Good Week, Bad Week
Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 21:30
Posted by Marcel Strigberger
This was a good week for wrongly accused Robert Baltovich whom the Crown let go after the man spent eight years in prison, getting convicted without the help of Dr. Charles Smith.
But is was a bad week for Brenda Martin. The Mexican justice system found her guilty of fraud related charges and gave her five years. Guinness clocked her trial at 3 minutes and 58 seconds. And who said there is no such thing as a four-minute trial? I think Martin probably had a legal aid lawyer and the lawyer’s money pipeline to the legal aid plan dried up. Actually, I understand the Mexican legal aid tariff there is quite generous, allowing the lawyers the equivalent of $125/hour for preparation, $950/day for trial and $2,500 for police bribes. Her lawyer definitely mismanaged his funding.
And if you think Brenda Martin had a bad week, Brian Persaud did not do too much better. He sued the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York for assault after he attended the E.R. there with suspected spinal injuries and the doctors insisted on conducting a rectal exam. This did not sit well with Brian. After a brisk intellectual discussion, the doctors grabbed and sedated him and proceeded through the back door. Unfortunately the jury tossed out his claim. I think the hospital relied to a large extent on the warning sign it had posted. The sign read:
This was also a bad week for Nicholas J. Pelletier. Know him? On April 25th, 1792, Pelletier, a highwayman, was the first felon in France to be guillotined. I wonder what the French legal aid plan paid his lawyer. I hope his fee was not tied into result achieved.
And to end on a good note, just when you thought the law was an ass, a State Senate panel decided in Baton Rouge, Louisiana not to ban drooping sagging pants that might disclose undergarments or more. This is the state where female Mardi Gras revellers gather and in exchange for couple beads, expose their bare breasts. Now I hope that state focuses on its second priority, namely the need to take effective measures to prevent New Orleans from getting devastated again by floodwaters. But first things first.
But is was a bad week for Brenda Martin. The Mexican justice system found her guilty of fraud related charges and gave her five years. Guinness clocked her trial at 3 minutes and 58 seconds. And who said there is no such thing as a four-minute trial? I think Martin probably had a legal aid lawyer and the lawyer’s money pipeline to the legal aid plan dried up. Actually, I understand the Mexican legal aid tariff there is quite generous, allowing the lawyers the equivalent of $125/hour for preparation, $950/day for trial and $2,500 for police bribes. Her lawyer definitely mismanaged his funding.
And if you think Brenda Martin had a bad week, Brian Persaud did not do too much better. He sued the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York for assault after he attended the E.R. there with suspected spinal injuries and the doctors insisted on conducting a rectal exam. This did not sit well with Brian. After a brisk intellectual discussion, the doctors grabbed and sedated him and proceeded through the back door. Unfortunately the jury tossed out his claim. I think the hospital relied to a large extent on the warning sign it had posted. The sign read:
While our doctors so their best to accommodate patient requests, they may in their sole and unfettered discretion conduct rectal examinations.At least New York Presbyterian covered its ass.
This was also a bad week for Nicholas J. Pelletier. Know him? On April 25th, 1792, Pelletier, a highwayman, was the first felon in France to be guillotined. I wonder what the French legal aid plan paid his lawyer. I hope his fee was not tied into result achieved.
And to end on a good note, just when you thought the law was an ass, a State Senate panel decided in Baton Rouge, Louisiana not to ban drooping sagging pants that might disclose undergarments or more. This is the state where female Mardi Gras revellers gather and in exchange for couple beads, expose their bare breasts. Now I hope that state focuses on its second priority, namely the need to take effective measures to prevent New Orleans from getting devastated again by floodwaters. But first things first.
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