Sherraye Speaks: Excellence is the key

Today, the Honorable Judge Nikki Clark, Circuit Judge in the Second Judicial Circuit here in Tallahassee, Florida, spoke to a group of students at the FSU College of Law. She was dynamic! She was articulate, poised, personable, confident and she was practical. She gave us all some very practical advice. I want to share some of that advice with you.

First, she told us all to be the best lawyers we could be. She told us to represent our profession well. Preparation, she said, was key. So many attorneys go into court unprepared, barely knowing their case, don't know the rules of evidence...

She said some other things but the main thing that stuck with me is that she encouraged us to carry ourselves in the spirit of excellence. That advice can be applied to any area of life. No matter what you set your hand to do, you should always walk in the spirit of excellence.

Now, that I am writing this post, I wish I had taken notes because she said so many good things.

Thank you, Judge Clark, for your wisdom and your time.

My Star Jones gets the boot...again

So the fabulous Star Jones is looking for another gig...again. 

She'll be fine though.  She always bounces back.  You know, I would really like for her to be a TV judge.  I'd definitely watch that.

Genarlow is free!

Georgia Supreme Court ordered the releae of Genarlow Wilson m: "the Douglas County teenager who has been serving a controversial 10-year sentence for consensual oral sex. The court's 4-3 decision upholds a Monroe County judge's ruling that the sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under both the Georgia and U.S. constitutions."

The majority opinion said the sentence appeared to be "grossly disproportionate" to the teenager's crime and noted that it was out of step with current law.
Wilson was expected to be released Friday afternoon from Al Burruss Correctional Training Facility in Monroe County, where he has been held since late 2005, according to his lawyer.
Wilson was convicted in April 2005 of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room. He was 17 at the time.

My response:

I cried like a baby when I saw this headline. I'm still crying. God does answer prayer. Now, before you ultra conservatives get all indignant, consider this. I am in no way saying that Genarlow should have been doing what he did that night. What I am saying is that he should not have had to serve a ten year prison sentence for it.

All kinds of questions are running through my mind. Like, why is a fifteen year old girl in a hotel room anyway? Where were her parents?

Anyway, I'm so happy for Wilson and his family. The question I have for him is "What will you do with your freedom?"

T.I. adds high-profile lawyers to defense team

T.I. adds high-profile lawyers to defense team ajc.com: "gun charges brought against him after his arrest last weekend in a sting at a midtown Atlanta parking lot. While a grand jury indicted T.I. on three federal charges Wednesday, lawyer Ed Garland said he and his longtime partner Don Samuel will be working with the rapper's other two hires: Steve Sadow and Dwight Thomas."

I need to hurry up and take the bar. I'm comin' T.I.!

Say That!

"You kill a dog and go to jail, you kill a little black boy and nothing happens."

-- Ben Crump, attorney for Martin Lee Anderson's parents.

plezWorld: Clarence Thomas - The Bitter Justice

plezWorld: Clarence Thomas - The Bitter Justice

Once again, I am borrowing from plezWorld because I echo his feelings.

I also want to take this opportunity to apologize to Uncle ClarenceThomas because I was one of the ones who protested his confirmation. At the time I was President of the FSU Chapter of the NAACP. I was interviewed on CNN and I vehemently denounced Clarence Thomas. I did what they told me to do. I believed the people who said they had Black America's interest at heart. I was wrong.

This is why I stress to black people all the time to think for themselves. Don't hop on a bandwagon just because some so called black leader tells you to.

THINK FOR YOURSELF!

Get all the facts and make an informed decision about the positions you take.

Once again, Uncle Clarence. I apologize. This time, the Uncle before your name is used affectionately.