tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5323248215050063892024-03-17T11:18:42.439-05:00DivorceInjustice.orgUnethical and Criminal Behavior in the Divorce IndustryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger604125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-39649495258132513122024-03-17T11:18:00.000-05:002024-03-17T11:18:09.640-05:00Attorney Bills<p>Extending last weeks discussion - Do lawyers pad their bills? <a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/603704/yes-some-unethical-attorneys-pad-their-bills-heres-one-clear-case">Many do</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjph9dVEw6JAXWrt_KyUQJSbagv4WKGHxPoDP0o5F6mQJ_SVZODPJpR1FQvcDPcEfADm7XVogCeoVkghoAsIVd2hxdkXfIbyg3WoFMolFw_CTGykAfx106KAmkgeIo-91FmZhZGuY1dliqUgiceHNod8rdAP-sgmTEmjdSyAuYXEBW-MjIjuReI8iVEo/s310/scam.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="310" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjph9dVEw6JAXWrt_KyUQJSbagv4WKGHxPoDP0o5F6mQJ_SVZODPJpR1FQvcDPcEfADm7XVogCeoVkghoAsIVd2hxdkXfIbyg3WoFMolFw_CTGykAfx106KAmkgeIo-91FmZhZGuY1dliqUgiceHNod8rdAP-sgmTEmjdSyAuYXEBW-MjIjuReI8iVEo/s1600/scam.jpeg" width="310" /></a></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><i><b>"Fraudulent billing is a common practice in many large law firms."</b></i></h2><p>I suspect the most common way is by overstating their work. In the linked article, when a small educational foundation called up a law firm with a simple question they were billed $885 for a one minute phone call. $85 for the call and close to $800 for research. Research which was never done. </p><p>Another commonly used fraudulent billing technique is to bill two clients, or more, for the same work. When lawyers use forms they put together they often charge every client who uses the form for the work in creating it. Many, maybe most, lawyers do not even believe this is wrong even though <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_practice/resources/law-technology-today/2023/what-lawyers-need-to-know-about-double-billing/">the ABA does</a>. </p><p>My lawyers clearly overfilled me on a regular basis. I tried very hard to get them to detail the work they did but never got anywhere. </p><p>An older but still relevant <a href="https://scholarship.law.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1339&context=scholar">paper highlighting 16 egregious cases of fraud was done by Catholic University of America.</a></p><p>There is profound corruption on many levels within the justice system. Fraudulent billing is how many lawyers begin their career in crime. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-5572552982580436582024-03-10T16:02:00.000-05:002024-03-10T16:02:41.892-05:00The Billing Abuses of Lawyers<p><a href="https://www.upcounsel.com/lectl-the-billing-abuses-of-lawyers">The Billing Abuses of Lawyers</a> is a bit dated but just as relevant to today as when it was published. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFZYNMUvyf-2FV1NxvQ9-SE59RFOGvDKwmuPWXKxLEpE9YYX2GFrTsLSiSlhlRHmlIVuvS1MSBu0kivgrRfsPJmkh8UYDK75Y-exAlc8AsJDcOYH2QZYemzFVFrkd9OjR06_XwQaYmJbZkaDYzQMQ21CXuqArCbRcJ99Dic4HShgrWg2Ct95DKe9a4WM/s300/billing-abuse.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFZYNMUvyf-2FV1NxvQ9-SE59RFOGvDKwmuPWXKxLEpE9YYX2GFrTsLSiSlhlRHmlIVuvS1MSBu0kivgrRfsPJmkh8UYDK75Y-exAlc8AsJDcOYH2QZYemzFVFrkd9OjR06_XwQaYmJbZkaDYzQMQ21CXuqArCbRcJ99Dic4HShgrWg2Ct95DKe9a4WM/s1600/billing-abuse.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>Some highlights:<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite these extreme cases, lawyers -- with the notable exception of the high-visibility Hubbell, whose prosecution stemmed from the Whitewater investigation -- are rarely punished for billing abuses. Raleigh bankruptcy attorney Mark Kirby was indicted in federal court on 16 counts of billing fraud. Among other offenses, he billed 90 hours in one day. Between June 1990 and July 1991, Kirby billed a total of 13,000 hours, even though that 13-month period, calculated at 24 hours a day seven days a week, was only 9,500 hours long. Yet Kirby's trial resulted in a hung jury. His defense: everybody does it.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1991, Cumberland (Ala.) law professor William Ross surveyed 280 lawyers in private practice and 80 who worked in-house for companies. The results were shocking. Seven out of eight practicing lawyers said that it was ethical to bill a client for "recycled" work originally done for another client. Half said they had billed two different clients for work performed during the same time period, such as dictating a memo for one client while traveling for another.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just as shocking were what lawyers concluded about their colleagues' billing practices: 55% said that lawyers occasionally or frequently "pad" their hours; 64% said they were personally aware of lawyers who had padded their bills. The in-house lawyers surveyed were even more clear: over 80% felt that the billable hour influenced how much time the outside lawyers they hired spent on a case, and 74% felt that the billable hour significantly decreased lawyers' incentives to work efficiently.</span></b></p></blockquote><p></p><p>The reality is lawyers can make a lot of money for doing little work. Worse if such lawyers become judges, they feel it is their right to work far less than what they are paid for. </p><p>As they say, money corrupts. