Scum, Inc.

This article from the Washington Post is the reason I avoided Law School. Ask most undergraduates in the humanities what their career choices include, and the top two answers will be "Law" and "Public Service" (PS in the form of social work, writing, or government-related grub labor). I applied, jumped through all the hoops, and talked to lawyers. Most of the lawyers I respected as people told me to stay away from law. It would make me hate myself. Now I know why.

Is the term "legal ethics" truly an oxymoron? It certainly appears so. Recently in North Carolina, two prosecutors in a 1996 death penalty case - who had withheld evidence, lied, and coached witnesses, all to get the win - were let off the hook for felonious prosecutorial misconduct. They face NO penalty for what, in my opinion, was attempted murder on their part - all part of that win win win mentality of Americans. The reason? Charges were brought against them after the deadline. Funny, there's no statute of limitations for murder, but what those assholes did was just fine.

Now we have government attorneys. The woman had a confession. She had the united anger of an entire nation on her side. Yet she still felt she had to coach witnesses against a confessed member of the September 11 plot, Zacarias Moussaoui. What was she thinking? In breaking ethics codes, she makes it possible that this evil, murdering bastard will not have to face the death penalty. It makes me sick.

I know, not all lawyers are like this. Many are much brighter. This woman had the case in the bag, yet she threw the conviction and the trial away because she needed a little "insurance" that the FAA employees would toe the party line and say exactly the right thing. Who in the hell would worry about FAA employee testimony against airline hijackers? I understand Judge Leonie Brinkema's ruling, and commend her for it. I think Carla Martin, the idiot, the jackass of the week, should be forced into some sort of legal crap job, defending feces from allegations of stench by vomit.
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currently playing on miPod - Dvorak, Symphony no. 9, 2nd movement