Notes from practice · D.C. Superior Court
Love Letter to a Prosecutor
Perhaps I should not admit it, but I like the Assistant U.S. Attorneys in D.C. They are generally smart, reasonable and decent people. They know...
Body Worn Cameras in D.C.: Watching Events Through the Eyes of Police
On the morning of trial, I stick my head into the small room outside the courtroom where the police officers are assembled. I have spent...
Second Fiddle at a Jury Trial
It is not easy sitting second-chair at a trial when you are used to running the show yourself. Recently appointed as a provisional member of...
A New Perspective on Representing Indigent Criminal Defendants
Three months into my court-appointed work in D.C., I now have a completely different perspective on representing indigent criminal defendants. At the time I quit...
Joining the Adult CJA Panel in D.C.
I have just been appointed to the D.C. Superior Court panel for adult court-appointed cases. I was one of three lawyers appointed on a “provisional”...
D.C. Panel of Court-Appointed Lawyers for Juveniles
The 2015 list of lawyers eligible to accept court appointments in juvenile cases is now out. Chief Judge Lee F. Satterfield issued the order approving...
Every Prosecutor Should Experience the Humiliation and Discomfort of an Arrest
Your client is charged with Leaving After Colliding – Property Damage. This is the technical way of saying that he is charged with “hit-and-run” or...
Solo Practitioners Don’t Have A Jackie Frankfurt
We had a tremendous support network at the public defender’s office in Philadelphia. There were social workers and mental health professionals. There were administrative staff...
Court-appointed lawyers should lighten their case load
I will not take cases away from the Public Defender Service. How can I take someone’s money when that person is already getting top-notch legal...
Job Security is Not Always a Good Thing
Sour. Unprofessional. And extraordinarily slow at everything she does. That is my assessment of the woman who sits at the reception desk on the 10th...
On the Criminal Defense Attorney Who “Knows” all the Prosecutors
“I can get you a good deal because I know all the prosecutors.” This is what one of my competitors says to a potential client. ...
James Colt is Superman
I am a fan of D.C. criminal defense attorney James Colt. It is not only his name, which sounds like it was pulled from a...
Watching Amy Phillips
She is assertive without being aggressive. She knows when to push and when to hang back. She is pleasant and well-spoken. She does her homework....
“Equal Justice Under Law”: Why Alec Karakatsanis Is Not Your Typical Smug, Humorless Public Interest Lawyer
One of the hazards of public interest work is that it seems to contribute to smugness. I may be underpaid and overworked. But at least...
With Significant Drop in Crime, D.C. Reduces Size of CJA Panel
The list is finally out. D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Morin announced last fall that the panel of attorneys who are approved to represent indigent...