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-37870947728475661332024-03-03T15:47:00.000-06:002024-03-03T15:47:38.045-06:00Robert Tanguay (again)<p>Robert Tanguay, who I wrote about last week, has also <a href="https://www.ezlegalsuit.com/laws/family-memorandum-of-law-nh/">published online some interesting and potentially helpful information for those involved with family court</a>. </p><p>In addition, there is a video of him appearing (apparently) in court:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DaD259I90w4" width="320" youtube-src-id="DaD259I90w4"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-90034636666666307942024-02-23T22:06:00.000-06:002024-02-23T22:06:42.518-06:00Robert Tanguay's Case<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnonqCreKqJ3IEp0R9wXN0jWZ-wxZXKEVAuNssg2bWIbYRZ62NYoWf7QBZdFQi1B58HRgMJyHWSD4maTUYIoMivtoirFTDwTXMkm0JhbH2mmYq_4ZOxsTpclZq3NcOwB9tlhibqlMi0BVSxa6UwQ6nwXpRJDLoZhlYWij2LZK_oFvT7mrl4CTK45_4e4/s250/fam-court-corruptionn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="250" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnonqCreKqJ3IEp0R9wXN0jWZ-wxZXKEVAuNssg2bWIbYRZ62NYoWf7QBZdFQi1B58HRgMJyHWSD4maTUYIoMivtoirFTDwTXMkm0JhbH2mmYq_4ZOxsTpclZq3NcOwB9tlhibqlMi0BVSxa6UwQ6nwXpRJDLoZhlYWij2LZK_oFvT7mrl4CTK45_4e4/s1600/fam-court-corruptionn.jpeg" width="250" /></a></div>I do not know Robert Tanguay nor do I have objective information on the facts of the case but <a href="https://roberttanguay.medium.com/new-hampshire-oliver-twist-a9d4f87915b9">his story is an interesting one</a>. Much of it rings true to my ears. <p></p><p>False allegations, no response from law enforcement because the perpetrator is part of the justice system, clear perjury, and a Kafkaesque bureaucracy which seemingly exists primary to extract as much money as possible from victims. I have experienced all of it. </p><p>The worst part is not that an individual committed criminal and unethical deeds, it is that the system itself protects and rewards such individuals. Most do not realize just how broken our justice system is. instead of ensuring justice, it operates more like a criminal organization. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-49774686257654006082024-02-16T21:51:00.002-06:002024-02-16T21:51:54.638-06:00Corruption<p>From the University of Exeter in England come <a href="https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-humanities-arts-and-social-sciences/major-new-study-to-identify-kleptocratic-red-flags-and-craft-new-anti-corruption-rules/">a new study on corruption with a focus on those who enable such crimes</a>. The thing most people do not realize about corruption is just how many "legitimate" people are involved. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2-jIv9lxEAr_VU2OmIgRAbeWIM1RqkLgPbWhajY2qM_iOGkN0LXgKyvhf_bsYcMHYD-4CUKsH0DiP8B48i1q_-ucofic9ox6Ly_2DEiyv-QwLeuhMxuVYfb1YOzMPHUueAInzhNOwwjwCuEESn0XD5fgRxjEJbz81SSOZyCJWWHWwBxZtRbsgjeiAu8/s275/U-of-Exeter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2-jIv9lxEAr_VU2OmIgRAbeWIM1RqkLgPbWhajY2qM_iOGkN0LXgKyvhf_bsYcMHYD-4CUKsH0DiP8B48i1q_-ucofic9ox6Ly_2DEiyv-QwLeuhMxuVYfb1YOzMPHUueAInzhNOwwjwCuEESn0XD5fgRxjEJbz81SSOZyCJWWHWwBxZtRbsgjeiAu8/s1600/U-of-Exeter.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><blockquote><b>Lawyers</b>, accountants, company service providers and other professionals often play essential roles in the movement of illicit wealth. They can be enormously powerful and effective at resisting both scrutiny and regulation. This influence, along with the complexity of this terrain, has led to a lack of consensus around what counts as “enabling” activity and what consequences should follow.</blockquote><p></p><blockquote>“Armies of professionals around the world are helping corrupt individuals conduct their dirty business,” said Global Anti-Corruption Consortium Director Alexandra Gillies.</blockquote><p>Enablers are especially well represented by lawyers who are often fully aware of their clients, as well as their own, illegal actions. </p><p>In family court, it is often the lawyers who encourage their clients to commit crimes such as making false accusations. I am pretty sure that is what my ex-wife's lawyer did before <a href="https://www.divorceinjustice.org/p/evidence.html">she committed fraud herself</a>. </p><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-68819108145835896822024-02-11T12:42:00.000-06:002024-02-11T12:42:07.665-06:00Lessons In Chemistry<p>Last summer I read the book Lessons in Chemistry and a few weeks ago we finished watching the Apple TV+ series of the same name. Both were quite good but there were some differences between the book and TV show. Some random thoughts follow. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrBCW3OO5SRe0FvYwxjy5QBgsHJKAiOviTO0FuuETwVj-42HofhsRzpGRSlC9Em0g_etAnq9AHpHw28phL4ah63VaWS6dYrMEZWO_yGbKKqq9rVVRDZmtjKlIt7W7N35IQ1e-5VRr0mVgZ4lG2Ni_k_ho_FsfzT2Ed3vpiSunjkxIv3OJ3VoyARi6Fj8/s275/lessons.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrBCW3OO5SRe0FvYwxjy5QBgsHJKAiOviTO0FuuETwVj-42HofhsRzpGRSlC9Em0g_etAnq9AHpHw28phL4ah63VaWS6dYrMEZWO_yGbKKqq9rVVRDZmtjKlIt7W7N35IQ1e-5VRr0mVgZ4lG2Ni_k_ho_FsfzT2Ed3vpiSunjkxIv3OJ3VoyARi6Fj8/s1600/lessons.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><p></p><p>In the book, the main character Elizabeth is a scientist working in a laboratory. She only has a masters in chemistry because she was unfairly forced to drop out of her Ph.D program after a professor who she was working with tried to rape her. Elizabeth, when struggling with the professor, stabbed him with a pencil. The school wanted her to publicly apologize in order to continue in the program. Elizabeth said she was sorry - sorry she did not have more pencils. (what a great line!) In the TV show, Elizabeth was working as a lab assistant rather than a scientist. I presume Apple did this to make it seem even life was even more unfair to Elizabeth. I guess getting kicked out of school because you fought off an attempted rape was not bad enough. </p><p>Elizabeth's research in the book is focused on abiogenesis (something I have an interest in as well) whereas her boyfriend Calvin, who is a world renowned scientist. works in a different area. In the TV series Calvin's research has stalled and he starts to work with Elizabeth on abiogenesis. This was a weird change and honestly I cannot figure out why it was made. Yes, it makes Calvin seem less capable, and maybe that was the reason, but it also makes Elizabeth seem less capable as it makes the research not entirely her own. </p><p>The book is about many things, science, cooking, rowing, the relationship between Calvin and Elizabeth, discrimination against women, and the horrors of orphanages. The book emphasized discrimination against women and added in discrimination against blacks. It was a bit over the top and distracted from the story. </p><p>We seem as a society to have become polarized. You have the Trumpists on one end which, sorry to say, is more a religious movement based on intolerance for anything other than what their leader says. On the other end, you have people who who see everything through the light of discrimination against minorities or women. There is a conservative joke which I like but feel slightly guilty about liking which goes:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>World ends tomorrow. Women and minorities to be hit especially hard. </i></p><p style="text-align: left;">I liked President Obama. He acknowledged the historic meaning of being the first black president but he never once said he should be elected because he was black. Compare this to Hillary Clinton whose main message was that it was time for a woman to be in the white house. That turned people off. The result - many people who voted for Obama subsequently voted for Trump. The lesson - going overboard to make a point can turn people, at least some people off. Often, as with the 2016 election, with devastating results. