Archive for March, 2011

The Criminal Justice Club: A Career Prosecutor Takes on the Media–and More


Product Description

A 32-year career prosecutor in the Los Angeles County DA’s Office reveals the inside story of how the criminal justice system really works, and debunks many media-created myths about the system. The book documents many years of liberal media bias against the system. This is a story that needs to be told because the public only knows what the media tell us.

It is also the author’s personal story, a high school dropout raised in a liberal household who grew up believing the media myths about the criminal justice system. He joined the ACLU and became a prosecutor only to learn how the police and prosecutors operated. His goal was to take this knowledge into his private law practice and defend those he believed were the real victims of society: minorities, the poor, the downtrodden and yes, the criminals. The author discusses his emotional attachment to his liberal views and tracks his slow conversion from a liberal Democrat to a moderate conservative.

The Criminal Justice Club reveals many startling facts about the criminal justice system, facts that are unknown to much of the public. For examples:

How few crimes are ever solved by the police: the chances of a reported serious crime in California leading to a prison sentence for the perpetrator are about 5%, which is about the national average;

Why California, for thirteen years (1965-1978), paid its 58 counties $4,000 for each convicted felon who was not sentenced to prison;

The real reason California’s death row inmates wait about twenty years from conviction to execution–while the delay in other states is far less;

The lack of truth in sentencing: how little prison time convicted criminals really serve for felony crimes in California and around the country. The median prison term actually served by convicted murderers in the United States in 2001 was eight years, eight months–up from 5 1/2 years in 1988-even though the media correctly reported the sentence the judge gave the murderer in court: life in prison or a maximum sentence of life. The media rarely reports the likely parole dates of convicted felons.

About 630,000 illegal aliens enter our nation’s jails and prisons each year for crimes committed in this country;

The consequences of the Los Angeles Police Department’s hiring of a person to be a police officer who had been arrested five times for felony crimes, and who had been convicted of attempted burglary–to meet affirmative action goals;

Reveals whether career criminals really suffer from low self-esteem;

Answers the question so often asked of criminal defense attorneys: How can you defend a person charged with murder, rape or child molestation when you believe, or know, your client is guilty?

The author discusses many of his courtroom experiences, some humorous, some gratifying, some heartbreaking and some frustrating.

The Criminal Justice Club is guaranteed to entertain, shock and educate the reader.

The Criminal Justice Club: A Career Prosecutor Takes on the Media–and More

How to Look For the Best Criminal Lawyers in Your City

Are you looking for a reliable criminal lawyer to represent you or somebody you know? Criminal law is a very specialized branch of law, and it concerns certain acts that cause harm to the general public. The punishment for breaking these laws is usually severe, and a person who is charged under this law requires the help of a good firm of criminal lawyers. While no branch of the law is to be taken lightly, criminal law is usually considered to be very important, and the quality of legal representation that a person gets has a strong bearing on the outcome of the case.

The minute that you or somebody known to you is charged with a crime, or is even involved with it any way, you should immediately look for a good criminal law firm to represent you. Never make the mistake of thinking that a criminal attorney will not be able to do anything to help you. Criminal lawyers, like divorce lawyers, have an unnecessarily bad reputation amongst the general public, but it is only when one needs their help that one realizes that it is useful to have an aggressive lawyer on one’s side.

The modern legal system is based upon the premise that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. An experienced criminal attorney will be able to present your case in the most favorable manner possible in order to give you the best possible chance of winning. Many people believe that they will be released if they have not committed any crime. However, there have been too many cases of people getting wrongfully convicted for a whole lot of reasons. You therefore have to do all you can to find the best possible lawyers if you find yourself embroiled in a criminal case for any reason.

If you are unsure about where to start looking for a good lawyer, do not be afraid. Most people in a similar position would also not know where to look since this is not part of a person’s normal experiences.

You can start and finish your search on the internet. There are so many websites that can provide you excellent information on criminal law firms that you will not have to look elsewhere. You can gauge a firm of criminal solicitors by finding out about its track record by reading about it online. If you do a simple search on a particular firm or criminal lawyer or on an individual lawyer, you are bound to find a lot of useful information. Keep a wary eye out for lawyers who are known to be unethical, because that is the sign that the lawyer does not have the ability to represent you in the conventional manner.

If you feel that you still need some information about the lawyers whose names you have discovered on the internet, you could go to a free legal aid society in order to enquire about these lawyers. Make sure that you do all you can to get the best legal representation you can afford.

 

Originally published here.


Gary Davies

May 18, 2010 – Judge Peggy Hora’s talk on Drug Treatment Courts in the 21st Century

May 18, 2010 - Judge Peggy Hora

Picture taken by US Embassy New Zealand on 2010-05-19 13:39:51.