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	<title>Due Process &#187; Rich Meehan</title>
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	<description>Attorney Rich Meehan on Due Process</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:15:57 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Marijuana Legal: Not So Much!!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/02/17/marijuana-legal-not-so-much/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/02/17/marijuana-legal-not-so-much/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:15:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1352</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[July 1, 2011 was the new &#8220;Independence Day&#8221; for marijuana users in Connecticut. It was on that date that the new Public Act 11-71 became effective. The new act reflected Connecticut&#8217;s capitulation to a growing national trend to de-criminalize marijuana. Prior to that date, possession of any amount of marijuana less than four ounces was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/02/17/marijuana-legal-not-so-much/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sandusky Victims: Protecting Anonymity</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/02/02/sandusky-victims-protecting-anonymity/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/02/02/sandusky-victims-protecting-anonymity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:21:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1342</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Disgraced former Penn State coach, Jerry Sandusky, is back in the news once again. Prosecutors are preparing to reveal to his attorney the identity of the 10 alleged victims in this prosecution. The Sixth Amendment mandates that an accused has the right to confront and examine his accusers in a criminal trial. This right of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/02/02/sandusky-victims-protecting-anonymity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>GPS Tracking Collides with the Constitution</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/24/gps-tracking-collides-with-the-constitution/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/24/gps-tracking-collides-with-the-constitution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:27:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1333</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In June I commented on the recent decision of the Circuit Court of Appeals, United States v. Jones, that was argued in the United States Supreme Court. (See GPS Tracking: Is Big Brother Violating the 4th Amendment?) At issue was the constitutionality of police use of secretly planted GPS devices without first obtaining judicial authority [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/24/gps-tracking-collides-with-the-constitution/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sandusky Needs To Do The Right Thing</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/23/sandusky-needs-to-do-the-right-thing/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/23/sandusky-needs-to-do-the-right-thing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:02:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1326</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Football legend Joe Paterno died this week. Unfortunately, his integrity and legend were mortally wounded months ago when the revelations about accused pedophile, Jerry Sandusky, erupted. JoePa, the Penn State legend, and leader of Linebacker U. deserved better than the legacy Sandusky&#8217;s behavior has thrust upon him. You can debate whether Paterno did enough when [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/23/sandusky-needs-to-do-the-right-thing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Online Gambling May Be Coming</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/06/online-gambling-may-be-coming/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/06/online-gambling-may-be-coming/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:30:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1316</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A recent opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel, advisors to the U.S. Attorney General, may be paving the way for legalized online gaming. The opinion does not deal specifically with legalizing online gaming sites; rather, the advisement focuses on federal prohibition of internet sales of state lottery tickets. The opinion specifically addressed the lawfulness [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/06/online-gambling-may-be-coming/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lights, Cameras, Action: TV Comes To Court</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/04/lights-cameras-action-tv-comes-to-court/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/04/lights-cameras-action-tv-comes-to-court/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy New Year to Connecticut&#8217;s media. On January 1st new rules took effect, passed by the Rules Committee of the Judicial Department, now allowing for the televising of nearly all criminal proceedings. What was previously an experiment is now going to be a permanent addition to our criminal courts. Matters involving allegations of sexual assault [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2012/01/04/lights-cameras-action-tv-comes-to-court/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sandusky&#8217;s Waiver, or is he waivering?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/12/13/sanduskys-waiver-or-is-he-waivering/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/12/13/sanduskys-waiver-or-is-he-waivering/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:23:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1298</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To listen to Joe Amendola, the attorney for embattled former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, in the weeks leading up to his Tuesday preliminary hearing, this was to be the first stages of the battle. Reportedly, his client was looking forward to exercising his right to confront his accusers in a public forum. Shockingly, the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/12/13/sanduskys-waiver-or-is-he-waivering/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pleading the Fifth</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/12/08/pleading-the-fifth/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/12/08/pleading-the-fifth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:42:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1284</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are a bilked investor, reeling from the revelations that your money that was to be segregated in the coffers of commodities broker, MF Global, you are looking forward to the testimony of former CEO Jon Corzine before the House Agriculture Committee. Mr. Corzine was originally expected to take refuge behind the Fifth Amendment. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/12/08/pleading-the-fifth/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Conrad Murray&#8217;s sentence: when four years is not four years!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/30/conrad-murrays-sentence-when-four-years-is-not-four-years/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/30/conrad-murrays-sentence-when-four-years-is-not-four-years/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:12:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[California Judge Michael Pastor sentenced Dr. Conrad Murray this week for the death of pop icon, Michael Jackson. Pastor delivered the maximum allowable sentence with sharp words of criticism for the fallen physician. He ordered Murray to serve four years, as well as make restitution to Jackson&#8217;s estate in excess of 100 million dollars. Murray [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/30/conrad-murrays-sentence-when-four-years-is-not-four-years/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bob Costas&#8217; Sandusky Interview: was it a legal blunder?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/16/bob-costas-sandusky-interview-was-it-a-legal-blunder/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/16/bob-costas-sandusky-interview-was-it-a-legal-blunder/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:22:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The travails of former Penn State coach, Jerry Sandusky, are well known. It seems each week brings more revelations or more fall out. While the University and its former coaches deal with the growing scandal, Sandusky&#8217;s attorney, Joseph Amendola has been on the talk show circuit in an apparent attempt to counter the growing public [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/16/bob-costas-sandusky-interview-was-it-a-legal-blunder/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>PSU, Paterno and the inevitable lawsuits</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/12/psu-paterno-and-the-inevitable-lawsuits/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/12/psu-paterno-and-the-inevitable-lawsuits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 14:06:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The evil allegedly perpetrated by ex-coach Jerry Sandusky has done more than tarnish a sterling football program&#8217;s reputation and brought down its iconic coach. What will most assuredly follow is a score of lawsuits, not unlike those involving the Catholic Church and pedophile priests. Sandusky will be the central target of these lawsuits, and the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/12/psu-paterno-and-the-inevitable-lawsuits/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>JoePa, Penn State and Mandated Reporters</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/08/joepa-penn-state-and-mandated-reporters/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/08/joepa-penn-state-and-mandated-reporters/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:48:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This past week Joe Paterno, Penn State&#8217;s iconic coach, affectionately known as &#8220;JoePa&#8221; became the winning-est coach in college football history. At 85, the scion of Happy Valley had presided over a career replete with National Championships, conference titles and a legion of eventual NFL stars. But that star is now forever tarnished with JoePa&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/08/joepa-penn-state-and-mandated-reporters/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Conrad Murray: Should he have testified?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/03/conrad-murray-should-he-have-testified/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/03/conrad-murray-should-he-have-testified/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 10:08:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1230</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The defense rested this week in the manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray. For those who followed the case the evidence was more suggestive of a medical malpractice trial than a criminal homicide case. The jury heard conflicting expert opinions on the standards of care for the administration of sedation and the obligation of a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/11/03/conrad-murray-should-he-have-testified/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Crazy is Insane?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/27/how-crazy-is-insane/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/27/how-crazy-is-insane/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:25:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1218</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Defending criminal cases we often hear family or friends of the accused say, &#8220;He&#8217;s not in his right mind; can&#8217;t that get him off?&#8221; All jurisdictions recognize that mental illness can mitigate and at times offer a defense. In some jurisdictions (including Connecticut) the accused is found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI); in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/27/how-crazy-is-insane/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Attorney-Client Confidentiality in the Tech Age</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/19/attorney-client-confidentiality-in-the-tech-age/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/19/attorney-client-confidentiality-in-the-tech-age/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:02:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1209</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is no greater privilege of confidentiality than that accorded the communications between an attorney and a client. No one, not even the Supreme Court, can invade that privilege without the express consent of the client. The rule appears in every state&#8217;s Codes of Professional Responsibility and Evidence. The only true exception is when an [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/19/attorney-client-confidentiality-in-the-tech-age/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Supremes ain&#8217;t just a singing group!