We just came across a magazine called JD Jungle. It has an article today by Ted Rose called Road to an Execution, "One hundred and sixty miles and one day stand between you and your client’s death. Now what?". Written like a novel, the article chronicles the day in Florida capital defender Peter Cannon's life that his client was scheduled to be executed.

The magazine also features an interview with Stephen Bright of the Southern Center for Human Rights titled Voice of the Dammed, in which Stephen says you have to be out of your mind to represent death row prisoners--not that he is going to stop. Stephen is a hero to defense lawyers, as he has been defending death row inmates for over two decades.

Stephen's reasons for opposing capital punishment:

"It's morally wrong for people to kill, whether it's the state killing people or whether it's people killing each other. When the United States was a frontier society, we had few alternatives with regard to punishment. If somebody stole your horse, you could shoot them, you could hang them, you could put them in the stocks, you could whip them. Basically, we didn't have the prisons that we have today. And it's interesting that of all those rather primitive forms of punishment, the only one we still have is the death penalty. But even if one didn't have moral objections to the death penalty, consider the fact that so many people get death because of the poor quality of their court-appointed lawyer. Consider the fact that race plays such a role in who's sentenced to death. Or the fact that so many of those sentenced to death are mentally ill, some mentally retarded. Those factors, and the fact that we are surely killing innocent people—all of those are reasons we shouldn't have an irrevocable punishment."

Stephen on George Bush's statement as Governor that he was confident no innocent people had been killed in Texas on his watch:

"Governor Bush—now President Bush—has no idea. I mean, he's been totally disengaged from the criminal justice process. He said that he spent 15 minutes to half an hour thinking about clemency or reprieves and the people who were executed—more than 150 people—over his six years as governor. George Bush has no more idea about the guilt or innocence of the people on death row than the average person reading this magazine does."

JD Jungle is not a death penalty or criminal defense magazine. Aimed mostly at younger lawyers, "our mission is to inform, entertain, and provide our audience with the tools they need to master the art of success."

We liked this article too: Java Justice about "Legal Grind, America’s cutting-edge purveyor of strong caffeinated beverages and storefront legal advice. Founded in 1996 by local attorney Jeff Hughes, Grind provides legal counsel to L.A. residents who might not otherwise have access to such help."

"A chalkboard behind the counter advertises “L.A. Law’ttes” and “Cop’accinos.” Another board offers $200 bankruptcies and $125 wills. The first patron orders black coffee. The next wants a latte and a notarized document. The third is jittery enough without caffeine: She’s here because of a child custody case."

"Visitors to daily “Coffee & Counsel” sessions pay $25 for the chance to ask a lawyer questions and quaff all the free coffee they can (the sessions last 15 minutes). Customers seeking more extensive advice can hire a Legal Grind attorney or seek a referral through the shop. "

The magazine has great graphics, and articles on a wide variety of topics, all conveyed with a spunky attitude. We highly recommend it, and if you are interested in clothes, don't forget to check out their fall "lineup" of suits. We'd wear number four.