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[David Nathanson has moved]

@D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06

Criminal defense lawyer at Wood & Nathanson, LLP. Posts reflect my personal views only. Boosts are not endorsements. He/him.
https://www.woodnathanson.com

[account moved to esq.social]

[Alt text for avatar: A 50-ish white guy with a medium-ish build wearing a black suit, white shirt and gray tie, standing in front of a brick building, blurred in the background. Alt text for banner: a rocky shoreline with breaking waves.]

0 Followers

0 Following

21 Posts

Joined October 30, 2022

Talk to cops without a lawyer?:

Never.

Jobs on a dead planet?:

None.

Universal Basic Income?:

Pro.

What do vegans eat?:

Everything else.

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

First, if you’re in an interrogation room, something bad is already happening. The chance that you will talk your way out of it and be let go is far outweighed by the chance that your words will be used to convict you. Demand a lawyer. It will likely result in you being held until you can be brought to court and given a lawyer and a bail hearing. But the pain of even a weekend in jail is FAR outweighed by the pain of years in prison if they convict you using your own words against you. /3

103

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

There are also plenty of people of color who are brave enough to stand their ground and demand their rights. They make it easier for all of us to do the same when faced with the coercive, armed power of the state. I thank them for that. Similarly, there is also the dynamic of normalizing the assertion of rights. If cis white people regularly assert their rights, one can at least hope that it creates a culture where asserting your rights doesn’t endanger people generally, including POC. /end

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

Sixth, if you are not charged with a crime or the charge is dismissed and there was misconduct by the cop, carefully consider filing a complaint. You may not think this does anything because police will side with the cop. It does matter. If I can obtain the internal affairs file of a cop with fifteen dismissed misconduct complaints, I may be able to use that in cross-examining him in a later case. You could be helping someone else. Again, it may not be safe to file a complaint. Your call. /8

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

Third, kill them with politeness. Try putting “I’m sorry officer but …” or similar before every assertion of your rights that I suggest in my #STFUfriday posts. Keep in mind you are not entitled to Miranda warnings if you are not in custody (custody generally equates to not free to leave). But nothing prevents you from asserting your rights even if you are not in custody. /5

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

I’ve given know-your-rights presentations to lots of black and brown teens. About half my adult clients are people of color. I listen when they tell me that my description of what the law says doesn’t match the real world. It makes them pretty angry. They *should* be able to invoke their Miranda rights and not endanger themselves. In those presentations, we talk it through. Here are some of the basic rules we’ve settled on. /2

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

Fifth, if you are charged with a crime, write down your memory of the interaction and give it to your lawyer. DO NOT GIVE IT TO ANYONE ELSE. /7

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

Second, street encounters are more common, more difficult to navigate, and potentially dangerous. The first goal is to be physically safe. Use your common sense about what might anger this particular cop. They differ. /4

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

Fourth, it’s often not safe to record the police yourself even if it is legal in your jurisdiction. If it seems like it isn’t safe, try to make a mental note of who is around, whether there are cameras, where you are, and the lighting and weather conditions. If you can see the cop’s name, badge number, and vehicle number, great. Asking for it during the interaction may be unsafe. You may want to ask a bystander to call a family member or lawyer for you. Use your own judgment. /6

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

Staghorn Sumac #bloomscrolling

mastodon.social

Mastodon

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

@whatstheruckus@mastodon.social Oh, man ...

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

Gonna migrate my account to esq.social. Hopefully this weekend. It'll be the same handle.

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

I made this tonight. It was really good. Her YouTube videos where her parents try her cooking are hilarious, especially when her mom calls her boyfriend “white boy.” Total show stealer.

Red Lentil Curry - Rainbow Plant Life https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-red-lentil-curry/#recipe

rainbowplantlife.com

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

One important thing to know about me is that I once cut John Updike in line at the health food store.
@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party

beige.party

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

@gulovsen@mastodon.social Normalizing this is exactly what I’m worried about. It isn’t a joke. Especially the thin blue line flag. That’s a symbolic threat. Would you wear that apparel around someone whose loved one was killed by cops. Can we not do this.

@D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

mastodon.social

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 31mo ago

Replying to

@lawas@mastodon.social @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social As to recording discreetly, just be aware of the law in your jurisdiction. In MA, open recording is legal, secret recording is not. Generally speaking.

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

Replying to

@AndrewShields@mas.to I did but that’s okay!

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

@DaveMasonDotMe@mastodon.social
DAA

Destroy
All
Acronyms

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

Well, for #BandcampFriday I bought a bunch of tracks off the new Zeal & Ardor album. I'm gonna say that my early favorite track is Hide in Shade.
The video is kinda nuts, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2L-H9fhsBQ

https://zealandardor.bandcamp.com/album/greif

Also, got Nails - Unsilent Death for $1 because it was name your price. Favorite track: Confront Them.

https://nailssl.bandcamp.com/album/unsilent-death-10th-anniversary-edition

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

@gulovsen@mastodon.social …

[David Nathanson has moved] @D_J_Nathanson@mastodon.social

· 25mo ago

Replying to

@mvilain@sfba.social Definitely going to buy her new book that just came out.