(Sticky) Nominations Open for Third Annual Best Criminal Law Blawg Post
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
The winner of the 1st Annual Best Criminal Law Blawg Post was Jeff Gamso. The winner of the 2d was Gideon at A Public Defender. And this is the time to show your appreciation by nominating a post for the third.
So here's the deal:
- Anybody can "nominate" a post for the honor, including their own. SJ posts are off limits. You can nominate them anonymously, with great fanfare, just by name or with a detailed explanation of why you think a post is the best. It can be a post from a criminal defense lawyer, a prosecutor or a non-lawyer, provided it's subject is criminal law. It can even be a post by a lawprof. You can nominate up to five posts.
- For this contest, and for this contest only, I will allow links to be included in comments to the posts (not just the blawgs, but the actual posts) nominated. Spam links will be treated harshly.
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This is a chance to think back over the year and give everyone some great posts to read, to ponder, to discuss and maybe even change some minds.
And just to be clear, it doesn't matter if you're brand-spanking new or an old hand, a dear friend or a complete unknown. This is all about substance, not popularity, tribes, networking, branding or bonding. If I smell anyone trying to use this as a marketing opportunity, they're out of here. Spam = banned. If I smell anyone trying to use this for inappropriate purposes, it will end up backfiring. Trust me.
I invite anyone and everyone to offer the best the blawgosphere has in criminal law. Spread the word, and let others know that this is their opportunity to show their stuff, get a backlink, and let the rest of the blawgosphere know what they're doing.
To avoid a problem that arose with last year's nominations, I'm putting a limit on nominations of five posts, so no laundry lists this year. This is about quality, not quantity. Put some effort into coming up with posts you think are best. Yes, it's hard work. Tough it out.
Nothing here at Simple Justice is eligible, so don't waste a brain cell thinking about it.
The winner will be announced on New Years Day.
Judging will be entirely on my shoulders, and I will be as arbitrary and capricious as I please, so there's no complaining about the choice. That said, I will do my best to select the blawg post that best reflects our finest work, our highest tradition, our deepest thoughts and our best purpose in putting words on a computer screen. For anyone who doesn't trust me to be fair, find a better offer elsewhere.
Best of luck and I look forward to seeing some great stuff.
Clarification: First, all nominations must be in the comment to this post. DO NOT SEND ME EMAILS. You can comment anonymously if you want, but you have to do it yourself. For the purpose of his post, I will not do the dirty work for you.
Second, this is for best blawg POST. This means a specific post, not a blawg (or blog) in general. You like X Blog? Groovy, but irrelevant for this purpose.
Nice post!
Must everything be all about you?
Just two:
"Anatomy of a Scam Investigation" Series by Ken at Popehat.
http://www.popehat.com/2011/09/10/anatomy-of-a-scam-investigation-chapter-one/
This was a multi-part series of posts that addressed a real scam and ways to combat/investigate it along with potential legal issues and remedies. The entire series, considered as one submission, is fantastic for the following reasons:
1. It is exceptionally thorough.
2. It has public service value due to the wealth of information provided. The information it contains is useful to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.
3. Legal aspects are discussed and framed around a real-life scam that appeared largely on the west coast.
4. The usual peppering of Popehat humor.
Next, Matt Brown's post "Rejection."
http://brownandlittlelaw.com/2011/11/14/rejection/
This cuts to the heart of what it is like to be that hardworking lawyer who is rejected for another. It's one of those heartfelt posts that simply cannot be ignored.
You asked for a post, but as you know Nathan Burney is working on a series, that being the illustrated guide to Crim Law.
The first: http://thecriminallawyer.tumblr.com/page/5
Not many blog posts have the bona fide potential to be turned into a book.
I actually gave Nathan(s) tumblr a lot of thought when I was doing this post, as might come as no surprise given my post about it two days ago. However, as much as I love it (and I do), it is not a blawg post, though it most assuredly had huge potential for a great book.
The following are my 3 Sticky nominations for Best Criminal Law Blawg Post (in no particular order):
1. Rick Horowitz's Probable Cause: War on Desires: http://www.rhdefense.com/2011/12/11/wars-on-desires
2. Mark Bennett's Defending People: Redemption Theory: All Stocked Up: http://blog.bennettandbennett.com/2011/09/redemption-theory-all-stocked-up.html
3. Ken at Popehat: Complain About Being Sexually Assaulted By A TSA Thug? THEY’LL SUE!: http://www.popehat.com/2011/09/06/complain-about-being-sexually-assaulted-by-a-tsa-thug-theyll-sue/
There are many other CDL blawgers whose posts are worthy of a nomination, but I suspect that other readers will give them the appropriate mention.
Best,
Nino
While there were several good posts about the Amy Alkon-TSA fight, it seems to me that the post that started it all -- by Amy herself -- ought to get the nod if you pick one of those.
And that will hand you the interesting issue of deciding whether to give the award to a non-crimlaw blogger, for raising the issue so well.
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/04/26/make_it_tough_t.html
There are no limitations about who can win, lawyer or not, prosecution, defense, judge. Even lawprof. There is only person ineligible, and he doesn't matter anyway.
Then consider this a formal nomination, not only b/c she raised the 4th Amend so well, but b/c she also managed to raise 1st Amend with her cries of rape.
Helluva twofer if you ask me.
Helluva twofer if you ask me.
You really need to do something about that echo.
Making Simple Justice ineligible spares me the Sophie's Choice of narrowing a year of excellent posts down to a few.
As a great legal philosopher once said, "snort my taint."
