Hi Nadine - got my ass kicked in court today, as I expected, and the client's ass was kicked, too, despite my warnings and urging him to settle. This was my second trial representing an Afghani in front of a certain very tough old Virginia judge. I told him, I know this judge very well, don't lie at all in court, or he'll kill you. Sure enough, as soon as I finished my closing argument the judge told me that he did not believe anything my client said, and slammed him.
Two different cases, same judge, same results. I was expecting it, so wasn't surprised.
Plus, when you're getting paid by the hour, losing doesn't hurt so bad.
I did manage to save him about $10K, but he's liable for $15K more than they offered to settle.
He wants me to appeal, and take it all the way to the Supreme Court.
I was meditating on how Middle Eastern truth differs from other truths, logged on, and read your message. Very a propos.
My experience with Sikhs, Hindus, Copts, and Sufis has been very different. This leads me to believe that it must be something about Muslims. Or maybe it's something about Arabs and Afghanis.
This may well be simply prejudice, and I don't want to be prejudiced. The local lawyers tell each other that Muslims believe that you don't have to tell the truth to Infidels. Maybe this is just an urban legend.
At any rate, I don't remember seeing anything written by cultural anthropologists about it, but would like to read it if there is any. I have a lot of respect for cultural anthropology. That was my original major in undergrad.
Heggy seems to be struggling with, grappling with, similar questions.
Maybe my client perceives himself as a brave, heroic man, who refuses to capitulate.
I do like him, and admire him, and think he was treated badly, but his position was unreasonable. Truth and justice lay somewhere in between his position, and the other side.
He did not want to hear that.
I let him have his say in court. I let him express himself fully, say everything he wanted to say.
The judge did not believe him, and slammed him, as I predicted.
Afterwards, he and his wife said that the judge did not have God with him.
I told them that God does what God does, there is no predicting what God wants.
Thinking that God is on your side is hubristic, but I didn't want to get into that.
I wasn't so sure he was lying, by the way. I think he believed what he was saying at the moment he said it. The opposing counsel certainly expended a lot of energy cross-examining him.
Maybe the judge was prejudiced, after all.
It's so hard to know what the truth is when you are in court. At least for me. Some people think they know but it always troubles me. |
