Public Defenders

High-Profile Vegas Lawyer Accused of Shoplifting Necklace at Sundance Shop

A high-profile Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer has been accused of stealing a necklace from a gift shop at the Sundance Resort in Utah. Gary Guymon has been charged with misdemeanor theft for the March 24 incident, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports. A surveillance video appears to show a…

Apr 20, 2009 1:31 PM CDT

New Lawyer and $100K Bail for Defendant Accused of Decking PD

The Minnesota defendant accused of decking his public defender in court before a bail hearing is now being held on $100,000 bond and awaiting appointment of a new lawyer. The defendant, 18-year-old Dominique C.D. Cook, returns to court in Hennepin County on May 5, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Chief…

Apr 17, 2009 5:54 PM CDT

Minnesota PD Decked by Client

A Minnesota public defender was taken to the hospital after her 18-year-old client hit her in the face while they were waiting in court for a bail hearing. Public defender Fay Nosow was struck at least a couple times, according to Hennepin County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Lisa Kiava, who spoke…

Apr 14, 2009 1:49 PM CDT

New York City Public Defenders’ Caseloads to Be Capped

A provision in New York’s $131 billion state budget bill passed last week calls for a cap on the number of criminal cases each New York City court-appointed lawyer can handle. Supporters of the provision hope that this guideline will eventually be expanded statewide, the New York Times reports. The…

Apr 6, 2009 5:20 PM CDT

Despite Threats, Lawyer Agrees to Represent Mumbai Terrorism Suspect

Earlier in the week, it was looking as if a yet another lawyer would bow out of a court appointment to represent the sole surviving gunman suspected of participating last year’s terrorist attack in Mumbai. Anjali Waghmare wrote a note Monday to protesters who had been stoning her house. But…

Apr 1, 2009 12:00 PM CDT

Supreme Court Rejects ‘Nothing to Lose’ Standard for Ineffective Assistance Claim

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against an inmate convicted of murder who claims his lawyer provided ineffective assistance of counsel by advising him to withdraw an insanity plea. The opinion (PDF) by Justice Clarence Thomas said that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had improperly determined that the…

Mar 24, 2009 3:09 PM CDT

‘Devious’ MySpace Mood Destroys N.Y. Cop’s Jury Testimony

In a case that has made international headlines, a legal aid lawyer in New York used a cop’s Internet information to defeat a criminal case against his client. Police officer and amateur bodybuilder Vaughan Ettienne made the mistake of setting his MySpace mood to “devious,” on the day before a…

Mar 13, 2009 6:49 PM CDT

High Court Avoids ‘Chaos of Constitutional Proportions’ in PD Delay Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that delays caused by public defenders do not count against the state for purposes of speedy trial rights. The court’s 7-2 opinion said the state is not responsible for choices by court-appointed counsel from the public defender’s office, SCOTUSblog reports. Delays should be attributed…

Mar 9, 2009 3:54 PM CDT

Suspect Lunges at Courtroom Lawyer, Calls Him a ‘Punk’

A rape suspect who was tied to a restraining chair for the first day of his trial in Seattle yesterday tried to lunge at his lawyer as he was being wheeled from the courtroom for a break. The suspect, Curtis Thompson, lunged and yelled at his lawyer, John Hicks, the…

Feb 18, 2009 4:54 PM CST

Convicted Cop Killer Endorses Judge in Wis. Supreme Court Race

A man convicted of killing a policeman has endorsed a candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a letter that praises the lawyer’s work defending him 15 years ago. Inmate Ted Oswald offered his endorsement of Judge Randy Koschnick in a letter to the Associated Press. Koschnick, who is opposing…

Feb 17, 2009 4:01 PM CST

Ex-PD Admits Sex Harassment, Agrees to License Suspension

The former public defender for Durham, N.C., has admitted that he sexually harassed three women who worked for him and has agreed to a five-year suspension of his law license. Bob Brown Jr., who was public defender from 1990 until his resignation in 2006, agreed to the suspension in a…

Feb 10, 2009 6:48 PM CST

Lawyer Has Sympathy for Client Who Smeared Him with Feces

A public defender bounced off a case after his client smeared his face and hair with feces is expressing sympathy for his attacker. Deputy Alternate Public Defender Jeffrey Martin called the attack “a very unfortunate incident” in an interview with the Daily Journal (sub. req.). The client, Weusi McGowan, was…

Jan 28, 2009 12:23 PM CST

Defendant Gets New Lawyer and Trial After Smearing Feces on PD

Updated: A defendant who wanted his public defender removed from the case will get his wish after smearing feces on his lawyer’s face and flinging the material at jurors. Weusi McGowan was on trial in San Diego for a home invasion and robbery when he brought in a plastic bag…

Jan 27, 2009 1:34 PM CST

Does Jailhouse Pay Phone Recording Violate 6th Amendment?

A California public defender reportedly is using a novel constitutional argument to support his contention in a state-court lawsuit that the local district attorney’s office is unfairly listening into conversations on public jailhouse telephones to gain information about criminal cases. Although such eavesdropping has withstood Fourth Amendment challenge, Contra Costa…

Jan 27, 2009 12:47 AM CST

Justices Told Case Could Produce ‘Chaos of Constitutional Proportions’

A lawyer for the state of Vermont told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday that a ruling for the defendant in a case on speedy trial rights could lead to “chaos of constitutional proportions.” Christina Rainville, chief deputy state’s attorney for Vermont, told the justices the case had implications that…

Jan 14, 2009 4:28 PM CST