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TYLA Directors Tackle Tough Issues in Hate Crime and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ Live Broadcast
By: Jonathan Zendeh Del and Rebecca Patterson

Texas Young Lawyers Association Directors Rebecca Patterson (District 17) and Jonathan Zendeh Del (District 21) starred in a live-broadcast CLE on December 11, 2017, which highlighted the hate crime provisions in Texas. Specifically, they discussed Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42.014 and Texas Penal Code 12.47, as well as the new Blue Lives Matter Bill—House Bill 2908.

Patterson, an assistant district attorney in Midland County, covered the prosecutor’s perspective, while Zendeh Del, a criminal defense and personal injury trial lawyer from Galveston, discussed the defense lawyer’s perspective. The two lawyers offered strategic and technical advice for prosecutors from arrest through trial, and added key pieces of advice for defense lawyers on how to handle these types of cases and what to object to through the entire process.

Their presentation was accredited for one hour of MCLE credit in Texas, and was certified credit for board certification by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law. The CLE is available for purchase through the State Bar of Texas at TexasBarCLE.com.

Rebecca Patterson is an assistant district attorney in Midland County where she has been practicing for just over six years. She is the trial team chief of the 385th District Court and handles only felony cases.  She sits as the elected District 17 representative of the Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors.

Jonathan Zendeh Del is the managing attorney at Zendeh Del & Associates, PLLC in Galveston, Texas where he is a personal injury and criminal defense trial lawyer.  He is the elected District 21 representative of the Texas Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors.  He can be reached at (409) 740-1111.