2005-12-07 22:55:42.275602+00 by Dan Lyke 4 comments
Murderer denied bar admission:
A convicted murderer who graduated from law school after getting out of prison was denied admission to the bar Wednesday by the Arizona Supreme Court because of a lack of "good moral character."
I'm not even sure where to start on this one. I'll let y'all insert your own obligatory lawyer jokes here.
[ related topics: Ethics Law Current Events ]
comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2005-12-08 01:36:13.194125+00 by: spc476
I have to ask what, exactly, is the point of prison? He's served his time, paid his debt to society, and now he's not allowed to integrate back into society? If an ex-con can't get work, then why exactly let him leave prison? Why not just kill all prisoners? Be cheaper and less hypocritical (at least, that's my gut reaction).
Now, serious aside, is he in a better position to represent himself in court now? Assuming, that is, he's in court in the area of his expertise. Or do lawyers get laywers to represent themselves?
#Comment Re: made: 2005-12-08 04:08:20.329102+00 by: Mark A. Hershberger
a lawyer who represents himself still has a fool for a client.
#Comment Re: made: 2005-12-08 16:33:17.190043+00 by: petronius
The moral character element appears in many jurisdictions. In Illinois we had a guy who refused to answer a loyalty oath question in the 1950s. He would not state whether he was or was not a communist. Or a democrat or a republican. He never got admitted to the bar, but ended up as a professor of law at Loyola University.
Closer to home is Matt Hale, Pontifex Maximus of the Creativity movement, a white fascist organization. He passed the bar exam, but the state bar would not admit him because of his racist and anti-semetic policies. He is currently in jail for trying to have a judge assasinated.
#Comment Re: made: 2005-12-08 19:21:28.173092+00 by: spc476
To Mark: Yes, but think how entertaining it would be to watch a lawyer question himself on the witness stand.