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/13/the-supremes-aint-just-a-singing-group/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/13/the-supremes-aint-just-a-singing-group/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:28:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first Monday in October marks the traditional opening of the new term of the United States Supreme Court. The Court term extends to the following October. The Court was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, and has annually reconvened since its organization in 1790. The nine justices are lifetime Presidential appointees, confirmed by [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/13/the-supremes-aint-just-a-singing-group/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>GPS Tracking: Is Big Brother Violating the 4th Amendment?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/06/gps-tracking-is-big-brother-violating-the-4th-amendment/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/06/gps-tracking-is-big-brother-violating-the-4th-amendment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:15:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1184</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In high school many of us read the classic 1984, in which George Orwell posited a society where citizens were subject to constant surveillance by the omni-present Big Brother. Advocates of civil liberty often pointed to Orwell&#8217;s classic as the end result of a society where individual privacy rights were subordinated to the public &#8220;good.&#8221; [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/10/06/gps-tracking-is-big-brother-violating-the-4th-amendment/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Death at Neverland, is it Manslaughter?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/09/28/death-at-neverland-is-it-manslaughter/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/09/28/death-at-neverland-is-it-manslaughter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:45:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1175</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Evidence began this week in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the embattled former personal physician for pop icon, Michael Jackson. Jackson died from an overdose of an anesthetic, propofol, prescribed by Murray. What is not in dispute is that Murray had been administering propofol to Jackson to treat his chronic insomnia. What is disputed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/09/28/death-at-neverland-is-it-manslaughter/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Preparing for Trial</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/09/21/preparing-for-trial/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/09/21/preparing-for-trial/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:05:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Trial lawyers are like directors of live TV or theater productions. When a case is finally reached for trial there are a number of tasks to be completed to set the stage for the final presentation. Civil jury cases have a definite shelf life in Connecticut, having already gone through a number of stages. Depending [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/09/21/preparing-for-trial/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Miranda Warnings Given More Teeth</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/31/miranda-warnings-given-more-teeth/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/31/miranda-warnings-given-more-teeth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:28:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1153</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 1966 the U. S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Miranda v. Arizona, acknowledging that a person in police custody may not be interrogated without being warned of certain of his 5th and 6th Amendment rights. Principally, those rights are the right to remain silent; to be informed that anything said will be [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/31/miranda-warnings-given-more-teeth/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Eyewitness Identification: The Rules are Changing</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/30/eyewitness-identification-the-rules-are-changing/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/30/eyewitness-identification-the-rules-are-changing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:32:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1136</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In criminal jury trials jurors may rely on two types of evidence: direct and circumstantial. Circumstantial evidence allows a factual conclusion to be reached based on inferences built from other indirect facts. Direct evidence, by contrast, is direct proof of a fact, usually based upon testimony from a witness as to what that person saw [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/30/eyewitness-identification-the-rules-are-changing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Retrying the Rocket, Roger Clemens</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/22/retrying-the-rocket-roger-clemens/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/22/retrying-the-rocket-roger-clemens/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:21:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[September has always been a defining month for major league baseball. Rosters expand from 25 to 40 as teams either begin their tuneups for the ensuing playoffs or expose their youngsters to the big league, looking to the future. September was also the month that Roger Clemens would focus on another World Series ring or [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/22/retrying-the-rocket-roger-clemens/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Amnesty for Marijuana Convicts</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/18/amnesty-for-marijuana-convicts/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/18/amnesty-for-marijuana-convicts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:34:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1105</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since the mid 19th century laws attempting to regulate, tax and finally criminalize marijuana use proliferated. The 1936 classic, Reefer Madness, painted the grim picture for parents of the evils of marijuana use. Decades of criminal prosecutions followed as the drug flourished in the 1960&#8242;s and &#8217;70&#8242;s on college campuses. Youngsters found with small amounts [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/18/amnesty-for-marijuana-convicts/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How Would You Pick A Lawyer?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/01/how-would-you-pick-a-lawyer/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/01/how-would-you-pick-a-lawyer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:07:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1090</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week I had the privilege of being inducted as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Membership is by invitation only and is limited to 500 trial lawyers in the U.S. and a distinguished group of practitioners in 30 other countries. The vetting process is extensive. Candidates are asked to submit a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/08/01/how-would-you-pick-a-lawyer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Casey Anthony: Enough is Enough!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/19/casey-anthony-enough-is-enough/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/19/casey-anthony-enough-is-enough/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:09:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1076</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Raise your hand if you have had enough of the Casey Anthony drama! CNN has long been considered as a valid international news source. Its correspondents have brought to our living rooms real time reports of crisis throughout the world. We have watched smart bombs target terror and protests in remote corners of this globe. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/19/casey-anthony-enough-is-enough/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Casey Anthony Verdict</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/05/casey-anthony-verdict/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/05/casey-anthony-verdict/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:09:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1059</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unless you live under a rock, by now you have learned that the jury in this sensational murder trial has acquitted Casey Anthony on all homicide counts, convicting her only of the four misdemeanor counts of giving false information to law enforcement. Courtroom observers, in particular the legion of media present, had fully expected a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/05/casey-anthony-verdict/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Casey Anthony: The right to testify</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/01/casey-anthony-the-right-to-testify/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/01/casey-anthony-the-right-to-testify/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:24:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1047</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the defense wound down in the trial of Casey Anthony speculation raged concerning her possible appearance on the witness stand. TV legal analysts debated the wisdom of offering her as a witness and whether it was necessary. All agreed that lead defense counsel, Jose Baez, made promises to the jury in his opening statement [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/07/01/casey-anthony-the-right-to-testify/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cameras in the Court and Talking Heads</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/30/cameras-in-the-court-and-talking-heads/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/30/cameras-in-the-court-and-talking-heads/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:04:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1030</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Judicial Department announced this week plans to expand its pilot program allowing court proceedings to be televised. Under the new rule criminal trials that do not involve sexual assaults or juveniles may be televised upon petition by media addressed to the administrative presiding judge and the trial judge. The Judges have determined that expanding [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/30/cameras-in-the-court-and-talking-heads/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Trial by Ambush: Florida v. Anthony</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/20/trial-by-ambush-florida-v-anthony/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/20/trial-by-ambush-florida-v-anthony/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:40:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1016</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Florida murder trial of Casey Anthony has taken some bizarre turns in recent days. Rather than the guilt or innocence of the defendant being the central focus, it appears that the tactics of the lawyers are dominating the court&#8217;s time. More particularly, it is the conduct of lead defense counsel, Jose Baez, that has [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/20/trial-by-ambush-florida-v-anthony/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Knock on the Jury Room Door</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/13/the-knock-on-the-jury-room-door/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/13/the-knock-on-the-jury-room-door/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:06:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=1005</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I stood in a courtroom today as a jury somberly walked into the box, ready to deliver a verdict on a tragic