May 31, 2009

ID: "Idaho can make up any law they want when it comes to the alleged attack on a 5 year-old"

From the Idaho Press-Tribune:

Jury trial set for boy accused of assaulting 5-year-old girl in Nampa

Judge Thomas Ryan... set an August jury trial date for a 15-year-old Nampa boy accused of sexually assaulting and beating a 5-year-old girl... (Trevor) Reizenstein will be tried as an adult... The Idaho Supreme Court ruled in a 4-1 decision last month that the boy be tried as an adult...

Reizenstein was 12 years old at the time the girl was attacked.


Update: Scott at Simple Justice hasn't lost his sense of outrage. I'm relieved that I'm not raising my son in my home state.

May 20, 2009

CA: Yolo's cool old hippie retires

From the Sacramento Bee:

Yolo County loses best-known employee among exodus of early retirees

Barry Melton knows his days as a young rock icon, when he took the stage at Woodstock with a tousle of blond curls, are long past... But at 61, Melton – the Yolo County public defender who became famous as "The Fish" in the Vietnam-era band Country Joe and the Fish – leaves at the top of his game as a lawyer.

He said he decided to retire next month partly to save jobs in his office as Yolo County struggles with a historic budget crisis. "It's either that," Melton said, "or put some young attorney in the unemployment line..."


Such a cool guy.

May 13, 2009

ID: does wardrobe malfunction averted = justice malfunction avoided?

From The MountainGoat Report:

Wardrobe Ruling In 'Exotic Case'

Gender identity won't be on trial this June in Twin Falls County but it is difficult for many to believe otherwise.

If you haven't been following the story of Nastaran, or legally Majid, Kolestani, a transgender Iranian refugee accused in the shooting death of the man with whom she shared an apartment in Twin Falls, get caught up here...

Now from the Times-News comes the latest: "Kolestani can dress as woman, judge rules"... That the defense felt it necessary to make such a request says something about the territory in which Twin Falls County finds itself...

May 09, 2009

ID: wondering if the fix is in for Canyon Co PD

From the Idaho Press-Tribune:

Committee selected to find new public defender for county

Third District Administrative Judge Juneal Kerrick has appointed a committee of three local attorneys to consider candidates who want to be appointed the next public defender for Canyon County... This panel will review the seven applicants for the public defender post... (T)he Canyon County commissioners, who will make the final selection... The new contract will be effective Aug. 1.

Local attorneys Klaus Wiebe and Scott Fouser hold the position at this time and recently sued the county and the state, accusing the county of shopping for the "bottom" of adequate services for its indigent defendants...


Also interesting to note the number of former long-time prosecutors on the list who've found a new interest in indigent defense.