Judge Recognizes Homeless Defendant as Harvard Law Classmate

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Before a life on the streets, there was Harvard Law

Last edited Tue Jul 14, 2015, 12:01 PM - Edit history (1)

That's the title of this article in the print edition.

There but for the grace of God, go I.

The homeless man who graduated Harvard Law with John Roberts

Social Issues



Alfred Postell is seen in downtown Washington. He lives on the streets despite graduating from Harvard Law School. (Terrence McCoy/The Washington Post)

By Terrence McCoy July 13 at 8:07 PM 

The judge settled his gaze on the homeless man accused of sleeping beside an office building in downtown Washington. ... It was a Saturday afternoon in early April at D.C. Superior Court, and Alfred Postell, a diagnosed schizophrenic, stood before Judge Thomas Motley. ... Postell’s hair was medium length and graying. His belly spilled over his pants. A tangled beard hung from his jowls.

“You have the right to remain silent,” a deputy clerk told Postell, according to a transcript of the arraignment. “Anything you say, other than to your attorney, can be used against you.” ... “I’m a lawyer,” Postell replied.

Motley ignored the seemingly bizarre assertion, mulling over whether Postell, charged with unlawful entry, posed a flight risk. ... “I have to return,” Postell protested, offering a convoluted explanation: “I passed the Bar at Catholic University, was admitted to Constitution Hall. I swore the Oath of Office as an attorney at Constitution Hall in 1979; graduated from Harvard Law School in 1979.”

That got Motley’s attention. He’d also graduated from Harvard Law School in 1979. ... “Mr. Postell, so did I,” Motley said. “I remember you.”