another reason why I get fed up with cops

Pretty self-explanatory. Maybe one day I'll get into the other bogus charges I see on a regular basis.

Chris Rock's new show

Right now, google video is hosting the pilot of Chris Rock's new tv show, Everybody Hates Chris. It's decent. Kind of a cross between Malcolm in the Middle and Wonder Years. Link expires on Sept. 29.

Living in Utah Part II

Yet another abuse of power by those charged with protecting us. Yet another reason why cops piss me off. One thing that I found interesting in this case is that the security guards hired by the record promoters were charged with possession of controlled substances because, in their security duties, they confiscated illegal and illicit substances. Other interesting thing about this case, the cops waited until a "critical mass" built up before they raided the party. However, they had "infiltrated" the party, so, they built up their own critical mass so that they could shut it down.

Ugggghhh.

It takes all kinds

My latest client. Currently has over 200 charges related to this behavior. Can't wait for this trial.

Man, wish I bought the CD

Everytime I hear old 1930s French Jazz (you know, with the guitar, the piano, the madeline peyroux/squirrel nut zippers sound), I keep thinking of this jazz quartet playing in the Ramblas area, by the El Corte Ingles, in Barcelona. Three of the musicians were in their late 20s, and the trombone player was easily in his early 50s. They rocked. Saw them on my last day in town, after drinking a pitcher of Sangria at BaBaReBa on Paseig de Gracia (and eating one of the best bowls of Gazpacho that I've ever tasted). Whilst walking back to our hotel, located just off the Ramblas, Ash and I passed through the Placaya Catalunya and caught something that sounded antique, as if it was playing from an old 78. The band was jamming, but not in a cool jazz or blues type way, they were hopping. Beats were fast and tight, but not overbearing. Band had rolled out an upright on the street, and the piano player was plucking the keys in an off-syncopated, near Thelonious Monk, time with the upright bass. Old man trombone player joined in with one of those things that go into the horn to perfectly distort the sound. They were jamming like this for a minute or so, and then the bald headed singer began. He sang through his eyes and nose, creating that nasally jazz sound from the 30's. Ash and I sat there for about 5 minutes, grooving to a couple of songs. I tossed in a couple of euro, but chose not to buy their CD (on sale for 10 euro). Those five minutes were among the most perfect moments in Barcelona, and it kills me that I never bought that goddamned CD.

Unconscionable

The Dept of Homeland Security states that it will use any information gatherered in its aid-giving process against any illegal immigrant who faces a deportation hearing. Hmmm, let's see, national tragedy where hundreds of thousands are displaced due to the inept actions of the DHS, Bush Administration, etc. Now, we turn a blind eye to their plight because "we cannot turn a blind eye to the law."

As a lawyer, and yes, as a defense lawyer, I swore an oath to uphold the law. However, when it comes to the enforcement of unjust laws, I think turning a blind eye might be in society's best interest. We currently turn a blind eye to all of those major corporations that hire illegal citizens (seriously, when have you ever heard of a farmer or hotel chain that's had to go through the legal system because it hired illegal immigrants of South America). First, illegal aliens are the backbone of our service industry. Everybody knows this. They work jobs that most legal citizens would not choose to work at (or at the very least, they work in jobs where there's not enough citizens to fill those jobs). They are our maids, our busboys, our dishwashers, our construction workers. So, if we deport them, we drain a major capital resource from our economy. Second, many illegals have children here who are U.S. citizens. If we deport the parents, the children will be without parental guidance. This is not a recipe for producing well-adjusted citizens who we can count on to become productive members of society. In fact, if we want to produce more crime in America, we should take away more and more parents in the lower income strata.

I fear that xenophobia, and perhaps racism, fuels much of the anti-illegal immigrant sentiment. Unfortunately (or not), so long as our country is a land of opportunity, we will always have illegal immigrants. Threatening to deport them for requesting basic, life-saving services is an unconscionable act. My hope is that those in the right, those that profess to be people of God and Jesus, realize how un-Christian this view is.

Future Memories

Last week, whilst having a drunken moment in a casino/mall/fancy food court in Las Vegas, I saw a little boy and his mother walking toward us. The boy was about 4 or 5 and he was holding his mother's hand as they walked. It wasn't a normal walk, though, he was taking big, jumping steps, sort of hanging from his mom's arm, laughing out loud. He had those shoes with red-flashing lights (that for some godawful reason, Karl Malone used to wear when he played for the Jazz). His mother was bending down, toward him, and she was also laughing. The din of the hallway floated around them, and I could hear their laughter and brief conversation. "That's so funny mom." "You're a funny boy!" They passed and their laughter faded out of ear shot.

As soon as I witnessed this, this, I dunno, vignette, I wanted to freeze them there, make them always remember this happy moment. A moment that probably occurs with much frequency and one that was instantly forgotten by them. A moment that they can both reflect upon in the future and know, just know in their hearts, that they were happy.

Too often, in my line of work, I think about what the childhood of my clients must have been like. Those clients of mine who sleep in public parks, who have 23 public intox charges, and who live day-in and day-out in a cycle of addiction and crime, I wonder if they ever had those moments that I just described. No matter the income strata, no matter the race, no matter the religion -- children must have experienced some happiness. Be it playing games with your buddies, being comforted by a parent, having an older brother teach you something cool, having a grandmother give you something neat for your birthday, having an aunt that congratulates you on an achivement. At least something like that must've happened. I wonder if my clients, in their cycle of addicition and crime, ever stop to think about those moments.

Not sure why that episode where complete strangers passed me in a hallway affected me so greatly. It just stuck in my head. What I've come up with is that it affected me because that boy is too young to have seen or to comprehend the lost innocence of the world; the mother too weary to fight against it. In that moment, there was happiness, there was innocence, there was love.

In the Event that You Had Any Doubts about Who Runs the State of Utah

LDS Church kills flat tax proposal. I'm actually glad that the church weighed in on the side that they did. But, as the article makes clear, when the church caught wind of a proposal that might eliminate charitable deductions at the State level, the church moved quickly to make its position known to legislators. All of which has the effect of killing a proposal. Although I'm glad that this proposal is dead, I'm left feeling a bit queasy about how it was done. The church had one of their god's army lawyers from Kirton & McConkie announce its opposition. Amazing. The people, who are represented by their elected officials, shouldn't have the whims of an omnipotent organization decide its fate. How it should be decided is through open and honest debate.

Yet another heartbreaking Katrina Story

This article and the accompanying slideshow moved me to pledge some money to the effort to rescue abandoned animals in New Orleans. I know, humans are more important than animals, and we should value human life over their domesticated animals, but this story and the slideshow are absolutely heartbreaking. The photos that got to me were (1) the picture of an emaciated pit bull wandering the street, (2) a picture of an expired dog on the front steps of an apartment, (3) a picture of a dog too frightened to be rescued, (4) a picture of a lab-retriever on top of a car surrounded by toxic water, (5) a picture of a dog waiting near what I presume to be its owner's corpse.

If you can, try to find a couple of bucks to help out with this effort.

No, what's disgusting, Laura, is that your husband hasn't done dick

The silver spoons, aka the Bushes, still don't seem to get it. First, mother Barb seems to think that the refugees in the Astrodome are better off. Now, Laura seems to think that because her husband cares about people, that his response is shielded from criticism. No, Laura, quite the opposite. Your husband didn't do what he needed to do in a timely fashion, and he appointed people to important positions who didn't know how to do anything when the shit hit the fan. As a direct result of your husband's cluelessness, many, many, many good, innocent people died. A disproportionate share were black. Kanye West was right to declare that your fucking idiotic husband doesn't care about black people.