Norm Pattis
Norm Pattis is a criminal defense attorney and civil rights lawyer in Bethany. Most days he blogs at www.pattisblog.com.
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In Child Sex Cases, Fact And Fiction Blur
Monday, December 14, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
Imagine the following: A man accused of murder offers an alibi defense. He could not have committed the crime because at the precise moment the victim was killed, he was being help captive by little green people from Mars. He was captive in a Motel 6 room where he was forced to watch endless reruns of "Sesame Street." He'll never forget the sing-song theme of the show. Indeed, the more he thinks about the experience, the more he recalls of it. But he's been ashamed to talk about it. Who would believe him?
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Looking For Enlightenment In Dark Courthouse Corridors
Monday, December 7, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
I have a dream. One day lawyers will come to court as bitter foes and leave as friends bound together by sweet reason. Discord shall be replaced by harmony, and the gentle tones of civility will flow. Where there was sorrow, there shall be joy; where there was anger, there shall be peace; and we will all, one and all, unite beneath the bowers of justice. I have that dream, and that dream is good. But until the dream comes true, I will continue to practice law in the State of Connecticut. And that means I will remain mired neck-deep in conflict, sorrow and muck. It also means that the courthouse will remain what it is for so many: a place of dread, terror and fear. I was reminded of this the other day in Middletown. I have wandered into a high-conflict custody battle, and I was attending my first mediation in the Regional Trial Docket.
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Rules Of Game Keep Jurors In Dark
Monday, November 30, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
One day, in some courtroom in the United States, a juror will stand up in the middle of a criminal case and shout: "Liar, liar, robe on fire!" I hope it happens in Connecticut. Here is why. When we refuse to let juries know the truth about the consequences of a conviction in a criminal case, we hamper a jury's ability to check the abuse of power. Juries that are not fully informed can't do their job. Withholding truth from juries is dishonest. We do it every day in Connecticut and call it justice.
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Novel's Bleak Tone Reflected In Legal World
Monday, November 23, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
Sit down. Put your feet up. Close the door, and put the calls on hold. I want a few minutes of your time. I want to talk to you about Philip Roth, the practice of law and, that most exciting topic of all, professional responsibility. The topic here is humility, as in the act of becoming humble. And suicide. Lawyers are magicians. Much like writers, we take masses of raw experience and transform them into utile forms. These transformations are a sort of alchemy. We can pass title, set men free, bind parties into perpetuity, and, insofar as money can, we say with a wink and a nod, rectify harm. It's no small wonder that we acquire a second-hand sense of immortality and invulnerability.
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In Courtroom, Candidate Just Didn't Get It
Monday, November 16, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
I would not normally write about the voir dire of a prospective juror. I respect how difficult it is to answer questions in open court in the presence of strangers. But I am going to make an exception just this once. I am going to make an exception because the prospective juror is a public figure and is now interested in becoming governor of the State of Connecticut. The man's candid answers under oath are worth pondering.
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Illegal Kidnappings Should Not Be The American Way
Monday, November 9, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
I am a CIA reject. Almost 30 years ago, I was a candidate to become an undercover operative, or spy. I interviewed with agents fresh from assignments in Moscow and South Korea in rooms at Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel. I took aptitude tests at an anonymous looking building in Reston, Va. I met with a recruiter at another location where I was told things looked good. I was on a fast track to becoming a spook. Of course, that was before the polygraph exam I took at CIA headquarters. My examiner had the charm of a desperate used car salesman. I could not satisfy him as regards to drug use and sexuality. He apparently knew things about me I still do not know.
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It's Time To Reform Jury Picking Process
Monday, November 2, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
I started picking another jury in a state court proceeding last week. After two days, we had selected three jurors. We need three more, not to mention the alternates. Odds are, it will take another three days to select the eight people necessary to hear this case. Question: Why take five days to do work that could just as easily and well be done in one day? I have raised that question on these pages before. Near as I can tell, no one listened. I am not hopeful anyone will listen now either, even though the state's budget crisis lingers. But why not change a jury selection system that is time-consuming and wasteful?
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Journalists Should Be Questioned In Yale Case
Monday, September 28, 2009 | by Norm Pattis | The Connecticut Law Tribune
New Haven Public Defender Thomas Ullmann has never been one to pull a punch, but he did last week. He wants an investigation of who was leaking material about the murder of Annie Le to the press. But he's asking that the investigation stop at the door of the local police station. Ullmann doesn't want reporters questioned. Here is how the game of media pocket pool gets played and why the journalistic privilege is a bad idea.
