WHEN LAWYERS GO BAD

New York Post ^ | 6/08/02 | EDWIN MEESE III and PAUL ROSENZWEIG

[kattracks]

June 8, 2002 -- THINK the venture capitalists on Wall Street are good at raising money? They've got nothing on the lawyers who have been cleaning up on the lawsuits the tobacco companies recently settled with the states.

The agreements will provide some of the plaintiffs' attorneys (between 200 and 300 of them) with payments totaling $500 million per year almost in perpetuity. For some, this works out to a payment of more than $100,000 per hour worked.

[HiTech RedNeck]

When they "go" bad?

[BJungNan]

A M E R I C A N
C O R R U P T I O N
Plain and simple

[bybybill]

Sadammmnn is the biggest threat to our country? No, even with nuks, Saddammnn can`t come close to what lawyers are doing to us. A stupid woman dumps hot coffee between her legs and a jury gives her big bucks and all of us laugh. McDonalds has a lot of money, what a hoot. Then we get our car insurance and go crazy cause its up 50%. Thank you, Mr. Trial Lawyer. Tort reform, tort reform, got to happen or we`re in deep trouble

[philman_36]

And every American, conservative or liberal, should fear the prospect. Because if we don't fix the civil justice system, we risk all that is precious in the American system - democracy and self-government most of all.
Democracy isn't precious in the American system. It isn't even supposed to play any part whatsoever in the American system.
Edwin Meese, a former U.S. attorney general (!), and Paul Rosenzweig, a senior legal research fellow (!) don't even know our form of government.

Isn't that Special Mr. and Mrs. America. They think "rule by the majority" is "precious" and is a form of "self government". Democracy is government by the masses, not government by representation as in the Republic our founders created.
When majority rules the minority die.
No wonder America is in the trouble it's in.

[SSN558]

"When they "go" bad?"

That's kinda a double plus negative isn't it ? If a lawyer who is working "pro bono" is doing so for the good, that would imply that all the rest of them are working towards some other end. Hmmmmmm.

[weikel]

When they "go" bad? Lawyers are dishonest and evil by nature there hasn't been a good one since Abraham Lincoln IMHO( I'm not interested in what the neoconfederates have to say on this I have heard it before).

[gunnedah]

Trial Lawyers and the ABA are running America already.Everything is centered around a system that is totally controlled by a lawyer.They rule whether a law is constitutional so this gives them the final say on a law.Then to back that up a lawyer rules on what old lady Justice can hear and see.Then if the old lady dont render the verdict they want a lawyer can over rule even this.So regardless the truth never gets out,only what the bar wants out gets out.The law starts with a lawyer and ends with a lawyer and everything in between doesnt really matter.

[varon]

The law starts with a lawyer and ends with a lawyer

Now that is one monopoly that should be broken up!

[mlmr]

We live in a world that increasingly and continuously forces us to pay "basheech"(sp) to lawyers who act as gatekeepers to many institutions. At their price. And we are without recourse.

[floriduh voter]

Lawyers go bad the day that they are born. Believe me, I know. I always win my own cases AFTER I fire my lawyers. LOL With a few exceptions, they ARE BAD AND ALSO LAZY.

[scouse]

We need a "Loser Pays" law before anything else.

[floriduh voter]

Pro Bono lawyering is hard to find and legal aide societies are very limited in what services they can provide to the poor. Services for the poor with a legal problem are VERY NARROW indeed. Lawyering for the poor is about passing the buck and the needy never get the help they need; just a handful of useless phone numbers.

In Florida, we have a decent Elder Affairs Dept. at the state level. I will give them credit. They have good attorneys but that's it. If you aren't a senior, you're on your own.

[JMK]

See here

You've got to take away their incentive (money) before this will be corrected.

[MonroeDNA]

"As long as we have a common law tort system, everything is subject to some flux in terms of theory - and common law is the one thing we took from the British, enshrined and kept for our entire history as a nation and used in 49 states..."

We took everything except the "loser pays" rule, where the loser of a tort action pays the winner's court costs. That's what they do in England, and they don't have our lawyer "lottery" problem. Or insurance problem.

[Fracas]

I believe Richard Scruggs is Trent Lott's brother-in-law.

[scholar]

We need a "Loser Pays" law before anything else.

I understand what you are saying here FRiend, but my reservation is that the average poor shmuck would never be able to initiate a legitimate suit for fear of not being able to bear the costs if he/she lost. Same thing for the "contingency fee" that lawyers will extend to personal injury clients.

I worked for some personal injury attorneys and I will grant you that most of the suits were BS, but there were others where the insurance company was going to mess over some seriously injured victims.

I wholeheartedly agree that something must be done to reform this insane system, but hope that it would not exclude those who cannot afford "the best justice money can buy."

[bandleader]

"When Lawyers Go Bad"!!Hey,I'm Still Waiting For "When Lawyers Go Good"!!!!Will That Be Coming To A Theater Or Drive-In Near Me Soon?????????????