Let Us All Be Dissatisfied like Dr. King

From Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech, Where Do We go From Here? (delivered in Atlanta, Georgia in 1967)

Let us go out with a "divine dissatisfaction."

Let us be dissatisfied until America will no longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds. 

Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort and the inner city of poverty and despair shall be crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice.  

Let us be dissatisfied until those that live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security. 

Let us be dissatisfied until slums are cast into the junk heaps of history, and every family is living in a decent sanitary home. 

Let us be dissatisfied until the dark yesterdays of segregated schools will be transformed into bright tomorrows of quality, integrated education. 

Let us be dissatisfied until integration is not seen as a problem but as an opportunity to participate in the beauty of diversity. 

Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their character and not on the basis of the color of their skin.

Let us be dissatisfied. 

Let us be dissatisfied until every state capitol houses a governor who will do justly, who will love mercy and who will walk humbly with his God. 

Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. 

Let us be dissatisfied until that day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together. and every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid. 

Let us be dissatisfied. 

And men will recognize that out of one blood God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth. 

Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout "White Power!" - when nobody will shout "Black Power!" - but everybody will talk about God's power and human power.

Not a Bad Start

We're off to a good start for 2013!  On January 4, 2013, the Court of Appeals for the Second District of Texas (Fort Worth) issued the opinion in Ross v. The State of Texas, an appeal I spent a large part of 2012 working on.  The Court of Appeals affirmed in part and reversed and remanded the cases back to Denton County for new punishment trials!  It's not total relief because it means a new punishment trial only but anytime you get a case reversed and remanded it's a win.  However, I am looking into the possibility of filing a petition for discretionary review with the Court of Criminal Appeals to try to get total relief.  I will keep everyone posted on that.

Also, so far this year - and it's only January 15th - I've already received dismissals on 2 cases!  One dismissal is for an assault family violence case.  The other is for fictitious inspection sticker.  The assault case was set for trial this week and the inspection sticker ticket was set for trial at the end of the month.  I was supposed to be in trial this week on the assault case and on a DWI case.  On the DWI case the state filed a motion for continuance. 

Last week I was in Lubbock speaking at the Prairie Dog Criminal Law Seminar.  There were about 180 lawyers and judges in attendance.  I talked about effectively and zealously representing court appointed clients.  Afterward, I was invited to give the same talk at another criminal law seminar later this year.

The courthouse doors have only been open for 10 days this year but already things are looking good.  It's going to be a very good year!