The World from an Outlier's Perspective
I was born a Contrarian: a person who rejects or opposes popular opinion. My family immigrated from Germany to America in 1952 where my parents, despite their education, had to start over. My father, who suffered from mental illness, was out of the picture by the time I was 5 and I became the other "adult" tasked with the job of helping my mother raise 4 younger siblings. I started debate in the 7th grade, went to college on a debate scholarship and spent the past 30 years of my life as a public defender applying my outlier perspective to the defense of clients accused of serious crimes. Despite the horrendous nature of some of these crimes, there is always a human story to tell about the client and how he or she got there, if you let yourself think out of the box.
Framing the Case from Jury Selection to Cross-Examination of the Gang Cop.
Contrary to the central concept of rational choice theory (people always strive to make the most rational choices possible in line with their own self-interest) which has been with us since the Enlightenment, “Framing Theory” explains why and how something is presented (the “frame”) influences the choices people make. I have successfully used "Framing Theory" in serious gang cases and can teach you how to use it
in your case. Let's discuss the facts of your case and
let me determine what I can do for you. But first,
you should obtain and read my practice manual available
through this site, Fighting Gang Allegations: A Conceptual
and Methodical Approach, to educate yourself
about my approach.
In the gang case, police "expert" [gang cop] testimony seizes on society's predisposition to simplify complex matters and reinforce beliefs consistent with popular stereotypes. I have developed a cross-examination technique which exposes this testimony for what it is - untested and uncorroborated anecdotal information gleaned from unreliable sources. You can use my expertise
at trial to construct your own scathing cross-examination
or you can use me as an expert witness at trial or on appeal
to highlight the lack of any methodology in gang cop testimony and ineffectiveness of counsel in preparing for and conducting
the defense in gang cases. I have transcripts of my cross-examinatioin of the gang cop available through this site including my most recent cross-examination in a gang homicide tried in 2014 in which the client was acquitted.
"Winning is a state of mind that embraces
everything you do."
I will never forget my first gang case. It was a homicide that I tried in 1995. Having a liberal arts background (knowing a little about a lot and a lot about little), I was flabbergasted by the senseless drivel coming from the gang cop's mouth. From then on, I was determined to take on what most defense attorneys around the country saw as the "unbeatable foe" - the gang cop. I lost the case but beat the gang enhancement and began to build on the formula I used to discredit the gang cop. My successes gained local recognition and since 2000, I have lectured and conducted seminars throughout California and the nation on "Fighting Gang Allegations: A Conceptual and Methodical Approach."
IT WORKS and can be applied in every case.
"Growth in wisdom may be exactly measured by decrease in bitterness."
Friedrich Nietzsche
