Post Archive for August 2012

End Racial Profiling in Durham Now

For years I have represented young black male and Hispanic drivers who describe being stopped for no good reason, and searched without result. One of my clients was TASERed for refusing to extinguish his cigarette after he was stopped for what a judge later determined was no legitimate reason.  (http://www.unc.edu/~fbaum/papers/Trial_Briefs_Ian_Mance_2012.pdf ) These people feel like victims of a bully that they cannot stand up to. I have long fought racial profiling as a disease in our beloved community. People should not be treated like criminals, targeted for investigation, because of the color of their skin. It is humiliating.

Racial profiling has … read more »

Lessons of Violence from a Criminal Defense Lawyer

I have the opportunity to talk with Mayor Bill Bell about his idea to reduce gun violence by setting bonds in gun cases to $300,000. Last week we had two homicides in three days. Mayor Bell wants to send a clear message to perpetrators of violence that we are serious about ending violence. I applaud Mayor Bell for keeping this issue on the forefront of our minds; but, I disagree with his approach. This opportunity to talk about violence in Durham has required me to try to articulate some of the lessons I have learned about violence in Durham.

The Lessons … read more »