houston case where lawyer kept falling asleep

Were jurors ‘dozing off’ during Johnny Depp’s Amber Heard trial?

A stenographer for Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard claimed in a new interview that several jurors were “dozing off” throughout the testimony. In an interview with Law & Crime Network shared Monday on Twitter, Judy Bellinger claimed that several jurors were not fully focused during the trial.

Did Amber Heard defame Johnny Depp in counter-lawsuit?

Last week, after a six-week trial, a jury found that Amber Heard had defamed her ex-husband Johnny Depp. They also found that Heard had been defamed in a counter-lawsuit, but only on one count and for far less money. The trial was a wild one, frequently in the news for creatively strange reasons.

Should Amber Heard appeal her verdict?

Heard is already considering appealing the verdict, which could be expensive, especially if it does not succeed. After the verdict was announced, Heard said she was “heartbroken” but “even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women,” adding that it “sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”

What does it mean to show ineffective counsel?

The Sixth Amendment guarantees criminal defendants the right to assistance of counsel, and showing ineffective assistance usually means proving (1) the lawyer’s performance was deficient and (2) it actually made a difference at trial. But, as this court held, if the record shows the lawyer was unconscious for a “substantial portion”of the trial, ...

Can a lawyer sleep during a trial?

Whether a lawyer slept for a substantial portion of the trial should be determined on a case-by-case basis, considering, but not limited to, the length of time counsel slept, the proportion of the trial missed, and the significance of the portion counsel slept through. The corollary, of course, is that the occasional nap is okay.

What did Diaz say about Reynolds Winston?

During the Spurlock trial, Diaz informed the jury that the decedent was addicted to nicotine, and favored Reynolds’ Winston brand for more than half a century, smoking multiple packs each day , according to court documents. As a result, doctors diagnosed the decedent with respiratory disease in 1995, and he died in 2012.

Who represented Lloyd Spurlock's widow?

And Richard J. Diaz, who represented the widow of Lloyd Spurlock against R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., said this trial presented a situation that he has never encountered in his legal practice: Two jurors nodding off and falling asleep as lawyers presented their arguments.

What happens if you are drowsy behind the wheel?

When a drowsy driver is behind the wheel, there could be an increased risk of head-on accidents, rear-end crashes, lane change accidents, intersection accidents, and other types of car accidents. The potential for any accident increases when a driver is fatigued. Sadly, many of the accidents involving a drowsy driver result in catastrophic injuries .

Is distracted driving dangerous?

However, there is an overlooked driving behavior that can be just as dangerous— drowsy and fatigued driving.

Left-Turn Accidents

While we may take it for granted most of the time, completing a left-turn on Houston roadways takes ability and concentration. To ease the process of making left-turns and prevent accidents, the city of Houston decided several years ago to provide an array of different colored left-turn arrows.

T-Bone Crashes

T-bone accidents —also known as broadside or side-impact crashes—are crashes that often occur at an intersection, when the front of one vehicle collides into the side of another.

Blind Spot Accidents

Every vehicle has a blind spot, which is an area around the vehicle that the driver cannot see in their rear- or side-view mirrors. The blind spot for most passenger cars is along the rear sides of the vehicle. Larger vehicles have larger blind spots.

Rear-End Collisions

A rear-end collision is among the most common of all multi-vehicle crashes, with around 1.7 million of these accidents occurring in the United States each year. A half-a-million people are injured annually in rear-end crashes, which involve the front of one vehicle colliding with the rear of another.

Sideswipes

Sideswipe accidents occur when the side of one vehicle collides with the side of another. Sideswipe accidents are likely when drivers fail to check their blind spots. Beyond blind spot accidents, however, sideswipes can also occur because of distracted driving, falling asleep behind the wheel, and alcohol impairment.

Accidents Occurring at Intersections With Stop Signs

Like the multi-colored, pulsing, or steady left-turn arrows throughout the city, Houston’s stop signs can be a source of confusion for drivers.