death that left my client charged with Manslaughter in the first degree and assault in the first degree of an elderly person. He faced up to forty years in prison, with a mandatory [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/13/the-knock-on-the-jury-room-door/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reading Tea Leaves at Trial</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/10/reading-tea-leaves-at-trial/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/10/reading-tea-leaves-at-trial/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:05:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every lawyer who has ever tried a case before a jury has gone through the experience of trying to read faces of jurors. Whether it is during the examination of a critical witness, during summation or as they shuffle in an out of the courtroom, we all watch intently for some sign, some acknowledgment that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/10/reading-tea-leaves-at-trial/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cross Examination: The Real Truth Serum</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/01/cross-examination-the-real-truth-serum/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/01/cross-examination-the-real-truth-serum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:16:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=988</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Noted legal scholar, John Henry Wigmore, described cross examination as the, “greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth.” It is the most potent weapon in the trial lawyers arsenal, the principal means by which the veracity of a witness is put to the test in the courtroom. Our Forefathers embodied it in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/06/01/cross-examination-the-real-truth-serum/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dog the Bounty Hunter and the IMF Chief</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/05/19/976/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/05/19/976/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 11:09:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=976</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My wife and I have different tastes in television programs. One in particular that fascinates her is Dog the Bounty Hunter, a reality show on A&#38;E that chronicles the exploits of an eclectic group of bail agents rounding up criminals who have failed to appear in court. When the show ended the other evening the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/05/19/976/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Death Penalty and Mental Incompetence</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/18/the-death-penalty-and-mental-incompetence/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/18/the-death-penalty-and-mental-incompetence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:46:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=959</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 the issue of the execution of mentally disabled defendants has created controversy and debate. In 1986 the United States Supreme Court weighed Florida’s procedure for reviewing the competency of mentally disabled condemned defendants and prohibited the execution of mentally incompetent offenders, and mandated adversarial competency proceedings. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/18/the-death-penalty-and-mental-incompetence/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When a Settlement is Not a Settlement, or is it?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/13/when-a-settlement-is-not-a-settlement-or-is-it/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/13/when-a-settlement-is-not-a-settlement-or-is-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:39:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=951</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The controversy surrounding the social media empire, Facebook, received a judicial reprieve this week. A federal judge in the 9th Circuit in San Francisco rejected arguments by the Winklevoss twins that their previously mediated settlement with Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg, should be set aside. The boys from Harvard apparently cried &#8220;foul&#8221; claiming that Mr. Zuckerberg [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/13/when-a-settlement-is-not-a-settlement-or-is-it/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DiMeo Verdict: Justice or Due Process?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/02/dimeo-verdict-justice-or-due-process/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/02/dimeo-verdict-justice-or-due-process/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:20:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=944</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What was your reaction when you read that the DiMeo jury returned a verdict declining to recommend death for twice convicted murderer, Christopher DiMeo? Were you angered that this worthless person was shown mercy denied his victims? Were you relieved that jurors in a civilized society had thoroughly considered all of the complicated factors that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/04/02/dimeo-verdict-justice-or-due-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Liar, Liar pants on fire? U.S. v. Barry Bonds</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/30/liar-liar-pants-on-fire-u-s-v-barry-bonds/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/30/liar-liar-pants-on-fire-u-s-v-barry-bonds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:22:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=934</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This past week evidence has been unfolding in the perjury trial of baseball super star, Barry Bonds. Bonds was involved in the Government&#8217;s probe of the distribution and money laundering surrounding a California company, Balco Laboratories. Balco was testing for performance enhancing substances banned by Major League Baseball but was suspected of illegally distributing anabolic [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/30/liar-liar-pants-on-fire-u-s-v-barry-bonds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pre-school lawsuits:  have I failed as a parent?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/17/pre-school-lawsuits-have-i-failed-as-a-parent/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/17/pre-school-lawsuits-have-i-failed-as-a-parent/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:15:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=918</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[News reports circulated this week of the parents of a pre-schooler who have sued a &#8220;prestigious&#8221; New York pre-school for the return of their up front tuition payment. Why? Because the school was not adequately preparing their apparent prodigy for a kindergarten placement test. Mom waited merely weeks to realize that play time for her [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/17/pre-school-lawsuits-have-i-failed-as-a-parent/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>On the Passing of a Dear Friend: Ray Gabriele</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/12/on-the-passing-of-a-dear-friend-ray-gabriele/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/12/on-the-passing-of-a-dear-friend-ray-gabriele/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:19:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=913</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Forgive me for departing from the usual theme of this column, the law, to pay tribute to my oldest and dearest friend, Ray Gabriele. Early on March 11th I received a call from Ray&#8217;s former medical partner to tell me the sad news that Raymond had died suddenly that morning in his home. Dr. Raymond [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/12/on-the-passing-of-a-dear-friend-ray-gabriele/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Supreme Court Relaxes Sentencing Guidelines</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/03/supreme-court-relaxes-sentencing-guidelines/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/03/supreme-court-relaxes-sentencing-guidelines/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:21:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=903</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 1984 the United States Sentencing Commission began the process of promulgating uniform sentencing guidelines to bind federal judges in the imposition of criminal sentences. The goal of the Commission was parity in sentencing. Of concern were disparate sentences for similar conduct based on the district where the crime was committed. Offenders in New York [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/03/03/supreme-court-relaxes-sentencing-guidelines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cheshire II and Change of Venue</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/24/cheshire-ii-and-change-of-venue/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/24/cheshire-ii-and-change-of-venue/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:07:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=893</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Venue is the legal term ascribed to the location of a particular court proceeding. Generally, criminal cases are tried in the locale where the crime is alleged to have been committed. There are times, however, when pre-trial publicity is so overwhelming that the public&#8217;s right to know collides with the defendant&#8217;s right to due process [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/24/cheshire-ii-and-change-of-venue/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cheshire Trial Part 2: Judging the Judge</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/16/cheshire-trial-part-2-judging-the-judge/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/16/cheshire-trial-part-2-judging-the-judge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:33:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=880</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Defense attorneys for accused murderer, Joshua Komisarjevsky, threw down a gauntlet this week as the trial moved toward commencement, when they sought the recusal of Judge Jon Blue who had presided over the Hayes trial. Their Motion challenged the Judge&#8217;s neutrality and objectivity. Raising claims that Judge Blue abandoned his role as an objective arbiter, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/16/cheshire-trial-part-2-judging-the-judge/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Our Criminal Justice System Broken?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/10/is-our-criminal-justice-system-broken/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/10/is-our-criminal-justice-system-broken/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:43:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=861</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With each new horrendous crime splashed across headlines and the nightly news; with interviews of frustrated victims and their families venting about delays and too much emphasis on the rights of defendants; with every news report of the lingering devastation to injured victims, we are left with the strong sense that our system of justice [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/02/10/is-our-criminal-justice-system-broken/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>United States v. Jared Loughner</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/27/united-states-v-jared-loughner/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/27/united-states-v-jared-loughner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:58:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=851</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With his all too familiar maniacal grin, Arizona shooting suspect, Jared Loughner, appeared in Federal Court this week and entered not guilty pleas to the initial charges of attempted murder. As the investigation continues, Loughner will eventually be charged with the murders of the six shooting victims, as well. Loughner&#8217;s court appointed counsel is ethically [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/27/united-states-v-jared-loughner/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Could the Arizona Shootings Have Been Avoided?