So, I wanted to look at Mr. Houze, in relation to the Kyron investigation, and how he may effect the case. I
was curious as to why he is called a "heavy hitter attorney" and the reason LE is so adament about
covering all bases. Why do prosecuters fear Mr. Houze? So, I went searching to see exactly why Mr.
Houze has this reputation, and what his patterns seem to be, defending a person charged with,or
suspected of a crime , whether it be a defacto POI or a publically announced POI. After reading, I can
surely understand why this case is taking so long to make an arrest.
If the DA has enough evidence to have TH arrested and charged, Mr. Houze is going to be one formidable
opponent.
http://www.shouze.com/display-cases.asp?artID=2
<snipped paragraphs>
Principles over profitThose who know him well -- attorneys, prosecutors, judges and private investigators -- say he's a complex
man: highly principled, intelligent, and driven by a ferocious energy that intimidates his adversaries in the
courtroom.
""He believes in people,"" Jensen says. ""He had the ability to see the good in someone that I didn't see. .
. . It changed my opinion of defense attorneys."
The 'tenacious adversary'"He's got one speed -- fast forward,"" says Jim Hennings, who hired the 26-year-old Houze straight out of
Vanderbilt University Law School in 1972 to work at the fledgling Metropolitan Public Defender's office.
"He doesn't burn out -- he's always refreshed and enthused."
Houze's first big case was defending an accused killer in a trial that rocked the Northwest because of the
brutality of the crime. A couple and the two young boys they were babysitting were bludgeoned to death
with a hammer in March 1974. Three of the victims were bloodily slain in their beds in a quiet southeast
Portland home. Colin Hockings, a 30-year-old Native American shipping clerk, was Houze's client.
The jury convicted Hockings and he was sentenced to four life terms in prison. "Houze was very, very good. A tenacious adversary."
Courtroom strategiesStephen Houze, in charcoal pinstripes, adjusts the half-glasses on his nose and peers over them intently
at the young police officer he's been cross-examining. He's at a preliminary hearing held earlier this spring, and the uncomfortable witness on the stand is learning firsthand what it is like to face Houze in a courtroom. Houze's client, seated beside him in an orange-and-white jail uniform, has been accused of shooting his wife and trying to make it look like a robbery.
Houze wants to know about a sedan that was spotted on the road near the man's house that night.
"To your knowledge,"" Houze asks the officer pointedly, ""has anyone in law enforcement made any effort
to identify that vehicle, or whether it belonged to a residence in the area or to a stranger? The implication: Maybe it belonged to the real killer.
"I didn't,"" the officer says softly. Houze cups his hand to his ear as if he can't quite make out what the
officer is telling him. After a few minutes of this cat-and-mouse game, Houze glances at the clock,
switches gears. He wants to talk about how his client was treated in the early minutes of the police
investigation.
""When you took him out of the house, he had no gloves, no coat, no sweater -- what did you do to protect
him from the cold?"" Houze asks, indignantly. The implication: Police had already assumed he was the
culprit. Almost angry: ""Did anyone put pants on the man?"
Transforming disaster"I think winning was everything he ever thought about," <snip> And what he lacked in size, he made up for
with determination. He was a scrapper, a fighter. . .. all go-go-go."
Defense lawyers, Houze decided, could turn someone's personal disaster into something noble, or at
least more hopeful.
Zealous, but no zealotWhile some folks may have a hard time understanding how Houze -- or any lawyer -- could defend
someone accused of murder or paying to have sex with a child, prosecutors value what a great lawyer like
Houze brings to a case. With him, they know they've got a well-matched fight -- they don't have to pull any
punches. If they win with Houze on the other side, a conviction looks that much stronger. And without guys
like Houze, they say, the nation's adversarial system of justice couldn't exist.
Yet as skilled as Houze is in the courtroom, many of his victories play out quietly behind the scenes, where
he's known as a master negotiator and a genuinely nice guy. Not only does he know everyone who is
important to know, prosecutors are aware of Houze's unusual ability to see and capitalize on the strengths
and weaknesses in a case. That makes them especially motivated to make a deal to avoid going to trial
against him.
"He's dogged when it comes to researching things, and he zealously represents clients without being a
zealot.""
"Getting to the office is like jumping on a train moving 60 mph,"" says Chic Preston, Houze's longtime
investigator. He says he works for a man who wants to know the answers before he begins the
cross-examination. If the prosecution has a fingerprint expert, Houze has been known to bring in his own
from Scotland Yard to counter it -- as he sometimes says, ""You can't fight City Hall with a ham sandwich."
________________________________________________________________
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=17983
<snipped>
“Steve finds statements and witnesses and versions of events that detectives don’t always uncover,” said
Regan, who worked for Gustafson during her protracted battle with Houze and the Oregon State Bar
before she was disbarred in March 2002. “He gets a whole other side of the story. You end up looking like
your investigation wasn’t as thorough. I’ve learned how to be a better prosecutor from watching him.”
But, Regan said, preparation is not the sole secret of Houze’s success.
“He’s very adept at PR,” Regan said. “He never overhypes a defense or grandstands, but the minute he
steps in front of a microphone, he’s very much aware that he’s presenting a defense.
“I noticed this with (Hawash),” Regan continued. “He’s (Houze is) talking about how sketchy the
government’s case is. I’ve noticed over the years that he doesn’t say much when his client wouldn’t benefit
from publicity. I’m not saying he’s manipulative. I’m saying he’s intelligent: He understands the power of
persuasion.”