February 21, 1980, the Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association is formed.
Bob Woodard of the Washington Post is luncheon speaker at Annual Criminal Law Institute.
Scott Atlas, attorney with Vinson & Elkins, negotiates a class action settlement regarding rules governing attorney visitation in Texas prisons.
Sharon Faye Keller of Dallas becomes a member of TCDLA. Mike Gibson is her endorser.
In May 1980 Abilene Criminal Defense Lawyers is organized. Dain Whitworth is hired to be TCDLA liaison with the legislature.
In a letter to the U.S. District Judge in Florida regarding contempt proceedings against Gerry Goldstein, Emmett Colvin, chairman of TCDLA Contempt Strike Force wrote the following:
“Beware the Lawyer who vigorously defends citizens accused of crime in the country lest he himself be accused of the crime of aiding and abetting: nay, not guilt by association but guilt by representation.”
Pam Lancaster is hired as part-time managing editor for the Voice for the Defense magazine at $7.50 an hour.
The board meeting on August 12, 1980, ended early because most of the board members were standing and stomping their feet due to the unreasonably cold weather. The temperature at 10 pm on Friday night dropped 20 degrees in 15 minutes. At 1:30 am on Saturday six inches of snow began falling.
October 16, 1980, four TCDLA members are injured in a car accident. John Boston, Lang Smith, Robert Jones, and Clifford Holmes are hurt.
President Jones thanks Phil Burlesen and the Nomad Chapter of the Bandidos for contributions to the educational fund.
The Supreme Court rules in Cayler vs. Sullvan that effective assistance of counsel cannot mean one thing for appointed attorneys and another thing for retained counsel.
Ross Perot declares war on illicit drug dealing.
Board members have a “quota” of ten new converts to TCDLA.
Randy Schaffer obtains an opinion from the Professional Ethics Committee that the Disciplinary Rules apply to the Harris County District Attorneys office. The opinion precludes a prosecutor in a criminal case from calling another prosecutor in his office as a character witness at the punishment stage of a trial.
William Wayne Justice rules in Ruiz v. Estelle.
The building fund grows to $2,000.