tcdla - Voice For The Defense Online

JUSTICE SERVED ~CORRECTI~ FROM SEPTWER ISSUE)Walter "Skip" Rcaves secured the release of Calvill \Vul~ington using DNA evidence to p~ovehis h~nocence. \Vashington was con\~icled of capilal murder io 1986 and se~ltenccd to life. Thepardoll applicalion is currently being comidered by the bowd.Mr. Keaves ;~lso secured a reversal on f:tct~~d suficimcy grounds for all aggrav:~ted robberyconviction. At trial, defense coud presented a co~l~pelling case of alibi, through work recordsand co-worke~s. That and the fact hat there \vas eridel~ce nothe her person llad committed therobha). beca~ne the focus of tl~e \%co Court of Appeal in its decision to reverse. The state hasfiled a PDRwl~ich \vas denied. The client was recently rele:ued on bail.NOT GUILTY VERDICTSRobert Estrada of LVicllita Falls tried a Special Court hklrtinl at Slleppard AFB ;and on 27111Ju~~ereceived a "Not Guilt)." 011 the charge of wrongfid use of MDhli\, a schetlule I controlled suhstance.WITNESS DATABASE MAINTAINED BY ACDLAThe Austin Crilniod Defense i:~yn i\ssociatio~l llas a clatab:~se of witness testimony andrCsum6s. Anyone who has :l case in the cenlral Texas area is encouraged to conlact Scott Smitllfor nlore il&m~ation.FBCCDLA TAKES GRAND JURY TO LUNCHTlle Fort Bend Count). Cri~nin:d Defense I.;~\\).ers Associatia~~ lneets on the firs1 Tllursday of ew).month frosl 11:30 to 1:00. The October 411', ineeting is entitled "Using Po\verPoint@ in Crimio:llCases". The meeting is free to ~reolbers.Recently FBCCDU took the grand ju~y to lunch, over the objections of rbe prosecutors and tile1orem:m of the grand ju~?. The grand jurors' had questions reg:trding the effect of a "110 bill" and\\hat options they llad instead of sio~ply "truc billing" cases. The gcl~ld jurors were surprised flu1a case cuultl be bruugl~to a suhseq~~eol grand juq if it were "110 hiUetP( by the currellt gmndjw): Members tllal attended ll~e luncheon were all pleased wit11 the gl.;uld jurors' questions :oldamazed at how lillle he grand jwolx knev of their optiom other tlm "trw billing" a else. Theh r Ins decided to conti~~ue this luncl~eo~~ for every gland juryA co~~linoi~~gproble~~~ for the FBCCDL\ I~ns been tl~eDislricr,\ttonleg's office hodgepodge olpolicicsregarding discoveq: Several prosecutors within the Fort Bend Ilistrict Attorney's ofice haveset up their ow11 discowl). policies \vl~ich require defense anoraey's to choose \vIllelher they usea ope11 file policy and are thco ~~~a~ltlatetl not to file a tliscorel)'motion or file a discow). nlotionand 11xe the district attorney's file closedWCBA MEETINGSWHAT'S GOING ONnot allow for ope~l-file cliscove~): but the Count). i\ttomefs office does.DCCDLA MeetingsIN YOUR CORNEROF TEXAS?LET US KNOW(5 12: 47825 14OCTOBER 2001 WWW.lCDLA.COM VOICE FOR THE DEFENSE 13