Prosecutor aims to inform public with blog
Former newspaper writer gives glimpse of prosecutors' view
By Steven Kreytak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Mark Pryor said that friends, neighbors and fellow lawyers regularly ask him about his job as a felony prosecutor in Travis County.

And the former newspaper reporter, who hopes to soon be a published novelist, loves to write.

So Pryor began a blog last month called D.A. Confidential, which he hopes will give readers insight into the local criminal justice system and will be a fun place to read his take on stupid criminals, novel crimes, crime novels and related things.

Details.

Link to blog.

Thanks for the mention. I won't be posting anything too controversial so as not to get me or my boss in hot water, but I did think it time prosecutors were represented in the blogging world, given all the defense attorney blogs out there.
One white hat in a sea of black hats ain't much, but we can call it a start.

What do you hope to cover?

What is the status of your fiction career? All lawyers think they have a novel in them. Sounds like you got yours out early.

I hope to cover a couple of things. Mostly, though, I'd like to help people understand how the process works, to figure out who does what in the system. I have friends, neighbors, who come up and say, "You still work for the DA's office, right?" "Yes," I say. Then they shake their heads sadly and ask how I feel defending all those guilty people. Seriously, that's happened twice in the past year. I'm constantly amazed at how little people know about what we do.

I'd like to post some of our successes, too, the ones the newspapers miss (or ignore). Like when one of our DAs went out and tracked down a victim herself on the weekend before trial. We all work hard and are dedicated, it would be good for people to know that we don't just show up and collect a pay check. At least, that's how I feel.

As for the novel, I've been writing since I was a nipper. Almost can't help myself, but we'll see if it gets me anywhere.

On a side note, I can appreciate the fiction in a novel as much as the next guy, but I'd really like to read a novel, at least once, where the person charged is guilty of the crime, is found guilty, and is sentenced accordingly.

Where can I find that novel?

Try "The Stranger" by Albert Camus.

Will there be contests and prizes?

quote:

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Originally posted by Prezas:
On a side note, I can appreciate the fiction in a novel as much as the next guy, but I'd really like to read a novel, at least once, where the person charged is guilty of the crime, is found guilty, and is sentenced accordingly.

Where can I find that novel?

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That would be called the "Non Fiction Section"

Try "The Executioner's Song" by Norman Mailer. It is a great read and a Pulitzer Prize winner. It is about Gary Gilmore, the first person executed after the death penalty was reinstated.

And the best part is that, in the end, the criminal gets put to death...by firing squad!