[Vision2020] Lawyers' duty

Sun Sep 21 15:15:49 PDT 2008

Sunil,

I think you make my case for me better than I can. Many lawyers aren't interested in justice, just winning and money. 

Our legal system is broken, not just for the innocent, but also criminals. As you said, innocent people are losing their rights every year. While real criminals and terrorists are gaining more. 

I disagree with you that the US has historically been so greedy and more about winning over doing what was is right and just. Never has there been such a nation as judicious and greedy as the US in the modern era. We have 90% of the world's lawyers and only 5% of the population. Most of the lawyers I have encountered, don't care about justice, what is good for society, or what is just plain right. They only care for their goals and interests.

Best Regards,

Donovan

--- On Sat, 9/20/08, Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Lawyers' duty
To: 
Cc: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 6:47 PM

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You are describing the legal system you wish we had, not the one we actually have.  The values you are saying we should have as lawyers are not the values we have or have ever had in our society.  The system you wish we had would harm my clients.

My only duty is to my client, not to society.  There is another lawyer on the other side, and that lawyer has a duty to society.  You are stating your views, but they do not accurately state my duty at all.

I've had lots of clients plead guilty, far, far more than I've ever taken to trial.  Most defendants plead guilty, and do so because it's in their best interest.  Of course we try to make the decision that's in the client's best interest, and to get them the best sentence we can.  Not the sentence in proportion to the offense, but the best sentence we can.  Any duty regarding proportionality resides with the judge.  I don't want something disproportionately harsh, but if I can get a lighter sentence for my client than what would be proportional, my duty is to strive for that.

My clients' rights shrivel each year.  That means yours do too.

Finally, I don't know anyone around here charging $250/hr in criminal cases.

Sunil

Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:55:42 -0700
From: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Lawyers' duty
To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com

Sunil,

You write,

"Of course defense lawyers want to win when they go to trial.  That's our job."

That's my point. It doesn't matter to too many lawyers if they are right or wrong, or if they do harm to the overall community, or an innocent individual, they just want to win. That is what it is about for them. 

 "Our only job is to represent the client regardless of our views of his or her guilt or innocence."

I disagree. Your first job is to be a responsible member of the community. Not to destroy it or bring harm to its innocents. 

 "We are to represent them within the bounds of our ethical obligations and all applicable rules. "

That is another problem. Many lawyers don't have ethical obligations and rules are subject to the interpretation of the lawyer to fit his/her desired outcome. 

" I have not yet had a client who wanted me to to lose the case for his or her benefit."

You have never had someone plead guilty? Try to get help. Just want a fair sentence in proportion to the offense?

"As to moral corruption, I'm not sure what you mean.  I would be corrupt if I did not try to win for my client."

I think a lawyer should do what is in the best interests of the client and the community. Work with the prosecutor and judge. Get the person fair sentence and treatment. Instead, we seem to often have a prosecutor that wants the death penalty for jaywalking or a defense attorney that wants the person free to commit crimes against the community with impunity if they had their way. 

We have too many rights for the criminals, and little for the innocent. I am not aware of this type of behavior in our nation's past where criminals go free when it is so obvious to layman they are guilty and continue to do harm after they are released. 

Look at Mark Foley, Micheal Jackson, OJ Simpson, Bill Ayers, and many other people go free that are clearly guilty of crimes against other humans. Many others get off with incredibly light sentences for the crimes they commit. 

Further, if most lawyers really believed their clients right to a fair defense, they would not be charging $250 an hour, which clearly states, only the upper classes have the right to quality representation. What many lawyers really believe in is getting rich off the misfortune of others, with deception, and manipulation of the lawyers. Our legal system is about $$$$$. Not justice. 

Best Regards,

Donovan

--- On Sat, 9/20/08, Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] Lawyers' duty
To: 
Cc: "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 9:02 AM

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Donovan,

I hope I can say this without the usual disintegration that often follows my attempts to communicate with you.

Of course defense lawyers want to win when they go to trial.  That's our job.  Our only job is to represent the client regardless of our views of his or her guilt or innocence.  We are to represent them within the bounds of our ethical obligations and all applicable rules.  I have not yet had a client who wanted me to to lose the case for his or her benefit.

As to moral corruption, I'm not sure what you mean.  I would be corrupt if I did not try to win for my client.

I don't know why you think this is something new.  Can you point to something in our legal history that suggests lawyers did not owe their sole duty to their clients in the past?

Sunil

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:06:07 -0700
From: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
To: lfalen at turbonet.com; ophite at gmail.com
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Bill Ayers & Barack Obama

Andreas,

Good people work to find the truth and to bring justice. Our legal system doesn't do that much of the time. Often because we have bad lawyers that want to "WIN" more than they want to do what is right for the community and their client. 

People are entitled to fair and appropriate counsel. They should not be allowed to harm others and their community because they can buy lawyers with no morals only interested in winning at any cost to get them off from a crime. 

A lawyer that punishes someone beyond their crime is doing society harm. A lawyers that gets a criminal off scott free from a crime is doing harm to their client and to the community. They do because they want to win, not because of any other reason. 

The idea of  "the right to fair defense" should not, not has it ever until recently, meant, a right to put yourself above the law if you can afford a morally corrupted lawyer.

Best Regards,

Donovan

--- On Fri, 9/19/08, Andreas Schou <ophite at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Andreas Schou <ophite at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Bill Ayers & Barack Obama
To: "lfalen" <lfalen at turbonet.com>
Cc: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com, "Chuck Kovis" <ckovis at turbonet.com>, "vision2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>, "g. crabtree" <jampot at roadrunner.com>
Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 10:44 AM

>> A good lawyer should be one that brings justice to society, not one who
can free criminals to victimize others again with impunity.

"A good lawyer works for the prosecution, not for the defense," is
what you mean, right? Because no one would ever defend an accused
criminal other than scum?

-- ACS

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