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-71284355934634731792024-02-01T21:42:00.000-06:002024-02-01T21:42:37.165-06:00I Like Judge Lewis Kaplan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2I0RypK_NPiFgn4Ad3OxCUCeapMQAi8WzsYKD5SpFEb2M4wiZtqdtzdEStKaI4ezdlAEUR8sVueW_QGbDrgipcJxTo8aaHO4Nd5nHZqf8k9Y3Gz6l4JlZ6UffxAuqKiX1N6GZDgH38225Xz4wWe-oXNdRpSKJaSADaigJr5pvq8cDdZrQW9F-FgRF1A/s900/Habba.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="619" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2I0RypK_NPiFgn4Ad3OxCUCeapMQAi8WzsYKD5SpFEb2M4wiZtqdtzdEStKaI4ezdlAEUR8sVueW_QGbDrgipcJxTo8aaHO4Nd5nHZqf8k9Y3Gz6l4JlZ6UffxAuqKiX1N6GZDgH38225Xz4wWe-oXNdRpSKJaSADaigJr5pvq8cDdZrQW9F-FgRF1A/w220-h320/Habba.jpeg" title="Habba At Trump Campaign Rally Despite Telling The Judge She Was Sick At Home" width="220" /></a></div>I kind of like Judge Lewis Kaplan. I really do. <p></p><p>Kaplan was the presiding federal judge in the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial agaisnt former president Donald Trump. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/29/donald-trump-rape-e-jean-carroll/72295009007/">The jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million</a>. Nice.</p><p>But the reason I like Kapan stems from a bit before the award. When Kapan caught Trump's attorney Alina Habba <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/alina-habba-covid-trump-lawyer-1863811">directly lying to him, he threatened her with jail</a>. I wish he had followed through with it. </p><p>Come to think of it, by the rules Hobbs should be disciplined by the bar association for her actions but I suspect she won't be. It isn't like an attorney lying to a judge is all that unusual of behavior.</p><p>In my case, when Nelly Wince <a href="https://www.divorceinjustice.org/p/evidence.html">openly lied to the judge and in doing so committed fraud upon the court</a> the judge, who openly admitted he knew Wince well, ordered that I pay her legal fees. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-10623441271819693882024-01-28T18:52:00.001-06:002024-01-28T18:52:37.388-06:00Cato Institute On Criminal Justice System<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhP6k5UEuL_Rq6cVzZpJCrpGIuLGab3lFeVtz2VScuqLQsdkb0xRX4lhhIFtMBcDg-98AhMb9uz39Nmu6ceq3E6byEVn4d1aumnuSgkTnxLjKW7L5pEhubCX701KnZeb85HLDrHt_OUAep685tuU3j-TZqwyd0tfUl9fzIdULIzcBJvNyaJ2Wx58LU20/s299/cato.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhP6k5UEuL_Rq6cVzZpJCrpGIuLGab3lFeVtz2VScuqLQsdkb0xRX4lhhIFtMBcDg-98AhMb9uz39Nmu6ceq3E6byEVn4d1aumnuSgkTnxLjKW7L5pEhubCX701KnZeb85HLDrHt_OUAep685tuU3j-TZqwyd0tfUl9fzIdULIzcBJvNyaJ2Wx58LU20/s1600/cato.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div>The Cato Institute, hardly a left wing organization given its advocacy for lowering or abolishing most taxes, opposition to the Federal Reserve system and the Affordable Care Act, the privatization of numerous government agencies and programs including Social Security and the United States Postal Service, etc., asserted a few years back <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/americas-criminal-justice-system-rotten-core">America’s Criminal Justice System Is Rotten to the Core</a>. <p></p><p>Why?</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Unconstitutional overcriminalization</li><li>Point‐and‐convict adjudication</li><li>Near‐zero accountability for police and prosecutors</li></ol><div>The third one is the most relevant to this site's purpose. When prosecutors such as <a href="https://www.legalreformmn.org/p/wrongdoers.html">John Choi can willfully obstruct justice</a> to protect fellow lawyers without consequence and law enforcement ignores complaints agaisnt prosecutors no matter how good the evidence, it is it is clear our justice system in not just broken but institutionally corrupt. </div><div><br /></div><div>The level of crime in a society depends mostly on how much the public believes judicial system is fair and just. When judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and law enforcement are able to get away with breaking the law, it has as multiplier effect on the crime rate throughout society. I wish more people understood this. </div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-79038272618058010372024-01-21T16:58:00.002-06:002024-01-21T16:58:44.815-06:00Male Power<p><a href="https://news.utexas.edu/2024/01/18/male-power-over-females-is-not-the-default-social-dynamic-in-primates/">Male Power Over Females Is Not the Default Social Dynamic in Primates</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalHyjBmXhXf06rlqXnS0g7l366OSCI26LYJ6JmxADzS9Fsah0JQcJ22DjLhX2YgxaBSI4vfc4I6-EXyHfH6uR0Ncj93zmem520unzN-A5VhJKKFVUY8tiDTvS-32cn6mrz-qMxZHO_oDlXoJ_mSPKl3_T9nN910JwDgaHQN9vGbeI40P1TAZBe4SLCLg/s638/primates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="638" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalHyjBmXhXf06rlqXnS0g7l366OSCI26LYJ6JmxADzS9Fsah0JQcJ22DjLhX2YgxaBSI4vfc4I6-EXyHfH6uR0Ncj93zmem520unzN-A5VhJKKFVUY8tiDTvS-32cn6mrz-qMxZHO_oDlXoJ_mSPKl3_T9nN910JwDgaHQN9vGbeI40P1TAZBe4SLCLg/s320/primates.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Guess what? We are primates. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: CharisSil, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16.992px;"></span></p><blockquote><i>The study found that no particular pattern of intersexual power can confidently be attributed to the ancestors of many major groups of primates, and therefore an assumption of ancestral male-biased power is not warranted.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>So much of what we think we know is based on what we want to be true. </p><p>The reality is:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Women are not the weaker sex.</li><li>Women can fight just as well as men.