Billing was the lifeblood of the firm. Everything revolved around it.
He did smile at her, though, but she did not return the smile. Her teeth were somewhere in the house.
I learned a long time ago not to waste time analyzing why judges do the things they do.
I thought they were honest.’ ‘They are, but they’re bankers, remember.
If a prosecutor gets caught cheating, he either gets reelected or elevated to the bench. Our system never holds a bad prosecutor accountable.
It’s a sad culture. People live in a frenzy. They work all the time to make money to buy things to impress other people. They’re measured by what they own.
A hundred years earlier, in Hopt v. Utah, the Supreme Court ruled that a confession is not admissible if it is obtained by operating on the hopes or fears of the accused, and in doing so deprives him of the freedom of will or self-control necessary to make a voluntary statement. In 1897, the Court, in Bram v. United States, said that a statement must be free and voluntary, not extracted by any sorts of threats or violence or promises, however slight. A.
He hadn’t hit her in several years, but when you’ve been beaten you never forget it. The bruises go away but the scars remain, deep, hidden, raw. You stay beaten. It takes a real coward to beat a woman.
And every defendant, regardless of how despicable the person or his crime, is entitled to a lawyer. Most laymen don’t understand this and don’t care. I don’t care either. This is my job.
Theo explained, in what he thought was perfect Spanish, that Julio needed extra help with his algebra. Evidently, she did not understand perfect Spanish because she asked Julio what Theo was talking about.
You’re beautiful,” he said. “When was the last time I told you that you are beautiful?” “About two hours ago.” “Two hours! How thoughtless of me!” “Don’t let it happen again.” He.
Perhaps in another era, a trial was an exercise in the presentation of facts, the search for truth, and the finding of justice. Now a trial is a contest in which one side will win and the other side will lose. Each side expects the other to bend the rules or to cheat, so neither side plays fair. The truth is lost in the melee.
These are mistakes, not regrets. Regrets are over and done with and a waste of time to rehash. Mistakes, though, are bad moves in the past that might affect the future.
And it’s often the one you trust the most who’ll cut your throat for the right price.
Since 1990, Oklahoma has executed more convicts on a per capita basis than any other state. No place, not even Texas, comes close.
The prosecution was forced into the bizarre position of admitting Ward and Fontenot were lying while asking the jurors to believe them.
People were classified, and often judged, by their denomination. And they were certainly condemned if they didn’t claim one.
A lawyer had to be himself in the courtroom, and if he was afraid, so be it. The jurors were afraid too. Make friends with fear, Lucien always said, because it will not go away, and it will destroy you if left uncontrolled.
Rich folks can tolerate almost anything, but not rejection.
There’s an old adage in bad trial lawyering that when you don’t have the facts, do a lot of yelling.