People v. State

In the course of the most recent inter-blawg squabble over what role, if any, the pursuit of Justice plays in the job of the criminal defense attorney, Norm Pattis and Mark Bennett perceived incongruity in someone who writes a blog called “People v. State” implying that some defendants might actually deserve what the State is trying to do to them and that making things difficult for the State is not its own justification. (I implied in one comment, consistently with the common observation of criminal defense attorneys that the majority of their clients have done something close to what they’re (more…)

“Impossible,” you say? Think again, ye of little faith. And now that the folly of your doubt has been revealed to you, don’t go questioning the rest of the story, either.

I haven’t had occasion to write here yet about the recent string of crazy in Maricopa County, Arizona sprayed by its Sheriff-King, Crazy Joe. It all started with the pilfering of a document from a criminal defense attorney’s file by one of Crazy Joe’s deputies, Adam Stoddard, as caught on camera in this video.

This video deserves to be featured on an upcoming episode of “World’s Dumbest Criminals.” Yet unbelievably, Crazy Joe stood by his man, insisting Stoddard was just doing his job and ensuring courtroom “security.” (more…)

. . . but I think it might do this kid and his mommy some good. (Via Reason.) The commenters on the story at the link are spot on.

I sometimes feel like a broken record here at People v. State, so I’m glad to finally be able to take the cop’s side in one of these “cops gone wild” stories.

Douglas Berman at Sentencing Law and Policy asks “Should law enforcement service be an aggravator or mitigator at sentencing?”. He asks the question in connection with the upcoming sentencing of ex-Sheriff Mike Carona for urging his ex-assistant sheriff to lie during a grand jury investigation of charges that Carona took gifts in exchange for favors while in office.

Law enforcement service per se sure as shootin’ should not be a mitigator. Carona’s defense attorneys are asking the judge “to look beyond Carona’s conviction and see the public servant with 32 years behind the badge – years spent advancing the cause of children and homeland security.” Big freaking deal. Carona got paid well by the taxpayers for (more…)