</li><li>Women are just as intelligent as men.</li><li>Women are just as emotionally stable as men. </li><li>Men are just as sympathetic as women.</li><li>Women are just as abusive as men. (This is often controversial but if you substitute whites for women and blacks for men, how would you view it?)</li></ul><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-88832671984905090072024-01-16T10:29:00.000-06:002024-01-16T10:29:33.197-06:00California Adopts Duty To Report Rule For Lawyers<p>Unlike most states California never adopted the The American Bar Association model Rule of Professional Conduct which requires lawyers to report serious misconduct of another lawyer.</p><p><a href="https://wingertlaw.com/2023/06/26/starting-august-1-2023-attorneys-have-a-duty-to-report-each-others-misconduct-under-california-rule-of-professional-conduct-8-3/">Now they have</a>. </p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>Effective August 1, 2023, Rule 8.3 requires:</i></p><p><i>A lawyer shall, without undue delay, inform the State Bar, or a tribunal* with jurisdiction to investigate or act upon such misconduct, when the lawyer knows* of credible evidence that another lawyer has committed a criminal act or has engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud,* deceit, or reckless or intentional misrepresentation or misappropriation of funds or property that raises a substantial* question as to that lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects.</i></p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI1srcP9xfgq-tgy3SAEZSPWm38oSmYtT0v1KQu_HvP2G5D-J3jWDvi0iD2m9WSebhKX_LCZ5GriOemdlgqj23NS16qzoGTFsc48V4KSpJM899w6FspqfHAxdQPTRWt4mFc2QiOREJ71H0mkbj9FsNwRV8jae5L0lD2B2iWUsOrcLZoDjByZV7vw8ngA/s500/law-book-ethics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI1srcP9xfgq-tgy3SAEZSPWm38oSmYtT0v1KQu_HvP2G5D-J3jWDvi0iD2m9WSebhKX_LCZ5GriOemdlgqj23NS16qzoGTFsc48V4KSpJM899w6FspqfHAxdQPTRWt4mFc2QiOREJ71H0mkbj9FsNwRV8jae5L0lD2B2iWUsOrcLZoDjByZV7vw8ngA/s320/law-book-ethics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Why did California finally adopt Rule 8.3? Mostly because of one lawyer - Thomas Girardi. Over a 40 year period Girardi had over 200 complaints filed agaisnt him yet he continued to practice law. Many of his fellow lawyers knew how corrupt Girardi was, and some had substantial evidence, yet failed to say anything. <p></p><p>The real question is whether the now in effect Rule 8.3 will change anything. I suspect not. In Minnesota we have had this rule since it came out in 1983 yet not a single lawyer has ever been disciplined for not reporting another lawyer who they knew had committed serious misconduct. </p><p>In my case, every lawyer, including the judges, who saw the <a href="https://www.divorceinjustice.org/p/evidence.html">evidence against Nelly Wince</a> should have reported her. Indeed, they were, and still are, obligated to do so. Yet not a single one did. </p><p>The rule, at least in practice, is for show. It fools the public into thinking lawyers are able to police themselves. The reality is quite the opposite. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-79839518110684056702024-01-08T12:27:00.001-06:002024-01-08T12:27:32.818-06:00Benevolent Sexism <p>Benevolent sexism occurs when a sexist action is viewed as normal or positive by society including, often, the person affected. Actions such as opening a door or carrying a package for a woman fall into this category. But it also includes such "positive" comments such as stating that as a woman a person is more caring than a man. It also includes expectations such as as men doing dangerous jobs, including military combat. Anytime you hear a woman is better than a man in some regard or that a man should perform a dangerous action rather than a woman it is considered benevolent sexism. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulSRBYIwi4PC0CMXv7jeQwbE-v35sf14sliM8J6Qdf417E0hm1CYuFvrh6Mx3NbKA3ht2bDPwJu-1bLTJDIVHnPpVkFgc9pjcEgP6tvmQWm6Axi1R7lg8QyhMbzYDAtrUqKAke_PLQhqmzo_6mcEMulI09vorFXxw8aNHLGQv4gLD8YiwpDHq8SCrPlg/s2048/victorian-man-wonan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="2048" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulSRBYIwi4PC0CMXv7jeQwbE-v35sf14sliM8J6Qdf417E0hm1CYuFvrh6Mx3NbKA3ht2bDPwJu-1bLTJDIVHnPpVkFgc9pjcEgP6tvmQWm6Axi1R7lg8QyhMbzYDAtrUqKAke_PLQhqmzo_6mcEMulI09vorFXxw8aNHLGQv4gLD8YiwpDHq8SCrPlg/s320/victorian-man-wonan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/bystander-blindspot-new-research-examines-reactions-to-benevolent-sexism-in-the-workplace-220407">new study explores the downside of benevolent sexism</a> and how it is viewed by those who witness it.<p></p><p></p><blockquote><i>In other words, benevolent sexism, due to its seemingly positive guise, is less likely to be immediately recognized as a moral violation, and consequently, it does not elicit the same level of moral anger as hostile sexism does. This difference in perception and emotional reaction means that bystanders are less likely to feel compelled to intervene in cases of benevolent sexism.</i></blockquote><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-79031957080859675472023-12-29T10:58:00.000-06:002023-12-29T10:58:06.828-06:00Lawyer Conduct Issues For The Family Lawyer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQf3WKkR8d0TyJenmXEx5B6tumbJ7z7gIq4n_TVw4KBKv-NAdLaGyZLTQTG4glcYdsUtNNBIkDbNxXNvDu0R_60Lifv5wprwubvGbtIx_jlr6iH5JCiU7QFWMGdATkhytyPqqJvpkf7ZfiqfkeNYYAecx_jwYuPGst3QMHuA7L4W5UALWWCnqUL8EQXs/s500/laywers-98-percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="500" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQf3WKkR8d0TyJenmXEx5B6tumbJ7z7gIq4n_TVw4KBKv-NAdLaGyZLTQTG4glcYdsUtNNBIkDbNxXNvDu0R_60Lifv5wprwubvGbtIx_jlr6iH5JCiU7QFWMGdATkhytyPqqJvpkf7ZfiqfkeNYYAecx_jwYuPGst3QMHuA7L4W5UALWWCnqUL8EQXs/s320/laywers-98-percent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In a paper directed at family lasers, Bruce Campbell of Campbell & LeBoeuf P.C. in Texas <a href="Campbell & LeBoeuf P.C. ">addresses some of the common ares where lawyers can get themselves into trouble</a>. These include:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Conflicts of interest</b></li><li><b>Sex, lies and and sleeping with clients and others</b></li><li><b>Suits for Fees</b></li><li><b>Failure to adequately represent</b></li><li><b>Failure to advise and the scope of representation</b></li><li><b>Negligent misrepresentation and after applying interest</b></li><li><b>Breach of fiduciary duty</b></li><li><b>Deceptive Trade Practices Act</b></li></ul><p></p><p>Despite its prevalence, Campbell does not list outright criminal fraud but one can make the case this is at least partially covered in the Deceptive Trade Practices Act discussion. