In this episode of the State Bar of Texas Podcast, host Rocky Dhir welcomes experienced trial lawyers Jay Ethington and Rachael Jones to gain a deeper understanding of the Fifth Amendment, particularly as it pertains to client testimony. They discuss the intricacies of a person’s right to remain silent—avoiding self-incrimination either in trial, when speaking with law enforcement officers, or in a variety of other scenarios.
Before entering private practice, Jay Ethington devoted 10 years to public service as a prosecutor at both the state and federal levels. After graduation from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1972, Ethington was employed as a supervisory assistant district attorney in Dallas County. After four years at the State District Attorney’s Office, he was recruited to join the U.S. Department of Justice as a senior assistant U.S. attorney, where he continued to be responsible for complex, significant, and noteworthy courtroom cases in North Texas and elsewhere. During his more than 20 years as private counsel, he has presented numerous complex and significant cases to juries as lead counsel.
Rachael Jones is a principal in McKool Smith’s Dallas office and a veteran trial lawyer with more than two decades of courtroom experience. She focuses on complex commercial litigation and white-collar defense, including government investigations, enforcement actions, and complex criminal proceedings. Prior to joining McKool Smith, Jones served as deputy chief of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, where she supervised federal prosecutors while maintaining an active caseload involving complex federal matters.
Listen to the episode here:
The State Bar of Texas Podcast is produced in association with the Legal Talk Network.