Thursday, January 23, 2014

In Re Gary Grant (Cal. Supreme Ct. - Jan. 23, 2014)

One of the downsides of really, really, really liking pornography is that during the course of viewing and/or downloading several hundred thousand pornographic images on your computer, it's distinctly possible that a small fraction of those files may contain images of teenagers below the age of 18.  At which point you've committed a pretty serious offense.  At least if the trial court doesn't believe you when you say that you instantly and immediately deleted them.  Which, to be honest, is more than likely exactly what it'll find.  Because I doubt the trial court's gonna be all that sympathetic to your situation.

This is bad enough for anyone.  But even worse for an attorney.  Because it means -- as the California Supreme Court holds today -- that you're going to be disbarred.  Possession of child pornography is a crime of moral turpitude, and gets you kicked out of the Bar.

As Santa Clara Law School graduate Gary D. Grant discovers to his chagrin.