May 2010

Why I Hate Norm Pattis

May 14, 2010 Criminal Law Bloggers

I first learned Norm Pattis’ lousy, stinking name through Scott Greenfield, who often uses something Pattis has written as the launching point for one of his own entries.  And Greenfield writes about Pattis in reverential terms you don’t often see on Simple Justice. So what does Scott Greenfield know anyway? Mirriam Seddiq is more effusive [...]

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Nightline Segment Tonight on Jeffrey MacDonald Case

May 14, 2010 Evidence

I understand from Kathryn MacDonald that ABC’s Nightline will air a segment this evening (11:30 pm EST) on the Jeffrey MacDonald case.

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Unlawful Entry, Bench Warrants and the Dilemma of a Foreign Defendant

May 13, 2010 Law Practice

My client is in town on a business trip.  He goes out to dinner with some colleagues and, even though he is not accustomed to alcohol, he has a few drinks. The next thing he remembers is waking up in a jail cell.  After being charged with unlawful entry and released from custody, my client [...]

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Why Do My Favorite Cops Always Turn Out To Be The Crooked Ones?

May 11, 2010 Law Practice

I am walking with my kids at the Reading Terminal, an eatery just a couple of blocks from the courthouse in Philadelphia, when we come across a group of narcotics officers sitting in the eating area.  We have been watching “The Wire” on HBO, and I point out the officers out to my kids.  Look, [...]

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Starting Your Own Law Practice is a Leap of Faith

May 8, 2010 Law Marketing/Networking

In another lifetime, I wrote short stories. Five or six of these stories eventually found their way into obscure literary journals, with one or two still floating around somewhere on the Internet.  The largest circulation of any of the journals that published me was probably two or three thousand readers at the most.  With the [...]

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4th Circuit Denies Motion to Dismiss in Jeffrey MacDonald Appeal

May 6, 2010 Evidence

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit today denied the government’s motion to dismiss the defendant’s appeal in the case of United States v. Jeffrey MacDonald. As I discussed in greater detail in an earlier post, MacDonald has always maintained that he was a victim, not the perpetrator, of the murders. MacDonald’s appeal [...]

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DWI in Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia

May 6, 2010 DUI and Driving Offenses

While Virginia is generally known for the stringency of its drinking-and-driving laws, the elements of driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Virginia themselves are very similar to Washington, D.C. and other jurisdictions.  The penalties are only a little bit more severe. The Virginia statute groups all drinking-and-driving offenses under the general category of DWI.  As in [...]

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Administering the Standardized Field Sobriety Test

May 6, 2010 DUI and Driving Offenses

I have two observations now that I am certified to administer the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST). First, the test is very difficult to perform, even for a perfectly healthy and sober individual. The test is physically challenging, particularly the One-Leg-Stand. The “divided attention” component of the test makes it difficult to follow complex instructions [...]

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Overheard on Twitter

May 5, 2010 Criminal Law Bloggers

Scott Greenfield: I’m way over my limit of followers.  The next three who twit will be arbitrarily unfollowed. Norm Pattis: One. Gideons Trumpet: (I realize the risk here, but . . . ) how is that arbitrary? Gideons Trumpet: So. . . how was your day? Scott Greenfield: Two. Gideons Trumpet: Three. Scott Greenfield: Stop [...]

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On Michael Malone and the Jeffrey MacDonald Case

May 2, 2010 Evidence

I have written a number of posts over the last couple of months about the Donald E. Gates case. As you will recall, Gates was convicted of a crime he did not commit and initially spent 16 years in jail in large part due to the false testimony of former FBI analyst Michael P. Malone.  [...]

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