Atticus Finch, meet Harvey Birdman

John Moe at Monkey Disaster explains in, "A Conversation with Charlie (age 8) About Literature."

Skelly Wright and Ruby Bridges

My son's been learning some good lessons this week. At the moment, he and I are watching a movie that he brought home from school about one of his new heroes, Ruby Bridges.

I was pleased to Google her story and find the connection to one of my old heroes:

On November 14, 1960, a 6-year-old Bridges, escorted by four gun-toting US federal marshals, walked past a screaming mob of angry white people to do the unthinkable in New Orleans at the time: Go to school with white children...

Backed by an order from Federal District Court Judge J. Skelly Wright, she walked quietly up the steps of William Frantz public school, past youths who were chanting, "Two, four, six, eight! We don't want to integrate..."

My third-grader is incensed by the way the people in the movie are treating this first-grader. Thank you, Ruby. G d bless you, Joe.

"He pleaded my case"

For your listening pleasure, the O'Neal Twins and "Jesus Dropped The Charges." This is where I first heard, "Case dismissed, case dismissed, saved by grace."

"The Lives of Others"

This weekend I watched "The Lives of Others" (Das Leben der Anderen), just out on DVD. Lead actor Ulrich Mühe, who died last month, drew from his craft and from his personal experience to completely inhabit the role of a Stasi man in the former East Germany. Imagine, living in a country where the state spies on its own citizens in the name of homeland security. Harder to imagine that one of the guys behind the wiretaps might have a change of heart. Watch the transformation - highly recommended.

DUI? 紅色角落!

Sometimes even a soul-less pseudo-blawg can stumble on an oddball insight.

Like this one: you're minding your business drinking and driving, you get pulled over, and suddenly, you're Richard Gere in "Red Corner."

Sisterhood of the travelling pants

On general principle I don't do many celebrity-related posts, but I just have to, you see, because I've run this defense. In a jury trial. And got a hung jury!

Lindsay Lohan Says Pants With Cocaine Were Not Hers

Lindsay Lohan reportedly has an explanation for the cocaine in her pocket - the star says she was wearing someone else's pants...

It could happen; run with it, Lindsay!

Via Slog.

"My clients have been very happy"

From the Journal Gazette and Times-Courier:Dunst encounters smooth transition as new Cumberland public defender

Slanted and enchanted

The bad news is, I'm on-call this long weekend, and up past 1:00 a.m. tonight answering phone calls from DUI arrestees. The good news is, right now KCTS is showing San Francisco public defender / unreal renaissance man Jeff Adachi's movie, The Slanted Screen, and it's really good.

Gee, Officer Krupke

Thanks, KCTS, I needed that.

Santa's son defended by p.d.

I wouldn't have believed it, but I saw it on cable - a Christmas movie for (Christmas - celebrating) public defenders and their kids:

Santa Jr.

This family holiday film concerns Chris Kringle, Jr. who unfortunately gets picked up by two cops while trying to deliver gifts. While he's under arrest and interviewed by his public defender (Lauren Holly), she starts to believe in his story and wants to help save Christmas...

Kind of goofy, but a feel-good movie with a p.d. and an elf? And something my seven-year-old can watch and say, that's what Daddy does? And did I mention that the public defender learns to love again? You can catch all that and more on the Hallmark Channel on December 23.

Caine Mutiny defense lawyer

Today I caught the last part of "The Caine Mutiny", a movie that you don't watch for the accuracy of the criminal procedure, but for the performances. Everyone remembers Bogart's Captain Queeg, rightly so. Particularly if you do the criminal defense thing, though, don't overlook the great job that José Ferrer does with the role of defense counsel Lieutenant Greenwald, a court-appointed lawyer who doesn't care much for his client.

Some quotes:

Greenwald: I don't want to upset you too much, but at the moment you have an excellent chance of being hanged.

Maryk: Lt. Geenwald, will you take our case?
Greenwald: I'd much rather prosecute.

Greenwald: I'm going to be frank with you two. I've read the preliminary investigation very carefully and I think that what you've done stinks.

Greenwald: If you wanna do anything about it, I'll be outside. I'm a lot drunker than you are - so it'll be a fair fight.

A caveat: these lines probably won't work as well in real life practice.

Bonus link goes to The Caine Mutiny: Not Just One but Many Legal Dramas by Norman Rosenberg.

Off-topic: hello San Dimas!

A happy day: an old friend (currently with Southeastern Ohio Legal Services ) and his wife are passing through after a drive up the whole U.S. Pacific coast from San Diego to the top of the Olympic Peninsula, then my little family is flying home tonight!

Usual household viewing: Pokemon and Barefoot Contessa

This afternoon's viewing: the gem-like brilliance that is "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey":
"You might be a king or a little street sweeper,
But sooner or later you'll dance with the Reaper!"

Off-topic: CPAP

A word of non-legal advice:

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a wonderful movie.

However, if you watch it just before going in for a sleep study, your rest will be troubled by thoughts of med techs dancing around you in their underwear instead of watching your EKG.

All this time I prided myself that my world-weariness was because I have the soul of a German Romantic poet. Turns out I just have sleep apnea.

On sija od sreće

From the coming movie 5 in 500:

Why is this public defender happy? Because he's giving back something to the community.

Listen up, law students, you don't hear that from a lot of BigLaw associates, the happy part or the giving back part.

(Not being consistently happy myself, this 5 in 500 project is very promising, asking "Just what exactly is it that makes you happy?" and stoking my memories of Bosnia and ex-YU people. I'm adding the site to my blogroll after just one visit.)

(Bonus link goes to a photodocumentary site: AFTERMATH: Bosnia's Long Road to Peace)

Sometimes in April

Some time in April, if you have HBO, make time to watch Sometimes in April, a movie about the Rwandan genocide, or in the eyes of the Clinton administration, "genocide." ("It all depends on what the definition of 'genocide' is.")

It was filmed on location in Rwanda, in many of the same locations where the killings took place in 1994. It features Idris Elba, actor / uber-mensch who played Stringer Bell in HBO's The Wire (picked up for a new season in 2006).

Then, some time in 2016, make time to watch the upcoming made-for-cable movie about Darfur.

I'm not crazy, you're just sane

"You're out of order!"

Public Defender's Insanity Plea Gets Client New Hearing:
A district court judge should reconsider a child molester's habeas corpus petition in light of evidence that the man's former public defender suffers from a debilitating mental illness, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.

"I'm outta order? YOU'RE outta order! This whole damn court is outta order!"

Lv SanJoseHomies

Maybe some of us need to take the refresher course on "The Case - Against - Auschwitz" first

Hello? Unfortunately-Named Continuing Legal Education Classes Department? Is there still time to sign up for "The Case For Auschwitz"?

Friday, February 4, 2005, 8:30-11:45 a.m. (Registration: 8:00-8:30 a.m.), Seattle University School of Law, 3.00 CLE Credits

Honestly, it looks to be really interesting, and especially timely, but the title makes it sound like it's 10% off with your Aryan Nations club card. Puts me in mind of the complaint (Gilbert Gottfried's I think) about "The Sound of Music": "How come the Nazis didn't get any good songs?"

(Bonus link goes to a promo for the 2005 Sundance Audience Award world documentary about a hero of our times, "Shake Hands With The Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire", showing tonight on CBC.)

Update: For another documentary about Dallaire and the Rwandan genocide, tape or TiVo "The Last Just Man," on the Sundance Channel February 2 at 6:05/5:05 a.m.