Grand Jury Misconduct; the Gerry Spence Cult

From Grits for Breakfast, the best legal blog in the country:

A glimpse into grand jury misconduct

Lisa Falkenberg at the Houston Chronicle has posted the first two of a three-part series describing abusive interrogation by a grand jury so intense it may cause a capital murder conviction in a police officer's death to be overturned. Teaser: Anthony Graves plays a pivotal, on-the-ground role:

• A disturbing glimpse into the shrouded world of the Texas grand jury system
• Mother of three pressured into changing story, but jailed anyway

The episode provides a rare glimpse into the grand jury system: "Appellate attorneys were so outraged by a 146-page transcript of [Ericka Jean] Dockery's testimony before the 208th Harris County grand jury on April 21, 2003, that they entered it into the public record for judges to review." In the transcript, wrote Falkenberg, "grand jurors don't just inquire. They interrogate. They intimidate. They appear to abandon their duty to serve as a check on overzealous government prosecution and instead join the team." 

From Trial Lawyer Magazine - more evidence that Gerry Spence runs a cult

The Difference TLC Made to Me... I see people differently now.  I see past the veneers to the pain, joy, fear, hopes, and insecurities that are beneath.  I listen better, ask better questions, and am learning to get to the heart of the matter.  In trial, the heart matters most. - Patricia Anderson It's impossible to overstate the effect this seminar has had on how I view my legal practice.  I have been on a course of self-discovery and work for the last two years.  Until discovering, I had floundered horrifically in attempting to apply it to my practice.  I had essentially reached the conclusion that my personal growth was at odds with my professional growth -- that I would, at some point, reach a place where I had become a person of such integrity, love, and fulfillment that I would no longer be able to work in a profession where such qualities seemed to mean so little...that living an integrated life would require me to find a new career.  TLC showed me that exactly the opposite is true.  This last week drove that point home, eliminating any lingering doubt about it I may have had.  This seminar has improved my legal practice, first and foremost, because I once again view my legal practice as a spiritual calling rather than a mere way to use my brains to make money and possibly do some justice. - Stephen Benedetto