Law Guru

Snoop Dogg was acquitted of murder through computer-generated animation used as demonstrative evidence.Using that case and others, Morley Swingle, a veteran prosecutor with 178 jury trials and 111 homicide cases explains how to admit or reject demonstrative evidence, from a simple diagram to computer-generated reenactments of violent crimes. "Any trial lawyer who listens to this excellent resource will no doubt come up with creative ideas to use in his or her own cases.This helpful volume should be on the bookshelf of every trial lawyer, from baby lawyers to courtroom veterans, whether practicing criminal or civil law.It will make you a better trial lawyer."Scott Rosenblum

Don't Get Disbarred is a must-read for every prosecutor in America. It teaches lawyers and law students how to stay out of trouble with state bar disciplinary authorities. As Warren Buffett says: "It takes twenty years to build your reputation, but only five minutes to lose it." In this informative and often amusing book, veteran prosecutor and award-winning author Morley Swingle discusses hundreds of cases from all 50 states providing specific examples of prosecutors behaving badly and receiving everything from censure, reprimand, or suspension, to total disbarment. The misconduct arises from ethical lapses, sometimes occurring in a split second, and often resulting in catastrophic consequences for defendants. The misbehavior of these scoundrels, scalawags and screwups includes everything from intentionally putting on perjured testimony to practical jokes gone bad. Armed with 30 years of experience litigating criminal cases, Swingle, a former state and federal prosecutor, personally dealt with countless ethical choices faced by prosecutors toiling in the trenches of actual day-to-day litigation and case management. He knows the material as well as anyone in America. Reading this book will help prosecutors save their reputations. It will aid criminal defense lawyers and judges in recognizing prosecutorial misconduct when they see it. It will help prevent the tragedy of wrongful convictions. "Don't Get Disbarred: Ethics & Professional Responsibility For Prosecutors is the best book ever written for prosecutors who want to follow the Rules of Professional Conduct and stay out of trouble themselves. Every prosecutor, no matter what level of experience or inexperience, should read it." Stephen Sokoloff, Missouri Office of Prosecution Services (Retired)

A veteran prosecutor and award-winning author explains the complexities of preparing the right "predicate" questions required to admit evidence in a criminal trial. In this highly readable and entertaining book--read by the author--topics include routine evidentiary issues like fingerprints, photographs, diagrams, business records, ballistics, toxicology results, autopsy findings, surveillance recordings, drug dog alerts, jail calls, confessions, and line-ups, to newer developments such as DNA, cell tower dumps, GPS location data, geofence search warrant results, license plate readers, digitally enhanced photographs, e-mails, text messages, social media postings, and hearsay under the forfeiture by wrongdoing doctrine.