Badges

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Yeah, a jobs program for out-of-work lawyers. Just what we need....

As the economy continues to crumble, the editors at the NY Times are becoming increasingly unhinged, and while it is hard to watch the greater collapse, nonetheless I must admit that these folks are providing some grim comic relief. An editorial today demands essentially that Congress create a program for out-of-work lawyers to represent poor people.

At one level, I don't mind seeing people receive legal help, and as I watch poor people being railroaded into prison because of the horrible tactics used by prosecutors as well as the hard fact that public defenders are terribly overworked, I agree that at all legal levels, the poor are getting the shaft. Unfortunately, what we see here is just another clueless suggestion from people who are becoming increasingly clueless themselves.

First, and most important, we need to ask why people in a society that supposedly is free actually need as much legal help as is necessary. Notice that the Progressive NYT never asks that question, given that these people actually believe that the "solution" to our problems is the massive expansion of the state. (A day never passes without the NYT editorializing for the growth of government and further intrusion into our lives.)

While the editorial addresses legal help in the civil arena (as though the help poor people get in the criminal area of law is adequate), nonetheless there is a much larger issue here that needs to be addressed, and that is the proliferation of laws and the increasing use of the courts to solve what used to be small disputes or problems. The Washington Post has highlighted a growing practice in Texas for students who misbehave in class to be made subject to criminal law. That's right, criminal law.

No doubt, people like Bill O'Reilly probably are applauding (O'Reilly's "solution" to everything is expansion of the police state), but as I read through this article, I am horrified at the consequences of what the authorities are doing. For example, a fourth-grade boy got into a fight on the bus and here is how the government handled it:
The child was ordered to do eight hours of community service and take classes in anger management and decision-making, at a cost of $370, Smith said. “I’m a single parent,” she said. “Four hundred dollars? I have two other boys.”
Yes, anger management. The ultimate bureaucratic solution to everything. And these people are serious.

At the federal level, laws are expanding and Congress is demanding that even more people go to prison. As the economy goes further into the tank, we are going to see demands for more criminalization of business failures and even more families destroyed as fathers (and sometimes mothers) are sent away for long prison terms because Congress and Obama want to blame anyone but themselves for the unfolding tragedy.

And what does the NYT do in the face of this? Oh, it comes up with a scheme to employ unemployed law school graduates. Yeah, that will work.

9 comments:

KC Sprayberry said...

It's too bad the NYT doesn't address all the other unemployed people, inclduing those in areas without recourse to bailout monies who are now having to do with less and less but aren't eligible for all those gov't help programs. The lower middle class is paying a price none of us expected and with our savings depleted, our credit ruined thanks to programs credit card companies put into place to get as much money as is possible from those they conned into keeping their cards, far too many families approach the beginning of this school year without enough funding to adquately provide for their children. But we're not unemployed lawyers. To heck with lawyers. They can find work. Look for it outside their career field, just like everyone else. We certainly don't need more crooks in the courtroom making backroom deals for those who don't have the money to pay them but will in a vain attempt to get out of the more and more bugus charges leveled against them.

Bob from Buffalo said...

I'm inclined to believe that the real "crooks in the courtroom" are the prosecutors who only care about winning, regardless of whether the situation is even remotely resembling the truth, and the judges who let them get away with ruining lives for the sake of making their careers look successful. Our justice system might look good on paper but in practice it's a joke.

maria said...

Has anybody heard about the FBI investigating the Georgia corrupted courts. There was an article in the Chattanooga times free press Monday august 22. Title "FBI" squad taking aim at Georgia corruption. Wouldn't it be a blessing if they could catch all those crooks, especially the ones in catoosa county

Doc Ellis 124 said...

Greetings Dr Anderson

Shared

Thank you for writing this essay

Doc Ellis 124

Anonymous said...

Thanks Mr Anderson, For keeping us informed. Maria, I read that, hope it is true, because it is about time they did their job's and clean out those Corrupt People. All of them, Judges, DA, ADA. They have sent so many innocent people to prison. Pray they get Them all.

Anonymous said...

Thank you again Mr.Anderson for another blog. The amount of corruption in Harris County (Houston, Teas)is unbelievable. I can't wait to vote District Attorney,Pat Lycos, out of office.

Anonymous said...

I suspect (but I certainly have not read the article being referenced) that "corruption" is probably being defined in the very narrow sense of a prosecutor or judge literally accepting bribes to sway how they handle a case.

In terms of day-in day-out business-as-usual bleed'em & plead'em prosecutions of innocent people, and the judges that rubber stamp them ... I seriously doubt that would ever enter in into the FBI's investigations, even if it were somehow brought up.


dc

Anonymous said...

If enough People, start raising hell, and marching, or something. we could get some attention. I am ready to try anything. Let me know.

Anonymous said...

The FBI needs to look into the local FBI agent who on the stand testified that he did not follow the rules in setting up stings. He entraps innocent men with his sting operation Northwest GA Crimes Against Children. I believe over 110 men to date have been entrapped by his operation out of Catossa County. This is wrong. If only I knew who to contact.