Barry Walter Bujol Jr., Alleged Texas Al Qaeda Cooperator, Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Daphne Silverman seeks lower sentencing for Barry Bujol. Mr. Bujol, a devout Muslim was been sentenced to 20 years in prison for charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist and aggravated identity theft. Mr. Bujol sought to leave the United States because he was displeased with U.S. foreign policy regarding drones and wanted to become a better Muslim. An undercover informant posed as recruiter for al-Aaida, offering to help him travel to the Middle East. The MCLU, also engaged in Mr. Bujol’s case said many Muslims in Houston were afraid to speak out on Mr. Bujol’s behalf because they were fearful of being associated with a terrorist case.
Occupy Houston Scores Legal Victory in Court Video. Occupy supporters linked by PVC pipe were released after spending an evening in jail. The protestors were brought up on felony charges that were eventually dismissed in court after an aggressive fight for discovery.
Volunteer attorneys steer Occupy protesters through the legal system (The Sacramento Bee, October 30, 2011) This article discusses pro bono legal support for Occupy protesters. Mrs. Silverman is one of the attorneys who is interviewed. Mrs. Silverman joined the National Lawyers Guild and organized a Houston Chapter of the Guild. Mrs. Silverman has been designated point person for the Chapter. Guild members are supporting the Occupy movement by advising protesters of their rights under city ordinances and Constitutional law, representing individuals who have been arrested exercising their right to peaceful assembly and free speech, and preparing civil litigation to ensure the protest can proceed. The Occupy movement is widely seen as the most powerful peaceful movement for reform that this country has ever seen. Mrs. Silverman is honored to be of service to the brave individuals involved with this movement.
The Victor Trevino Show (Featuring Daphne Silverman)- Constable Victor Trevino broadcasts a live program weekly on Comcast Cable TV and ATT U-verse. The program addresses current events and important issues. The videos below are all part of one show which is divided into segments. The first segment does not always work. Try the next ones if it doesn’t work for you. Mrs. Silverman discussed organizations that stand up for civil rights. Constable Trevino started the conversation by suggesting that it is these organizations that make this country. Mrs.Silverman spoke as a representative of the ACLU. Professor James Douglass spoke on behalf of the NAACP. Some of the issues addressed are the disparate treatment of races in the criminal justice system and society as a whole including the intended equal justice of the Constitution and the actual injustice of some aspects of the system such as misidentification resulting from problems with eye witness identification. This is a fascinating discussion particularly considering that Constable Trevino is an elected law enforcement official who clearly recognizes the problems in our current government systems. Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 | Video 4 | Video 5 | Video 6 | Video 7 | Video 8 | Video 9Video 10 | Video 11 | Video 12 (2007)
Reasonable Doubt on May 28, 2011 – Daphne Silverman as the guest and Norm Silverman and Todd Dupont as hosts discussing selective prosecution using gang injunctions. In particular, the program focuses on the litigation to secure the gang injunction in the Haverstock apartment complex in Harris County, Texas and the prosecutions that have followed the injunction.
Podcasts of Live Radio Shows with Daphne Pattison as one of the hosts These podcasts are copies of shows from a radio program that aired on Biz Radio. The hosts were Daphne Pattison Silverman, Scott Boates, and Arturo Deleon. They cover a variety of diverse issues in the practice of law.
3 Murder Charges Dismissed (SunHerald.com, August 19, 2002) This article is about a Capital Murder charge that was dismissed because the Court ruled that the statements made by the defendants, including Mrs. Silverman’s client DeCarlos Graham, to police were inadmissible at trial. The Judge held that police coerced Mr. Graham to confess by telling him that he would be sentenced to the death penalty if he did not confess. Mrs. Silverman filed a motion to suppress Mr. Graham’s confession, hearings were held on the facts, and then to provide the Judge with detailed guidance for his ruling, Mrs. Silverman submitted proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. This document is available by clicking the case name. The Judge agreed with Mrs. Silverman’s analysis. On August 16, 2002, the Judge convened all of the attorneys and defendants on the case in his courtroom. He was ready to make a ruling, but would not disclose it in advance. With all present and quite a few extra attorneys in the audience, the Judge read his ruling and shared his thoughts. The courtroom was completely silent. No one wanted to breathe. The Judge announced that the murder was brutal, but that the murder did not authorize the police to coerce confessions from the suspects. The coercion cast doubt on the validity of the confessions. He explained that this conduct violated the Constitution and that the Constitution was important. Mr. Graham is an African American young man. Before this day, it was believed that no African American young man could be assured of justice in a courtroom in Mississippi. Everyone expected a hanging, but the Judge proved this fear wrong and overturned years of overwhelming prejudice. The Judge then turned to the shocked prosecutor and asked him if the prosecution had any other evidence. And here, again justice prevailed. The prosecutor said what was in his heart that there was other evidence, but that in his opinion it was insufficient for a verdict and he would dismiss all cases. This was also a monumental decision. So on August 16, 2002, justice was served and the United States Constitution honored with the granting of a Motion to Suppress and the release of young African Americans.
“Aryan gang members like ‘Polar Bear’ now in custody” – this article is about Mrs. Silverman’s defense of Chad Ray Folmsbee in federal court. Mrs. Silverman guides her practice by the Constitutional principles that everyone is presumed innocent and everyone is entitled to an effective defense regardless of the ideology. This article makes it clear that Mrs. Silverman honored these principles by aggressively defending Mr. Folmsbee in his detention hearing.
“Colonel Curtis G. Whiteford Challenges Government Charges: Whiteford to Proclaim Innocence in Court” – the article is about a military officer who was charged in federal court with conspiracy to defraud relating to work he did to rebuild Iraq. Trial of the matter was predicted to take 4 months. There was no way that Colonel Whiteford could afford to keep Mrs. Silverman as his attorney with a large family surviving on a military salary. Colonel Whiteford went to trial with qualified court-appointed counsel. He was found guilty of only one count, conspiracy, and acquitted of all substantive counts. It is a very sad case. I believe strongly that Colonel Whiteford is an innocent scape goat of the federal government.
“Handler’s credibility questioned in court”– This article discusses dog scent line-ups. Mrs. Silverman provided background information on this issue to the reporter based upon her research in defense of Ivory Gipson. Mrs. Silverman is quoted towards the end of the article when the reporter notes that her attack against the dog scent science resulted in dismissal of charges against her client.
Ask the lawyer – While on active duty Mrs. Silverman wrote a weekly military newspaper article called, “Ask the Lawyer.” Two of those articles are available here.
