philcline – Phil Cline

Loutish behavior and the First Amendment

April 6, 2025 by philcline in Blog / Cline on the Constitution / Free Speech

What is exactly is Free Speech under the Constitution? There are a whole lot of opinions about a whole lot of things by a whole lot of people out there. Some of the opinions are stupid. And, admittedly, some of the people articulating the opinions are stupid. Still, as a nation, we treasure and hold dear our right to express […]

Agencies and Injunctions

March 16, 2025 by philcline in Blog / Cline on the Constitution / Congress / Judiciary / Presidency / Separation of Powers

Cline on the Constitution – Administrative Agencies and Universal Injunctions What’s the deal on Separation of Powers? President Trump, in exercising the powers of his office over Federal Administrative agencies, has put news patrons into paroxysms of wailing, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Such audacity. Woeful moans echo down the endless, dark hallways in Washington D.C. […]

Courthouse Tales 8 – Last Trials

November 5, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Literary Writings

Everyone’s career has highways, side roads, detours, and intersections. My journey through the trial courts had been exciting at times, tedious at other times, always interesting. A stage, Shakespearian in nature, with memorable heroes and even more memorable villains. And, like the Master’s plays, populated with an infinite variety of bit players. We had names for them. Snaggle Tooth, […]

Courthouse Tales 7 – Tulare Cases – A Sister and a Shoelace

October 29, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Literary Writings

We had evidence tying the defendants to the home invasion and robbery. On the evening of May 25th, 1982, there had been at a house just two blocks away from the victim’s residence. The two brothers left the party to walk to a nearby store to buy beer and wine. When they returned, one of the […]

Courthouse Tales 6-Tulare Cases-Part One

October 22, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Literary Writings

She walked into the living room carrying gasoline in a mason jar. He was laying on the couch facing the other way. Watching T.V., drinking out of quart bottle of beer. He had been Lounging there in his underwear the last hour mumbling the B’ word, satisfied with himself for having told her how things were. She had […]

Court House Tales 5

October 15, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Literary Writings

Finding Andy – Part Two “Now Doctor,” I asked, “given all your learning, given all your experience, given all your studies in the field of psychiatry, do you, anywhere account for the concept of EVIL?” The witness, somewhat renown in his field, must have swallowed wrong. Perhaps his throat tightened at the question. At any rate, he […]

Court House Tales 4 – Finding Andy (Part One)

October 8, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Literary Writings

The heat was brutal. The Witch was not doing well. At least I called her a “Witch.” My investigator called her a “Medium.” We had been searching for the old man’s body for weeks. Andy. Murdered by a young wife and her brother. Thanks to the work of two great detectives with the Tulare Police Department, we knew his […]

Court House Tales 3

October 1, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Literary Writings

More First Cases – “What the hell are you afraid of?” My next appearance on behalf of the prison gang leader was at his Superior Court arraignment. No longer would there be any question that my role as defense counsel would be limited to an advisory role. Still, I was worried about representing someone on a capital […]

Courthouse Tales 2 – Locked up with Gangsters

September 24, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Essays / Literary Writings

Still trying to find a way to get on the District Attorney’s office, my short unhappy life as a defense attorney continued. On a bleak Monday morning in November, the clerk of the Woodlake Justice Court called me at the law office where I was working. She informed me that Judge Chris White had appointed me […]

Courthouse Tales 1

September 17, 2023 by philcline in Blog / Essays

First Cases-The Emperor Club I have been fortunate in my professional life. I had always wanted to be a lawyer. And I got to be one. A lawyer in full. Started at the bottom. Ended at the top. I also counted myself fortunate to learn the art of politics. I moved in circles with Governors, Congressmen, Senators, state legislators as well as […]

Author: philcline