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/18/could-the-arizona-shootings-have-been-avoided/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/18/could-the-arizona-shootings-have-been-avoided/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:28:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=838</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the Arizona shooting victims are buried and the survivors face long and difficult rehabilitation, the question lingers: could this tragedy have been prevented? I am not talking about restricting arms sales or dialing back the rhetoric. No, the more pointed question focuses on the suspect, Jared Loughner. His parents have not spoken yet but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/18/could-the-arizona-shootings-have-been-avoided/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Inciting Violence and the First Amendment</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/11/inciting-violence-and-the-first-amendment/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/11/inciting-violence-and-the-first-amendment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:33:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the wake of the tragic shootings in Arizona, the increasing vitriol that has infected America&#8217;s political rhetoric has come under scrutiny. Has the passion with which some have expressed dissatisfaction with politicians or sought their ouster served as well to ignite a powder keg? Such is one claim being discussed in the media. The [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/11/inciting-violence-and-the-first-amendment/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Difficult Case for Autism</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/06/the-difficult-case-for-autism/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/06/the-difficult-case-for-autism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:52:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=810</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In 2009 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 1 in every 110 children in the U.S. suffers from autism. Connecticut&#8217;s legislature now mandates health insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders. Whether the increase in prevalence represents an epidemic or is a reflection of better diagnostic tools available to pediatricians is the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2011/01/06/the-difficult-case-for-autism/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Christmas Remembered</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/24/christmas-remembered-2/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/24/christmas-remembered-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:05:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=798</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This piece ran several years ago on the editorial page of the Sunday Post. I wanted to share it once again. Perhaps you&#8217;ve read it before. If not I hope it brings some fond memories of past Christmases to you as well. Merry Christmas I sat the other evening with my youngest son, Rich watching [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/24/christmas-remembered-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Gift of Life, Part 2: A Real Christmas Story</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/22/the-gift-of-life-part-2-a-real-christmas-story/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/22/the-gift-of-life-part-2-a-real-christmas-story/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:24:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=762</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Several weeks ago I wrote about the importance of designating yourself as an organ donor. That post is still in the archives if you would like to revisit it for information on how to make that designation either on your driver&#8217;s license or by a health care instructions document. The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act also [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/22/the-gift-of-life-part-2-a-real-christmas-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>How to get sued on New Years Eve</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/21/how-to-get-sued-on-new-years-eve/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/21/how-to-get-sued-on-new-years-eve/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:17:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=743</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s that time of year. The invitations are out and the party plans are moving forward. You decide to stay home this year and host your friends for a blow out New Years bash. First it&#8217;s off to the liquor store for the fixings for pear martinis and mojitos. Throw in some magnums of champagne [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/21/how-to-get-sued-on-new-years-eve/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Is Uncle Sam really reading my emails? Not anymore!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/17/is-uncle-sam-really-reading-my-emails-not-anymore/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/17/is-uncle-sam-really-reading-my-emails-not-anymore/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:54:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=730</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ever wonder what happens to those emails you would rather no one else reads? You know, the ones some friend of a friend thought were funny despite being off-color. You are unwittingly on the thread because someone thought you would find it witty or titillating. You didn&#8217;t read it but deleted it; or did you. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/17/is-uncle-sam-really-reading-my-emails-not-anymore/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Organ donors: the gift of Life</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/09/organ-donors-the-gift-of-life/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/09/organ-donors-the-gift-of-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:49:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=720</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At this time of year we all spend so much time trying to think of appropriate gifts for friends and family. The holiday season fosters the spirit of giving in so many of us. What greater gift can any of us provide than the gift of life? Every 11 minutes another person is added to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/09/organ-donors-the-gift-of-life/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Long Road to Execution</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/03/the-long-road-to-execution/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/03/the-long-road-to-execution/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:23:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=706</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that the judgment of death has been imposed on Steven Hayes the next round of death penalty challenges will begin. First, there is the mandatory appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court. Even if Hayes, like Michael Ross, wants to die (recall that Hayes&#8217; lawyers argued that he wants to commit &#8220;suicide by state&#8221;) the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/12/03/the-long-road-to-execution/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Cheshire case: next the appeal</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/24/cheshire-case-on-appeal/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/24/cheshire-case-on-appeal/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:28:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=692</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that the verdict is in in the first Cheshire case following the imposition of sentence on December 2nd, the focus for Steven Hayes turns to the appeal process. Appeals in capital cases are automatic, meaning that a defendant cannot elect not to appeal. The process is lengthy and is part of the reason that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/24/cheshire-case-on-appeal/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Legal malpractice, suing your lawyer.</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/16/legal-malpractice-suing-your-lawyer/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/16/legal-malpractice-suing-your-lawyer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:14:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=679</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In today&#8217;s litigious society no profession is exempt from malpractice claims. Lawyers, like doctors and dentists are held to the standards of care generally accepted by the profession for like services. In the context of post conviction review of a lawyer&#8217;s effectiveness in defense of a criminal case, the standard to which that lawyer is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/16/legal-malpractice-suing-your-lawyer/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Even in the face of evil, the jury system works</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/11/even-in-the-face-of-evil-the-jury-system-works/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/11/even-in-the-face-of-evil-the-jury-system-works/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:26:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false"></guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Twelve people, cast together by the random act of a computer selecting them for the pool of candidates to be interviewed for inclusion in the first of the two Cheshire home invasion cases, reached a decision last week that reflected the conscience of our community. As the evidence unfolded it was clear that Stephen Hayes [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/11/even-in-the-face-of-evil-the-jury-system-works/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Rule of Law Prevails for Barry James</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/01/rule-of-law-prevails-for-barry-james/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/01/rule-of-law-prevails-for-barry-james/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:54:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=635</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[December 7, 1941, “A day that will live in infamy” in the words of FDR, held a brighter promise for a young married couple, Rita and Charlie James. That they purchased a modest 5 room cottage on a quiet street in Fairfield, Ct. The James family would have to wait until the conclusion of the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/11/01/rule-of-law-prevails-for-barry-james/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Pre-Trial Diversion; lawyering in the 21st century</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/10/20/pre-trial-diversion-lawyering-in-the-21st-century/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/10/20/pre-trial-diversion-lawyering-in-the-21st-century/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:05:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bridgeport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conn. For more information on Rich or his firm go to www.meehanlaw.com or www.ctdentalmalpracticelawyer.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CT.  For more information on Rich or his firm you can access them at www.meehanlaw.com or www.ctdentalmalpracticelawyer.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LLP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meehan & Gavin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[or e-mail Rich at rtm@meehanlaw.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Meehan is a senior partner in the law firm of Meehan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a puppy lawyer learning my craft I was privileged to work alongside my Dad, who in his prime was one of Connecticut&#8217;s most respected criminal trial lawyers. In law school and the first years of my career I carried his briefcase for a multitude of criminal trials. Legal education focuses on analyzing cases and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/10/20/pre-trial-diversion-lawyering-in-the-21st-century/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Constitution: Is it still the will of &#8220;We the People?&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/10/07/the-constitution-is-it-still-the-will-of-we-the-people/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/10/07/the-constitution-is-it-still-the-will-of-we-the-people/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=604</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every school kid at some point is asked to memorize the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution: &#8220;We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/10/07/the-constitution-is-it-still-the-will-of-we-the-people/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Contempt of court: what was he thinking?