Comments on: Assigned counsel https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/07/assigned-counsel/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:09:31 +0000 hourly 1 By: Crabtree https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/07/assigned-counsel/comment-page-1/#comment-123586 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:09:31 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=23699#comment-123586 Your honor, it is said that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, something that in my experience is accepted as truth by the vast majority of practicing attorneys. As you know, the kernel that led to the current and glorious American system of jurisprudence was the Common Law as practiced in England. The presumption of innocence and the freedom of speech are, to quote the learned British barrister Horace Rumpole, the golden thread that runs throughout the thread of law. According to some scholars, the origin of the idea of freedom of speech began with the court jesters in early Anglo Saxon kingly courts. These jesters, these fools, were able to speak freely without fear of punishment. Since I am a fool, should I not be entitled to the same?

**Yes, this is supposed to be meandering, irrelevant, and generally bad! Fun to write, though, and it’s sometimes hard not to mess with people a bit when I write these things in real life!

]]> By: Ron Coleman https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/07/assigned-counsel/comment-page-1/#comment-123548 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:31:37 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=23699#comment-123548 (Adversary lead counsel leaning over to second-chair: “It’s a trick, damn it!”)

]]> By: Smart Dude https://www.overlawyered.com/2011/07/assigned-counsel/comment-page-1/#comment-123547 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:16:19 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=23699#comment-123547 “Your Honor, I represent myself in this matter, and I respectfully ask the court for mercy since my counsel is utterly incompetent.”

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