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Horrifying.

Typically, pro bono work is not a case of this magnitude, so I think that’s unlikely. Further, most defense attorneys have no interest in writing books about their cases. Murder trials are hours and hours of complicated, stressful work. It’s not the type of thing one usually does for a reduced...

I’m a local, too.

No, not really. Speculation, but they may be giving the GAL time to meet with her and family and issue a report that the judge will want to consider before issuing the ruling.

First thing the defense attorney will do is try to have the confession thrown out. Just because it happened doesn’t mean it will be presented as evidence at trial. But I doubt it goes to trial. I’m guessing this will end in a plea, since it’s such a hot button case.

I would be surprised if they did. I think a more likely defense (if it even goes to trial) would be that it was not him at all - cast doubt on evidence and forensics.

She is a class act.

It’s certainly possible he ran into foul play after leaving, I think. Back when Brian went missing, that area was very bad - and yes, Sky Bar was incredibly sketchy as Randy alluded to. Ugly Tuna was marginally better. McFadden’s (the Irish pub across from Mad Mex that’s gone through four or...

Concurring with a poster from the previous thread - Allan Richards does general practice. The area isn’t big enough to specialize. He does some criminal law, some arbitration, some debt collection, etc. Not uncommon outside larger cities. He might not have ever done a murder, given the area. As...

Attorneys in criminal court sometimes dress differently (more polished) for trial than any sort of preliminary hearing. Messy, rumpled clothes, garish ties, beat up shoes or even snow boots in the winter - it’s not like what you see on tv for big trials. Federal court attorneys can look more...

Not sure about Colorado, but in some states, the coroner is an elected position with only high school diploma requirements and a board certified forensic pathologist isn’t always on hand for autopsies. It makes sense for the defense to want a chance to hire their own forensic pathologist for an...

What a fantastic surprise to pop in and see so much discussion on Brian’s thread! WRT the alleged stench at Gateway, I spent a good amount of time at Ugly Tuna/Mad Mex/Gateway Theater in the summer of 2007 through early 2009 when a friend lived across the street. I only ever noticed a garbage...

I hope this is Kyron's year, too.

No, it wouldn't be a way to appeal the first verdict - they are two completely separate trials. Appeals for the first trial can only be what occurred at that trial. A completely different jury's conclusion on a completely different crime would have no bearing on that first verdict and its...

I'm glad to help! :) What will happen is that the jury won't be asked directly about Chism's conviction in Colleen's case. Instead, during voire dire, the potential jury will be polled to see who has heard of Chism. There will be a series of questions asked by the judge to determine who has...

Ok, last one. Whew! This is something I only know a little about. I worked on a case involving a juvenile defendant for a serious crime that had a documented mental health condition which truly needed attention. In the year leading up to the plea deal we took just before trial, the juvenile was...

If Massachusetts is like Ohio, once a defendant is found guilty, sentencing is usually set out a few weeks for a few procedural issues. First, the court will conduct a pre-sentencing investigation (in my state, it's an interview by a probation officer) where a full background check is conducted...

Yes, that's exactly right. Here's a good link which discusses jury polling and how it's done. http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/polling-a-jury-to-confirm-a-verdict.html

The true lawyer answer: it depends. :D I've put a link below that discusses the issue in more detail, but there are rules relating to prior convictions for defendants at trial. A conviction for a prior crime cannot be admitted to impeach a witness unless it is a crime involving dishonesty...

This is moot now, but I wanted to answer it for you in case it comes up in another trial. Usually, in cases like this, these are charges in the alternative - the jury needs to just find one. So they can find he acted with premeditation OR with no premeditation but with extreme atrocity and...