Over the years, we have all been puzzled if not outraged over civil lawyers asking for millions of dollars for injuries that were not much more than scraped knees or for things more ridiculous like emotional distress from some absurd incident. Likewise, we have seen criminal defense lawyers vehemently defend the indefensible, knowing not only that their clients are guilty but also that they are likely to commit crime again.
Just last night, I was not surprised in the least to find out that the mother of the 15 year-old shot by the CHA officer is now searching for a lawyer to file a "wrongful death" suit against the city. Never mind the fact that the autopsy supported the statements made by the officer. Never mind the fact that the mother of the boy said "He wasn't no angel," meaning that this was by no means his first run-in with the law (at the age of 15.) Never mind the fact that the boy possessed and discharged a gun illegally and thought nothing of shooting across a road toward innocent people. Never mind the fact that the boy ran when told by the officer to get on the ground. Never mind that it should be obvious that the kid was violent and was going to continue being violent.
None of that is important. What is important is that some scum bag civil lawyer is going to try to make this kid look like an innocent victim who was just at the wrong place at the wrong time just so he and the mother of the boy can try to hit the lottery, at taxpayer expense of course.
When will judges get the backbone to throw these kinds of frivolous lawsuits out of court? When an officer of the law cannot defend himself without worrying about getting sued, when the lives of the lawless are placed above the lives of those who enforce the laws, our society has completely broken down.
Joel Walker
* * *
Mr. Walker,
While I understand your outrage at what you see as faults in our justice system, I must remind you that in our system, we the ordinary citizen, are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately our society has gotten to the point where you are guilty if you are even suspected of something, no matter the outcome of a trial.
Defense attorneys are the barriers to the state running roughshod over us, the citizens. You might not like the crime that someone is accused of committing, but to assume that the person is guilty and then condemn the attorney for representing them is pre-judging at the very least and just plain unfair. I believe you would feel differently should you find yourself in a position, through no fault of your own, where you are accused of a crime, unfairly. I would bet you would have a defense attorney in a heartbeat…and one that wins his cases for those scum clients, one of which you would then be.
Being upset at perceived problems in the system is a good thing. Painting any sector of our society with as broad a brush as you have is destructive. It perpetuates biased jumping to conclusions and that serves no one. No, I am not an attorney nor do I play one on TV.
Randy Price
* * *
The point is that lawyers really aren't concerned with doing what's right. They are concerned with making money by advocating for their clients. It is of no consequence to them whether their position is frivolous. Society has indeed broken down, and lawyers have led the way. It is not law enforcement that "runs roughshod" over us, but attorneys who need to generate billable hours to support a lavish lifestyle.
Jim Nichols