Criminal Law

Nightmare at Day Care

Posted on November 28, 2008
Over the years, I've read several accounts of the Wee Care case, but but this one, by Lona Manning does a fine job of exposing the reality of these awful cases.

Scooter Libby Pardon Countdown Clock...

Posted on November 17, 2008
With his approval rating hovering at historic lows, Bush 43 has little to lose by doling out political favors to his allies as he walks out the door. And if there is anything we've seen time and time again from this administration, it's the naked political rewarding of friends and punishment of enemies...

Citing Workload, More Public Defenders Are Refusing New Cases

Posted on November 08, 2008
As the economy continues to go south, and budgets continue to get slashed, we're in for a long hard fight to try to maintain even the barest of minimum standards. What's strange, of course, is that politicians don't see how arrest and enforcement patterns are the problem...

Say No More...

Posted on November 07, 2008

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That's all folks...

Posted on November 03, 2008
Tonight marks the end of Season 1 of Raising the Bar.Hope some of you enjoyed it. We've got 15 more on the way...

Big Pig Jig 2008

Posted on October 30, 2008
I'm on my way!

Been a while...

Posted on October 30, 2008
Sorry for the delay in posting. It's been a busy few weeks--a week in California breaking stories and starting to figure out the longer character arcs for season two. There has also been lots of work at the law school getting next semester's courses staffed and scheduled...

The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama

Posted on October 12, 2008
Turns out the guy's a raving anti-semite...

I'm in!

Posted on October 10, 2008

They Love Her In Wasilla...

Posted on October 08, 2008

Ya Dere...

Posted on October 08, 2008

Kenya Detains U.S. Author Critical of Obama - NYTimes.com

Posted on October 07, 2008
Paperwork can take a while. So I wonder whether they'll deport him on, say, November 6th or so.

Remembering Paul Newman, By Dahlia Lithwick

Posted on September 27, 2008
Here's why Dahlia Lithwick is one of favorite writers. She wrote this and this the same day.

Thanks...

Posted on September 18, 2008
Obviously, the feelings that current and former PD's have about the show are important to me. As I've said here, and in comments on other blogs, I has always been my goal to finally portray a public defender who (long hair or otherwise) actually cares about the clients he represents, and show clients as what they really are: human beings with complex lives, who have sometimes done terrible things...

Season Two!

Posted on September 16, 2008
Yes, it's true, we've already been picked up for a second season!As the LA Times reports it: "After just three episodes have aired, TNT has ordered a second season of "Raising the Bar" Steven Bochco's legal drama, starring the controversial long locks of Mark-Paul Gosselaar, premiered this month to 7...

Very Funny...

Posted on September 12, 2008
Old, Grizzled Third-Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain

Hilarious Hat Eating from the New York Post...

Posted on September 10, 2008
You just gotta love the New York Post when it tries to explain why Raising the Bar worked even though they dissed it. The piece begins with an admission: "TNT's new legal drama,"Raising the Bar," did something very unusual last week - it succeeded." Of course what follows is a pan in the form of an apology...

Judges Sleeping With DA's???

Posted on September 09, 2008
Can't make this stuff up. Or can you?

Week Two Performance...

Posted on September 09, 2008
Episode 2 aired last night. Here's the early news..."RAISING THE BAR continued to perform extremely well in its second week, delivering an audience of 5 million viewers, 4 million households, 1.6 million adults 18-49 and 2.2 million adults 25-54.After two weeks, RAISING THE BAR?s average of 6...

A conflict comes to light?

Posted on September 05, 2008
With the questions about conflicts of interest in our fictional world of Raising the Bar, it's rather instructive to read about a guy about to be executed after being convicted in a trial in which the prosecutor was, what'dya know? sleeping with the judge...

RTB video from the press line...

Posted on September 04, 2008
TNT's Raising the BarUploaded by tvguide

Indefensible Tip...

Posted on September 03, 2008
Just FYI, it appears that Amazon is now sold out of the book--but you can still find it cheap at Barnes and Noble.com

'Raising the Bar' and Clearing It in the Ratings

Posted on September 03, 2008
WaPo sings a different tune today...Steven Bochco set a new record Monday when his premiering TNT lawyer drama, "Raising the Bar," clocked 7.7 million viewers. It was the biggest audience ever for a new-series launch on an ad-supported cable network.Bochco's show, co-starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar and his hair, beat the record set in 2004 by USA's launch of "The 4400...

Behind the scenes with me...

Posted on September 03, 2008

How'd we do?

Posted on September 02, 2008
Stephen Bochco court drama scores highest viewer, household totals of any new basic-cable show ever; best 18-49 numbers of year for any new basic-cable series.We done good.Thanks to all.

The PD's weigh in...

Posted on September 02, 2008
Some love it,some hate it. More accurately, lots of PD's hate it, and most for similar reasons. I understand. And here's what I have to say (this is from my response to Seth (link above):Seth,It being 1 am, I'm too tired to attempt all ten questions...

TNT Uses Tolls In TV Marketing Ploy - 08/29/2008

Posted on September 01, 2008
TNT Uses Tolls In TV Marketing Ploy

At least he gets it...

Posted on September 01, 2008
Not a rave, but at least a guy who got the point. And just BTW, I actually spent today in arraignments up in the Bronx.

Steven Explains how it all happened...

Posted on August 31, 2008
...Bochco also noted his relationship with David Feige, his co-creator on the series. ?David had just published a book called ?Indefensible? and wanted to get it to me, as there had been some interest in the television community. I read it, and I thought it was wonderful, the book really chronicles up to 15 years of his life as a public defender in the Bronx...

Today's LA Times...

Posted on August 31, 2008
Can Raising the Bar raise Steven Bochco to Emmy glory again? - Los Angeles Times

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