Slashdot Mirror
Lawyer Is Big Winner In Webcamgate Settlement
crimeandpunishment writes "The Lower Merion School District in Pennsylvania has agreed to a $610,000 settlement in two lawsuits over secret photos taken on school-issued laptops. Less than a third of that will go to the students. A total of $185,000 will be put in trust for the students. Their lawyer will receive $425,000."
"As for free representation, you can get free legal advice depending on where you live. If you are charged with a crime, you have the right to free counsel."
Not necessarily. I was charged with contempt a few years ago. It was child support related, I was out of work but the court didn't agree that 25% of $0 is $0, they thought I should still be paying the same amount I did when I was working. Apparently the father has to tighten his belt, but nobody else. But I digress...
At right about the same time as I had to appear in court for the contempt charge, I found a job. I started the job one day and had to appear in court the next week, and even though I had absolutely no money due to extended unemployment, the court turned down my application for a public defender because they thought I was making too much money. I hadn't even gotten a paycheck yet. Apparently the $55K/year I was going to make (which wasn't all that much after taxes and child support cut that down to about $25K/yr) meant I wasn't entitled to a defense. I had to appear in court by myself while my ex got the benefit of a free county prosecutor and rep from the human services dept. I got fucking railroaded by those assholes.
I'm going to have to jump on the "Lawyers (and government officials in general) are scumbags" bandwagon. I'm a father who does the best he can, and apparently the only thing these scumbags have to do with their time is threaten to throw me in jail.