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/29/contempt-of-court-what-was-he-thinking/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/29/contempt-of-court-what-was-he-thinking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:18:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=594</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the Cheshire home invasion case moves to its final phase with closing arguments and jury instructions the drama unfolding turned to the bizarre with the impromptu press conference held by Komisarjevsky&#8217;s lawyer, Jeremiah Donovan, on the courthouse steps earlier this week. While lawyers speaking to the media is not particularly noteworthy, this one has [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/29/contempt-of-court-what-was-he-thinking/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Gruesome Pictures in Criminal Trials</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/20/gruesome-pictures-in-criminal-trials/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/20/gruesome-pictures-in-criminal-trials/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:06:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=583</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week jurors in the trial of Steven Hayes were released early after viewing photos of the crime scene. News accounts indicated that the pictures were so difficult to view that one juror even cried. Nothing is more difficult for the defense nor more impactful for the state than graphic photographic evidence of the results [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/20/gruesome-pictures-in-criminal-trials/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hayes Trial Pits Bloggers Against the Defenders</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/16/hayes-trial-pits-bloggers-against-the-defenders/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/16/hayes-trial-pits-bloggers-against-the-defenders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:26:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=571</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I read the early reports from the Hayes murder trial as the evidence began. Summoning immense personal strength, Dr. Petit took the stand and described the early horror that he and his family endured. It was the type of testimony that incites the passions of a jury. Any reasonable person listening to that would be [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/16/hayes-trial-pits-bloggers-against-the-defenders/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>21</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Hidden Side of Medicine</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/09/a-hidden-side-of-medicine/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/09/a-hidden-side-of-medicine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:25:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=561</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your doctor recommends an off label use of a Botox to treat your complaints of chronic headaches. You receive assurances that this use of Botox is medically appropriate so you agree. But was there something sinister behind the recommendation? Apparently the U.S. Justice Department thought so when it prosecuted Pharmaceutical giant Allergan in both criminal [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/09/a-hidden-side-of-medicine/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Car Searches and the Fourth Amendment: Let the Driver Beware</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/03/car-searches-and-the-fourth-amendment-let-the-driver-beware/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/03/car-searches-and-the-fourth-amendment-let-the-driver-beware/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:50:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=551</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bad news for drug mules these days. The Connecticut Supreme Court has expanded the permissible scope of a warrantless search of a motor vehicle following a routine traffic stop, granting greater latitude to cops whose instincts trigger a hunch that more is happening than a violation of the rules of the road. The Fourth Amendment [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/09/03/car-searches-and-the-fourth-amendment-let-the-driver-beware/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The First Amendment at Ground Zero: Does it live or die there?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/18/the-first-amendment-at-ground-zero-does-it-live-or-die-there/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/18/the-first-amendment-at-ground-zero-does-it-live-or-die-there/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:53:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=541</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . . .&#8221; That is the opening clause of the First Amendment. Originally the Amendment only prohibited such action by Congress but in 1925 the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment extended [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/18/the-first-amendment-at-ground-zero-does-it-live-or-die-there/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The other side of domestic violence</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/12/the-other-side-of-domestic-violence/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/12/the-other-side-of-domestic-violence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:33:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=532</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Domestic violence cases have sadly dominated Connecticut news in recent years. Too many disgruntled former spouses and paramours have resorted to harassment and violence rather than graciously walking away from a failed relationship. In recent years, Connecticut has made great strides in pursuing and prosecuting this behavior. In many cases it works. Sadly, in some [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/12/the-other-side-of-domestic-violence/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sixth Amendment and Effective Assitance of Counsel</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/06/sixth-amendment-and-effective-assitance-of-counsel/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/06/sixth-amendment-and-effective-assitance-of-counsel/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=521</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nothing is more integral to the protections guaranteed an accused by the Bill of Rights, than the Sixth Amendment&#8217;s requirement of the effective assistance of competent counsel. The Framers of the Constitution did not quite say it that way. &#8220;In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/08/06/sixth-amendment-and-effective-assitance-of-counsel/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Battling the New Aristocracy: Campaign Finance Laws</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/27/battling-the-new-aristocracy-campaign-finance-laws/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/27/battling-the-new-aristocracy-campaign-finance-laws/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:01:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=515</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a baby lawyer, 35 years ago, I entered the world of politics. Not on a grand scale, mind you. Armed with about $200.00 for some low end brochures and a handful of friends, I walked door to door in Bridgeport&#8217;s north end campaigning for a seat on the City Council. Fortunately for me there [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/27/battling-the-new-aristocracy-campaign-finance-laws/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Perlitz Dismissal was Correct</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/15/perlitz-dismissal-was-correct/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/15/perlitz-dismissal-was-correct/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:46:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=507</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Survivors of sexual abuse and victim&#8217;s rights groups are apparently outraged at the ruling this week by District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton dismissing the indictment against Douglas Perlitz. The former Fairfield U. grad has been awaiting trial for multiple counts of sexual improprieties alleged to have been committed on young Haitians. None of the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/15/perlitz-dismissal-was-correct/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Confessions illegal? Let&#8217;s go to the Videotape!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/14/confessions-illegal-lets-go-to-the-videotape/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/14/confessions-illegal-lets-go-to-the-videotape/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:55:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=499</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Accused killer Steven Hayes is attempting to get a judge to rule that his &#8220;confession&#8221; to police should be excluded from his trial. Hayes is claiming that the failure to tape record the interrogation in a death penalty case presents a major constitutional impediment to the admission of the statement before his jury. The Fourth [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/14/confessions-illegal-lets-go-to-the-videotape/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lindsay Gets the Message, or Does She??</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/08/lindsay-gets-the-message-or-does-she/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/08/lindsay-gets-the-message-or-does-she/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:07:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=485</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Troubled popstar/actress Lindsay Lohan met her Waterloo this week when Judge Marsha Revel sentenced her to ninety days in jail for violating her probation in two DUI cases. Judge Revel was unmoved by the actress&#8217; tearful apology. Lohan went from childhood Disney star to posterchild for booze and drug addled celebs. Her ninety days of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/08/lindsay-gets-the-message-or-does-she/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mandatory Mediation of Medical Malpractice Claims</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/01/mandatory-mediation-of-medical-malpractice-claims/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/01/mandatory-mediation-of-medical-malpractice-claims/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:23:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=474</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This week Governor Rell signed a landmark patient&#8217;s rights bill, requiring disclosure of medical errors. The new law gives patients access to information compiled by the department of Public Health on adverse events reported by hospitals or surgical centers. While a great step forward in protecting patients by insuring that adverse events are not withheld [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/07/01/mandatory-mediation-of-medical-malpractice-claims/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Public Corruption Cases take a hit from the Supremes</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/25/public-corruption-cases-take-a-hit-from-the-supremes/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/25/public-corruption-cases-take-a-hit-from-the-supremes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:07:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=464</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The war against public corruption took one on the chin this week as prosecutors lost their go-to weapon in the prosecution of suspected corrupt politicians and greedy corporate CEO&#8217;s. The &#8220;Honest Services&#8221; mail fraud statute, 18 United States Code, section 1346, was ruled unconstitutional as it applied in cases other than those that involved direct [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/25/public-corruption-cases-take-a-hit-from-the-supremes/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>O.J. Trying to Run for Daylight Again</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/16/o-j-trying-to-run-for-daylight-again/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/16/o-j-trying-to-run-for-daylight-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:16:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=448</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was October 14, 1967 and I was a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. My girlfriend (now wife of 40+years) Kathy and I were sitting int he first row in the corner of the end zone. Beyond the opposing goalposts loomed the mosaic dubbed, &#8220;Touchdown Jesus&#8221; that adorned ND&#8217;s library. From that vantage [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/16/o-j-trying-to-run-for-daylight-again/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Mouth that Scored???