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