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FOR THE DEFENSE Volume 41 No. 10 | December 2012 Save the Date! June 13-15, 2013 Advanced Criminal Law Course Hyatt Regency, San Antonio 210.222.1234 Register now for the early-bird rate and view agenda at www.tcdla.com Scholarships from TCDLEI available EDITOR Greg Westfall Fort Worth, Texas 817-877-1700 [email protected] SIGNIFICANT DECISIONS REPORT EDITOR Kathleen Nacozy 512-507-0115 Contents [email protected] FEATURE ARTICLES EDITOR Jani Maselli Houston, Texas 713-757-0684 Features [email protected] DESIGN, LAYOUT, EDITING Craig Hattersley Rethinking Jury Charge Error TCDLA Home Office as Constitutional Error 512-646-2733 22 [email protected] By Johnathan Ball EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Joseph A. Martinez 512-646-2726 [email protected] Trial Lawyer, Songwriter By Greg Westfall TCDLA OFFICERS: 28 President Lydia Clay-Jackson | Conroe Taint: A Question of Reliability, President-Elect Bobby Mims | Tyler Not Credibility or Competence 32 First Vice President By L. T. “Butch” Bradt, Emmett Harris | Uvalde Leonard Martinez & Kim Hart Second Vice President Sam Bassett | Austin Treasurer John Convery | San Antonio Secretary Columns David Moore | Longview President’s Message DIRECTORS 7 John Ackerman, Sunrise Beach Bruce Ponder, El Paso 9 Executive Director’s Perspective Susan Anderson, Dallas Carole Powell, El Paso Heather Barbieri, Plano Bennie Ray, Austin 11 Ethics and the Law Rick Berry, Marshall Ray Rodriguez, Laredo Federal Corner Larry Boyd, Dallas Sarah Roland, Denton 15 Fred C. Brigman III, San Angelo Clay Steadman, Kerrville 20 Said & Done Clint Broden, Dallas George Taylor, San Antonio Jaime Carrillo, Kingsville Gary Alan Udashen, Dallas Jason Cassel, Longview Tony Vitz, McKinney Harold Danford, Kerrville Coby Waddill, Denton Jim Darnell, El Paso James Whalen, Plano Departments Nicole DeBorde, Houston Emily DeToto, Houston Associate Directors 4 TCDLA Member Benefits Danny Easterling, Houston Marjorie Bachman, Austin CLE Seminars and Events Stephen Gordon, Haltom City Robert Fickman, Houston 5 Deandra Grant, Plano Donald Flanary III, San Antonio 41 Significant Decisions Report Michael Gross, San Antonio Steve Keathley, Corsicana Melissa Hannah, Lufkin Laurie Key, Lubbock Theodore “Tip” Hargrove, San Angelo Michael McCrum, San Antonio Jo Jacinto, El Paso Michael McDougal, Conroe Jeanette Kinard, Austin George Milner III, Dallas Adam Kobs, San Antonio Angela Moore, Boerne Jani Maselli, Houston Oscar O. Pena, Laredo Patrick Metze, Lubbock John Hunter Smith, Sherman Anthony Odiorne, Burnet Edward Stapleton III, Brownsville David O’Neil, Huntsville John Stickels, Arlington Shawn Paschall, Fort Worth Oscar Vega, Pharr Stephanie Patten, Fort Worth Volume 41 No. 10 • December 2012 Voice for the Defense (ISSN 0364‑2232) is published monthly, except for January/February and July/August, CONTRIBUTORS: Send all feature articles in electronic format to Voice for the Defense, 6808 Hill Meadow which are bi‑monthly, by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Inc., 6808 Hill Meadow Drive, Drive, Austin, Texas 78736, 512‑478‑2514, fax 512‑469‑9107, c/o [email protected]. Austin, Texas 78736. Printed in the USA. Basic subscription rate is $40 per year when received as a TCDLA Statements and opinions published in the Voice for the Defense are those of the author and do not neces‑ member benefit. Non‑member subscription is $75 per year. Periodicals postage paid in Austin, Texas. sarily represent the position of TCDLA. No material may be reprinted without prior approval and proper POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice for the Defense, 6808 Hill Meadow Drive, Austin, Texas credit to the magazine. © 2012 Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. 78736. Voice for the Defense is published to educate, train, and support attorneys in the practice of criminal defense law. 4 Membership Benefits 4 Strike Force Co-Chairs District 4 George Milner III Betty Blackwell Oscar Pena Reagan Wynn Heather Barbieri Kevin Ross David Botsford Sheldon Weisfeld Gary Udashen Darlina Crowder David Frank Matthew Goeller District 7 Keith Hampton District 13 Liaison Rick Hagen Buck Files Mike Aduddell Dan Hurley (District 3) Richard Weaver Craig Henry District 10 Travis Kitchens Don Wilson Scrappy Holmes Don Flannery James Makin District 1 Randy Wilson Tim James Gerry Goldstein Larry McDougal Jim Darnell Frank Long Michael Gross Katherine Shipman Mike R. Gibson District 5 Bobby Mims Michael McCrum Mary Stillinger Scott Brown David E. Moore Cynthia Orr District 14 Mark Daniel Barney Sawyer Nicole DeBorde District 2 Michael Heiskell District 11 Danny Easterling Tip Hargrove Larry Moore District 8 Harold Danford Robert Fickman H. W. Leverett Greg Westfall Kerri Anderson-Donica Emmett Harris JoAnne Musick Michelle Esparza Angela Moore Katherine Scardino District 3 District 6 Steve Keathley Clay Steadman Grant Scheiner Jeff Blackburn Richard Anderson Michelle J. Latray Stan Schneider Chuck Lanehart Clint Broden W. W. Torrey District 12 George Secrest Bill Wischkaemper Ron Goranson George Altgelt Bob Hinton District 9 Joe Connors Sam Bassett Bobby Lerma Listserves TCDLA Logo for Member Use A partnership to engage community members in areas of significant Camera‑ready art of the TCDLA logo is now available for use on decisions, legislative and capital issues/updates, upcoming seminars business cards, websites, etc. and events, and more . Membership Certificate Legislature Display your TCDLA membership with pride! New members will re‑ A team of lobbyists involved in the legislative effort and keeping ceive a personalized certificate by mail. Members of 25 years receive members up to date. a special certificate. Ethics Hotline Sprint Discount If you have a question about ethics in criminal defense law, call the Sprint has changed the process in how to receive their 15% dis‑ hotline at 512‑646‑2734 and leave a message. You will receive a call count. Please fill out the verification form and fax to TCDLA at or several calls within 24 hours. 512.469.0512 or email to [email protected] and TCDLA will have Updated iPhone/iPad/Droid/Windows 7 App it submitted to Sprint. An entire library of criminal codes and statutes in the palm of your Enterprise Car Rental hand. Ten percent discount for TCDLA members. Enterprise is the largest Strike Force rental car company in North America in terms of locations and num‑ Strike Force assistance to aid lawyers threatened with or incarcerated ber of cars, while providing the highest level of customer service. for contempt of court. The corporate account number for TCDLA members is 65TCDLA. You may contact your local office directly or visit www.enterprise.com. Voice for the Defense magazine—print and online When booking online, enter your location, date, time, and the cor‑ A subscription to the only statewide magazine written specifically for porate account number. You will then be asked for your discount ID, defense lawyers, published 10 times a year. which is the first three letters of TCDLA (TCD). Make your reserva‑ Membership Directory (printed or online) tion at Enterprise Rent‑a‑Car. Comprehensive listing of current TCDLA members, print or PDF Subscription Services Inc. version, updated yearly. Online directory updated daily. Fifty percent discount off the cover price of more than 1,000 maga‑ Lawyer Locator zines, including Newsweek, New Yorker, Texas Monthly, etc. Visit Online directory providing members an opportunity to list up to www.buymags.com/attorneys. three areas of practice for public advertising. State Motions CD Expert List New members will receive a comprehensive CD of state forms and Extensive list of experts for all types of criminal cases, including motions,including DWI, post‑trial, pretrial, and sexual assault mo‑ investigation, mitigation, and forensics specialists. tions. Significant Decisions Report Resources Professional reports summarizing state and federal cases, emailed Expansive library of research papers from renowned criminal de‑ weekly. fense lawyers and other valuable information and sites. TCDLA Discounts Brief/Motion Bank Receive significant discounts on CLE seminars and TCDLA publica‑ Access to a capital‑specific motions bank and habeas corpus claims tions. Discounted liability insurance with Joe Pratt Insurance. for state and federal practice. 4 CLE and Events 4 January 2013 February 15 March 21–23 January 9–13 CDLP | Indigent Defense/Veterans TCDLA | 20th Annual Mastering TCDLA | Psychodrama Dallas, TX Scientific Evidence in DUI/DWI Cases Roundtop, TX | co-sponsored with National College February 16–21 for DUI/DWI Defense January 10 TCDLA | Members Trip to the New Orleans, LA CDLP | Nuts ’n’ Bolts | co-sponsored Caribbean with Lubbock Criminal Defense Galveston, TX April 2013 Lawyers Association April 5–6 Lubbock, TX February 22 CDLP | 50th Annual AA Semaan CDLP | 2nd Annual Hon. Craig Seminar | co-sponsored with San January 11–12 Washington & Senator Rodney Ellis Antonio Bar Association CDLP | 32nd Annual Prairie Dog Criminal Law Seminar | co-sponsored San Antonio, TX Lawyers Advanced Criminal Law w/ the Thurgood Marshall School of Course | co-sponsored with Lubbock Law & Earl Carl Institute April 5 Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Houston, TX CDLP | Gideon’s Trumpet Lubbock, TX Longview, TX February 27 January 17–18 CDLP | Public Defender DWI | co- April 12 CDLP | Post-Conviction sponsored with National College for CDLP | Gideon’s Trumpet Houston, TX DUI/DWI Defense Corpus Christi, TX El Paso, TX January 25 April 19 CDLP | Gideon’s Trumpet March 2013 CDLP