Ineffective counsel

[Demosthenes]

It's bad enough when a defendant who represents himself tries to appeal on the basis of ineffective counsel, but when that defendant is also an attorney...

http://www.metnews.com/articles/2008/brar102208.htm

[Doktor Avalanche]

Oh my.

I'm wondering if he should have himself disbarred for being incompetent.

[The Operative]

Oh my.

I'm wondering if he should have himself disbarred for being incompetent.

Too late, the state bar already took care of that for him.

[Nikki]

When he was representing himself, how did he separate his personal defense hours from his advocacy hours to come up with an accurate billing statement?

[Doktor Avalanche]

When he was representing himself, how did he separate his personal defense hours from his advocacy hours to come up with an accurate billing statement?

Ouch.

Probably by way of the same method he used to figure that he didn't owe any taxes.

[Gregg]

Oh my.

I'm wondering if he should have himself disbarred for being incompetent.

Too late, the state bar already took care of that for him.

I've often wondered, when someone is granted a new trial on this basis (and I'm thinking of death penalty cases) how come no one ever gets disbarred. I honestly think someone should be.

There is a case here in Cincinnati recently involving Stan Chesley (who is not a defendant by some incredible lapse of judgment somewhere) where one of the three attorneys charged used as a defense that he was too drunk during the entire period in question to know what was going on. The jury bought it and he got off, the other two hung the jury.

The case was a Phen-Phen class action, the settlement was $200 million I think, the three attorneys on trial took $125 million of it, and took some of the rest to set up a "charity" that they controlled and did a lot more of board meetings in the Caymans than educating the public about diet drugs. Chesley was a witness because he got $12 million for what he admitted in court was a phone call, and testified more or less that he couldn't remember why they paid him $12 large, but he was sure it must have been pretty good advice and he was sure he earned it. I'm a little foggy on the details, but I do recall wanting to go to the courthouse and kick lawyers at random during the trial.

[Demosthenes]

I'm a little foggy on the details, but I do recall wanting to go to the courthouse and kick lawyers at random during the trial.

I love this sentence!

[grixit]

I'm a little foggy on the details, but I do recall wanting to go to the courthouse and kick lawyers at random during the trial.

I love this sentence!

And when arrested for kicking lawyers just say you were too drunk to know what you were doing.

[Joe Dirt]

I'm a little foggy on the details, but I do recall wanting to go to the courthouse and kick lawyers at random during the trial.

I love this sentence!

And when arrested for kicking lawyers just say you were too drunk to know what you were doing.

Be sure that you have a designated driver...

[grixit]

Some years back, i created a fictitious persona to enliven a forum. I decided to make this person a legal assistant working for one lawyer firm. Among the stories i concocted about the lawyer were:

1. Gave everyone new clock radios for christmas but warned them not to send in the warranty cards.

2. Specialized in filing out forms, but most of the time just let the staff fill them out, then he'd sign them without reading them.

3. A mexican family whose grandmother was dying wanted a visa for a relative to come and see her. He took their money but his filing bounced because of some inadequacy. By the time he got back to it, it was too late. He got a reprimand for that but said it was just part of doing business.

4. Made an arrangement with a sleezy private detective firm to use attorney client privilege as a cover for meeting with crooks.

No one ever called me on these stories. But now i realize that i wasn't being outrageous enough.

[Arthur Rubin]

I guess you haven't watched "Boston Legal" lately. I don't recall an ineffective assistance of counsel (except the death penalty case from first season), but most of the "legal" activity seems more absurd than what you'd suggested.

[grixit]

I stopped watching BL after the episode in which Denny Crane demonstrates how he has sex with a talking Nancy Grace doll. You know, pull the string and her lips move?

[Famspear]

. . . . Nancy Grace was chastised for prosecutorial misconduct (twice by the Georgia Supreme Court, once by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals) for things she did as a prosecutor in the Atlanta (Fulton County) DA's office.

Basically, she's a hateful bitch. I can't even stand to watch her on tv . . . .

Yes, but the Nancy Grace doll is very nice.

(Kidding! I'm just kidding, of course! Boy, this is how rumors get started.....)

[webhick]

Yes, but the Nancy Grace doll is very nice.

(Kidding! I'm just kidding, of course! Boy, this is how rumors get started.....)

Who needs rumors when you have talented interns with mad photoshop skillz.

[Famspear]

Yes, but the Nancy Grace doll is very nice.

(Kidding! I'm just kidding, of course! Boy, this is how rumors get started.....)

Who needs rumors when you have talented interns with mad photoshop skillz.

Uh-oh......