Today is the big day, when the lawyers of Maricopa County will gather in the square aside the County Courthouse, arm in arm, to stand up to the reign of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his boil, County Attorney Andrew Thomas. This is big. Huge. I know this because Bennett and Gamso told me so, that blawgers must “shine the light.” Gamso even has an advance image of today’s rally.
But Brian Tannebaum, who first brought out the news of today’s rally at the Maricopa Courthouse, is less sanguine.
But Brian Tannebaum, who first brought out the news of today’s rally at the Maricopa Courthouse, is less sanguine.
Certain events cause a groundswell, or as we call them in internet language “go viral.”
That lawyers in Maricopa County, Arizona, have had enough and will meet at the courthouse today to show their solidarity, is unfortunately not one of those events.
It seems that the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice hasn’t bothered to include it on its list of fun activities for the holiday season. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers has yet to show any interest. Whether the lawyers of Maricopa County care enough to show remains to be seen.
I watched Good Morning America today, just to see if they made mention of the rally. They had some great tips on how to save on last minute gifts for friends and family. None of it involved Arizona. No analogy to Tienemen Square. No blue pin-striped officer of a criminal bar association speaking out for the Constitution and Sheriff Joe’s abrogation thereof. Nada.
It’s important that the lawyers of Maricopa County turn out in force today. If they don’t, it’s over. And it would have been different if the organized criminal defense bar associations took up the cause. Even a little bit. Maybe they’ve been too busy getting those holiday bargains. After all, when you’ve worked so very hard to earn a very important position as an executive officer in something as big as the NACDL, it’s hard to find the time to concern oneself with the small stuff like Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County.
At least us blawgers keep shining the light on Maricopa County. It would, of course, be more useful if someone was looking. Hopefully, at least the locals care enough to eat their lunch in the courthouse square today.
Update: As of approximately 12:50 p.m. Arizona time, there are about 300 to 400 people at the lawyer’s rally, per Nick Martin. That is a huge crowd, and, as Tannebaum noted, “makes a big statement.”
This is a bad time to expect a big crowd at any event, other than a holiday party or deep discount flat screen TV sale, but I do hope that the lawyers of Maricopa County, civil, and criminal, take their lunch hour and drop by the rally.Public statements are funny things. They cut both ways. I wonder if anybody thought about that in this ambitious plan?
Having a large number of lawyers attend this event will make a big statement.
Having a small number of lawyers attend makes a bigger statement.
I watched Good Morning America today, just to see if they made mention of the rally. They had some great tips on how to save on last minute gifts for friends and family. None of it involved Arizona. No analogy to Tienemen Square. No blue pin-striped officer of a criminal bar association speaking out for the Constitution and Sheriff Joe’s abrogation thereof. Nada.
It’s important that the lawyers of Maricopa County turn out in force today. If they don’t, it’s over. And it would have been different if the organized criminal defense bar associations took up the cause. Even a little bit. Maybe they’ve been too busy getting those holiday bargains. After all, when you’ve worked so very hard to earn a very important position as an executive officer in something as big as the NACDL, it’s hard to find the time to concern oneself with the small stuff like Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County.
At least us blawgers keep shining the light on Maricopa County. It would, of course, be more useful if someone was looking. Hopefully, at least the locals care enough to eat their lunch in the courthouse square today.
Update: As of approximately 12:50 p.m. Arizona time, there are about 300 to 400 people at the lawyer’s rally, per Nick Martin. That is a huge crowd, and, as Tannebaum noted, “makes a big statement.”
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The thing about that picture – what makes it so powerful, but also so frustratingly, infuriatingly sad – is that it’s just one guy.
That’s exactly right. And the world watched him.
Even though they aren’t directly involved, there is nothing to stop the NYSACDL and other state associations from supporting this rally and showing solidarity with criminal defense lawyers in Maricopa County.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened.