Featured Articles

Will SCOTUS engage in profanity?

Gideon (A Public Defender)
November 03, 2008 13:05

Tomorrow SCOTUS will hear argument in Fox v. FCC, “the F word case”. This has nothing to do with criminal law and everything to do with stupidity on part of the FCC. It stems from three uses of fuck and shit. One was by Bono, who said his award was “really, really, fucking...

Prosecutorial hubris: Ethics, shmethics

Gideon (A Public Defender)
November 11, 2008 17:50

Prosecutors are special. They have their own little section [pdf - Rule 3.8] in the rules of professional conduct. For the most part, they’re people like you and me, trying to do their job, abiding by their special duties and responsibilities. Then you come across prosecutors like Ben Field...

Is the breathalyzer racist?

Gideon (A Public Defender)
November 20, 2008 12:52

So claims one Connecticut lawyer, James O. Ruane, son of the famous DUI attorney James J. Ruane. In this most recent DUI case, the younger Ruane filed a motion to suppress the results of the breathalyzer, arguing inter alia: the lung capacity of a black man is 3 percent smaller than a white man...

Recent Articles

Dear Governor Rell: death penalty’s broke and we can’t fix it

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 22, 2009 14:38

Dear Governor Rell, Hi, it’s me, Gideon. This is my second attempt at a letter to you. The last one was somewhat trivial by comparision. I hope you take the time to read this, though, as I’m sure the last one ended up quickly at the bottom of your rubbish bin. Governor, there is a piece...

CT lege abolishes death penalty; veto next?

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 22, 2009 13:24

After an excruciatingly long 11-hour debate that was peppered with vacuousness, cherry-picking and childhood stories, the CT Senate finally got around to voting on whether the State should abolish the death penalty. This historic vote ended in favor of abolition, but just barely. A 19-17 vote in...

Liveblogging the Death Penalty Debate

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 21, 2009 22:36

Liveblogging the Death Penalty DebateLiveblogging the Death Penalty Debate

It’s not mine

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 18, 2009 00:24

I’m just holding it for a friend client.I’m just holding it for a friend client.

CT House passes bill abolishing death penalty

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 14, 2009 02:38

There must be something about this date. May 13 is now host to two significant death penalty events in Connecticut. On May 13, 2005, the State executed Michael Ross, after about a year of wrangling on his part to make it happen. Today, the CT House of Representatives voted 90-56 in favor of a bill...

Oh you ungrateful defendants!

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 13, 2009 11:46

If there were a job where the only requirement was to give pithy (sometimes catchy, but usually poor) titles to Connecticut Supreme Court decisions, I would take that job and assign the title of this post to State v. Sanseverino (II), issued yesterday. Sanseverino II is a very curious decision of...

June 8th. Write it down.

Gideon (A Public Defender)
May 11, 2009 01:00

Season 2 of Raising the Bar begins June 8 on TNT. Mark your calendars, because this can mean only one thing: the return of the weekly Raising the Bar liveblog right here at a public defender.Season 2 of Raising the Bar begins June 8 on TNT. Mark your calendars, because this can mean only one thing:...