by "ImmoralMinority" (araimondo)
Published 06/26/2017 at 20:20
by "ImmoralMinority" (araimondo)
Published 06/26/2017 at 20:20
No Tags
STARS: 7
I get involved in some controversial issues by nature of what I do.
Years ago, I represented a small dairy (500 cows, 3 employees) owned by a Portuguese immigrant family, run by the illiterate dad and highschool educated son. They made every mistake an employer can make, in the midst of horrible economic times. Their exposure stood to cost them everything.
His attorneys (Legal Aid, government funded) refused to believe the family was not sitting on a pile of gold like Scrooge McDuck, and refused to settle, and all options led to bankruptcy. No private attorneys would hound a business to extinction (nothing to collect), but these attorneys had a pocketful of taxpayer funds, and idealogical zealotry driving them. The litigation dragged on for years, including appeals, before it finally settled. The final settlement was less than 1/4 of the last demand at mediation, and the farm is still operating today.
Legal Aid attorneys are prohibited by federal law from representing the undocumented. In desperation, I verified the plaintff’s lack of status, and got his attorneys thrown of the case, and saved my clients’ farm.
They have sued me personally for retaliation, claiming I wanted to get him deported. My lawyers got the case dismissed, and the federal appeals court just reversed the dismissal. There has been some news coverage casting me as a monster.
I do not hate immigrants; most of my clients are immigrants. There is a complicated story here that I am not allowed to tell because my lawyers worry that I am a loose cannon, which is not unfounded. This is a difficult evening.
Don’t hate me too much, Oppo. I am not as bad as you might think.
"DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By" (ducst3-red-1liter-standing-by)
06/26/2017 at 20:30, STARS: 1
I refuse to think I could ever hate anyone with a vespa and and a quirky 80s yellow convertible. Sounds like you did just fine. Fought a dick by playing like one, sometimes you’ve got to stoop to their level
"XJDano" (xjdano)
06/26/2017 at 20:34, STARS: 0
I don’t know much about law. How it was written or how it is interpreted. But I do believe a legal battle is is expensive physically and emotionally. More expensive than most Americans can afford.
It is not about right or wrong all of the time.
I watched my neighbors go through a legal battle of the courts and after it’s over, they are still broken people. They will not be the same as before.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/26/2017 at 20:36, STARS: 2
You’ve always come off as pretty even-handed to me, despite your “loose cannon” nature.
Here’s a fleet of vintage Yamaha scooters I saw this weekend.
There were actually eight of them in this group. Two of them are riding away in this picture, and the other two are behind me. It made me smile.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
06/26/2017 at 20:36, STARS: 0
Wait, so your immigrant clients were being sued by another person who was an illegal immigrant and whose lawyers were legal aid attorneys? So then you used the law to get his lawyers thrown off and negate their efforts on his behalf. Sounds like you were using all ethical avenues to further your client’s cause. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be doing your job, right?
"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
06/26/2017 at 20:37, STARS: 1
In your industry, you can’t be the nice guy 100% of the time. If you get the dirt of other guy, you gotta play dirty.
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
06/26/2017 at 20:51, STARS: 1
You’re forgiven friend...not an easy job you have there. Takes a strong individual to do what you do!
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
06/26/2017 at 21:40, STARS: 0
Best of luck with this. I’m sure it will be trying at times, but from everything you’ve said, you can hold your head high, since you’re working to do the right thing.
Others may try to make you out to be the devil, but they’ll be doing it without facts. Fuck ‘em.
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/26/2017 at 21:47, STARS: 0
Everybody has done shitty things in their lives. You, me, the random dude in the street handing out flowers to complete strangers, none of us are angles.
The goal is to make sure the good you do out weighs the bad, at least that’s mine.
You were representing your client to the best of your abilities and that is what you’re ethically required to do, so you did that. Was it shitty? Some would say yes, however if you believe your clients were not acting maliciously then I think you did the right thing. It definitely wasn’t the easiest thing, but it seldom is.
So have a beer, hung your dogs and try not to think about it too much.
"Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed" (cuneor)
06/26/2017 at 21:51, STARS: 0
Is there any sort of taboo in the law community over suing another lawyer over the way they defended a prosecuted someone? I would think if lawyers started suing each other over the way they worked a case, the whole system would break down.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
06/26/2017 at 21:53, STARS: 1
You zealously represented your client within the limits of the law. I did pretty well in law school and, as far as I can remember, that’s what you’re supposed to do.
"Your boy, BJR" (jerseyshoreben)
06/26/2017 at 22:29, STARS: 3
“None of us are angles”
I dunno, I’m pretty obtuse.
"Leadbull" (leadbull911)
06/26/2017 at 22:31, STARS: 1
Sometimes we can do everything right and things still won’t pan out.
The media gets out of control too often these days and it’s not fair to people like you.
"nermal" (nermal)
06/26/2017 at 22:44, STARS: 1
“If it was easy, we wouldn’t need you to do it.”
That’s something I was told a long time ago when confronted with a frustrating situation at work. It applies here.
Sounds like what you did was reasonable in the legal and ethical sense, as well as in your obligation to your client. It’s not your fault that the loser of the case is a sore loser, but unfortunately you need to deal with the fallout.
"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
06/26/2017 at 22:55, STARS: 0
Best of luck. It is up to the legal system to determine right or wrong, not lawyers. You did your job as it was meant to be done. Fuck em if they say otherwise.