Posted on 10/16/2006 7:31:07 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
The Texas attorney general sues a Starr County woman accused of providing illegal immigration services to customers.
Irene V. Rodriguez is accused of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Texas Government Code by providing immigration and other legal services despite not being an attorney.
Attorney General Greg Abbott accuses Rodriguez or charging people in Starr County hundreds of dollars to prepare legal documents in anticipation of immigration proceedings and misled clients into believing that she was authorized to handle such matters.
The AG is seeking a permanent injunction against Rodriguez, as well as Rodriguez Immigration & Office Services, the business she owns in Rio Grande City.
"The exploitation of Texas consumers seeking legitimate legal representation will not be tolerated," said Attorney General Abbott. "Families in need of legal assistance should be able to rely on honorable professionals who are qualified and licensed to practice law. The Consumer Protection Division of my office will continue to vigorously pursue anyone who ignores requirements set out under Texas law."
The AG claims customers paid Rodriguez $600 each to determine their eligibility for immigration benefits and prepare and file immigration documents on their behalf with federal officials.
They claim she used misleading business cards to advertise her company and deceive unsuspecting consumers into believing that she was qualified to provide legal services.
Rodriguez is not an attorney nor accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice's Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to charge fees.
The lawsuit also accuses Rodriguez of using her notary public status to mislead customers because in Mexico a "notario público" is much like an attorney in the United States.
The lawsuit is the first such "notario" case in Starr County prosecuted by the Texas Attorney General's office. The lawsuit seeks fines of up to $20,000 per violation of the DTPA.
Consumers seeking licensed attorneys should contact the Texas State Bar's Lawyer Referral Services hotline at (800) 252-9690.
BUMP
Lawyers love that monopoly.
If you don't go to an accredited law school, get a law degree and pass the bar, even if you learn the law cold yourself, if you tell somebody else what the law is, or offer to explain the law to people so that they can help themselves, you will be silenced by police action.
Just to be clear: freedom of speech in America does NOT include the freedom to say what the law is, if you do not have a law degree and a law license. It is crime, called "giving unlicensed legal advice".
The law in America does not belong to the people.
It belongs to the lawyers. You do not have the right to talk about the law, or give advice concerning the law (for any remuneration), if you're not one of them. They've made it a crime.
If it put a crimp in illegals getting papers filed, resulting in more deportations, I support it!
ping
It is no doubt even more confusing for the illegals (boo hoo), because in Mexico, all the notaries are lawyers. One more element of proof that the Texas border has been taken over by Mexico and turned into a Third World country.
Yeah but when can we expect all those illegals to be deported?
The crime is in practicing law without the license to do so, not in simply talking about the law or even being helpful to another. The article indicates this woman was pretending to be authorized to handle legal matters when she was not.
Someone wants to talk about the law, fine. Sit down with a friend, neighbor, or illegal alien and use your own knowledge to give them a hand in helping themselves, fine too. Someone wants to actually handle a legal matter on behalf of another as this woman seems to have done, that's where the problem is.
Lawyers form a guild, much like doctors, electricians, plumbers, and airline pilots. You want to represent yourself in court, cut out your own appendix, fix your own wiring, install your own plumbing, or fly your own airplane, go right ahead. You start doing these things for others, you need the license. If for no other reason, it's for the safety and welfare of the people you might harm in the process.
And, no, I didn't just stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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