Greetings all!

I'm working on the next issue of The Texas Prosecutor journal, and I am scoping for submissions for the The Way We See It column. This go-'round, I'm looking for your answers to the question, "What's the best advice you've ever been given?"

Anyone who'd like to throw in his or her two cents on this topic should keep it under 500 words and email it to me at wolf at tdcaa dot com by Friday, June 3rd. Anyone and everyone is welcome to submit an answer -- in fact, if you've never written before, that's even better.

Thank you and God bless.

Don't ever go noodling for catfish, even if it's legal. Scott Brumley told me that years ago.

The second best piece of advice came from AP, where he advises against alternative methods of cooking sherry intoxication.

Greg, not sure this is the type of advice Sarah was looking for, but you kept it well below 500 words.

Decades ago, Tom was speaking at a seminar and he made a comment to the effect that an effective County Attorney listens to and tries to accomodate County Commissioners. Each of them represents 1/4 of the county, and are generally more in tune with the needs of the county than an official representing all of it. If they think that their precinct really needs something..it probably does and the best that the County Attorney can do for the public is to help make it happen.

Lisa L. Peterson
Nolan County Attorney

First, from a wise old lawyer I officed with shortly after law school: "Mind what you say about stupid people; if it wasn't for stupid people, you wouldn't have a job."

Second, from my father: "Unless there's a storm with a person's name going on, never pass up a chance to go fishing."

Third, from Greg Gilleland (maybe with a bit of paraphrasing): "Rock like you mean it, or don't rock at all."

Best advice...

From former Navarro County DA Pat Batchelor my first boss..."it is amazing what you learn when actually read the law...."

From my Dad..."hard work makes good things happen...."

Two gems I've relied on for years from my late Houston defense attorney and former HCADA father:

1. You don't make your facts in your cases, you deal with what you are given.

2. He didn't take his clients to raise.

"Chicken Soup cures everything."

Advice given to me by my mother.

I was a young lawyer. After a very heated, highly technical hearing which the lawyer on the other side could not believe he lost, the losing lawyer decided to continue to argue with the trial judge after ruling. The other lawyer approached the bench. The back and forth with the judge escalated. Adrenaline still up, I stepped up to continue the argument. It was a hearing that involved several issues that up until then had not been resolved locally and word had gotten around, drawing several interested lawyers to the hearing. An older lawyer who had heard about the issues sat on the front row and called out to me as I was about to jump into the post-trial fray. I approached the older lawyer, a little peeved about being kept from jumping back into the fray. The older lawyer said to me "You won. Now leave." I saw the wisdom of his words, packed my satchel, and left the courthouse. Opposing counsel continued to argue with the judge, and I could hear the argument as I walked down the hallway away from the judge's courtroom.

In April, 1982, I arrived at Fort Hood, Texas, assigned to be a trial counsel (prosecutor) in the premier Army JAG shop - III Corps. I had not asked for Fort Hood, and, having graduated from an extremely liberal law school, I wasn't too thrilled about being a prosecutor. I was called into the Staff Judge Advocate's office for my "indoctrination" in the office. I have forgotten most of what was said, but, at the end of our session, the SJA said the most profound thing that, as a prosecutor, I have never forgoteen: "Just remember that you are pputting real people in real jails".

My dad used to say: "All work and no play makes jack."

I never applied that piece of advice to my life, so I am not sure if its true or not.

From my first boss when i was a baby prosecutor: You're not gonna be trying any capital cases any time soon so you really can't mess anything up too bad.

From my father (25 year District Court Judge): Ab, if you're gonna get caught, don't break the law.

True Dat!

I believe I learned this one in my Trial Advocacy class back in law school:

"If you don't believe in your case, no one else will either."

"Jail should be for the people we're afraid of, not that we're mad at."

and

"Sometimes the Gov't can be a bunch of jackboot thugs, and we have to be mindful of that."