In the past two days, I had two Briefs due at the Supreme Court of Georgia. Both were murder cases. Yet, I was able to complete them both with very little stress.When it came time to apply the law to the facts. I was able to find the exact facts that I needed. It would […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-10-27 22:19:312010-10-27 22:19:31Take Control of the Record with a Transcript Summary
It’s been a long week. I’ve had to have “the talk” with several of my clients. In case you don’t know what I mean by “the talk,” allow me to explain. There comes a point in just about every attorney-client relationship where there is an important decision to be made. You give your assessment, and […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-10-21 21:48:162010-10-21 21:48:16Some Thoughts on Relating to Clients in Georgia Criminal Cases
A few months ago, the unthinkable happened on a habeas corpus case I am doing in South Georgia. The judge “suggested” that I handle some witnesses on a particular issue by deposition. There were all kinds of good reasons for it. The witnesses were spead out all over the State. I will probably get to […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-10-20 11:31:302010-10-20 11:31:30A Guide to Depositions for Georgia Criminal Appeals Lawyers
Today I found myself in a meeting with a prospective client’s family discussing handling a direct appeal in the Supreme Court of Georgia. The family is very organized and proactive and already had the trial transcript ready to go. To make things even better, trial counsel was present in the meeting to discuss things with […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-10-19 16:39:512010-10-19 16:39:51Being OCD and Doing Criminal Appeals in Georgia
Judges seldom grant motions for new trial. I have various theories about why. And they range from being sympathetic to the judge to utter cynicism. Sometimes, there just wasn’t any harmful error. Sometimes, the judge couldn’t fathom that he made a mistake. Sometimes, it’s just too dang expensive to try the thing twice. And some […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-10-13 20:33:562010-10-13 20:33:56Stop Treating Motions for New Trial Like a Rubber Stamp (Even if They Are)
A few weeks ago, I met with a respected colleague about a case we are doing together. The lawyer is one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Georgia. As I entered his office, I noticed something conspicuously absent from his desktop — computer monitors. Where a monitor might go, there was a dictaphone with, […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-10-11 17:28:582010-10-11 17:28:58The Lost Art of Dictation: Getting Legal Work Done Old School
A couple of days ago I posted about using the iPad in my appellate practice. In that post, I mentioned that one solution for reading transcripts on the iPad is the iAnnotate PDF reader as an application. There are several applications out for iPad that allow you to read pdfs, including Goodreader and the iBook […]
One more vestige of the Johnnie Caldwell legacy will remain in place, for a little while anyway. Greg Land at the Fulton Daily Report notes that the United States Supreme Court has denied Jamie Ryan Weis’s petition for certiorari. Mr. Weis has been sitting in the Spalding County Jail since 2006 charged with murder. His […]
I’ve been working hard ever since I left a firm to go out on my own a few years ago to make my practice as paperless as possible. I really don’t want to spend a bunch of money storing old files in a mini warehouse somewhere. And one of the problems with appellate law is […]
Heroes seem few and far between these days, or maybe I’m just being a little cynical. I’m listening to the audiobook version of Edmund Morris’s The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt right now and wondering why more political leaders are not cut out of something resembling a similar mold of intergrity and leadership. Since I’ve been […]
00J. Scott Key/wp-content/uploads/SK-Logo-Black-White.pngJ. Scott Key2010-09-28 16:12:472010-09-28 16:12:47Stephen Bright’s Blog Launched a Few Days Ago
Take Control of the Record with a Transcript Summary
/by J. Scott KeyIn the past two days, I had two Briefs due at the Supreme Court of Georgia. Both were murder cases. Yet, I was able to complete them both with very little stress.When it came time to apply the law to the facts. I was able to find the exact facts that I needed. It would […]
Some Thoughts on Relating to Clients in Georgia Criminal Cases
/by J. Scott KeyIt’s been a long week. I’ve had to have “the talk” with several of my clients. In case you don’t know what I mean by “the talk,” allow me to explain. There comes a point in just about every attorney-client relationship where there is an important decision to be made. You give your assessment, and […]
A Guide to Depositions for Georgia Criminal Appeals Lawyers
/by J. Scott KeyA few months ago, the unthinkable happened on a habeas corpus case I am doing in South Georgia. The judge “suggested” that I handle some witnesses on a particular issue by deposition. There were all kinds of good reasons for it. The witnesses were spead out all over the State. I will probably get to […]
Being OCD and Doing Criminal Appeals in Georgia
/by J. Scott KeyToday I found myself in a meeting with a prospective client’s family discussing handling a direct appeal in the Supreme Court of Georgia. The family is very organized and proactive and already had the trial transcript ready to go. To make things even better, trial counsel was present in the meeting to discuss things with […]
Stop Treating Motions for New Trial Like a Rubber Stamp (Even if They Are)
/by J. Scott KeyJudges seldom grant motions for new trial. I have various theories about why. And they range from being sympathetic to the judge to utter cynicism. Sometimes, there just wasn’t any harmful error. Sometimes, the judge couldn’t fathom that he made a mistake. Sometimes, it’s just too dang expensive to try the thing twice. And some […]
The Lost Art of Dictation: Getting Legal Work Done Old School
/by J. Scott KeyA few weeks ago, I met with a respected colleague about a case we are doing together. The lawyer is one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Georgia. As I entered his office, I noticed something conspicuously absent from his desktop — computer monitors. Where a monitor might go, there was a dictaphone with, […]
iAnnotate PDF as a Transcript Reader
/by J. Scott KeyA couple of days ago I posted about using the iPad in my appellate practice. In that post, I mentioned that one solution for reading transcripts on the iPad is the iAnnotate PDF reader as an application. There are several applications out for iPad that allow you to read pdfs, including Goodreader and the iBook […]
SCOTUS Denies Cert on Weis
/by J. Scott KeyOne more vestige of the Johnnie Caldwell legacy will remain in place, for a little while anyway. Greg Land at the Fulton Daily Report notes that the United States Supreme Court has denied Jamie Ryan Weis’s petition for certiorari. Mr. Weis has been sitting in the Spalding County Jail since 2006 charged with murder. His […]
The iPad and Appellate Practice in Georgia
/by J. Scott KeyI’ve been working hard ever since I left a firm to go out on my own a few years ago to make my practice as paperless as possible. I really don’t want to spend a bunch of money storing old files in a mini warehouse somewhere. And one of the problems with appellate law is […]
Stephen Bright’s Blog Launched a Few Days Ago
/by J. Scott KeyHeroes seem few and far between these days, or maybe I’m just being a little cynical. I’m listening to the audiobook version of Edmund Morris’s The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt right now and wondering why more political leaders are not cut out of something resembling a similar mold of intergrity and leadership. Since I’ve been […]