Defense attorneys protest Houston judge's procedures

More than a dozen of the city's best criminal defense lawyers converged Friday on the 11th floor of Houston's criminal courthouse to meet defendants and hand out bright yellow 3-by-5 cards explaining their constitutional rights.

It was a part of a protest by the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association against the way Michael Fields, a misdemeanor juge, handles initial appearances in his court.

What he's doing is unethical, it's unconstitutional and it's illegal," HCCLA president Carmen Roe said after passing out several fliers. "When he starts trampling on the rights of defendants, that's when we get involved."

In the unusual action, a dozen members of the area's largest organization of criminal defense attorneys spoke with defendants and gave out "public service announcement" cards in front of Fields' court, one of the county's 15 misdemeanor courts.

"We believe he's coercing defendants to either waive their right to a lawyer or enter a plea of guilty without their lawyer being present" said JoAnne Musick, a past president of HCCLA who was handing out fliers. "We've had complaints from people who asked for a lawyer and instead he handed them plea papers and had them enter a plea of guilty."

More at http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Defense-attorneys-protest-Houston-judge-s-5584669.php (subscription required).

[font color=green]Michael Fields is a Republican judge--surprise![/font]