Criminal Defense

A New Contender for Worst Legal Brief

In considering whether something could be the "worst legal brief" ever filed, we have to recognize that there are different kinds of badness. Many briefs are filed every year by people who are, evidently, insane. If it is fair to…


Teeth Are Not “Dangerous Weapons,” Says Oregon Court

Oregon has joined those jurisdictions holding that teeth are not "dangerous weapons" for purposes of a statute that enhances punishment for crimes in which they are employed. The defendant had employed said teeth Mike-Tyson-style to detach part of his neighbor's…


Judge Rules Pizza Slice Is a “Solid Object”

A Pennsylvania statute provides: Whoever intentionally throws, shoots, drops or causes to be propelled any solid object, from an overpass or any other location adjacent to or on a roadway, onto or toward said roadway shall be guilty of a…


Prosecutors Taking a Second Look at the Red Bull Defense

It appears that prosecutors in Pinellas County, Florida, may have changed their minds about accepting the Red Bull defense being asserted by Stephen Coffeen. As you may recall, Coffeen is the gentleman claiming that a combination of sleep deprivation and…




A Festivus for the Rest of Us, or at Least for This Guy

Why hasn't this been tried before?  Or has it? On December 10, the Orange County Register reported that "longtime county inmate" Malcolm King had successfully argued he was entitled to special meals because eating the salami served at his facility…




Update: Caffeine/Sleep-Deprivation Defense Fails

Reports last week were that the lawyer for Woody Will Smith would argue that Smith was not responsible for murdering his wife because he had done so while suffering from a "brief psychosis" due to lack of sleep and heavy…