“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” That is the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. I am an enthusiastic but fairly recent convert to emphasizing the Second Amendment or believing that […]

My least favorite part of any newscast is “celebrity gossip.” Nonetheless, a story from that segment inspired this column. The story of Britney Spears and her conservator recently dominated the celebrity gossip. However, I never heard anyone explain what a conservator is or does. Britney’s case was handled under California law. I’m not a member […]

The Kyle Rittenhouse trial and verdict have America talking about self-defense. Self-defense is an example of an affirmative defense. An affirmative defense is one other than a denial of any fact alleged on the indictment. It’s called an “affirmative” defense because it’s only an issue if the defendant brings it up. Even if the prosecutor […]

My absolute favorite thing to do at work helps a client form a new limited liability company, or LLC. It was an honor to serve at the District Attorney’s Office. But all we ever did there was fight or get ready to fight. Now that I’m in private practice, I get to help clients build […]

I have discovered a subspecialty of criminal law that I enjoy: The Petition for Postconviction Relief. When I worked at the District Attorney’s Office, I won every one of these I ever handled, with one exception, and the one I lost was one where I conceded because the inmate had been convicted of the same […]