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-74168326070579700972023-12-26T11:44:00.001-06:002023-12-26T11:44:22.633-06:00Male Sexual Victimization by Women In Britain<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">A new study examines </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02717-0" style="font-family: inherit;">m<span style="background-color: white;">ale sexual victimization by women</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02717-0" style="font-family: inherit;"> in Britain</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Many people </span>dismiss<span style="font-family: inherit;"> or simply do not </span>believe<span style="font-family: inherit;"> women can be abusive or violent against men. Often </span>women<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>attacking<span style="font-family: inherit;"> men are a subject of comedy or outright approval. <br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: black;">In the present sample, 71% of men experienced some form of sexual victimization by a woman at least once during their lifetime. Sexual victimization was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, conformity to masculine gender norms was not a significant moderator between victimization and mental disorders. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbeDpDxSZ_DpM4YbPG-2YIBZuagJhf5vhLuX-Yt5SWC45Tjb652pacEBAQc4YfHdnzY9dqNLfEHTgyJXKGdhDhzFpEuPvrmAvOnW4PAaXOZNMlaQtw4vXG7DX9EkizPqF1K_cqm3_HobcfOfhyiajQ53D9-QUYvy7_GClLMnW2y8AnbTG7wGzW_YtZEo/s1115/the_holiday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scene from The Holiday" border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="1115" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbeDpDxSZ_DpM4YbPG-2YIBZuagJhf5vhLuX-Yt5SWC45Tjb652pacEBAQc4YfHdnzY9dqNLfEHTgyJXKGdhDhzFpEuPvrmAvOnW4PAaXOZNMlaQtw4vXG7DX9EkizPqF1K_cqm3_HobcfOfhyiajQ53D9-QUYvy7_GClLMnW2y8AnbTG7wGzW_YtZEo/w320-h124/the_holiday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It always amazes me how difficult it is for people to put themselves in another's position. Such shallow thinking is perhaps the </span>major<span style="font-family: inherit;"> reason for all the bad things which </span>happen<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in our world. </span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-52073941812081444972023-12-17T12:01:00.003-06:002023-12-17T12:01:51.369-06:00Money Won't Solve It<p>Many people understand there is a crisis in family courts across the country. Unfortunately the solution many, often self-servingly, advocate is <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/key-lawmakers-vow-to-take-action-on-gut-wrenching-nyc-family-court-crisis/3536033/">throwing more money into the system and hiring more people to work in it</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIMLWYarN7n42E8YEy3n-GUEwiS_KS-ZWTKTw7kKSyoEkloJ49alxSUlL7o3A9d0G9yZusbNRFYeOJ8vLmm1TxWhjKJVM_Ov_q4xMGrSlT2WdqrNruajZuLJBKN5rTpIqHpEu9FM6Cyvf2miOGE5rgFpGf9GXzLFKagOUQQU_ecmDmKuvl8Plfbk0Yt8/s500/legal_billing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="500" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIMLWYarN7n42E8YEy3n-GUEwiS_KS-ZWTKTw7kKSyoEkloJ49alxSUlL7o3A9d0G9yZusbNRFYeOJ8vLmm1TxWhjKJVM_Ov_q4xMGrSlT2WdqrNruajZuLJBKN5rTpIqHpEu9FM6Cyvf2miOGE5rgFpGf9GXzLFKagOUQQU_ecmDmKuvl8Plfbk0Yt8/s320/legal_billing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>This would only make the problem worse. </b></p><p>The reality is family court judges barely work. The amount of time they spend in chambers is minuscule and most of their decisions are written by one of the attorneys in the case or a clerk. It is a complete myth they are overworked. </p><p>As for the time they spend in so called deliberations, I suspect it is all done in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. </p><p>Divorce attorneys have a similar lifestyle. Perhaps many of them really believe they work hard but I have never seem one who would survive a job requiring anything approaching real work. </p><p>Many countries, most notable the Scandinavian ones, spend a small fraction of what we do on family courts yet are much more efficient and, most importantly, far more fair and just. We should just do what they do. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-17075170299694021832023-12-11T11:32:00.000-06:002023-12-11T11:32:30.763-06:00Divorce Myths<p>From a law firm comes the <a href="https://www.kaysnyderattorney.com/top-8-myths-divorce-minnesota/">The Top 9 Myths For Divorce In Minnesota</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauDgFFDM4X5aIZxXz0h9LHy0-60ROw0jyIoGiR_w0_5nDGD3i7uQF6GJka_W3KJGZYiENlx7LtGSihLAabycCAedichDIW4AchE9hdlOtZ0MbTvMc1q0MwyCeDskfzKdmdeJtDTRXdCt_-1BYPPkSWEW9D_FmpKxAc6r46tWAgRhLE-kCN1r5gymagPg/s225/unfair.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauDgFFDM4X5aIZxXz0h9LHy0-60ROw0jyIoGiR_w0_5nDGD3i7uQF6GJka_W3KJGZYiENlx7LtGSihLAabycCAedichDIW4AchE9hdlOtZ0MbTvMc1q0MwyCeDskfzKdmdeJtDTRXdCt_-1BYPPkSWEW9D_FmpKxAc6r46tWAgRhLE-kCN1r5gymagPg/s1600/unfair.png" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>DIVORCE MYTH #1: MOM ALWAYS GETS THE KIDS</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #2: COMMITTING ADULTERY MEANS YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #3: COMMITTING ADULTERY MEANS YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #4: TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #5: IF YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE, YOU LOSE IT</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #6: YOU MUST FILE FOR DIVORCE IN THE STATE WHERE YOU WERE MARRIED</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #7: PROPERTY DIVISION IS 50/50</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #8: YOU NEED TO HIDE YOUR CRIMINAL HISTORY</p><p>DIVORCE MYTH #9: WHOEVER ASKS FOR THE DIVORCE HAS THE UPPER HAND</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Yes, #3 is repeated - a mistake I presume.