A series on teenagers in the system, from the Long Beach Press-Telegram:
Kids and Crime: Inside Juvenile Justice
Today in Long Beach, an estimated 13 children will be arrested or ticketed for breaking the law. That's about 93 a week, 399 a month and an astonishing 4,858 a year...
Maybe I've been in the job too long, but I'm wondering, astonishing because the number's so low? A worthwhile set of articles all the same.
See what a little motion to suppress can do. From the Olympian:
WA court: Police pat-downs can't be based on odd behavior
In another nod to the Washington Constitution's broad privacy protections, the state Supreme Court has thrown out the drug conviction of a man who was searched by police solely because of his weird behavior. Thursday's unanimous decision reinforces the rules for simple pat-downs under state law, which offers stronger safeguards against police searches than the U.S. Constitution...
The case is State v. Setterstrom (pdf file).
From Eye on Olympia:
Meth conviction tossed out; police frisk was unjustified...
An officer may frisk a person... if stopping the person was justifiable, if the officer has "a reasonable concern of danger" and the scope of the search is limited to finding weapons. But Setterstrom presented no reasonable danger, the court ruled. His "nervous, fidgety behavior" wasn't enough. There were no threatening gestures or words. And he remained sitting down. And it's not unreasonable to think that people filling out a state benefits form for unemployment might "exhibit erratic behavior..."
Big salute to Thurston County public defender Deborah Murphy, who preserved the issue at the trial level.
From the Olympian:
Braae convicted of murder, rape
"Cowboy" Mike Braae was convicted of first degree murder and rape this morning in the 2001 death of Lori Jones...
From Minnesota Lawyer Blog:
Public defenders face losing 61 more lawyers
The public defenders in Minnesota have been hit hard by the Legislature which cut their budget by $1.5 million dollars for FY 2009. It looks as if a serious number of attorneys will lose their jobs...
See also KSTP:
15 percent of state's public defenders may be laid off
and the Star-Tribune:
Public defenders are put on list of proposed budget cuts - Financial woes and a tough economy could mean layoffs for more than 60; all 87 counties would be affected
And light a candle for our friend Accident Prone.
Today when I found the website of Federal Defender Services of Idaho and watched the pretty pictures scrolling by, I swear I got a little homesick...
From the Olympian:
"Cowboy" Mike Braae testifies that he didn't kill woman
"Cowboy" Mike Braae took the stand in his murder trial Tuesday and testified that he did not kill Lori Jones after meeting her for drinks at Bailey's Motor Inn on July 6, 2001...
Yesterday: Braae trial turns to DNA evidence
From Erskine of The Long View:
a public defender's secret
Here's the dirty little secret: As a public defender, I often find myself coaching the private attorneys behind the scenes on how to do the actual work...
The p.d. news today concerns Cook County chief public defender Edwin Burnette. From the Cook County Public Defender Blog:
Rumors of his Demise Greatly Exaggerated
The hearing on the proposed resolution to remove Ed Burnette has been cancelled...
From the Chicago Tribune's Clout Street:
Stroger drops effort to fire public defender
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is dropping his effort to fire Public Defender Edwin Burnette, the public defender and a spokesman for Stroger confirmed Monday...
More news and links from Division Street.
From Police Link:
Not just kid stuff: Handling juveniles on patrol
(Y)our interaction with juvenile subjects will have repercussions for future officers who deal with these youths. This is all the more so for juveniles because their ideas, conceptions and opinions of police may still be forming, and how you handle an encounter may have a powerful effect in influencing their lifelong perception of the law and its representatives...
Always helpful to compare the advice law enforcement are given about dealing with my clientele, to the advice I give my kids for emerging unarrested from the same encounters.
There's a rabbit warren in the bushes next to juvenile detention. Tonight one of the younger bunnies was there for debriefing after I'd stepped out from talking with two clients. Both are about to go away for a long time, a likely ten months for the one, more than two years for the other. The resident wildlife outside seem to have a sense of when I can use a bit of animal uplift.
A tribute of sorts to a public defender friend, from Pirate Hooker (not safe for work):
And they say our tax dollars go to good use...
As most of you know, RHBS works at the public defender's office. I love her because she doesn't hide the fact that she hates her job. She doesn't answer her calls, only goes to the jail when she has to, etc...
Pity she hates her job. With those pictures of RHBS embedded in the post, perhaps somebody will recognize her and help her with her problem.
From the Sacramento News and Review:
Guilty till proven innocent - Head Sacramento County public defender says the justice system is broken. Get used to it.
His mother went berserk, lashing out at the person who seemed most responsible for the outcome, her son’s public defender, who retaliated with her own outburst of anger. It was ugly. Similar scenes play out at the Sacramento Superior Court on a regular basis. There’s not too much Chief Public Defender Paulino Duran can do about it...
Listen up. This is Sacramento’s head public defender talking. You may need his services someday. He’s telling you our criminal-justice system is broken, perhaps beyond repair...
All the same, remember:
The struggle itself...is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
From KOAT, Albuquerque:
Public Defenders Assaulted At MDC
Two members of the public defender's office are recovering at home Thursday night after being assaulted by a Metro Detention Center inmate, jailers said...
From KOB (with broadcast video):
Inmate attacks women at metro detention center
Two women from the public defenders office survived a brutal beating Thursday morning at the Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center...
This sh*t has to stop.
