Worst Opening of a Legal Brief Ever

2019-03-18T18:48:11-05:00December 6th, 2010|Tags: , , , , |

Since I spend the majority of my days either writing legal briefs or reviewing those of others, I have seen my share of poorly drafted briefs. But after reading the Montana Supreme Court opinion in Montana v. Belanus, I do not believe I have ever spotted a worse example of how to open a brief. Let me give you a little background. The facts in Belanus are not for the faint-hearted. It involves an admittedly brutal beating and an alleged rape. It also involves a serious legal question on whether the Belanus was entitled to the intoxication defense: because defendant was intoxicated on alcohol and drugs should he be held responsible for hi