Mental Illness.

I had breakfast yesterday at one of the beach-front cafes in my community. I sat at the counter with my book and appetite. I got more than I bargained for.

Seated alone, a rather boisterous elderly woman wearing a floppy white hat indoors was talking to anyone who passed by her table. Sizing up the situation, I surmised she probably had a legion of obese cats and stacks of ancient magazines at home to keep her company. In short, I must confess the thought of mental illness passed through my cranium.

Evidently confirming my suspicions, she arose and strode to the area behind the counter where I was seated. She vigorously waved to one of culinary magicians in the kitchen. Unable to obtain his attention, she grabbed a server and asked him to ask one of the chefs to see her. My next thought: she was embarrassingly going to register her food complaint(s) personally.

With a rather befuddled look on his face, the hat lady grabbed this gentleman's right arm and stuffed what appeared to be a twenty dollar bill into his left hand. She sincerely said, "I hear you're leaving. I just wanted to thank you for all of the meals you cooked me over the years and to wish you the best at your new job."

She then walked to the cashier, and pulled out a white envelope with more money stuffed inside. She then removed another bill and tipped the hostess. I saw this transpire because I stood behind her. We then walked to the door at the same time and she engaged me in some pleasant banter about the weather.

I guess we can so easily mistake kindness and selflessness as so odd to be a form of mental illness. This woman was probably the sanest one in the restaurant.

Law of Unintended Consequences.

When I arrived for the continuation of trial yesterday morning, I was advised that the defendant whom we cross-examined (see post of November 8, 2007), suffered a heart attack and would not attend any further proceedings.

I can't make this stuff up.

Movie Review: American Gangster (mild spoiler alert).

I'll leave it to others to delineate comparisons between American Gangster and other gangster movies, such as The Godfather.

However, echoes of the signature splicing in the later film between church attendance and nefarious conduct outside of it could not be missed in the former. Current culture's fascination with mobster movies or television shows (viz, The Sopranos) puzzles me, but if you appreciate the genre, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott's latest offering should be in your viewing queue. Even if you don't like gangster fare, the combined presence of these giants in modern filmmaking alone should cause you pause to see it.

Based on a true story from the 1970s, American Gangster, explores Frank Lucas' rise and fall in the drug trade. Lucas' fall was hastened by Russell Crowe's character, Richie Roberts. According to the movie, which may or may not align precisely with reality, Roberts became a lawyer while working in law enforcement in New Jersey. In addition to performing the detective work, Roberts actually prosecuted Lucas. For example, the film shows Roberts delivering an opening statement to the jury as Lucas sat passively at the defense table.

Then, in a bizarre twist, Roberts signs up Lucas as his first client. According to an on-screen epilogue, Roberts successfully represented Lucas on appeal to reduce the very sentence that Roberts help obtain. Robert's motivation for this seeming flip-flop was not explained, but one could surmise that Roberts sought to repay Lucas' help in dismantling a larger operation (through information or testimony against co-conspirators), and more important to Roberts, clearing out the appalling corruption in the NYPD's drug enforcement unit.

This movie shows the cost of ethics to Roberts in particular, and his dogged determination to see them vindicated even at great personal cost.

American Gangster receives a B++

Not a Multiple Choice Question.

On cross-examination in trial today, the defendant answered:

"Yes,
"I don't know,
No."

To the same question, in that order and with nothing in between.

Borat Endorses Barak.

Borat weighs in on the U.S. and A.'s presidential campaign. Is this endorsement helpful?

http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSIndia-30365920071106

Borat: The Lawsuits, Part VI.

Yet another lawsuit has just arisen from the Borat movie:


http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1023071borat1.html

State Court Solomonic Sagicity.

Tentative rulings from a Superior Court judge for next week's hearings (in cases not involving my clients):

"I KNOW WE ARE APPROACHING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON BUT THAT DOES NOT WARRANT ME HAVING TO DON MY BOB CRATCHIT HAT AND DO YOUR ARITHMETIC. THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED TO SPEND SATURDAY."

"WHERE AND WHEN DO YOU WANT TO MEET AND CONFER? YOUR OFFICES OR THE 'ROOM OF DOOM' [at the courthouse]?"