A bit of storytelling from Marcus Schantz:
http://schantz-law.blogspot.com/2011/09/belief-in-tough-case-trial.html
Mark Bennett's explanation of why flat fees are good for clients:
http://blog.bennettandbennett.com/2011/01/why-flat-fees-are-good-for-clients.html
Brian Tannebaum's call for a national conversation on law enforcement:
http://criminaldefenseblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-time-for-national-conversation-on.html
I nominate:
1) Bennett, Why Flat Fees Are Good for Clients http://blog.bennettandbennett.com/2011/01/why-flat-fees-are-good-for-clients.html
2) Tannebaum, I's time for a national conversation on law enforcement http://criminaldefenseblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/its-time-for-national-conversation-on.html
3) Pribetic, Fighting TSA Manual Manipulation, http://thetrialwarrior.com/2011/09/07/fighting-tsa-manual-manipulation/
This is tough. We have two excellent blawgers here in Houston in Mark Bennett (Defending People) and Murray Newman (Life at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center). Mark is appropriately nominated above. Murray is great, but his stuff does not always travel well because it is "inside baseball" Harris County. However, anyone who has time should peruse his last dozen or so posts on the investigation of the DA's office. (You could not make this stuff up). Instead, I nominate Appellatesquawk for http://appellatesquawk.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/the-naughtynice-hearings/
It is just in the holiday spirit and hilarious.
Do I take that as faint praise for your local guys, or guilt as you nominate a New Yorker?
I have high praise for Mark and Murray, but your contest sought a single post.
I was just joshing.
I'm not voting for Josh.
I don't blame you. Josh is no Mark or Murray.
Radley Balko's series "Myths of the Criminal Justice System, Parts 1, 2, and 3. Radley is one of the only real journalists left on the planet.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/20/myths-of-the-criminal-justice-system_n_879768.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/22/myths-of-the-criminal-justice-system-part-two_n_881975.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/myths-of-criminal-justice-part-three_n_883935.html
I'm quite fond of Radley, like the son I wasn't able to convince to get a job doing something productive and so he writes instead I never had. Really, I'm very proud of him anyway.
I also nominate Radley's series.
Would you characterize Huffington Post as a blawg?
There's been some great blogging out of the Occupy movement and the Law of Rule response to it).
I share with Windy and Rick the appreciation for Brian Tannebaum's call for a national conversation on law enforcement, but the most important (and moving) response I've seen in the blogs is Mirriam Seddiq's "Doomed to Repeat It," which is my nomination.
http://notguiltynoway.com/2011/12/doomed-to-repeat-it.html
Mark Bennett's "The Problem of the Working Poor Illustrated":
http://blog.bennettandbennett.com/2011/10/the-problem-of-the-working-poor-illustrated.html
Thanks to Scott's kind words about us, the number of Appellate Squawk's readers has swelled into the high two digits. We'd like to show our appreciation by respectfully requesting a subcategory for frivolous criminal defense blog and offering the following self-serving sample:
http://appellatesquawk.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/ny-state-assembly-passes-herods-law/
I make everyone in our appellate division read your posts.You will soon verge on triple digits.
Seems like you shouldn't have to make them. Just sayin'.
How else can I impose my tyrannical control? I also force the trial division to read old Calvin and Hobbes cartoons.
I took conlaw from Hobbes. He was inconsistent.
You would have been better off with the stuffed tiger.
I would refer you to Neil McCabe's website and a blog he wrote re: the real Enron Whistleblower. It was well written & enlightening.http://ncmlegal.com/news/2011/09/real-enron-whistleblower-paid-puts-fake-shame/
I nominate Nathan Burney's post:
http://burneylawfirm.com/blog/2011/08/30/straight-talk/
I nominate Orin Kerr of "The Volokh Conspiracy" for any of his commentary on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
http://volokh.com/2011/01/04/eleventh-circuit-holds-that-it-is-a-crime-for-an-employee-to-use-his-employers-computer-for-non-business-reasons/
It's not a post about a criminal defense issue (though its a criminal defense blog written by a criminal defense attorney), but I enjoyed Matt Brown's article titled "Unauthorized Practice." I think he brought an interesting ethical issue to the forefront. Well, several ethical issues:
http://brownandlittlelaw.com/2011/08/11/unauthorized-practice/
Matt's post was the most compelling on the Rachel Rodgers / unauthorized practice of law issue.
From Eric Mayer's Unwashed Military Bat Boy blog.
http://unwashedadvocate.com/2011/07/30/dear-police/
And about 20 others.
As long as we're talking about the Unwashed Advocate, I nominate Perception v. Reality:
http://unwashedadvocate.com/2011/03/20/perception-vs-reality-of-the-legal-profession/
"Capital Punishment," by Carl Reynolds at CourTex: http://courtex.blogspot.com/2011/10/capital-punishment.html#comment-form.
Earlier I nominated a post by Mirriam Seddiq. I should have made two nominations then because as she ended the year brilliantly, so Mark Bennett began it brilliantly. Therefore, I also nominate Bennett's "Schaadenfreude, Irony, and the Defense Function."
http://blog.bennettandbennett.com/2011/01/schadenfreude-irony-and-the-defense-function.html
Great posts all. I will bookmark them for future reference.
Spoken like a guy who's already won.
That's the only reason I stopped blogging this year: only place to go was down.
IMMEDIATE BAIL BONDS
www.getmykidoutnow.com
Have I ever mentioned how much I appreciate your contribution? No, I don't believe I have.
There's always the three-peat, but that would require a repeat.
There's always next year.
I look forward to it.
Only if you promise to retweet/bookmark.
I will bookmark you for future reference.
wait, the conversation is over? Aw, c'mon. What are you guys going to do, email each other or something? Damn.
Nice to see something anything from Gid!
I can't remember anything I read all year if I read anything this year, I admit it.