» Entries tagged with "disorderly conduct"
Prosecutorial DV Psychosis
Negotiating with prosecutors in domestic violence cases can be impossible, as the mere filing of such a case somehow instantly cements in their minds the roles each person involved the case must play. Fairly often, no amount of rational argument or actual evidence is capable of overcoming that. Even otherwise reasonable prosecutors end up absolutely convinced of their position despite overwhelming cause for doubt. This fascinating but also disturbing loss of contact with reality is something I like to call “prosecutorial DV psychosis.” Let’s start with a hypothetical domestic violence situation where there’s a recanting victim. A girlfriend called the police one night and said her boyfriend broke her cell phone. They were both drunk, and the phone was broken. The boyfriend got angry talking … Read entire article »
Filed under: Domestic Violence, Prosecutors
Real Justice
I saw a funny thing in the parking garage yesterday. Some jerk had parked his giant truck exactly how I’d expect a jerk with a giant truck to park, and some poor kid in a compact car was struggling to wiggle in through his driver’s side door. I’d say about two inches at most separated the front passenger’s side door of the truck from the driver’s side door of the car. The kid didn’t have a chance. A nine-year-old couldn’t have squeezed in without climbing on the roof and rolling down the window. The compact car was parked perfectly between the lines, whereas the truck was at a severe angle. It was pretty obvious why its jerk-owner parked it that way. Had he parked properly … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arizona Statutes, Government Rants
No Pie For You
Bad manners aside, sitting at the dinner table and yelling “bring me some pie!” at your significant other while pounding your fists is probably not a criminal offense. Should you happen to have a knife in one hand while you pound your fists, however, you may be in big trouble. Significant others don’t like angry demands for pie, I’m told, and as a criminal defense lawyer, I’ve met quite a few people whose significant others love calling the police for the most trivial things. The story the 911 operator hears will invariably be embellished, and in my example, the angry companion would probably claim you somehow threatened her with the knife. She would say how scared she was. When officers arrive and haul you off to jail, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arizona Statutes, Prosecutors
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