</p><p>It is an interesting read but pretty superficial in the end. The real challenge with divorces and family court is the prevalent corruption which exists. The primary purpose of family court is not fairness and equity, it is maximizing income for lawyers and others who make their living off it. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-60775469688925611922023-12-02T13:15:00.002-06:002023-12-02T13:15:34.835-06:0020 Reasons<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzaM_KJ8bBzz8dFo4GFHoZIG2TMshKPiiAGXBghfwVon1H7QdNT-nlPlL5F7vC7XOF4A4vTp70h6_yhL1zIay_HnpcPnFRIe7XUca2ruZoGLlBB-UUEET-67kAuqze51_2-aY0tCQUZL7ifdf7gXbKoc9qL5gfA2nS5IzrvOhWpsb563Jhi52wEXF_e4/s300/20_points.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzaM_KJ8bBzz8dFo4GFHoZIG2TMshKPiiAGXBghfwVon1H7QdNT-nlPlL5F7vC7XOF4A4vTp70h6_yhL1zIay_HnpcPnFRIe7XUca2ruZoGLlBB-UUEET-67kAuqze51_2-aY0tCQUZL7ifdf7gXbKoc9qL5gfA2nS5IzrvOhWpsb563Jhi52wEXF_e4/w200-h112/20_points.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>From the Frank Report comes <a href="https://frankreport.com/2023/02/20/20-reasons-destructive-family-court-is-money-maker-corrupt-and-unmonitored/">20 Reasons: Destructive Family Court Is Money-Maker, Corrupt and Unmonitored.<br /></a><p></p><p>All points are quite true and I'll wager most people are unaware of. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>1. “Family” courts are not courts of evidence or law. They are solely courts of equity.</p><p>2. So why do we allow “family” courts to hear cases involving claims of abuse and neglect?</p><p>3. “Family” courts are the only courts that do not read or inform you of your rights.</p><p>4. Because they want you to believe you have no rights and are subject to the whims of the state. (False.)</p><p>5. By most accounts, 86% of all parents in “family” court are Pro Se and can’t afford an attorney.</p><p>6. There is a vast difference between how Family Court handles low-income and high-income cases.</p><p>7. The more money to be made, the more conflict the “family” court will promote.</p><p>8. The states make money under SSA Title IV-D, forcing the separation of children from their parents.</p><p>With Title IV-D, the federal government pays the state grant money for every dollar of child support the state reports collecting to the federal government.</p><p>This provides a financial incentive even for state courts to separate a child from one of the parents to force the payment of child support even where none is needed.</p><p>9. The Divorce Industry uses the false portrayal of ‘deadbeat’ or abusive dads to promote its agenda.</p><p>10. Hollywood perpetuates this myth.</p><p>11. The suicide rate for divorced men is 10x the national average.</p><p>12. The vast majority of divorce cases do not involve abuse or domestic violence.</p><p>13. Most claims of abuse or neglect do not start until after a divorce is filed and attorneys get involved.</p><p>14. There is no penalty for making false claims of abuse, engaging in open fraud, or perjury in our “family’ courts.</p><p>15. “Parental alienation.” or whatever people may wish to call it, is very real.</p><p>16. More money flows through our “family” courts than all other courts – combined.</p><p>17. Yet our “family” courts are subject to practically no checks or balances or audits for performance.</p><p>18. No “family” court judge or “family” court attorney has ever once been held accountable for flagrant and even criminal violations of law or rights in the State of CT.</p><p>19. The U.S. is home to more single-parent households than any other country on the planet.</p><p>20. The Divorce Industry has grown into a $60+ Billion industry over the past 20 years.</p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-44666425002951387852023-11-26T18:27:00.001-06:002023-11-26T18:27:34.920-06:00Gender Bias In Family Court<p>Although people claim there is and is not bias against men in family court, the reality is there is little hard evidence to support one side or the other. We simply do not track the statistics. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuqk6QR0GOME6wWJSz_VdKFHsXmuGxOX7g3JRlUICq93HddSn098QTsAHelsyJnZHUYt-VN4zKpRuf0qamH8FnOK3R6ETgQNInhM-mtw9GSnlQVBuKMXTqBYO1dRiWK2LmMfBi3mzDeDi18sT5SW4xz6hZaFPhBjdaA8h-ww6cHPFZeu_tpac4R3OPws/s960/men-women-roles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuqk6QR0GOME6wWJSz_VdKFHsXmuGxOX7g3JRlUICq93HddSn098QTsAHelsyJnZHUYt-VN4zKpRuf0qamH8FnOK3R6ETgQNInhM-mtw9GSnlQVBuKMXTqBYO1dRiWK2LmMfBi3mzDeDi18sT5SW4xz6hZaFPhBjdaA8h-ww6cHPFZeu_tpac4R3OPws/s320/men-women-roles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We do, however, know that women initiate the vast majority of divorces, are the recipient of alimony in over 98% of cases where it is awarded, and are far more likely to be awarded child custody. <p></p><p>Why this is true is a matter of opinion. </p><p>In my case, even though I was doing the majority of parental work and despite the fact that my ex-wife committed perjury and her lawyer committed fraud, I had to pay a massive amount of money to my ex.</p><p>In the end the money I paid was worth it because my kids turned out pretty well. Mostly, I believe, because they chose to live with me despite the court awarding joint custody. </p><p>So, admittedly and without concrete evidence, I do believe there is bias against men in family court. Indeed, if the only thing to change in my case were the genders, my hypothetically now male ex would have spent time in jail and I would have been awarded full child custody, child support, and alimony. </p><p>For another view, I ran across <a href="https://www.sandiafamilylaw.com/legal-blog/2020/july/straight-talk-gender-bias-in-the-family-court-sy/">this article from a law firm on the matter of gender bias</a>. </p><p></p><blockquote>From our experience working with families, we have realized family court can be biased towards mothers and against fathers in custody disputes. Many fathers we have represented can personally attest to experiencing a negative outcome in a custody dispute because of gender bias in the court system. Often, fathers will make the mistake of assuming that because we are a nation of laws not men, they will get a fair hearing by a judge or hearing officer who is unbiased. This is not always the case.