Some of the local defense bar go to seminars in the Carribean periodically & other such exotic places. I love our seminars on the coast and all, (I wish we'd go to San Antonio for the Update once in a while), but what if TDCAA got with Carnival Cruise Lines & did a floating seminar to Cozumel, or Playa del Carmen? I know Fall is not a good time to be on the Gulf generally, but is it worth a look?

Or what about a land-seminar in Belize? I hear Belize is great.

I am certainly in no position to speak for the Association but I have have been at criminal law seminars all over the world and it is more educational and fun than you can imagine.

You get a different perspective and realize that we don't have a monopoly on good judgment.

I hope the time will come when TDCAA can sponsor trips to other countries to compare our system with theirs. Meeting folks who do what we do in another system is very educational, not to mention all of the fun involved.

The persons attending the seminars you mention are likely paying for most or all of the cost out of their own pockets. Most of our members, on the other hand, get their educational expenses (including travel and lodging) paid by the public. I am not sure Belize would be swallowed very easily upon review by the overtaxed public. But, you are right, it certainly would enhance the educational experience.

Judge Gist, why don't you tell them about the upcoming seminar in Hawaii? The Texas Independent Bar Association is sponsoring it. It has been held for several years and is a great place for training.

If you want to taste exotic criminal law, why not a seminar in New Mexico?

How is this for weird:

Capital Murder has a statute of limitations (17 years).

A probationer's potential pen time starts running the moment he receives probation. Thus if he gets 3 years probation, and is revoked 2.5 years into his probation for multiple murder, all he can get on the revocation is 6 mos.

Prosecutors are not allowed to advise the grand jury to indict or no bill a defendant. Indeed, they are encouraged to just refer the g/jurors to the proper page in a book each g/juror is given, for the elements of the suspected offense.

Jurors are not required to speak English. If they don't speak English, the court is obliged to find them an interpretor.

Venire panels are called for a tour of duty of several mos. during which time they may sit on several juries.

The state has capital punishment statutes, and people are frequently sentenced to death, but the condemned always die of old age before they can be executed.

The state has one over worked court of appeals, which is supervised by one very lesurely Supreme Court.

The state must be in trial within 6 mos. of arraignment, or the crook goes free. However, the state can ask for extentions, but if it ever fails, there is no appeal: the crook goes free. This dumb idea is a creation of the Supreme Court. Whenever an over-worked prosecutor loses a notorious case to the "6 mos. rule" he gets all the blame; the press never questions the wisdom of the rule and its makers.

This is a state that refers to the eastern edge of the state that is part of the Southern Plains as "Little Texas" because the people of that region tend to have familial ties to Texas, are engaged in oil and gas, and cattle enterprises, have Texas like "accents" and share Texas like values towards criminals, etc. This is the kicker: the term is considered a slurr (!!!!!)
(at least to those who live outside Little Texas.)

This is a state so small, that, I'm told, the entire state govt. budget is smaller than the budget for TDC.

And yet this state has no confession statute. That's right, boys & girls, no Art. 38.22 or its equivilent. When a cop arrests a crook, all he has to do is Mirandaize him, and then start asking questions. And its all admissible in court. And guess what else? The cops have not turned into Jack-booted Nazis, nor has the sky fallen on little N.M.

Have a beer, Terry.

I don't know what good it would do to discuss the laws in the People's Republic of New Mexico.

Pretty much, I refer to the portion of the PRNM, which lies East of the Rio Grande, as "occupied Texas". Growing up on the border of Mexico & New Mexico, I can't say I have much use for NM. As a teen, I figured, they had a state-wide policy in NM, which encouraged NM drivers to come to Texas and hopefully kill as many of us as they could. I'd support a ban on all vehicles w/ NM plates & all drivers with NM licenses in Texas.

Solely because of the urging of John, there is a seminar held in Ohau, Hawaii Oct. 13-21 in criminal and family law. Both John and I have attended and the education is top notch with plenty of time to enjoy Hawaii. 12 hours of CLE is available. Anyone interested should checkout their website: Texindbar.org. and click on education.

Heat index here in Polk County yesterday was 110. Anyone know of any CLE in Alaska coming up anytime soon?

The temperature in Amarillo today: mid 70's with no humidity and a nice breeze. Tomorrow it will probably be 90+ with still no humidity and a stiff wind gusting to, oh say, 50 mph. Next week is anyone's guess.

I'm sure the Panhandle would luv to host prosecutors from around the state. Everyone knows we do things a little different up here, "it's like a whole other country." Isn't that what the travel brochures say? We have plenty of exotic - do prairie dog's & West Nile Virus count for exotic? Give us a try, there's plenty to do before the streets roll up at 10pm.

Amarillo sounds great to me! It may not be H.I. or N.M.--but its in that direction. And it would be nice to have a change from the coast. You got my vote.

I won't interrupt this great thread for long, but we operate on grant funds from the Court of Criminal Appeals....money from Texans (convicted ones), for training of Texans (prosecutors and judges), IN Texas. Can't spend it out of state.

Now, carry on!

What if each attendee paid their own way?

Then it can be done, as long as no grant time or $$ is spent on the training...

Rob,

Does Ruidoso count as "out of state"? The place is owned and operated by Texans, and until 1850, it clearly was a part of Texas. I mean, if the Supremes can strike down our anti-sodomy statute because it "violates" due process, why can't we claim Ruidoso is, by way of the 14th's due process clause, "effectively Texas" and have our big Pow Wow there? Can't we be as flexible on such a minor matter as the Supremes are on such a major one?

[This message was edited by Terry Breen on 07-01-03 at .]

Terry left out my favorite NM law: As a public defender there, I could have my clients take a polygraph exam AT STATE EXPENSE and I didn't have to tell the prosecutor if my guy flunked. But if he passed, then I could present the test results to the jury!

It's time for a meeting in El Paso. We have sun, sun, and more sun. We have great food. We have wacky, liberal judges. We have high school graduates who don't speak English. It's sort of like New Mexico now that I think about it!

Is El Paso really a part of Texas?

I grew up in El Paso. It is Texas and is the tip of the sword of the Confederacy, my boys!

Now, it has its own flavor and is closer to L.A. than Dallas (our senior trips were to California), but it is definitely Texas!

I nominate Alpine or Marathon, Texas. The Gage Hotel in Marathon would be a great venue. The mountains in Alpine are beautiful and cool and Sul Ross University facilities are available. Of course, it's pretty tough to get there from here (or anywhere).

[This message was edited by BLeonard on 07-03-03 at .]

If the choices are El Paso or Amarillo, I vote for El Paso everytime. I grew up in El Paso and went to school to Lubbock. Both are hot right now and in the fall both could be great in September or totally miserable. But El Paso is 120 miles from Ruidoso 10 blocks from Juarez whild Amarillo is close to the Big Tex Steak House and not much else unless you think Santa Fe at 300 miles or so is close. Many years ago TDCAA went to El Paso. The stories are legendary but I cannot remember any part of the actual seminar. I am sure there was an educational part of the seminar and I am sure I learned something.