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Another Popularity Contest

 Posted on January 18, 2008 in Uncategorized

The anonymous AHCL is seeking nominations for the Hector Heathcoat Award:

The Hector Heathcoat Award is dedicated to the "Unsung Heroes" of the CJC. We are starting out with two categories – the unsung defense attorney and the unsung prosecutor. Sure, Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin and Kelly Siegler all get a lot of attention as being great attorneys, but who are the ones the we know are also great attorneys that don't get near the recognition in the media that they deserve.

The idea of an award for the unsung heroes of the Harris County Criminal "Justice" Center is a great one. In fact, the Harris County Criminal Lawyers' Association already gives an annual Unsung Heroes Award to a defense lawyer because, unlike the DA's office, the HCCLA actually cares about its members (sorry, I couldn't resist). Last year's HCCLA award went to Vivian King.

Here are my three nominations for the Hector Heathcoat Award for unsung defense lawyer:

  1. Tyrone Moncriffe

  2. Cheryl Irvin

  3. Danny Easterling

HCCLA gives its award to a defense lawyer chosen by consensus of the board of directors. AHCL is taking a different approach: He'll start a poll on Sunday, and have voting through the next week (and then repeat the process for unsung prosecutorial heroes). AHCL, a relative newcomer to blawging hasn't seen the practical blawgosphere's reaction to a popularity contest: ballot-box stuffing and relentless politicking by people who want votes for their friends on the one hand, and griping about how a poll is no way to actually honor people for their good work on the other.

Of course, none of the HHA nominees are likely to be bloggers themselves, and the pool of people who really give a damn about the great lawyering at the Criminal "Justice" Center is minuscule (fewer than a thousand people, I would estimate). But still, AHCL, don't leave the decision up to the fickleness of internet democracy. Have some backbone. Accept nominations and then make the decision yourself.

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