MasterMind Awards

I would like to remind Officer Egdorf and others that attorneys do not testify; therefore, they cannot "tell" the jury anything. They are there to cross-­examine and interrogate. They are there to ask questions, not make statements.

Furthermore, he is mistaken when he says that attorneys are the only ones not sworn to tell the truth in the courtroom. In order to be licensed, we must take an oath: an oath that includes being candid with the tribunal (court). In fact, this is the only profession that provides sanctions for not being truthful. We cannot even put on a witness if we know they are going to give false testimony.

I could cite case after case in which officers perjured themselves on the stand or obfuscated the truth. But I will not do so. I will simply say this: It is easy to bad-mouth lawyers, but I guarantee you if you or one of your loved ones was in trouble, you'd want someone who would do battle for you and, as Silverman put it, "tries cases."

Eddie Cortes
Attorney at Law
Houston

Bring back Prohibition? What these negative commentators seem to forget is that drinking and driving is not illegal! You can still have a glass of wine with dinner in this country and drive yourself home. You can have a glass of champagne at your daughter's wedding reception and not have to call a cab. You can have a beer at your friend's barbecue and not have to have someone pick you up. That is not, and should not be, against the law. And if you want to make that illegal, then what you're ­really asking for is Prohibition...and we all know how well that worked out.

What most people don't understand is that this statute is written so broadly that you could take two Benadryl for your allergies and be arrested for DUI if you get behind the wheel. It is a huge net that is being cast, and it is taking with it a large number of innocent people. People who deserve to be defended by the likes of Tyler Flood.

Remember, people, attorneys are not magicians. In nearly all of these cases, Flood was able to convince a jury of six reasonable, objective, third-party observers that had no vested interest in the case that there was another, reasonable explanation for his client's behavior. You want to get rid of the jury system? You want to replace it with these zealots who have lost loved ones in tragic accidents? Go ahead. But don't call it justice.

EC_Esq
Houston

Come, on people: This is just an article, and an interesting one at that. I myself find it informative, unlike some of you self-righteous and closed-minded people. Some of you fail to understand that this could happen to almost anybody. How many of you use cell phones while driving? I see many people driving recklessly while they carry out a conversation on one. Do you people really believe that some of these officers are always truthful, and that maybe they are not driven by any other motives? I am not condoning the actions of the drivers, but I'm glad there is someone keeping the law in check. That's not often the case.

Dario

Market Share

Online readers respond to "Another Farmers' Market," by Greenway Barista, Eating Our Words blog, November 16:

Never: I don't think there could be too many farmers' markets. It's fine if these have the same old, same old locally grown good stuff. Maybe they just need to be held on different days of the week, in different parts of the city.

Charles

Come together: The markets must be consolidated if they are to prosper. I would prefer to buy locally grown food and I'm willing to pay a premium, but the scattered markets simply can't compete with Canino's on selection.

Kyle