Now that some of the tragic events that happened in Ferguson, Missouri have passed, can we learn anything from this? I worked as a prosecutor some years ago. In that job I had lots of contact with police as we worked on cases. Here are some ideas from my experience.
1. The level of violence on both sides—the …
I know this subject has been written and argued about in many other forums by people much wiser than I am. I don’t intend to re-hash all of the pros and cons about the death penalty. But after years of working with criminal personalities as a Public Defender, I have a few “inside” comments.
I practice in a …
It’s so common to see every judge walk up to the bench with black robes flapping around their legs that we don’t even wonder why they wear those robes. At least in America the judges wear plain robes unlike England where the judges have colored collars, stripes on the sleeves, furry things around their necks, and funny wigs.…
Charles Krauthammer has written a thoughtful column supporting the use of drones by the Obama administration to kill terrorists. He writes that there are two situations which warrant the use of drones in this way:http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/191480301.html
1. Situations in which there is an “imminent threat” to our national security and safety. Our response to kill the people posing …
Here in the Twin Cities, the local U.S. Attorney, B. Todd Jones, has announced that his office will decrease its prosecution of drug offenses and, instead, focus on more complex, white-collar crime. Does this mean an end to the War on Drugs? See the article at: http://www.startribune.com/local/185235672.html
Started in the 1970’s, the War on Drugs spawned a huge …
My jazz group played for a judge’s retirement party here in Minnesota. Of course, we loved playing and it was a great party–if you like big groups of judges and lawyers!!
Many people don’t know that judges often retire with strategic purposes in mind, besides simply quitting their jobs.
To understand, it’s important to remember that, at the …
The sad shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida by George Zimmerman has exploded across the media and country. As a result, many groups have used this tragedy as a symbol of larger issues that each group seeks to exploit.
1. “Walking While Black.” This is close to Driving While Black that many of my African-American friends tell me …
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