The Judas Iscariot Sentencing Argument

Only rarely have I been able to use the Judas Iscariot sentencing argument. I did so today. My client was found guilty of murder, and faces a maximum of 60 years. There is little doubt he will get every bit of that, given the fact that he faces many other charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
So rather than bend a knee and request mercy, we took a "bring it on" posture.
After the jury left the room, the judge asked about a sentencing date.
"We're anxious to take an appeal, Judge," I said.
"Considering this verdict," I continued, "I am mindful...
March 23, 2015

Call Me Lazarus

I came home after dark last night to a report from my wife that our emu had died. She spotted him lifeless in the back of an outbuilding in which he seeks shelter. I could not bear the thought of dealing with him last night. It had been too long and too difficult a week.
I went out not long ago to bury him. A dismal sort of task I avoided all day long.
I was suspicious as I walked out to the building in which she saw him. From the barn to his outbuilding were what appeared to be fresh tracks in new fallen show. How could this be?
I walked up to the building, and was overcome...
March 23, 2015

Using Liars to Find the Truth?

Trial, some say, is a search for the truth. That’s specious tomfoolery. In fact, trial, at least a criminal trial, is guerilla warfare. Some of the most lethal terrorists are prosecutors. Fear and the dark arts of intimidation are common tools.
Consider the case of United States versus John Rowland.
Rowland, as everyone knows, is Connecticut’s former governor. He’s already done one brief term of imprisonment for fraud and something called theft of honest services. It all had to do with receipt of funds to put a hot tub in a small cottage he owned near Bantam Lake...
March 22, 2015

Public Defenders For All

I’ve never understood why folks don’t regard public defenders as real lawyers. Some of the best lawyers in the state are public defenders — I am thinking of New Haven’s Thomas Ullman, Beth Merkin and Joe Lopez, among others. What’s more, many folks accused of crimes would be better off with a public defender at their side than with a private lawyer.
I’ll go so far as to say that the single most important criminal justice reform this nation can undertake would be to appoint a public defender for each and every person accused of a crime.
The...
March 12, 2015

Sentencing Reform Overdue in Connecticut

March 8, 2015
Gov. Dannel Malloy is calling for reform of some of the state's draconian sentencing laws, proposing that mere drug possession be a misdemeanor, and...

Sentencing and its Discontents

March 4, 2015
I was sitting with a client, a federal prosecutor and a FBI agent the other night. We were engaged in what is known as a “reverse...

Defense Lawyers as "Law Enforcement" Officers

February 27, 2015
At courthouses throughout the state, the public at large is required to walk through a metal detector to gain entrance. This includes criminal...

The Fallacy of Accountability

February 26, 2015
Now that we've abolished the death penalty in Connecticut, at least insofar as future cases are concerned, the fate of those currently on death row...

Quick Reviews: All The Light We Cannot See

February 22, 2015
I'm inaugurating a new feature on this blog: quick reviews.
If you're like me, there just isn't enough time to read. I'll post reviews here of...

Inconvenient Truths in Adnan Syed's Case

February 18, 2015
Regulars in the criminal courts develop a certain cynicism. It’s a survival instinct, really. We all know the system isn’t perfect....

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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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