BIRMINGHAM

FARMERSOMARKET

was drawn to Judaism and had an
Orthodox conversion prior to their
marriage in 1972.
Karen is an active member of
the local Jewish community, serv-
ing in many capacities that include
past president of the Young Women
of the Jewish National Fund, life-
time membership in Hadassah, and
past president of the Congregation
Shaarey Zedek Sisterhhood. She also
served two terms as a member of the
Southfield synagogue's board of trust-
ees.
Karen is the author of several fiction
and nonfiction books, including What
Does Being Jewish Mean? in conjunc-
tion with Rabbi Bunny Freedman and
frequent collaborator Jill Gregory.
Both Karen and Larry, who have
two sons, Mitchel (Leslie) and Steven,
and 4-year-old twin grandchildren,
have dual Italian-U.S. citizenship. They
travel to Italy most summers, and, like
most Italian Jews, they embrace both
cultures.
"Italian Jews are an integral part of
Italian society, like American Jews:'
Larry Katz said, "but we have to be
ever vigilant, no matter where we live.
And thank God for Israel:'
Katz believes there is a Jewish con-
nection to the principles he defends so
staunchly.
"In Jewish law, the means are just
as important as the end:' he said. An
appellate attorney defends our tradi-
tion of promoting equal justice in
public policy"

the prosecution or the trial judge.
All three are human beings; they
make mistakes, and that's where we
come he said, "and if we make
mistakes, there are people watching
us, too.
"There is a public misperception
that cases are routinely overturned
on technicalities, and that couldn't
be further from the truth:' said Katz,
emphasizing that serious mistakes
have to be made in order to have a
lower court decision reversed. "Most
appeals result in the original convic-
tions being upheld:'
Despite that, Katz finds value in the
process and the principles it brings to
the forefront.
"If you raise important issues and
keep the pot stirring and invoke
constitutional issues of fairness, then
you're doing the right thing whether
you ultimately win or lose he said.
"If it was only about winning, I would
have stopped doing this a long time
ago:'
Katz meets all of his clients face-to-
face and considers them an important
part of each case, often providing
information that has proven valuable
when preparing his appeal.
For example, one client said his
family members overheard some of
the jurors discussing the case during
lunch, which could be grounds for
overturning a conviction. Others have
compiled helpful lists of legal issues
from their cases.
"The clients need to know we see
them as human beings:' he said. "We
Faith In Legal Process
need to get to know each other. I want
Katz has argued cases in U.S. District
to get some insight into their human-
Court, the Sixth Circuit Federal Court
ity, and they want to know they're
of Appeals, the Michigan Court of
represented by a person, not a piece of
Appeals and the Michigan Supreme
paper:'
Court, which he found the most chal-
Politically, Katz describes himself as
lenging.
conservative, a gradual evolution from
"They were exacting and demand-
his late-'60s liberalism.
ing. They expect direct
"Some people might
answers to direct ques-
question how a conserva-
tions:' he said. "I prac-
tive can be a criminal
ticed my arguments in
defense attorney and
front of the law students
believe in notions of fair-
at WSU and found that
ness and justice, but I
very helpful:'
feel it's compatible with
limited government, a
In the criminal cases
Katz handles, errors
government that acts with
serious enough to war-
restraint, protects per-
rant an appeal might
sonal freedom and leaves
include evidence that
as much room as possible
was more prejudicial
for people to make their
Katz displays his
than relevant to the case, Barbara R. Levine
own choices.
"I think it's in every-
or evidence that was
Award in Recognition of
improperly obtained.
one's interest to be less
Excellence in Appellate
An unfair outcome
cynical and respect the
Advocacy presented by
importance of a fair crim-
could be due to the
the Michigan Appellate
actions of the defense,
inal justice system."
Defender Commission.

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August 6 • 2015

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