"Court Case Friday" The best new judges have extensive experience in the field of law in which they are presiding. They also have major experience in courtroom hearings and trials. New judges who lacked such expertise can be a disaster. As an experienced prosecutor, I was assigned to respond to the defense motion to suppress … Continue reading Bizarre Ruling – Judge Outraged by the Officer’s Gun
The worst thing that can happen in a courthouse is for a criminal to get a loaded gun. This could be life threatening to witnesses, jurors, attorneys, employees, and, of course, us judges. Courthouse Security Our deputies go to extreme measures to make certain that nightmare never happens. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department does an … Continue reading Loaded Gun Loose in Our Courthouse
One of my scariest experiences took place when I was a new deputy district attorney working at the Orange County Juvenile Courthouse. My office door was closed and I was seated at my desk working on cases. Suddenly, without knocking, a woman flung open the door and quickly stepped into my office unannounced. She … Continue reading The Day I Was Almost Murdered
The Dumb Defendant Destroys his Defense (Too many alliterations?) One year, a man came to rob a gas station mini-mart. He walked up to the counter, put his hand in his pants pocket under his untucked shirt, and said to the cashier, “I have a gun, give me all your money.” The young cashier was … Continue reading More Entertaining Stupid Criminals
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