The last few weeks have been a season of grief and illness — and if I'm honest, the illness isn't fully behind me yet. But you've walked some of this with me, and I have something from the courtroom worth sharing. Some cases stay with you not because they were dramatic, but because they reveal… Continue reading In the Interest of Justice — On a Case That Never Should Have Been Filed and a Mother Who Deserved Better
Category: Behind the Case
Memoir-type reflections on navigating court, emotional burdens, and moral tensions
Carrying Both—When the Work Doesn’t Stop and Neither Does the Hurt
What I’m learning is this: sometimes life asks us to carry more than one kind of weight at the same time. Grief in one hand. Illness in the other. And somehow, the work still expects you to show up—to advocate, to prepare, to stand in court with a steady voice even when your body and… Continue reading Carrying Both—When the Work Doesn’t Stop and Neither Does the Hurt
A Case and a Crisis Are Not the Same Thing: What Happened When a Courtroom Stopped to Listen
It was supposed to be a routine plea. I was standing in line waiting to approach the bench when another lawyer stepped up with her client to enter a plea on a theft case. The offer was deferred adjudication, and everything appeared to be moving in the ordinary rhythm of a busy criminal court docket.… Continue reading A Case and a Crisis Are Not the Same Thing: What Happened When a Courtroom Stopped to Listen
This Isn’t a Detour: Why My Toughest Case Is Preparing Me for Capital Defense
There are cases you choose, and there are cases that choose you. This one chose me. I’ve had many moments where I regretted taking on a child‑pornography case. Not because of the work — I can do the work — but because of the weight. The stigma. The isolation. The way people’s faces change when… Continue reading This Isn’t a Detour: Why My Toughest Case Is Preparing Me for Capital Defense
The Ones You Learn to Recognize
A Closing Reflection on a Month Inside Juvenile Justice I had a clean way to close this series. But after reading the notes for my first appointed client of the day, it simply didn’t feel honest anymore. My new client, seventeen. When I checked in with the court coordinator, she looked at the notes on… Continue reading The Ones You Learn to Recognize
The System Didn’t Break; It Was Built This Way
Every February, America dusts off its favorite Black icons, recites a few safe quotes, shows a few movies with popular Black actors and calls it Black History Month. But Black history isn’t something we visit once a year. It’s something we’re still living — in our laws, in our courtrooms, in our jails, and in… Continue reading The System Didn’t Break; It Was Built This Way
The Question He Couldn’t Answer — and Why
I’m still planning my blog year — discerning what I want my voice to hold and what I want to pour into. But some stories don’t wait for your calendar. Some moments insist on being named while they’re still warm. And before I could settle into any goals or themes for the year, today reminded… Continue reading The Question He Couldn’t Answer — and Why
When Justice and Compassion Collide
Reflections on balancing duty, empathy and humanity in the hardest cases I’m currently handling a case involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). CSAM refers to images or videos that depict the sexual abuse of minors. Preparing for trial in a matter like this has been one of the most emotionally challenging experiences of my career.… Continue reading When Justice and Compassion Collide
No Hearing, No YMAC, Still Mercy
The Case That Almost Got Away My first appointed felony client is one I'll never forget. He was barely 18. Already on a six-year deferred probation. Already carrying two new state jail felony thefts. Already written off by the system. But he asked for YMAC—Young Men About Change. Not because he thought he deserved it.… Continue reading No Hearing, No YMAC, Still Mercy
Sword in Hand🗡️: When Mercy Wears a Smile
Some cases come heavy. Others come absurd. This one came with a sword. My client—a convicted felon—was charged with deadly conduct. The facts? A man was in his backyard. My client didn’t know why. He couldn’t legally carry a gun, so he grabbed the only thing he had: a sword. He didn’t raise it. Didn’t… Continue reading Sword in Hand🗡️: When Mercy Wears a Smile
On (In)justice 