Blog Posts

Karen Goodrow is one of my heroines. She is Director of Connecticut’s Innocence Project. Her salary is paid by the State’s Public Defender’s Office, and she is housed by the good folks of McCarter & English, who serve the gods demanding pro bono service. She is a true believe,...

Even though I own a bookstore, I spend far too much money each month on books. My wife and I are print addicts. We love reading. I've even gone so far as to purchase a Kindle from Amazon, which permits me to get eletronic versions of books on line.
Kindle also sells blogs. You purchase monthly...

Reports are trickling in from around the country that the number of pro se cases is on the rise. Perhaps that is what it will take to make the courts and bar regulators understand what it is like to actually practice, rather than merely preach, the law.
Commentators blame the economy for the...

Some clients are more challenging than others. They can present issues you've never seen before, challenging you to be creative. Consider the following as an example.
In today's mail arrived a copy of a letter sent to a judge of the Superior Court by a client of ours in a criminal case. The...

Yesterday's New York Times carried what journalists call a "thumb sucker" on foreign reporting. To those unfamiliar with the genre, that is a piece of navel gazing cut loose from any hard news peg. Call it a floating reflection on whatever the writer thinks of merit. See, These Days, No Reporting...

Mere presence is a common defense in criminal cases. Thus, although you were standing next to the person who eventually pulled a gun out and robbed the bank, you are not a coc0nspirator unless you and the robber actually conceived of the heist. You were merely present when another person...

Did I read that right? The federal government out and out gave American International Group $170 billion to keep from folding, and the company now plans to give $160 million in bonuses? I understand the need to stimulate the economy, but tossing lard-drenched oats to the swine makes no sense. Don't...

I haven't darkened the door of a church for many, many years. The following snippets from church bulletins suggest that I am missing something. After all, isn't laughter good for the soul?
Hat tip: Mretramp2
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes...

I can't quite shake the feeling that Bernie Madoff is the lucky one. He's been indicted; how he has pleaded guilty and has been whisked off to federal custody while awaiting sentencing. He will no doubt be sentenced to a long period of incarceration. He's free, in a way Epictetus would have...

Everyone is looking for ways to cut government spending. But few seem willing to consider where truly great savings can be realized: the criminal justice system. At a cost of $30,000 per year to house an inmate, one would think that lawmakers would be keen on ways to empty beds, not fill...