</blockquote><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-79844739948571513632023-11-19T20:15:00.004-06:002023-11-19T20:15:51.810-06:00Equality Should Go Both Ways<p>I totally agree women often suffer from gender discrimination. But that doesn't mean men do not as well. The most obvious poster childs for discrimination against males is our societal acceptance than men should almost entirely be the ones killed and injured in the military, suffer the preponderance of workplace deaths and injuries because they perform the preponderance of dangerous jobs, and, of course, are the ones paying alimony in 98+ percent of cases </p><p>But one area where discrimination against men is perhaps less visible is the punishment they receive for criminal offences. From Australia, but very relevant to the U.S. and the wider world, is this fairly humorous exploration of the matter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ijus3SrwuHQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="Ijus3SrwuHQ"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-30777942822561564312023-11-13T15:14:00.000-06:002023-11-13T15:14:53.419-06:00The Legalization Of Corruption<p>Proving legal corruption has always been difficult because it seeks justice within the very system where the corruption occurred. Since 2016 <a href="https://www.law.nyu.edu/news/nyu-law-forum-corruption">it has been even more difficult</a>.</p><p></p><blockquote>t<i>he 2016 Supreme Court case McDonnell v. US, which narrowed the legal definition of bribery and made it more challenging for prosecutors to prove corrupt acts by public officials, and extra-legal sanctions, such as media coverage, rejection by voters, and other mechanisms, that provide some level of accountability for corrupt actors.</i></blockquote><p>NYU Law School recently held a session on the topic titled The Legalization of Corruption in the United States.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LFzxjO9Xw0Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="LFzxjO9Xw0Y"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-17645234835251056712023-11-06T15:33:00.000-06:002023-11-06T15:33:56.481-06:00Letter From One Of My Former Lawyers<p>One of my former lawyers, <a href="https://www.divorceinjustice.org/p/jamie-jensen.html">the junior one</a>, sent me a letter. but she didn't mean to send it to me. She sent it to a couple going through a divorce and the guy's name is the same as mine. An easy mistake really as I have a common name. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H-lrbgU7TeQ3136hEYgunMGzmokpbzrc-02h5WdkVjosBQ9GqwBKykoYeclRIRK6djH30jvqqP5uL41oTZAhdXRzGzSzYr3y7Q0N34rXQMPIKS5iiY7FmR71eW8JI7KijZOd0d-BV9qzrV0I9Ov5MwegdRUv1WPGH3abXT-lwLaZphiYCSr9NvLvB_k/s612/mediator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H-lrbgU7TeQ3136hEYgunMGzmokpbzrc-02h5WdkVjosBQ9GqwBKykoYeclRIRK6djH30jvqqP5uL41oTZAhdXRzGzSzYr3y7Q0N34rXQMPIKS5iiY7FmR71eW8JI7KijZOd0d-BV9qzrV0I9Ov5MwegdRUv1WPGH3abXT-lwLaZphiYCSr9NvLvB_k/s320/mediator.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>The letter and the attached documents indicate the couple is going through a divorce following the standard lawyer divorce script. Counseling for the kids, a parental counselor for the parents, and a seemingly endless processes. Apparently my former lawyer is acting as the parental consultant in this case. <p></p><p>Unfortunately, the standard pattern in divorces is geared toward extracting as much money as possible for those in the divorce industry. It totally ignores what is best for the kids and fair to the parents. Indeed, as extracting money is maximized in contentious divorces, it inherently maximizes pain and alienation. </p><p>In my case, the mediator, recommended by my lawyers, told me my ex-wife was insisting on using a parental consultant. A specific parental consultant recommended by the mediator. The mediator, however, told my ex-wife I was insisting on using a parental consultant. Neither of us wanted one. The mediator lied to benefit the parental consultant. I suspect the parental consultant often directed business to the mediator in turn. It is profoundly corrupt and harmful system. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-84718023251062246642023-10-31T15:04:00.001-05:002023-10-31T15:04:42.813-05:00Rafael Nadal's Eloquence<p>Although I don't like the politicized title and narration much in this video of Rafael Nadal answering a question on gender discrimination in sports, I do like his answer. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V17wEJy96_I" width="320" youtube-src-id="V17wEJy96_I"></iframe></div><br /><p>Popularity is what drives sport and entertainment salaries. Why are female basketball players paid less that male players? Because more people follow men's basketball. </p><p>I have female friends who believe women players should be paid exactly what male players are paid. Yet at the same time they do not bother to watch or go to women's' sports at all. </p><p>Certainly discrimination exists. Sometimes against women and sometimes against men. But it is easy to go overboard. Viewing everything as discrimination against one gender will not only blind you to reality but cause you to do the very thing you are complaining about </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-6893522819179775662023-10-19T18:46:00.000-05:002023-10-19T18:46:01.772-05:00Lawyers Lie (Mostly) With Impunity<p>Sydney Powell, who worked for former President Trump, has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/10/19/1207076719/sidney-powell-georgia-guilty-plea">pleaded guilty to spreading false claims of election fraud after the 2020 contest and trying to tamper with voting machines in Georgia</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlS-vGGmL3SuRKTnF_IZ6siad5pHYzCidxr1IuKu9CNi6v8ofSM4tdqeP084wC6DNaK7zy8QMfTeSnO7mTM4QV4kgvb7jCkuRd7-K98BLr0UFkrEs-bxZfrokGyHCzHvrrMzERUfiHiUGKB7QDf1E2n2AbwMpdCCm_EP5QspFe97tNoWM3FrSa61Qsu4g/s283/powell.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlS-vGGmL3SuRKTnF_IZ6siad5pHYzCidxr1IuKu9CNi6v8ofSM4tdqeP084wC6DNaK7zy8QMfTeSnO7mTM4QV4kgvb7jCkuRd7-K98BLr0UFkrEs-bxZfrokGyHCzHvrrMzERUfiHiUGKB7QDf1E2n2AbwMpdCCm_EP5QspFe97tNoWM3FrSa61Qsu4g/s1600/powell.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div>You would think she would be be put in prison for a very long time. But nope, she cut a plea deal.<p></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>Under the plea deal, Powell will serve six years of probation, pay a $6,000 fine, pay restitution of $2,700 to the state that covers the cost of replacing election equipment, write an apology letter and testify truthfully in future hearings and trials, as well as provide "any requested documents or evidence subject to any lawful privileges asserted in good faith prior to entering this plea."