The law fascinates me, which is probably why I became a lawyer. I don’t do much criminal defense anymore, but my oldest brother Tom does; he’s a “prominent” criminal defense lawyer in Houston. We often share stories about our practices, and commiserate in the fact that our father, who loved us unconditionally, was still always a little embarrassed that he produced not just one, but two lawyers, out his seven children.

Tom is preparing for a murder trial this week, and sent me his motion asking the judge to limit some of the common tricks that prosecutors use on juries. I’m sure th...