Two times. In over 45 years of courtroom practice mostly in Boulder and with making 8,000 court appearance, I have been censored and chastised  only twice, and by two (excellent) Judges. Two times! And for the same reason. I’ve always said that if you learn from someone else’s mistake, you are lucky. Usually I need to make a mistake twice to learn from it. No one ever said, “You learn from your mistake.” The expression is ” You learn from your mistakes.” That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! One District Court Judge, Richard McClean,  and... Read More

A pair of “large tree nymph” butterflies. Photo Lenny Lensworth Frieling Is Plea Bargain a Dirty Word? Is the Negotiation Balanced Like these Butterflies? Plea bargains are misunderstood and inappropriately denigrated by some defendants. Boulder courts, as well as courts across the United States, plea bargaining is a fundamental part of resolving criminal cases. In Colorado’s criminal courts, plea bargains are commonly used to settle cases without proceeding to trial. Consider that only about 4% of all cases go to trial, either before a jury or as a bench trial. A small... Read More