Direct Examination(Presenting an Effective, Compelling, and Persuasive Direct Examination)

Direct Examination is one of the more challenging areas for Defense lawyers to do properly. A Big part of that stems from the fact that we do it very often. Because we do it so often we end up copying […]

Erlinger v. U.S.:  Juries, not judges, must decide if prior convictions happened at separate times

By Greg Mermelstein, Deputy Director & General Counsel, Missouri Public Defender            The Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial requires that juries, not judges, decide if prior convictions happened at separate times to trigger lengthier prison terms under the […]

NAPD’s DEIJ Coordinator Attends Meeting on Preserving the Future of Juries and Jury Trial

NAPD’s DEIJ Coordinator, Brittany Gail Thomas (BGT), Esq., participated in a 2-day meeting, Preserving the Future of Juries and Jury Trial hosted by the National Center for State Courts and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington, DC […]