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Tuesday 21 September 2010

Top 50 Criminal Defense Blogs

Whether you are the victim, family member, or alleged perpetrator, chances are you are going to encounter the criminal defense system at some time in your life. However, hiring a lawyer is more expensive than ever. Why not save yourself a few hours of research and a few thousand dollars by checking out a blog?
They can help put criminal defense law into laymen’s terms, help for filing motions, or even tips for how to get arrested properly. To help, we have gathered the top 50 criminal defense blogs. Written by public defenders, private lawyers, law professors, and even district attorneys, they are sure to have something useful.
Top General Criminal Defense Blogs
These blogs cover all aspects of criminal defense.
    lawyer1. Criminal Defense : Brian Tannenbaum is a criminal and Bar defender of present, future, and former lawyers. Blogging since 2005, he has plenty to say about criminal defense. Many entries deal with current topics in criminal defense. 2. Traffic Court Blog : No matter how law abiding, the prospect of traffic court confronts us all at some point in our lives. Stop here to get traffic court news, self-help tools, and tips from professionals. The blog is edited by an actual attorney and is full of help. 3. Law of Criminal Defense : This blog begins with a quotation from the U.S. Constitution. Click on entries to get more information on both law and crime. There is also a related book on the topic. 4. Probable Cause : Rick is a criminal attorney from Fresno who practices law in an unknown location. He specializes in arguing criminal and traffic defense cases. Visit his blog for useful entries and resources. 5. SCOTUS Blog : Stop here for the official blog of the Supreme Court of the United States. Sections include orders and opinions, commentary, new filings, petitions, and term tracker. An excellent choice for those who want to follow criminal defense law and beyond.. 6. BCOTUS : The above blog is so popular, it inspired this one that follows it. The focus is to track the SCOTUS blog, the cases they take on, as well as their take. It is headed by Rick Horowitz, who is doing the job of both court clerk and justice. 7. Crime and Consequences : This blog is sponsored by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation. Issues include death penalty, mental state, sentencing, victim’s rights, and more. With dozens of blog entries per month, make time for this criminal defense blog. 8. Grits for Breakfast : Scott Henson is a former journalist turned researcher/political consultant. In his blog, he takes a look at the Texas criminal defense system in this popular entry. In addition to entries, he also includes a recipe for grits. 9. Crime & Federalism : Mark believes everything he was ever told about criminal defense was a lie. See why with a read of the blog. Recent entries are on matriarchy and prison.
Top Criminal Defense Blogs by a Lawyer These lawyers and other professionals make criminal defense their lives and blog all about it.
    bench10. A Public Defender : If arrested, a lawyer just like Gideon may represent you. He writes on everything from clients to crime. Recent posts are on cops, sentencing, and ridicule. 11. Public Defender Stuff : Get “indigent defense news”on this blog. It tracks public defender news and other blog posts from across the country. They even have interviews with actual public defenders. 12. The Common Scold : Monica Bay is a journalist, lawyer, and Yankees fanatic. She named her blog after the punishment given to Puritan women for speaking their mind. In addition to current law, she also has lots to say on this older version of criminal law. 13. A Criminal Enterprise : Three bloggers take on criminal defense here. Criminal defense attorneys Robert and Bidish work on primarily death penalty appeals. See what they are up to and get opinions on the latest trials with a visit. 14. Defending People : Get the “tao of criminal defense lawyering” here. The blog is about the art and science of criminal defense lawyering, as well as anything else that strikes Mark Bennett’s interest. The latest includes jury selection and stupid questions. 15. Capital Defense Weekly : Lawyers come from across the nation to blog here. Criminal defense entries have mostly to do with capital defense. You can also search for the case you are most interested in.
Top Local Criminal Defense Blogs by a Lawyer Follow these criminal defense blogs by city or state.
    statue of justice16. Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer : Jamie Spencer is a lawyer in the capital of Texas. Topics include everything from DWI to search and seizures. Current cases in the news are also discussed. 17. Koehler Law : Jamison Koehler assists those with legal issues in Northern Virginia or the District of Columbia. He has sections on drugs, firearms, DWI, assault, and more. He even has tips for those being arrested. 18. Virginia Criminal and Traffic Law Blog : This blog discusses recent cases and legislation in Virginia regarding criminal and traffic law. Recent posts are on reckless driving and an attempted abduction. The blogger also offers free consultations. 19. Houston’s Clear Thinkers : This blog is intended to help professionals stay out of criminal matters. Attorney Tom Kirkendall gives observations on developments in law. He even has a site just for mobile devices. 20. Ninth Circuit : Eight federal defenders stop here to blog on criminal defense. A useful read if interested in federal law or the happenings in this particular circuit. They also have a Case of the Week with more. 21. Simple Justice : Stop here for a New York criminal defense blog. Scott Greenfield believes in a different approach to criminal defense. He even includes an interesting television ad for a lawyer on the blog. 22. Underdog : Stop here for the blog of a criminal defense lawyer in Virginia and Maryland. John Katz is a defense and DWI attorney. He even has a free tip sheet on things to do before hiring a criminal defense lawyer. 23. Taking the Fifth : C. Zadik Shapiro is a lawyer in San Francisco with 20 years of experience. Categories range from assault to wiretaps. Entries also look at recent cases. 24. Life at the Harris County CJC : The Criminal Justice Center in Harris County, TX is one of the largest in the nation. See how this defense attorney and former prosecutor spends his days. The blog is meant to give outsiders a view of the inside workings.
