Criminal Defense


A Good Reason Not to Tattoo “MURDER” on Your Neck

Can you guess? It's because such a tattoo might unduly influence a jury if you are, at some point, charged with murder. At least that was the argument made recently in Barton County, Kansas (Great Bend Tribune), by the defense…


Baby Walks

According to Newsweek Pakistan: A court on Saturday threw out charges of attempted murder against a nine-month-old baby, in a case that highlighted endemic flaws in Pakistan’s legal system and provoked widespread ridicule. The former suspect's bail application has also…


Baby Fingerprinted

Just a quick follow-up to "Baby Indicted" (April 4): Photo: Agence-France Presse, Getty Images He's apparently being fingerprinted by Steve Carell, and frankly this would have made a lot more sense if it had been on an episode of The Office….


This Defense Attorney Got “Street Knowledge,” Yo

Also a good sense of humor, though you may disagree with his message.   Or you may not. Accused criminals are entitled to a defense and defending them is an honorable profession, even though many of the accused will in…


Updates on the Video-Rental Crime of the Century

Here are a couple of updates on the saga of Monster-In-Law-video-keeper Kayla Finley. See "Woman Arrested Nine Years After Failing to Return Rented Video," Lowering the Bar (Feb. 17, 2014). First, criminal-defense attorney David Liebow points out that even though South Carolina doesn't have a statute…


Some Words About That Badass Lawyer Ad [Updated]

It is, in fact, totally badass. With that out of the way, here are a few minor criticisms. First of all, lawyer advertising of course has to be true and not misleading. Beyond that, lawyers have a First Amendment right…



Portland Pimp Has a Point (But Suit Is Still Stupid)

Everyone seems to have rushed to judgment in the case of Sirgiorgio Clardy, the pimp sentenced to 100 years in jail for, among other things, stomping someone's face while wearing Air Jordans, and who has now sued Nike for allegedly failing…


Okay, I Thought People Were Using “Affluenza” as a Joke

That is, like "the Twinkie Defense"—a label people were using, not something specifically argued. But "affluenza" does seem to have come out of the mouth of a person who was being serious at the time. Specifically, an expert witness who…