Blog Posts

Today's decision in United States v. Stevens was correct as a matter of law, even if its application makes me wince. You see, I am a dog lover, and regard my two border collies, Odysseus and Penelope, as integral parts of my family. So it pains me to applaud a decision striking down a law making it...

I'm a battle-hardened criminal defense lawyer, so it always surprises me how weak in the knees I get when a policeman pulls me over. The urge to confess runs rampant, even if I haven't done anything. I assume the authorities must have a reason for wanting to talk to me. What have I done?
Police...

I'm a battle-hardened criminal defense lawyer, so it always surprises me how weak in the knees I get when a policeman pulls me over. The urge to confess runs rampant, even if I haven't done anything. I assume the authorities must have a reason for wanting to talk to me. What have I done?
Police...

Steven Hayes is no Hannibal Lechter. There's no stirring of genius animating his brow. His eyes don't fire with secret commune with evil. Mr. Hayes' crimes shock and inspire terror. But for all that, he looks different in degree, not in kind, from many who have committed horrible crimes. He stands...

My midnight readings have taken a dark turn for the past few weeks. Books about the apocalypse and social upheaval intrigue me. This past weekend, I finished another, Nevil Shute's On The Beach, written in 1957. Call this a kinder and gentler version of the end.
Nuclear war incinerates the...

If you or a loved one are charged with a sex offense you are undoubtedly concerned about the prospect of imprisonment. But that is only one of the four discrete harms faced by any accused sex offender. There are three other harms that are as significant, and each should be discussed with your...

For better or worse, I signed up for Twitter today. Of course, now I have to figure out how to use it. Help!
As near as I can tell, my username is: Norm_Pattis.

If you or a loved one are charged with a sex offense you are undoubtedly concerned about the prospect of imprisonment. But that is only one of the four discrete harms faced by any accused sex offender. There are three other harms that are as significant, and each should be discussed with your...

Afraid to work with children because you might be accused of a crime? You're not alone. Read this excellent post by Mike Cernovich at Crime and Federalism.

The same edition of the New York Times that carried an assessment of the top three contenders for the imminent vacancy on the United States Supreme Court also carried a story that one of three Americans failed to return Census Bureau forms. I wonder whether there's a deeper moral in this innocent...