</i></blockquote><p></p><p>I wonder what he punishment would be if she wasn't a lawyer? A lot more I'll bet. The funny thing is that as an officer of the court, which all lawyer are, she is supposed to be held to a higher standard than the general public. </p><p>I hope the deal the prosecutors made results in some serious convictions for others. Powell is getting off easy. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-27883976454496391702023-10-13T11:41:00.001-05:002023-10-13T11:41:24.209-05:00Fathers’ Parental Leave<p>A study in Sweden, one of the most gender equal countries in the world, concluded <a href="https://www.su.se/department-of-public-health-sciences/news/fathers-parental-leave-might-protect-men-against-alcohol-related-morbidity-1.680662">fathers’ parental leave might protect men against alcohol-related morbidity</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjUWbYPSXYGrhDn5wLor3WQndulGqACqVUfOSIgy1lbZT8xwG9GS3WgkAggNshdODB4iP_oQVL4bUJ4sC0EedAUCstgT1gqzQa_vE0mc67stxPaVzcybcv0D_0IXH1c9gEmU9_nmSYejMXnA7eDL5_ff3I1p8DFuW1M4SDH7dZ0rY9gRgpDTuzv3TfEU/s275/father-children.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjUWbYPSXYGrhDn5wLor3WQndulGqACqVUfOSIgy1lbZT8xwG9GS3WgkAggNshdODB4iP_oQVL4bUJ4sC0EedAUCstgT1gqzQa_vE0mc67stxPaVzcybcv0D_0IXH1c9gEmU9_nmSYejMXnA7eDL5_ff3I1p8DFuW1M4SDH7dZ0rY9gRgpDTuzv3TfEU/s1600/father-children.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><p>Men who have been on parental leave have a significantly reduced risk of being hospitalized due to alcohol consumption.</p><p><i>"After the policy was implemented there was a 34% decrease in these hospitalizations among fathers in the two years after birth."</i></p><p><i>“Policymakers should consider that fathers’ parental leave not only promotes more gender-equal participation in childcare, but can also reduce alcohol-related harms."</i></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Not only is fathers involvement in their children's lives <a href="https://www.pediatricsoffranklin.com/resources-and-education/pediatric-care/the-importance-of-a-father-in-a-childs-life/">good for the children</a>, it is good for the fathers. Unfortunately in our society, societal pressure (i.e. discrimination) allows mothers to spend more time with their children than fathers. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-35222948063491944032023-10-08T11:15:00.000-05:002023-10-08T11:15:27.912-05:00Lawyers Invented Internet Spam<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ91_2nF1kbYgxrY27lldCSXpnECUNRgO0_N7YIOQSzytUAYf1wWPrRUerv245fPdvAHEYHq3o11Rff4cS6MTHGwMQi3s9DeRkSDYuLvs4VwnfZIl7qvwRFOcjrB0hCD1BHP8_OBPKi1vq062t82f9opZTY6GcxI8FO-x0Uc82KD8UpZ3PhtG8WiBYdM/s329/spam.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="329" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZ91_2nF1kbYgxrY27lldCSXpnECUNRgO0_N7YIOQSzytUAYf1wWPrRUerv245fPdvAHEYHq3o11Rff4cS6MTHGwMQi3s9DeRkSDYuLvs4VwnfZIl7qvwRFOcjrB0hCD1BHP8_OBPKi1vq062t82f9opZTY6GcxI8FO-x0Uc82KD8UpZ3PhtG8WiBYdM/s320/spam.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Although some of you might think so, I am not anti-lawyer at all. In fact, I have the highest respect for rule of law. It is the best way to ensure a fair and equitable society. I am, however, vehemently opposed to those lawyers who <a href="https://www.divorceinjustice.org/p/players.html">break the law</a> in order to achieve personal gain, or worse, <a href="https://www.legalreformmn.org/">inflict harm on innocent people</a>. <p></p><p>But no doubt I am a bit of a pain in the side to most lawyers as, even of they are upstanding themselves, they view any mention of lawyer maleficence as a poor reflection upon themselves. </p><p>Given that, I will risk annoying lawyers even more than I have. </p><p>Did you know <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/the-father-of-modern-spam-speaks/">lawyers invented Internet spam</a>? I didn't but I am hardly surprised. </p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>On April 12, 1994, Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel, two immigration lawyers from Arizona, flooded the Internet with a mass mailing promoting their law firm's advisory services.</i></p><p><i>In doing so, this unknown husband and wife team changed the Internet with one keystroke.</i></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532324821505006389.post-54034797605177693182023-10-04T21:16:00.000-05:002023-10-04T21:16:51.158-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugKBuFRSL2tw2capsnQXgYBf3ZegzS7rOVC6X9owyeEMynhDYJIQfifYd8ZtBXcBJ6wGC-jwcA31O3xPz8MW8D6MtNqnI3ovMYT1QCmgYH3SG22P8m5GJq9aVJ1dVb0o5X2NHrMLOGnSZqvWoY3LWtPfon11F86G78UwYwsiwz9WpFaCDzMNP9A1mKdQ/s273/dirty%20tricks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="184" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugKBuFRSL2tw2capsnQXgYBf3ZegzS7rOVC6X9owyeEMynhDYJIQfifYd8ZtBXcBJ6wGC-jwcA31O3xPz8MW8D6MtNqnI3ovMYT1QCmgYH3SG22P8m5GJq9aVJ1dVb0o5X2NHrMLOGnSZqvWoY3LWtPfon11F86G78UwYwsiwz9WpFaCDzMNP9A1mKdQ/s1600/dirty%20tricks.jpeg" width="184" /></a></div><br />I ran across an interesting article highlighting some of the <a href="https://www.minnesotadivorce.com/articles/dirty-tricks/">"dirty tricks" used in the divorce process</a>. Although far from complete as it doesn't include the various tactics, both legal and illegal, used by lawyers in their own self-interest, it does provide an interesting review of some of the things anyone going through a divorce should be aware of. <p></p><p>Below is the list. There is more detail in the linked article. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>I. “Trial Separation.”</p><p>II. “Forget What the Papers Say, I’ll Do This or That”</p><p>III. “Let’s Move to Alaska: after You Find Us a Place, I’ll Come Join You with the Kids.”</p><p>IV. Dismiss Case When You Start Losing, Then Try Again Later</p><p>V. Moving Family & Friends into Marital Home During Divorce</p><p>VI. Scheduling Activities Over the Other Parent's Parenting Time</p><p>VII. “Oh By the Way, Kid #3 Isn’t Yours.”</p><p>VIII. “Please Answer the Phone. I promise I Won't Report it as an OFP Violation.”</p><p>IX. Emptying Joint Bank Accounts.</p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0