| THE CASE AGAINST LAWYERS How the Lawyers, Politicians, and Bureaucrats Have Turned the Law Into an Instrument of Tyranny— And What We as Citizens Have to Do About It Catherine Crier New York: Broadway Books, 2006 |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| ISBN-13 978-0-7679-0504-6 | ||||
| ISBN 0-7679-0504-0 | 244pp. | HC | $23.95 | |
From the massive class action lawsuit against American tobacco companies1 to much of the litigation resulting from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and even with responses to the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001, a little-noted effect has been to enrich the upper echelons of society in this country — that is to say the lawyers, politicians, and corporate executives.
Catherine Crier is a lawyer herself. But she is also a lover of liberty, and in this book she sets forth a litany of abuses of that liberty. It includes people being rewarded under the ADA for trivial disabilities, or no disability at all. It includes measures intended to curb the widespread use of drugs in this country actually ruining the lives of the "small fry" (users and neighborhood pushers) while the kingpins buy immunity from prosecution and federal money finances a huge prison industry. It includes lobbying and campaign donations that skew the political process to the benefit of special interests that already control enormous financial resources. It includes mandated bilingual education which leaves the children of immigrants less able to thrive in the U.S. — a long-term loss for them and for the country.
"With high office relations in the politics of Maryland..."
Attorney Peter Angelos is apparently a god of sorts to the Maryland legislature. Walter Olson described his connections in a piece for Reason: "Among the nation's most munificent donors, Angelos is, per the Washington Post account, 'viewed by many political insiders as the most powerful private citizen in Maryland.' He sports his own personal lobbyist, glove-close relations with Gov. Parris Glendening, and a host of statehouse connections, such as with the president pro tem of the state Senate, who happens to be a lawyer with his firm." – Pages 185-6 |
This fellow billed nearly $1 billion for his firm's work on tobacco cases. His billing records show him using $12/hour lawyers from a temp agency for one-quarter of that work.
Such cozy relations between lawyers and legislators occur in state after state. The American Bar Association (ABA) was finally moved to act against these improprieties. In 2001 they passed an ethics rule against lawyers making political donations intended to steer government work their way. Crier punctures this pretense. How is intent to be determined? By the lawyers' own testimony, of course.
"...and handed out strongly for penalty and repentance..."
And then there is the war on drugs. The author cites a Cato Institute report on drug-war spending.2 I summarize it here:
| Reagan administration (8 years) | $22 billion |
| Bush 41 administration (4 years) | $45 billion |
| Clinton administration (8 years) | $128 billion |
What have all these federal dollars bought us? Quite a bit: a highly profitable prison system housing a higher percentage of our population than in other developed countries. But what they haven't brought us is any significant reduction in drug use.
"In a nutshell, despite the decades of domestic battling and the billions of tax dollars expended, illegal narcotics are everywhere. The quantity and purity of street drugs is at an all-time high, and the price remains low. In the mid-1990s the White House reported that 'we have yet to substantially influence either the availability or purity of cocaine and heroin in the U.S.' About that time William F. Buckley published his article 'The Drug War is Lost.' " – Page 122 |
In Spain, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. And in America, the war on drugs is still lost.
The book is not enjoyable to read. But if you seek details on corruption in America, it is necessary to read. The author's extensive research provides both statistics and anecdotes to fill in the dimensions of the problem. Her final chapter is devoted to eminently sensible solutions to many of the problems she describes. There is a Selected Bibliography, and an excellent index. I rate this book at the top and consider it a keeper.
To contact Chris Winter, send email to this address.