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Newsday's cheap shot
The Long Island newspaper digs up a case from Hillary Clinton's early law career, and creates a hit piece with little basis.
Alex Koppelman [2008-02-25]

  • What justice sounds like

    I recently saw the movie "Gideons Trumpet', which tracks the court case that ensured that all defendants are provided with a lawyer. Fonda plays Gideon, who basically gets railroaded, and who clearly was not capable of defending himself - He is a little simple, maybe, but the way he plays the part makes me think the guy was a little autistic. He was clearly articulate enough to get the Supreme Courts attention, but not savvy enough to negotiate the complexities of our justice system.

    Now, I don't know whether or not this guy could afford a lawyer, or if Clinton was assigned to him - Doesn't matter. I can't buy into the idea that under the principal of innocent until proven guilty, that someone can be defended "too well"

    Even if the defendant is OJ - I would call that the exception that proves the rule, because it illustrates whay we cannot have a two-tiered justice system - Competant lawyers must be provided to defendants.

    -- bignose
    [Read bignose's other letters]
    Monday, February 25, 2008 07:41 AM
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