I was a death row lawyer. Here’s why I now joke about capital punishment
In my standup, I’m not trivializing the death penalty. I’m getting people to stay engaged when the subject is uncomfortableThe first time I came out as gay to a client...
By Josh Pickar · The Guardian Culture
In my standup, I’m not trivializing the death penalty. I’m getting people to stay engaged when the subject is uncomfortable The first time I came out as gay to a client on death row, he said: “Josh, I don’t care what you do with your ass, as long as you’re helping mine.” That joke did something legal arguments and moral philosophy rarely could: it made him impossible to keep at a distance. I spent seven years working as a lawyer for men on both Alabama and federal death rows. I stumbled my way into it. I was only 24, fresh out of law school and working at a big corporate law firm in Manhattan. A friend from law school asked if I wanted to join two pro bono death-penalty cases. I had no relevant experience and knew nothing about capital punishment. Continue reading...