WA: client in court makes a run for it - what would you do?

From the Spokesman-Review:

Municipal court brawl leads to arrest

A brawl that began when a man tried fleeing a courtroom this morning ended with the man, a deputy and three attorneys falling onto a bench of bystanders, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Micah W. Hasselstrom, 34, ran when Spokane Municipal Court Judge Tracy Staab ordered him jailed with increased bail after he said he didn’t plan on appearing in court again, a news release said.

Hasselstrom’s public defender, Tony Tompkins, grabbed his leg to hold him in place as Deputy John Pederson tried handcuffing him, and a struggle ensued... Public defenders Francis Adewale and Andy Hess joined the struggle, and the group fell onto the bench, knocking a 68-year-old woman to the floor...

There's a lively discussion taking place in the Washington criminal defense bar over the lawyers' actions in essentially effecting an arrest, roughly dividing into "respect the client - let him be free to make his own mistakes" and "protect the client - let him be free at least from a new felony escape charge." Myself, I think I'd go hands-off, but not having been in a moment like that, I'm hard-pressed to second-guess.

The view from the jury box

How it looks to Crista in California:

They are public defenders and their dress, their hair, their speech all says "not paid enough..."

Live from the courtroom

A moment ago:

Judicial person ( to juvenile's parent): "Your behavior is not appropriate."

Juvenile's parent ( to judicial person): "Neither is yours!"

And the parent left the courtroom, not even in handcuffs.

This is what we call The Muppet Show

From Song of the Soul:

For those of you who wonder how a muppety, giggly girl like myself can be an attorney, check out this video... Things to note: - me shushing my client like a school teacher - my muppet-like facial expressions - my bond argument being cut off...

"A very pleasant picture of a man who committed a very serious crime"

From Bryon Houlgrave's photojournalism blog:

Jailhouse portraits

Do you remember your best school picture pose? Today I shot the pretrial hearing of a man charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl...

Click the link, then scroll down for the photo.

Dogs at work

Okay, so in all the excitement of the McChord air show, I went and took dog pictures, of this fine schutzhund in particular. This military working dog reminded me of some fine working pups I once met who are a little closer to my workplace.

They're the true Courthouse Dogs, and now they have their own Northwest - based website, dedicated to "support(ing) the use of well - trained assistance dogs that provide emotional support to all involved in the criminal justice system." They're good good good doggies.

(What passes for) a compliment

Today from a client's parent:

"You're good for court-appointed."

Back to school days

In juvy court today, the court commissioner (a one-time school teacher) quizzed my detention-bound client:

Q: "What's your plan for academic success?"

A: "Stop dicking around?"

"P.D. intern, there's an attorney who'd like to speak to you"

Petition for Review ended up having a good day at work:

Public Defender Intern - 1, Private Counsel with a coke problem - 0

Today was insane. I had to push people out of the way to get in and out of the courtroom. While I'm talking with other clients License Boy and his parents somehow start talking to a private attorney. Private attorney (we'll call him Moron) is apparently hungry for clients...

Read on for the surprise ending. The old dog in me says, don't get cocky, kid, but the p.d. in me says, congratulations, new colleague, go get 'em.

Homebody

Let me just say, I'm glad to be home tonight on my laptop in my own comfy chair, wearing my own comfy clothes and not someone else's size 4XL orange coveralls.

There are those who relish walking the edge of contempt of court, but I'm a simpler home-loving sort. Today I just said what it seemed needed to be said, plowed through the rest of the caseload, got out of there for a 30 minute lunch, and came back, on to the next thing. More court tomorrow.

(no details so long as any other shoe might drop - I like the freedom of not having to bill my clients, but tonight I appreciate the other freedoms that my private brothers and sisters have)

WA: maritime law

One way that practicing here is different from the high desert, in court yesterday:

"The respondent will be released to house arrest aboard his grandfather's boat..."

WA: Valentine's Night at TESC - what a riot!

You may have seen or heard something about the recent unpleasantness (pictures here) at our local liberal arts college. In-court coverage from the Olympian:

Five accused of destroying sheriff's patrol car plead not guilty

Five people arrested Wednesday morning in connection with the destruction of a sheriff's patrol car during a Feb. 15 riot outside a hip-hop concert at The Evergreen State College pleaded not guilty to their charges in Thurston County Superior Court Thursday...

Photographer Robert Whitlock knit together this nifty panorama of the media scrum in Judge Hirsch's courtroom. (via OlyBlog)

Here is State's Exhibit #1:

Art is my weapon, court - appointed lawyers are my targets

Remember, "HELL has no furry" like a public defender hater with a camera phone:

NOBODY Goes To Court To Support AVONE

Big screed. Lots of surreptitious in-court photos. Poor Avone.

KY: p.d. on attacker - "I don't feel any ill will toward him"

I know you saw the video of the in-court sucker punch on the public defender, but did you read this? From Kentucky.com:

Assaulted attorney says he holds no grudge - no charges filed against defendant who slugged him

(Doug) Crickmer returned to work Tuesday and went to the jail to make sure Hafer was being treated properly...

An inspiring display of the p.d. ethic, and more than a bit humbling.

Overheard in open court today

"Um, do you people have some sort of form I use for that?"

- paid lawyer who took a client from me (shortly after using the adult court term for the juvenile court disposition he was seeking)

"She just blows every thing up and gets all dramastic."

- young person reporting on parent-child relationship

Substantial compliance

In court today, a judicial person questioned a young person:

Q: "Are you passing all your classes?"
A: "Every single one except for two."

Arrogant and inyaface, yer honor

What I learned in court today:

When you go to court for your assault charge, the judge might notice that you're wearing your best t-shirt from "the signature mixed martial arts apparel and lifestyle brand."
Just not in a good way.

ID: the lawyer has a daughter, too

These comments by a criminal defense lawyer really pissed off my wife... from the Twin Falls Times-News:

A Twin Falls man who pleaded guilty to two counts of statutory rape was sentenced Thursday to four to 10 years in a special section of prison that offers treatment. In six months he'll have a shot at probation. Battling attorneys at the Dustin Owings sentencing hearing argued points in what sounded like two separate cases.

"Boys will be boys and girls will be girls," said Owings' attorney, Harry DeHaan. "And one of the ways girls get attention is they present sex." DeHaan objected to the prosecutor's repeated claim that Owings coerced the girls, saying, "It is only rape because the statute defines it as such."

Owings, now 26, allegedly raped five underage girls during a five-year period in which they were about 16 years old, and he was 21 or older and was their supervisor at Gertie's Brick Oven Cookery in Twin Falls...

...and you really do not want to piss off my wife.

Update: see comments at The MountainGoat Report.

Update: but wait, there's more!

Harry DeHaan, Owings' defense attorney said, "I think the facts contained in the pre-sentencing hearing reports show that these ladies had sex with a number of people. But if they have regrets about their sexual history, somehow it's all Mr. Owings's fault..."

"When you hear hoofbeats behind you"

Heading to trial and stuck with a defense that just doesn't make sense? Read "Loser Truth" at Simple Justice first.Because "sometimes there really is a zebra behind you."

See also "My Truth is No Better Than Your Truth" from a public defender.

LA: "they have never met anyone from here who cares"

Well-written post from Dangerblond in New Orleans:

drugs and tennis shoes

Tonight, there were about 15 prisoners at HOD. Also, Popeye was back, making short work of a po-boy from Mandina’s. The older deputy told me that things had calmed down since this weekend, when there were 40 people arrested on Saturday and 30 on Sunday.

I said, “what happened? Everybody being good all of a sudden?”

He said, “no indeed. The cops just don’t want to arrest anybody...”