TCDLA thanks their 3,200+ members for their support throughout the past year. TCDLA is a stronger, more relevant organization because of its members. We wish all of you and your families a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
November 12, 2012, was the first day bills could be filed by Texas legislators in anticipation of the Texas Legislative Session. TCDLA’s Legislative Committee, chaired by Mark Daniel (Fort Worth), has been preparing for the session. The TCDLA lobby team of Allen Place (Gatesville), David Gonzalez (Austin), and Kristin Etier (Austin) are prepared to ensure the rights of the accused in Texas are protected.
Here is list of the issues TCDLA will be actively working on:
1. To support a viable and meaningful exculpatory evidence statute
2. Minor amendments to the expunction and nondisclosure statute
3. Possible revision of public intoxication statue
4. Actively engage on all bills which unfairly make changes to the criminal justice system.
Please sign up and follow TCDLA’s legislative efforts on the TCDLA Legislative listserve. Please call the Home Office (512-478-2514) if you have any questions regarding how to sign onto the Legislative listserve.
The TCDLA Board of Directors met on December 8, 2012 in Houston. The following are motions passed by the board:
MOTION: Minutes, September 15, 2012
Motion to approve minutes from September 15, 2012, TCDLA Board Meeting in Galveston. Motion made by Ray Rodriguez, seconded by Carole Powell—motion carries.
MOTION: Online Payments
Motion to approve making online payments. Motion made by John Convery, seconded by Susan Anderson—motion carries.
MOTION: New Account—Building Expenses
Motion to approve new account in TCDLA budget for building expenses. Motion made by John Convery, seconded by David Moore—motion carries.
MOTION: Suspend Bylaws Rules Regarding Associate Director Terms
Motion made to suspend rules of bylaws to allow two associate directors to expand their terms from two terms to a third term. Motion made by David Moore, seconded by Jani Maselli—motion carries with four opposed.
Motion made by Carol Powell, seconded by ________ to recommend to membership in June all proposed amendments except Robert’s Rules be recommended to membership—motion carries with two opposed.
Motion made by Craig Jett, seconded by John Ackerman, to accept Robert’s Rules of Order—motion carries with six opposed.
Motion by Carole Powell, seconded by Ray Rodriguez, for the following members to be inducted into the TCDLA Hall of Fame in June 2013: C. David Evans, George F. Luquette, and Richard Anderson—motion carries.
Motion made by David Moore, seconded by Susan Anderson, to induct C. David Evans, George F. Luquette, Richard Anderson, and Roy Minton into the TCDLA Hall of Fame—motion carries.
Special thanks to course directors Gary Trichter (Bandera), Troy McKinney (Houston), Doug Murphy (Houston, and associate course directors John Fox (San Antonio) and George Scharmen (San Antonio) for the Stuart Kinard Memorial Advanced DWI seminar held in San Antonio in November. Thanks to their efforts we had ___ attendees.
Special thanks to our course director, Stanley Schneider (Houston), for the Defending Those Accused of Sexual Assault held in Houston in December. Thanks to Stan and the speakers we had ____ attendees.
At Lydia Clay-Jackson’s direction, TCDLA developed a new Defending Clients Accused of Sexual Assault cheat sheet. Attendees at the Defending Those Accused of Sexual Assault seminar received a complimentary copy of the cheat sheet. The cheat sheet is now available at the TCDLA website.
TCDLA/CDLP will have five days of Capital training February 4–8, 2013, in San Antonio. February 4–6 will be the second Capital Case Litigation Initiative (CCLI), where criminal defense lawyers will bring their own capital case(s) to the training. February 7–8 will be a Capital/Mental Health seminar. Both seminars will be held at the historic Guenther Hotel in downtown San Antonio. So please make plans to come and enjoy the San Antonio Riverwalk and attend the outstanding capital seminars.
Please make plans to attend the Psychodrama training in Round Top January 9–13, 2013, at the unique Round Top Festival Institute. John Ackerman is our course director for the training.
The TCDLA Board of Directors invites you to attend the next quarterly board meeting on Saturday, March 9, at 10:00 am. The seminar and board meeting will both be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dallas.
The 37th Annual Texas Criminal Trial College (TCTC) will be held March 17–22, 2013, on the Sam Houston State University campus in Huntsville. Lydia Clay-Jackson (Conroe) and Tim Evans (Fort Worth) are Deans of Student and Faculty, respectively. Eighty lawyers will be accepted to the TCTC. Please help us recruit lawyers to attend. The application is on page 19 and on the TCDLA website at www.tcdla.com, or you can call the Home Office and have one faxed to you (512-478-2514). The deadline for the submission of the applications is noon, January 18, 2013.
A safe and enjoyable Holiday Season.
Good verdicts to all.