</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/09/the-mouth-that-scored/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/09/the-mouth-that-scored/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:56:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=437</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rod Blagojevich is finally on the hot seat as his criminal trial got underway yesterday with opening statements. Not one to be short on opinions or sound bites, Blago was told by the judge, no more press statements during the trial. Since his indictment and banishment from public office Blago has been the antithesis of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/06/09/the-mouth-that-scored/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Victims can weigh in on plea bargains</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/20/victims-can-weigh-in-on-plea-bargains/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/20/victims-can-weigh-in-on-plea-bargains/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2010 00:58:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=425</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The criminal justice system in Connecticut is working to protect the rights of victims in many ways. In recent months the spotlight has been focused on additional protections for victims of domestic violence. But, in 1996 this state passed a constitutional amendment giving victims a voice. Known as the Victim&#8217;s Rights Amendment, it elevated victims [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/20/victims-can-weigh-in-on-plea-bargains/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Techno Weddings redefine &#8220;tying the knot&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/20/techno-weddings-redefine-tying-the-knot/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/20/techno-weddings-redefine-tying-the-knot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 13:22:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had occasion last year to research the legal authority needed to officiate at a wedding. The occasion was my Godson&#8217;s impending wedding. He and his bride-to-be reside in Philadelphia. Shortly after the engagement my nephew, Rick, called to ask if I would perform the ceremony. Of course, I was flattered by the request, but [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/20/techno-weddings-redefine-tying-the-knot/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Equity, hot tubs and relationships!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/17/equity-hot-tubs-and-relationships/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/17/equity-hot-tubs-and-relationships/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 12:33:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=388</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Hartford Courant has reported on an opinion of the Connecticut Supreme Court that is scheduled to be released tomorrow. The case is novel in that it applies the law of equity to an increasingly growing social relationship&#8211; the live-in, unmarried couple. (For those of you playing along at home go to the following site [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/17/equity-hot-tubs-and-relationships/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Judging with Technology</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/07/judging-with-technology/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/07/judging-with-technology/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 May 2010 11:45:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=379</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I first began to practice law there was a court reporter in New Haven, an elderly gentleman, who took down the court proceedings, verbatim, in long hand, using a fountain pen. Granted he was probably using shorthand, a technique which has also probably gone the way of the dodo, but nonetheless remarkable even in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/07/judging-with-technology/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>There are no guilty clients, only lousy lawyers</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/01/there-are-no-guilty-clients-only-lousy-lawyers/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/01/there-are-no-guilty-clients-only-lousy-lawyers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 May 2010 17:51:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=368</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Walk the yard at any prison and poll the population. See how many really guilty people there are in the prison population. Most will tell you they were railroaded by some conspiracy among the prosecutor, the judge and most of all their lawyer. There are no guilty clients! Kennedy cousin, Michael Skakel is about to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/05/01/there-are-no-guilty-clients-only-lousy-lawyers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Still Crazy after All These Years</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/30/still-crazy-after-all-these-years/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/30/still-crazy-after-all-these-years/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:15:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=359</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Paul Simon, the poet laureate of my generation, penned this phrase in his 1975 hit album of the same name. In 1843 Daniel McNaughton, in a misguided attempt to shoot Robert Peel the British Prime Minister, wounded his secretary, Edward Drummond, who died shortly after. The case spawned the first rules to apply when an [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/30/still-crazy-after-all-these-years/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Policing the Legal Profession</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/27/policing-the-legal-profession/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/27/policing-the-legal-profession/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:24:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have advocated for lawyers in prior posts. I firmly believe in the nobility of the practice of law. Not that I feel that there is something aristocratic about being a lawyer. What I believe in is the integrity and dignity of this profession. Like any other calling, however, we have our &#8220;bad apples.&#8221; Policing [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/27/policing-the-legal-profession/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Judging Judges</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/22/judging-judges/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/22/judging-judges/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:01:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=338</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[President Obama has nominated U.S. District Court Judge Robert Chatigny to fill a vacant seat on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The nomination has caused a stir in Connecticut&#8217;s legal community, as an outgrowth of a controversial position Judge Chatigny took during the final months of litigation aimed at stopping the impending execution of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/22/judging-judges/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The View from the Other Side of the Witness Box</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/19/the-view-from-the-other-side-of-the-witness-box/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/19/the-view-from-the-other-side-of-the-witness-box/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:51:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=325</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Trials often require expert testimony to provide opinons that only one possessing certain training and experience can describe. Although experts are most often highly credentialed PhD’s or doctors; an expert, however, can be anyone possessing knowledge in an area beyond that of the average juror. The classic comic example is mechanic/hairdresser girlfriend, Miss Vito, in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/19/the-view-from-the-other-side-of-the-witness-box/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>State 5, Skakel 0: Is the Fat Lady Singing?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/14/state-5-skakel-0-is-the-fat-lady-singing/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/14/state-5-skakel-0-is-the-fat-lady-singing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:48:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=312</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the world of opera and sports it&#8217;s a well known colloquialism that &#8220;It ain&#8217;t over &#8217;till the fat lady sings!&#8221; The image conjured is the Valkerie, Brunhilde, adorned in Viking horned headdress, singing a final Wagner aria. Sports teams have rallied to this saying since the mid &#8217;70&#8242;s. It has been attributed to a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/14/state-5-skakel-0-is-the-fat-lady-singing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Now For Shelton?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/01/what-now-for-shelton/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/01/what-now-for-shelton/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:35:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The James Botti trial ended in split decision Thursday. Earlier in the day the court accepted a partial verdict. Botti was convicted on one count of the indictment with the crime of mail fraud. The jury reported they were deadlocked on the remaining two counts. Judge Haight then delivered an instruction known in the parlance [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/01/what-now-for-shelton/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Juror Misconduct</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/01/juror-misconduct/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/01/juror-misconduct/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:31:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=288</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The trial of Shelton developer, James Botti, hit a snag this week during jury deliberations. It was reported to the court that one of the jurors had brought her personal journal into the jury room and was persisting in reading passages from it. After a hearing that took precious time from deliberations the court excused [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/04/01/juror-misconduct/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8220;The first thing we do, let&#8217;s kill all the lawyers&#8221; Wm. Shakespeare</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/29/first-we-kill-all-the-lawyers-shakespeare/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/29/first-we-kill-all-the-lawyers-shakespeare/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:18:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Raise your hand if you have never heard a lawyer joke. I thought so; no takers. Lawyers have been the leading butt of humor on the internet. Every cocktail party I have ever attended had its share of lawyer jokes or some character complaining how his lawyer screwed him. We are viewed as a necessary [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/29/first-we-kill-all-the-lawyers-shakespeare/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8220;Is That All There Is?