015

An Invitation To John Grisham

November 19, 2015
I imagine John Grisham, the best-selling author of plot-driven legal thrillers, channel surfing late one night on his 100-plus-acre farm in Oxford,...

Now Is Not The Time To Welcome Syrian Migrants

November 19, 2015
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy thinks Connecticut ought to open its arms to Syrian migrants. Of course, he wants assurances the migrants are appropriately...

White Male Privilege? Hooey

November 11, 2015
Much has been made, and will continue to be made, of the past week’s events at the University of Missouri and, closer to home, at Yale. These...

Integrity, Color Blindness and Juries

November 5, 2015
If the recently argued case of Foster v. Chatman teaches anything, it is that there probably is no fail-safe way to police the conduct of lawyers...

New Haven's Aborted Assault on Fourth Amendment

November 5, 2015
At the end of a long day, the last face I expect to see, tucking me in and whispering endearments, is that of New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman....

The "Ferguson Effect" Is Most Likely BS

October 28, 2015
Causation, as trial lawyers know, is a notoriously difficult subject. We're taught, for example, what scientists know: two events apparently related...

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Taking Back the Courts
Norm Pattis Taking Back the Courts

The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorites movies as a kid. Little did I know judges were so much like the wizard, hiding behind empty trappings of power. This book tells you things you need to know about what really goes on in court. Read it, weep, and then demand that the courts do better.

In the Trenches
Norm Pattis In the Trenches

Plenty of lawyers write about the law, but few who write try cases. Judge for yourself whether I talk the talk and walk the walk in this collection of occasional essays about life in the law's trenches.

Juries and Justice
Norm Pattis Juries and Justice

How prepared are you to take seriously the notion that 'we the people' are, in fact, sovereign? Discover the secret, and unused, power of jurors. 'Ask why; then nullify.'

Norm Pattis

About Norm

Norm Pattis is a Connecticut based trial lawyer focused on high stakes criminal cases and civil right violations. He is a veteran of more than 150 jury trials, many resulting in acquittals for people charged with serious crimes, multi-million dollar civil rights and discrimination verdicts, and scores of cases favorably settled.

© Norm Pattis is represented by Elite Lawyer Management, managing agents for Exceptional American Lawyers
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