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The judge and his free legal help
By adamg on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 9:46am
The Globe reports Boston Municipal Court Judge Raymond Dougan received $550,000 in free legal help in his successful battle to fend off a bias charge brought by Suffolk County DA Dan Conley.
Dan Kennedy explains why his reaction is more or less so?
When Conley filed his complaint, he was in a no-lose situation. Even if Dougan ultimately prevailed, Conley knew that the judge would be ruined financially, and be held up as an object lesson for other judges wary of incurring the wrath of prosecutors. That's outrageous, and tilts the balance in favor of the prosecution even more than it already is.
Dougan found a way around that. And keep in mind that Conley's complaint was ultimately found to be bogus.
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Comments
Ah yes, judge Raymond Dougan,
Ah yes, judge Raymond Dougan, every criminal's best friend. Where else would you find $1500 bail on assault with deadly weapon rap - for armed career criminal, no less?
Fine. Now lets examine the
Fine. Now lets examine the state budget and figure out where we can cut a half million dollars of spending to make up for the loss.
It should be added
The judge received "$550,000 in free legal help from a law firm that never appears in his court."
To qualify that "never" just a bit: every few years that law firm might take a pro bono case that happens to be before the Boston Municipal Court, or will show up to defend a small claim in that court as a favor to a big client, but other than that, never. As a practical matter, it wouldn't make any sense for that firm to expend a lot of resources to influence the opinion of one judge in that court.
(Before anyone asks -- no, I'm not associated with that firm.)
"Conley's complaint was
"Conley's complaint was ultimately found to be bogus."
Well, the $550,000 of legal help from a high-powered firm might have something to do with that finding.
The real problem is that such representation is only available to people with money or connections.