Special thanks to Gary Trichter (Houston), Troy McKinney (Houston), Doug Murphy (Houston), and Bennie Ray (Austin), our speakers for the Public Defender DWI seminar held in El Paso in January. This seminar was part of a joint initiative with the National College for DUI Defense and the Criminal Defense Lawyers Project (CDLP). Thanks to our speakers’ efforts we had 60 participants.
Special thanks to Jaime “Jimmy” Gonzales (Edinburg) and David Moore (Longview), our course directors for the CDLP: Winning Trial Tactics seminar held in Edinburg in January. Thanks to their efforts we had 44 participants.
Special thanks to Rick Wardroup (Lubbock) and Brad Levinson (Austin), our course directors for the CDLP: Capital, Mental Health seminar held in Houston in January. Thanks to their efforts we had an outstanding lineup of speakers. We had 66 participants.
Special thanks to Gary Trichter (Houston), Troy McKinney (Houston), Doug Murphy (Houston), Bennie Ray (Austin), and Douglas Wilder (Dallas), our speakers for the Public Defender DWI seminar held in Dallas in February. This was part of a joint initiative with the National College for DUI Defense and CDLP. Thanks to our speakers’ efforts we had 50 participants.
Special thanks to Rick Wardroup (Lubbock) and Jessica Phipps (San Antonio), our course directors for the CDLP: Boot Camp for New Lawyers held in Dallas in February. Thanks to their efforts we had 27 attendees.
Special thanks to Lynn Richardson (Dallas), Chief Public Defender Dallas County, and Rick Wardroup (Lubbock), our course directors for the CDLP: Indigent Defense seminar held in Dallas in February. Thanks to their efforts we had 87 participants.
Special thanks to the Hidalgo County Bar, who allowed CDLP to co-sponsor their Bill of Rights CLE held in McAllen in February. Thanks to Reynaldo Merino, TCDLA board member, for bringing this opportunity to TCDLA. There were 62 participants at the seminar.
Special thanks to the Dean Danney Holley, Thurgood Marshall School of Law for allowing TCDLA and CDLP to co-sponsor the First Annual Honorable Craig Washington and Senator Rodney Ellis Criminal Law seminar, held at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston in February. Special thanks to Alex Bunin, Chief Public Defender, Harris County Public Defender’s Office, who also co-sponsored the event. Alex also served as a course director, along with Professor Alex Haughton (Houston) and Nicole DeBorde (Houston). Special thanks to Professor Anthony Haughton for serving as moderator at the event. Special thanks to Prudence Smith, Assistant Dean for External Affairs, for coordinating and providing support for all of the event activities. The Honorable Craig Washington and the Honorable Senator Rodney Ellis spoke at lunch. Senator Ellis talked about the history and importantance of indigent defense in Texas. Mr. Washington gave a truly inspirational talk on “Why we do what we do.” Both men are graduates of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
TCDLA’s hope is that the Thurgood Marshall School of Law will continue this event, honoring both men and their extraordinary contributions to justice. A video of the entire event will be available on the TCDLA website by late March. We don’t have tapes, and it is going back to the law school for their use.
The Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Educational Institute (TCDLEI) Board met on February 25 at the TCDLA Home Office. The board approved $7,500 for the recently held Psychodrama training.
TCDLA thanks the TCDLEI leadership for their continued support of TCDLA’s training efforts. TCDLA is fortunate to have the assistance of an outstanding committed group of individuals—John Young, Chair (Sweetwater), Phoebe Smith, Vice-Chair (Houston), and Frank Suhr, Treasurer/Secretary (New Braunfels).
TCDLA thanks all of the speakers who participated in the aforementioned seminars over the past two months. The speakers contribute their time and effort to prepare a paper for publication, prepare for their presentation before their peers, and to travel to and from the seminar. They receive no financial compensation. TCDLA asks its members to take time out at the next seminar to thank the speakers for their contributions.
Please save the date to join us at the 25th Annual Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course June 7–9, 2012. Our course directors will be Troy McKinney, Stephanie Stevens, and Doug Murphy, with our associate course directors Sharon Curtis, Sarah Roland, and Marjorie Bachman. The theme will be “Riding for Justice—Celebrating 25 Years,” a cowboy theme. A fun run and bike ride will be part of the healthy lifestyle options that will be available.
Good verdicts to all.