&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/25/is-that-all-there-is/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/25/is-that-all-there-is/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:45:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the jury in James Botti’s federal criminal trial settles in to the task of deliberating his future I am reminded of Peggy Lee, the old torch singer from the 1950’s, who recorded the existentialist ballad, “Is that all there is?” The haunting lyrics reflected an almost fatalistic pessimism about life. “Is that all there [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/25/is-that-all-there-is/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Justice Delayed But Not Denied</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/21/justice-delayed-but-not-denied/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/21/justice-delayed-but-not-denied/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:48:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=252</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This column has discussed in the past the work of the Innocence Project in freeing wrongly convicted defendants. Nationally, over 250 inmates have been exonerated, many after decades in prison. But not all the work of vindicating the wrongly convicted has fallen to the lawyers from the Innocence Project. Connecticut recognizes the right for an [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/21/justice-delayed-but-not-denied/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tracking Domestic Violence: GPS or Big Brother?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/16/tracking-domestic-violence-gps-or-big-brother/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/16/tracking-domestic-violence-gps-or-big-brother/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:32:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=239</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Domestic violence is at the forefront of legislative news in Connecticut. Hearings are being held on ways to ensure the safety of victims of pending cases. The recent killings of a court clerk at her home in Bridgeport and a murder suicide in West Haven have brought a stark focus to the dilemma of protecting [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/16/tracking-domestic-violence-gps-or-big-brother/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bribery 101: It Takes Two to Tango</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/11/bribery-101-it-takes-two-to-tango/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/11/bribery-101-it-takes-two-to-tango/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:59:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=220</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The trial of Shelton developer James Botti continues in New Haven federal court. Botti is charged with bribery, conspiracy and mail fraud. At the center of the Government’s case is the claim that Botti bestowed gratuities on public officials in Shelton, principally Mayor Mark Lauretti. New Haven veteran trial attorney, Willie Dow, represents Botti. Dow [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/11/bribery-101-it-takes-two-to-tango/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DNA: Bane or Boon?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/09/dna-bane-or-boon/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/09/dna-bane-or-boon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:42:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=206</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[DNA evidence has now become the definitive means of identification. The number of people exonerated after a wrongful conviction has reached more than 250. Was it cause for celebration or lament? Certainly the efforts of groups like Barry Scheck’s Innocence Project should celebrate their achievements in finally obtaining justice for persons who have languished in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/09/dna-bane-or-boon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>If It Doesn&#8217;t Fit, You Must Acquit</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/02/if-it-doesnt-fit-you-must-acquit/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/02/if-it-doesnt-fit-you-must-acquit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:59:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=194</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;If it doesn&#8217;t fit you must acquit!&#8221; That mantra has taken on iconic status since it was spoken in September 1995 by the late Johnny Cochran in the now infamous trial of O.J. Simpson. I can still see Simpson standing there, arm raised,that quizzical look on his face as he tried to fit the shrunken [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/03/02/if-it-doesnt-fit-you-must-acquit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Judging Gun Control and the Second Amendment</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/28/judging-gun-control-and-the-second-amendment/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/28/judging-gun-control-and-the-second-amendment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:03:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=178</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The United States Supreme Court is about to decide an important segment of the continuing debate on gun control. At issue is whether the individual states, and by extension municipal and county legislative bodies, have the right to restrict or ban weapons. The constitutional impediment stems from the Second Amendment. That Amendment states: &#8220;A well [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/28/judging-gun-control-and-the-second-amendment/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Lauretti on Trial?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/25/is-lauretti-on-trial/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/25/is-lauretti-on-trial/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The second trial of Shelton developer, James Botti, began with jury selection this week. Each side announced its potential witnesses. Prominent on the list was Shelton Mayor, Mark Lauretti. Several news reports have indicated that Lauretti is alleged to be the public official at the core of Botti&#8217;s charges. Lauretti may or may not be [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/25/is-lauretti-on-trial/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Battered Wife or Self Defense: Death of an Olympian</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/22/battered-wife-or-self-defense-death-of-an-olympian/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/22/battered-wife-or-self-defense-death-of-an-olympian/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:53:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=153</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The national news today reports that the shooting death of a 52 year old former Olympic medalist, Dave Laut, has led to the arrest of his wife. That he was an Olympic medalist in the past is noteworthy; that he was shot and killed by a spouse is not that remarkable. Too many marriages end [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/22/battered-wife-or-self-defense-death-of-an-olympian/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/17/not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/17/not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:56:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Marcus S. was 19 when he stabbed his father to death in his bed. He was found wandering, nearly catatonic, in the driveway of the family home. Marcus&#8217; mother was a dynamic woman who had been crippled by disease and had taken her own life days before. Marcus, later diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/17/not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Caps on Damages Uncostitutional</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/08/caps-on-damages-uncostitutional/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/08/caps-on-damages-uncostitutional/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:56:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bridgeport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CT.  For more information on Rich or his firm you can access them at www.meehanlaw.com or www.ctdentalmalpracticelawyer.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[is a senior partner in the law firm of Meehan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LLP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meehan & Gavin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[or email him at rtm@meehanlaw.com.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Meehan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=135</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The debate over capping damages in medical malpractice cases was ratcheted up this week with a controversial new court decision. Doctors and lawyers have squared off over the issue of whether juries and verdicts are spiraling our of control. Lawyers argue that caps harm injured plaintiffs; while the doctors claim that excessive verdicts have driven [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/08/caps-on-damages-uncostitutional/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Good Morning America gets up early</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/05/good-morning-america-gets-up-early/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/05/good-morning-america-gets-up-early/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:11:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Two weeks ago as the court system was bracing for the start of jury selection in the Cheshire home invasion case I was sitting in my office. My secretary buzzed me and matter of factly said, &#8220;Ashleigh Banfield on line 1.&#8221; I had met Ashleigh three years ago. She was an anchor co-hosting the afternoon [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/05/good-morning-america-gets-up-early/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cheating Death in Cheshire Murder Trial</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/02/cheating-death-in-cheshire-murder-trial/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/02/cheating-death-in-cheshire-murder-trial/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:23:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=118</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Steven Hayes, presently on trial for the murders of the Petit family in the Cheshire home invasion case, apparently wanted to short circuit the process that is seeking his execution. This weekend it was reported that Hayes had attempted suicide. It was speculated that Hayes had been faking taking medication prescribed for him, stockpiling it [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/02/02/cheating-death-in-cheshire-murder-trial/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Defending the Indefensible.</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/27/defending-the-indefensible/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/27/defending-the-indefensible/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:58:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=106</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How does a lawyer defend the seemingly indefensible?  We are committed to the concept that everyone is entitled to the fullest protections of the law.  Ensuring the constitutional rights of the guilty protects the l rights of all citizens. These are lofty concepts; but then there is reality. So how do we sleep at night? [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/27/defending-the-indefensible/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cheshire Home Invasion Trial: Collateral Damage</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/21/cheshire-home-invasion-trial-the-other-issues/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/21/cheshire-home-invasion-trial-the-other-issues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:53:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bridgeport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CT.  For more information on Rich or his firm you can access them at www.meehanlaw.com or www.ctdentalmalpracticelawyer.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[is a senior partner in the law firm of Meehan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LLP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meehan & Gavin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[or email him at rtm@meehanlaw.com.