No, this is not a story about REGJB legend Alex Michaels, although the same thing did happen to him on a murder case many years ago.
This is the story of an Attorney in Georgia who obtained a Not Guilty for his client on a murder case. However, while the jury was out, the lawyer went to the bank and got "stuck in traffic" which delayed the reading of the verdict for an hour. The Judge held the lawyer in contempt and gave him the option of a thousand dollar fine or forty-eight hours in jail. The lawyer chose the pokey. Well done we say! Call the Judge on his threat. Become a martyr. Sit in a southern jail and write letters about freedom and civil disobedience like MLK.
We note that when the judge told the officers to take the lawyer into custody he emphasized the word "EASY". Why? Don't court officers treat all inmates with respect and care?
It's not like in the song "That's the Night that the Lights Went Out In Georgia", after the guilty verdict the Judge slapped the sheriff on the back and said "supper's on the table at home and I gotta get to it" but it was disturbing none the less.
N.B. Maybe a lawyer's day in Georgia is worth five hundred bucks. But in Miami, we're losing money at $500 a day.
And this: does that defense attorney look way too young to you? And does his argument at sentencing seem a bit...well, weak or even bad? His defense of himself was even worse. But give the young man credit- a not guilty in a murder case is a hard thing to achieve. Yes his client was found guilty of drug charges, but jurors are notorious compromisers and it's no surprise they wanted a conviction on something after walking him on murder.
Here's the video. Sorry for the commercials up front, but if you need a pickup truck in Georgia, and who doesn't, there are plenty of sales going on right now.
And finally this- isn't the song "That's the Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" one of the best songs from the 1970's?
Take a listen, and like our brother attorney in Georgia, fight the power!
"Well don't trust your soul to no back-woods southern lawyer..." classic line.
H/T To Attorney Mark Eiglarsh who posted this on the FACDL Listserv (Motto"clogging up your email inboxes with self-congratulatory missives since before 2000") yesterday.
"Well the Georgia patrol was a making its rounds so he fired a shot just to flag them down and a big-fella sheriff grabbed the gun and said 'why'd you do it'?"
ReplyDelete"See, little sister doesn't miss when she aims her gun."
ReplyDeleteThat's my favorite line and BTW rump Reba re did the song and also a music video that tells the whole story from the sister's point of view 40 years later. Take a look at it.
MM
I remember one of our best trial lawyers - then a prosecutor - being ordered by a very egocentric and sometimes inappropriate Criminal Court Judge to “Get in the box”! This poor lawyer had to sit captive with the shackled prisoners in “the box” during the entire court proceedings that day. Humiliating. A bully judge.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember who this now prominent trial lawyer is and who the bully Judge was?
Hey Rump. Where’s your hat tip to Mr. Eiglarsh who posted this on FACDL yesterday.
ReplyDeleteDONE
ReplyDeleteJonathan Schwartz was routinely taken into custody by me.
ReplyDeleteMediocre post. Mediocre blogger. Mediocre song.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading Mom.
ReplyDeleteTotal and complete misinterpretation of the judge's use of the term "easy." You could give this video to 100 people and all 100 would disagree with you rump. Will you watch it again and apologize to the brave court officers all across this great nation you have unfairly maligned?
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeing what you're saying. Please explain. I could be wrong. I've been wrong twice this year so far. I have an open mind. Have at it.
ReplyDeleteEasy is clearly not directed at the court officers a la take it easy on him because hes an atty, its directed at the atty in response to his question of when he can serve his 2 days. Now...easy (easy answer to your question).
DeleteThe bully Judge was Judge Arthur Snyder.
ReplyDeleteThe poor attorney was PHIL R.
Now, Phil R is tops in his field and he can joke about that experience. He is a great guy, great lawyer and great friend.
11:30 AM. The lawyer was J Schwartz. I worked for him. I saw him routinely thrown in the can by judges from across the state. We pretty much had a bondsman on direct dial-standby evey time he went to court.
ReplyDeleteJ. Schwartz was a PD, never an ASA. He has created and is responsible for his reputation and exploits.
ReplyDelete