Blog

Joe Biden and Criminal Law

• By Phillip Goff
• 26 Nov 2020
• 0

We could see some substantive changes in federal criminal law with a Biden presidency.

Legalize Marijuana Now!

• By Phillip Goff
• 21 Oct 2020
• 0

Texas and the US government should immediately repeal the prohibition against marijuana.  To do so would promote justice and fairness. Texas wrongly harms its people and promotes injustice by continuing to arrest and prosecute people over marijuana.   Millions of People Have Been Hurt Roughly 60,000 people’s lives every year are needlessly and callously marred […]

Meaningful Police Reform

• By Phillip Goff
• 14 Sep 2020
• 0

Where to Start? Meaningful police reform. What does it entail?  There is no single answer, no one-step solution. Problems are long-standing and cumulative. It will involve systemic changes and a change of culture.  Serious problems exist in policing in our country, and serious steps must be taken.  Such an undertaking is daunting and will take […]

Defund the Police?

• By Phillip Goff
• 1 Sep 2020
• 0

“Defund the police.” It sounds provocative.  It is.  What it provokes depends upon the person.  I hadn’t heard that term until a few months ago. My initial impression was was to consider it the equivalent of “abolish the police”. I thought that idea was radical, irrational, and was simply a “no” to me.  After all, […]

Criminal Case Status in the COVID-19 Era, Part 3

• By Phillip Goff
• 15 Aug 2020
• 0

Jury Trials Present A Major Challenge Now This discussion is not meant to be comprehensive, in that such an endeavor would entail a much longer piece.  Nonetheless, pointing out some of the considerations and questions can serve to illustrate the larger point. Please check out the much shorter part 1 and part 2 of this blog […]

Criminal Case Status in the COVID-19 Era, Part 2

• By Phillip Goff
• 7 Aug 2020
• 0

Let me be perfectly clear.  COVID-19 is a real disease, no matter what some people believe. It is not a political position. Details may be unclear, and what we understand may change as we learn, but COVID-19 is a real thing.  The most cases and the most deaths are in the United States of America.  […]

Criminal Case Status in the COVID-19 Era, Part 1

• By Phillip Goff
• 1 Aug 2020
• 0

Simply put, the most likely effect of COVID-19 on your criminal case will be delay.  Whether your case began before or during the pandemic, this blog entry applies to you.  If your case was pending, it probably was already delayed.   Law Enforcement Generally, the pandemic has slowed the pace of arrests and the issuance […]

Should I Talk to the Police? In a word, No.

• By Phillip Goff
• 6 Jul 2020
• 0

We frequently receive calls from people who tell us the police want to talk to them. They want to know whether it’s ever a good idea, even if on the surface it seems like all they want to do is ask a few innocent questions. No. Don’t do it. STOP.  Re-read the last two lines. […]

COVID-19 Is No Justification

• By Phillip Goff
• 5 May 2020
• 0

Our Freedoms are Constantly Under Siege We take freedom for granted.  Some freedoms afforded to those people accused of crimes are downright unpopular. Attempts to restrict or eliminate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens are routine. Regrettably, many government officials don’t truly believe in the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, are actively hostile to those […]

Coronavirus Exposing Legal System Shortcomings

• By Phillip Goff
• 20 Apr 2020
• 0

In my more than 25 years of practice, I’ve seen nothing comparable to the effect of COVID-19 on the operation of the legal system.  The response of people throughout the system has been both encouraging and disappointing. We Were Not Adequately Prepared It’s changing day by day, and, I hate to say it, but the […]