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rich Meehan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=95</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the trial slowly grinds through the seeming tedium of jury selection the immediate issues are the guilt or innocence of the accused, and perhaps whether they live or die. But there are major subplots that will play out in that New Haven courthouse. They will not be obvious to the jurors or the casual [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/21/cheshire-home-invasion-trial-the-other-issues/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cheshire Home Invasion Jury Selection</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/20/cheshire-home-invasion-jury-selection/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/20/cheshire-home-invasion-jury-selection/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:27:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=93</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jury selection began this week in the trial of Steven Hayes one of two men charged in the brutal deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters in 2007. The process, known as voir dire, is slated to take 4-6 months. A jury of 12 regular members and 4 alternates will eventually be seated to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/20/cheshire-home-invasion-jury-selection/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Domestic Violence; Can the Courts Prevent More Harm?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/19/domestic-violence-preventing-more-harm/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/19/domestic-violence-preventing-more-harm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:07:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=84</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Connecticut Post reported three tragedies this past week. One was the shooting death of a popular court clerk. Her husband is charged with her death, and a surviving child has to grope with horrific grief. In another case a 77 year old well respected member of the Hispanic community apparently shot his 65 year [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/19/domestic-violence-preventing-more-harm/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Experts in the Courtroom: part three</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/13/experts-in-the-courtroom-part-three/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/13/experts-in-the-courtroom-part-three/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:20:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=78</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In our previous segments we discussed the role of an expert and the court’s gatekeeper function.  Typically jurors think of experts as highly educated with complex technical expertise. In most instances that is correct; but not in all cases. To qualify to give an “expert” opinion the witness need only possess more knowledge about a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/13/experts-in-the-courtroom-part-three/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Judge Gerry Esposito&#8217;s Passing</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/11/judge-gerry-espositos-passing/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/11/judge-gerry-espositos-passing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:39:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=74</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The judicial system received sad news this weekend as a good friend and a good judge died. Gerry Esposito was the type of judge you would hope to come before when you represented someone who had made mistakes in life, but had redeeming qualities. He was a judge of the people. There was no pretense [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/11/judge-gerry-espositos-passing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Trial Judge as Gatekeeper of Expert Testimony</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/09/the-trial-judge-as-gatekeeper-of-expert-testimony/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/09/the-trial-judge-as-gatekeeper-of-expert-testimony/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:53:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=68</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last column we discussed the role that experts play in litigation.  Because “expert testimony” can be especially persuasive the trial judge must decide whether a witness possesses the qualifications to give seemingly authoritative opinions. In addition, the judge sometimes must determine that the “science” the witness will discuss is legitimate or junk science. The United [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/09/the-trial-judge-as-gatekeeper-of-expert-testimony/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Role of the Expert Witness in Litigation</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/07/the-role-of-the-expert-witness-in-litigation/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/07/the-role-of-the-expert-witness-in-litigation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:39:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=59</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Expert witnesses are required in complex litigation where issues arise beyond the common knowledge jurors share. Complex criminal and personal injury cases, commercial and construction disputes are some of the varied legal controversies that require the use of expert witnesses. The party offering such testimony must prove that the witness is qualified under Connecticut Rules [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2010/01/07/the-role-of-the-expert-witness-in-litigation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Let’s not kill the messenger</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/21/let%e2%80%99s-not-kill-the-messenger/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/21/let%e2%80%99s-not-kill-the-messenger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:23:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=54</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, I joined journalist, Ashleigh Banfield, as a guest commentator on TruTV. The case broadcast live from Sarasota, Fl. was as reprehensible a crime as I ever known. Michael King was accused of the heinous, daylight kidnapping of a 21 year old mother of two. She was taken from her home and her two babies [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/21/let%e2%80%99s-not-kill-the-messenger/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Christmas Remembered</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/16/christmas-remembered/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/16/christmas-remembered/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:47:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=45</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This piece ran several years ago on the editorial page of the Sunday Post. I wanted to share it once again. Merry Christmas. Christmas remembered I sat the other evening with my youngest son, Rich watching Christmas movies and having one of our ever increasing in frequency talks. Richie was a late life surprise as [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/16/christmas-remembered/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>There are still Heroes in this world</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/01/there-are-still-heroes-in-this-world/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/01/there-are-still-heroes-in-this-world/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:32:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=41</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Growing up I wanted to believe in heroes. There had to be people who inspire us and keep our belief in the virtue of humanity intact. My first hero was my Dad. Dick Meehan, Sr. was a Bridgeport cop. His dream was to be a lawyer some day. He had lost his dad when he [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/01/there-are-still-heroes-in-this-world/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Is that internet comment you posted really anonymous?</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/01/is-that-internet-comment-you-posted-really-anonymous/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/01/is-that-internet-comment-you-posted-really-anonymous/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:48:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=32</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Blogging Travails Post what you want; say what you want? After all it’s the internet and who can figure out my identity! Turns out the ‘net is not as anonymous as some bloggers think. Blogs represent a new type of social and political commentary. With the bias that is apparent in some cable television networks [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/12/01/is-that-internet-comment-you-posted-really-anonymous/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Resolving legal disputes outside the courtroom: ADR</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/28/resolving-legal-disputes-outside-the-courtroom-adr/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/28/resolving-legal-disputes-outside-the-courtroom-adr/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:04:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Because of the backlog of cases pending in the state Superior Court judges and lawyers have explored alternatives to the traditional jury or court trial as a means to resolve civil disputes. All of these remedies require that every party to the controversy consent to their use. Typically, when the lawyers [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/28/resolving-legal-disputes-outside-the-courtroom-adr/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Ripping the Veil of Secrecy from Malpractice</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/19/ripping-the-veil-of-secrecy-from-malpractice/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/19/ripping-the-veil-of-secrecy-from-malpractice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:12:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=26</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tort reform, and especially reform of our system for compensating malpractice victims, once again dominates the news. Efforts at health insurance reform have provided proponents of limits on damages and attorneys fees with a platform to demand change. The medical establishment once again blames seven-figure plaintiff’s verdicts and “greedy lawyers” for the excess costs of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/19/ripping-the-veil-of-secrecy-from-malpractice/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
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		<title>Facebook Stalkers Beware!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/17/facebook-stalkers-beware/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/17/facebook-stalkers-beware/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:29:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=21</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Social networking has become a new age phenomenon. Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin and Twitter have created platforms for friends, business colleagues and often strangers to connect. Users can post pictures, videos, comments and messages. The spectrum of information runs from the very private, who share limited access, to what I call the &#8220;Serial Facebookers&#8221; who chronicle [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/17/facebook-stalkers-beware/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>No Good Deed Goes Unpunished!</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/09/no-good-deed-goes-unpunished/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/09/no-good-deed-goes-unpunished/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:46:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=16</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Prosecutors in Illinois are subpoenaing the grade records of journalism students at Northwestern University involved in investigating wrongful convictions ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/09/no-good-deed-goes-unpunished/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Welcome to Due Process</title>
		<link>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/05/welcome-to-due-process/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/05/welcome-to-due-process/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:59:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rich Meehan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/?p=8</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, among other rights, guarantees to all, due process of the law. But what is that? How does it impact your life? How does the system really work? Learn from a practicing trial lawyer how the system really does work.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.ctnews.com/meehan/2009/11/05/welcome-to-due-process/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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