Top Criminal Prosecution Blogs See your case as a district attorney would with the help of these blogs.
    25. DA Confidential : DA is a prosecutor working in Austin, TX. News, issues, and even trivia are offered. This lawyer is currently preparing for their first murder trial as lead counsel. 26. Criminal Justice Online : The focus of this blog is to provide criminal justice practitioners, students, and professors with online information and resources. Recent entries are on drugs, weapons, and disaster cases. 27. Patterico’s Pontifications : Get “harangues that just make sense”on this blog. In addition to regular entries, they also include a “frequently unasked questions”section. You can also read opinions on elections. 28. Joel Jacobsen : This is a blog about criminal law, violent crime, and the judiciary. Joel dedicates his efforts to making the liberal case for greater democratic control of the criminal justice system. 29. William Landay : This former district attorney is now a published novelist. In addition to law, he also writes about writing. Best of the blog include Dickens and baseball. 30. Crim Law : Both criminal law and popular culture is discussed here. Get both sentencing cases and movie reviews on one spot. There are also resources for residents of Virginia. 31. Cybercrime : Get a behind the scenes look on how computer crimes and intellectual property is maintained here. The blog is run by the U.S. Department of Justice. Hot picks include how to report a crime and economic espionage. 32. Texas District and Court Attorneys Association : Stop here to get the message boards of actual criminal prosecutors here. The TDCAA has loads of entries from attorneys, their staff, and clients. Stop by to read or add your own. 33. Seeking Justice : This blogger regularly includes Bible quotes with entries. Entries date all the way back to 2005, so be sure to set aside some time. A recent entry was on a man who can’t stop killing, even in prison. 34. Women in Crime Ink : Women authors and criminal justice professionals come here to blog. A range of women blog on everything from television crime shows to actual cases. Choose by most recent or your favorite blogger.
Top Criminal Defense Blogs by a Teacher Learn from who the lawyers learn from in these blogs.
    35. Crim Prof Blog : Kevin Cole is a dean and professor of law at the University of San Diego School of Law. Along with others, they blog on many aspects of criminal defense and beyond. Topics include everything from civil rights to taser use. 36. Sentencing Law and Policy : Douglas Berman is the professor of law at Ohio State University. The blog specializes in what happens after a guilty verdict is rendered. The author also has other blogs to choose from. 37. The Volokh Conspiracy : A group of lawyers gather to discuss all aspects of law, including criminal defense. In addition to the entries, there are links to academic writings, sources, and even poems. You can also click on many of the sections such as a Twitter feed and linking. 38. The Faculty Blog : Visit here for the official professor’s blog of the University of Chicago Law School. A bonus is that students occasionally stop by to add a blog entry of their own. There are also links to publications, projects, and more. 39. Public Criminology : Get criminal defense from a sociological view here. Three bloggers write about drugs, prison, violence, and more here. They also have links to related research. 40. White Collar Crime Prof : Because criminal defense happens in white collar areas, visit here. Crime includes fraud, pyramid schemes, and much more. 41. Legal History Blog : Learn criminal defense history by stopping here. Four bloggers take on everything from the historic to the modern. A recent entry was on border law back in the 1800’s. 42. Liberty and Justice for Y’all : If you haven’t guessed by the title, this blog is devoted to the recent developments and scholarly discussion of Texas criminal law and procedure. A recent entry was on the Crime Stoppers Privilege. They also have loads of useful links if you live in the state.
Top Specialty Criminal Defense Blogs These blogs deal with a certain aspect of criminal defense.
    43. Crime Victims Media Report : If on the other end of a crime, this is the blog for you. It details the happenings of recent crimes and has useful links for victims. You can also find police and advocacy blogs here. 44. How Appealing : Learn more about the appeals process by clicking here. Howard Bashman devotes the blog to everything involving the appeals process. Entries often link to items of interest. 45. Drug and Device Law : A common area of criminal defense is drugs and illegal or related devices. The blog contains Jim Beck’s personal views, as well as those of other attorneys in the Dechert area. A recent entry was on causation where a multi-drug regimen is involved. 46. California Correctional Crisis : If you have ever been, or are in danger of being, an inmate in California, check out this blog. It contains news, updates, and opinion on sentencing and corrections in California. A recent entry was on the limits of accountability. 47. Prison Law Blog : The blog is maintained and written by Sara Mayeux, a joint JD-American History PhD candidate at Stanford University. She focuses on the history of criminal law, procedure, and punishment. She also links to news items and legal decisions regarding criminal defense. 48. Wrongful Convictions : See where criminal law went wrong in this blog. It follows wrongful convictions in the U.S. justice system. Hundreds of entries date back to 2007. 49. Sex Crimes : Stop here for a blog devoted to the criminal laws regulating and punishing sexual violence. Corey Rayburn Yung is an assistant professor of law at the John Marshall Law School. He also includes pages on landmark sexual crime cases. 50. Changing Lives, Changing Minds : This blog is a part of the efforts of the individuals behind the program Changing Lives Through Literature (an alternative sentencing program founded in 1991). Their goal is to provide an alternative to incarceration through literature. Many entries are on how books helped inmates survive prison.
Although there is loads of useful information on the above top 50 criminal defense blogs, use caution. A blog should never be substituted for the official legal counsel of a face-to-face lawyer.

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