Lawyers advise clients. Lawyers speak for clients. Lawyers do not give up their clients. Defense lawyers do not help the government. Criminal defense lawyer Norm Pattis hits the nail on the head and started me thinking about the duty a lawyer owes to his client. Norm tells the story of a client who is wanted […]
Should your lawyer turn you over to the government? Read More »
Chronicle Editorial Hits Nail on the Head: Hollywood ending, A potentially innocent man sat behind bars so that a prosecutor could get on television. “an awful lot of razzle dazzle for the serious business that goes down in criminal courtrooms” Some prosecutors forget. Some never know it to begin with. But, criminal courtrooms are serious
Not Your Typical Hollywood Ending Read More »
Some of the most powerful words in history: The Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness Read More »
Client communication is key! You must communicate with your client regularly so that they will know what is happening and so that you can answer any questions they have. Because criminal lawyers spend a great deal of time communicating in person (with frequent court settings, visits at the jail, telephone calls, etc.) you end up
How Do You Reinforce Information for Your Client? Read More »
What does your client expect? Knowing what she expects can help you meet those expectations. Knowing what she expects can help you redirect those expectations when they are unrealistic. Communication is key in this regard. When you first meet a potential client, it is important that you ask her what she expects. Does she expect
Managing Client Expectations Read More »
I am honored to share this night with my friends and colleagues: Stanley Schneider, Mark Bennett, David Dow, Thuy Le, Nicolas Hughes, and David Ryan. We will honor their achievements as I am sworn in as President of HCCLA for the second time. Make plans to join us!
HCCLA 45th Annual Banquet Read More »
One of those Facebook “challenges” that made its rounds a while back asked you to name ten things that most people may not know about you. I was only able to list 7, but number 1 on the list was: I always wanted to be a teacher. Combine that with being a lawyer, and I
For decades now, Texas and in particular Harris County has held the mantra “tough on crime”. Political candidates have built their foundation on being tough on crime. It even sounds good to most voters. Who doesn’t want murderers and rapists in prison? But what has it gotten us? At what cost? No, this is not
Tough Justice vs Right to be Let Alone Read More »
We have been chosen as Top Lawyers this year by Houstonia magazine! Earl Musick and JoAnne Musick have both been named to the Top Lawyers 2014 list! See the complete list here: http://www.houstoniamag.com/lists/top-lawyers and select Criminal Defense
Top Honors in Houston Read More »
Why Would an Innocent Individual Ever Be Convicted of a Crime They Did Not Commit? Though our system of justice is based on English Jurist William Blackstone’s premise, “It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer“, far too often we learn about exonerations of innocent persons who suffered convictions for
Innocent Convictions Read More »
