This isn't good, bad, or ugly. Just a paragraph out of a book I am reading and placed here for conversation.

"It's all point of view. Listen, when I was a young lawyer I defended a kid for ripping off a grocery store. The key piece of evidence was a felt hat. The prosecutor claimed my boy dropped it running out of the store. I tore up the prosecution, proved it couldn't be his hat, ate up the eyewitnesses, turned an open-and-shut case into a rout. After he was acquitted, the kid turns to me and says, 'Can I have my hat back now?' It bothered me so much that one night I was having dinner with a judge friend and I told him what had happened. Know what he said? 'It wasn't your problem, it was the prosecuter's. Pass the butter, please.'"


What kind of stuff like this has happened to you?

Even though the passage is in a book, that scenario basically has played out in every lawyers life. There always seems to be one case that nags an attorney...

I guess we all have our crosses to bear. I find this particularly interesting...my chosen profession being as far from law as it could be, I don't hear much 'real' stuff.

Well... a nagging case isn't a cross to bear... a cross to bear is having 2 ex-wives, 2 ex-mother-in laws, etc all in the same court room fighting over 3 cents. laugh now THAT is a cross to bear.

Ha Ha!!! I was pullin' for ya that you might have 'forgotten' the mothers-in-law...laugh...

So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?

I just love this holiday! I can literally pig out without hubby looking at me funny....laugh. I lost 35 pounds a couple of years ago and it is slowly creaping back on. Up 10 pounds... Oh well

I love all the yummy food that we seem only to get around this time of year. My favorite are the turkey skin (not the meat, just the skin), squash casserole, mashed potatoes and my cornbread dressing. YUM! Can't wait!

Actually, I'm taking it easy tomorrow.

Ex-wife #1 in Philly is having all the kids for dinner there. I was very tempted to fly up and go to my sisters house. She's having my mom and dad, and brother and his family. Decided against it at the last minute.

Wife #2 and two daughters are going to Alabama or Louisiana or someplace for dinner.

So I decided to give myself the day off tomorrow.

perhaps this book could help you while away the hours

I don't know why but looking at those hand things reminded me of when I was in the Cub Scouts. My cousin and I were putting on a Punch and Judy puppet show. I'm not sure of all the details now but the puppet show became slightly risque and the puppet show not only closed prematurely that night, but we were thrown out of the Cub Scouts.

My cousin and I still laugh about that to this day. Drummed out of the Scouts. laugh

Geez Malibu: I could write a book on your question and it is a good topic of conversation. Although I don't practice criminal law, I know more than the average bear about it.

People must remember that a lawyer is their "mouthpiece", so to speak,and has an ethical duty (as an officer of the court) to zealously represent their client's interests. Once the deed is done and prosecuted, that's it, so the Judge was not out of line. A lot of trials depend on the Judge, the jury, the effectiveness of the attorney's trial experience, the accused's credibility and demeanor, and so forth.

As a civil trial attorney, "hammer time" for me is in my closing argument. That is just my preference. It really boils down to the ole dog and ponny show.

Back to criminal matters: two very high profile criminal cases have taken place here in California in the last several years and currently: OJ Simpson and Scott Peterson. I think OJ did it, but got off (due to a dumb jury and good lawyers). I also think Scott Peterson is guilty of killing his wife and unborn son, but not intentional conduct. Apparently, his jury agreed.

So, the shows go on...