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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (83318)	6/30/2000 10:43:42 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

They don't call Virginia the Old Dominion for nothing. This is a very straight-laced place. It's refreshing compared to Louisiana. In Louisiana, judges are elected, and they don't even have to be lawyers. How about THAT one? A black woman who isn't a lawyer was elected to sit on the bench in New Orleans, probably for demographic reasons. Judges are appointed by the General Assembly here, and the main downside to that is the Good Old Boys network. We tend to get judges whose ancestors sat on the bench, but most of them don't tolerate any rule-bending, and I've never heard of a judge in Virginia taking a bribe.

To: jlallen who wrote (83318)	7/1/2000 9:51:48 PM
From: Michael M	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

Allow me to add a point to your point. "Pro se" litigants is a problem for me. I am of the strong belief that anyone with a decent command of the ENGLISH language and the wits to program a VCR should be able to represnt themselves in court. Members of judicial courts tend to hold themselves as aloof from ordinary people as members of bygone royal courts. Most people who turn to a lawyer get "boiler plate" counsel, and "access". For a few thousand bucks, that's IT! If you expect an attorney to competently prepare a case that may have to go to court you are going to make a very substantial financial commitment. There are exceptions -- You may have a case that interests a politically active attorney who is looking for some visibility. Or, you may have an end-of-the-rainbow case (enter bank account number and press the pound sign). IMO, middle class people with a legal beef get stiffed by our legal system. Disgraceful. FWIW, I have a personal attorney. Use of her firm's letterhead is pretty steep but it gets attention that I can't. No intent to offend any attorney here. I don't hate attorneys. I have family members and life-long pals who are attorneys. Mike