I hope you'll all forgive this little detour off topic regarding the
American system of justice.
As a lawyer, I was very pleased to see Hal's defense of the legal
profession. Thanks, Hal!
The majority of attorneys are honest, ethical people who take on civil
cases they believe in, or defend criminal cases due to their deeply
held belief in the rights of the accused. I've been around long
enough to know, though, that there are attorneys who will do whatever
it takes to earn a buck. That's why I'm in estate planning, to avoid
having to deal with people like that (not that all estate planners are
ethical, but I don't have to deal with those who aren't).
I am as cynical as Mary is about justice and the courts. In fact, I
recently decided not to pursue what was probably a pretty good case
against my former employer because of the uncertainty of how it would
turn out, and the pain involved in pursuing it.
However, we need to remember that the people who make the laws are,
for the most part, NOT lawyers; that it's the police, the FBI, etc.,
who are responsible for catching lawbreakers; and that if a case goes
to trial, it's often a JURY that decides the case. We the People are
responsible for our laws.
Plus, lawyers don't always win. Sure, trial lawyers will take 1/3 of
your award should they win your case for you, but what do they get if
they lose? Nothing. Nothing for all the time and effort they poured
into your case. And could you have afforded to pursue a lawsuit had
they charged by the hour? Unless you're already wealthy, no.
Our justice system is not perfect, not by a long shot. But it's
pretty good, and works as well or better than anything else I've seen.
It's also not cheap. Neither is surgery. Our laws are so complex, it
takes years of study and practice to become proficient in one or two
areas of law. Private lawyers are not paid by the government and the
taxpayers, and need to charge fees in order to provide legal
representation. You could do it yourself, but that's a bit like
do-it-yourself surgery. Do you know enough not to make a mistake?
Are you aware of all the contingencies and ramifications? And can you
do what's necessary in spite of the pain?
Sorry for going off on a tangent. I've just seen too many messes
where people tried to do business, write a will, or bring or defend a
lawsuit without a lawyer. When it comes to legal issues, a penny
saved by doing it yourself often results in thousands of dollars
wasted in attempting to salvage the situation later. Save yourself
the aggravation and hire an ethical lawyer to do it right for you in
the first place.
Heidi
--- In mlmsurvivorsclub@
>
> On Wednesday 06 December 2006 18:38, Mary Chiodo wrote:
> > It's the old story... never take on anything unless you know the
> > final outcome. Especially where thieves and lawyers are involved.
> >
> > You need to move this game to a playing field where YOU can control
> > the play, not the lawyers.
> >
> > The market place is always the best arena in battles with companies.
> >
> > The media, too -- but only if there's a good story for them to run
> > with.
> >
> > Use everything you have at your disposal, without compromising your
> > legal position or court proceedings.
> >
> > Courts are courts of LAW, not justice. They should be avoided
> > wherever possible.
> >
> > Think about it:
> >
> > Q: Who makes the laws?
> >
> > A: Politicians -- and most successful politicians are ex-lawyers.
> >
> > Q: Who administers the laws?
> >
> > A: Judges -- who are almost always ex-lawyers.
> >
> > Q: Who argues the cases in court?
> >
> > A: Lawyers -- for BOTH sides.
> >
> > Think it might be a stacked game?
> >
> > The only absolute certainty in going to court is that, whoever is the
> > victor and loser, the LAWYERS ALWAYS WIN.
>
> I can't let this go by. I'll start by saying I know I'm biased.
> Lawyers pay my bills. I love having them as clients. They're clear
> about their responsibilities and what they expect and they pay on
time.
> Yes, I'm biased.
>
> I'll also point out something Paine has said a number of times: if
we're
> going to take on MLMs, we have to keep ourselves clean and not create
> issues in other areas. If we're going to point fingers, we have to
> make sure others don't point back at us.
>
> Having said that, this post contains a vast and inaccurate
> representation of the justice system. First, lawyers will win cases.
> Why? Because when you go to court, you've got a lawyer and they have
> one. Whoever wins, it's a lawyer. In this case, in particular, you
> have an individual and a corporation. The problem is the corporation
> has deep pockets and can afford more lawyers. They can afford gambits
> that delay the case, whereas an individual can't.
>
> Yes, lawyers make the laws and preside over the courts, but it is the
> people involved that are asking the lawyers to do what they do. If I
> take out a contract on Larry Winters because of how Quackstar messed up
> my relationship with my ex-gf, the cops will come for me. The contract
> killer is a small pawn and I'm recognized as the one hiring him and the
> one initiating the act of murder. In a trial, the lawyers are doing
> their job, as they are told to do and paid to do by other people.
>
> It is the company that is creating the mess and doing these acts. The
> lawyers are only the hired guns, doing what they are hired for.
>
> I know lawyers who have done wonders in pro-bono work when I was
working
> in residential treatment. They'd advocate for the kids and help get
> them placed where they could get help. I know of lawyers that do other
> pro-bono work that help people. A good friend of mine could be making
> 6 digits a year easily using his legal skills in other fields, but he
> likes to work in consumer law because he is thrilled when he can
> protect a single person from a behemoth like Chase Manhattan.
>
> There are good lawyers and bad lawyers. I know, and have even dated,
> good lawyers. Please, don't slam an entire group of people without
> taking all the facts into consideration.
>
> Hal
>
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