If you refuse legal aid lawyers...

If you refuse legal aid lawyers should we be on the hook for a lawyer of your choice?

http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/11/19/7461156.html

I guy in newfieland has decided to appeal his conviction for killing his kids. He is refusing to have anything to do with legal aid. Newfie top judge has reccomended we pay for his lawyer of choice.

I disagree. Use legal aid, pay your own way, or represent yourself. Or no appeal for you.

thoughts?

Let's have a little heart for the poor guy. The man's a grieving father.

Deank wrote:If you refuse legal aid lawyers should we be on the hook for a lawyer of your choice?

http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/11/19/7461156.html

I guy in newfieland has decided to appeal his conviction for killing his kids. He is refusing to have anything to do with legal aid. Newfie top judge has reccomended we pay for his lawyer of choice.

I disagree. Use legal aid, pay your own way, or represent yourself. Or no appeal for you.

thoughts?

I agree with you. Take what is offered or suffer the consequences. I don't get a choice, I have to hire who I can afford.

He needs to pay for what he did; at least he could pay for his fancy law-talking guy.

Yea this seems weird what is wrong with legal aid want better then you pay .

Pavolo wrote:Yea this seems weird what is wrong with legal aid want better then you pay .

Imagine applying this logic to health care.

If you haven't been in the position of this person, then you have to look at it this way. If the prosecution, is experienced than you should have an experienced defense lawyer, especially in very serious cases.
The Crown Prosecutor has all the money in the world for its prosecution, and this guy should have the same for his defense!
Here in Wpg , Legal aid has expeienced defense lawyers, but if you notice, on murder trials the murderers all get the bst defense lawyers.

I had a choice a few years ago, when I was up on 9 trumped up charges of stealing and uttering very poor jokes, and it was my legal aid lawyer, of my choice, that managed to get me off on 6 or 7 of the charges. Almost beat them all, and should have, because I was innocent, according to me! My lawyer said otherwise, but he is Jewish and has a bad attitude!

Yes if you can pay for it please do the system would improve over night . But then the WRHA would have to find some new reason to keep all of the staff they hired to sove the problem ,
Wait tell them to solve what to do with them and make recomendations before next contract or bye bye .

What has the Wpg Regional health Authority got to do with Legal Aid?
Pavola- you have to slow down when you post. I cannot understand what point you are trying to make?
Legal Aid is supposed to be there for those that are facing time in jail from charges, and they do not have the money to pay for their defence.
Much like Conrad Black and his $117,000,000 dollar bill for his defence against a charge of a $6 million dollar fraud!

LivingDead wrote:

Pavolo wrote:Yea this seems weird what is wrong with legal aid want better then you pay .

Imagine applying this logic to health care.

Awesome point!

Pavola- you have to slow down when you post. I cannot understand what point you are trying to make?

That if you can pay for Health Care then you should be able too easier .

Also you do have the right to switch the legal aid lawyer that you receive if you wish . So someone told me from legal aid.

I sure hope that the switch from legal aid lawyer A to legal aid lawyer B is not automatic. I sure hope the process tries to eliminate the frivolous changes designed to delay or otherwise obfuscate the legal system.

The system has to try and get proper representation to those that cannot afford it!
That means experienced lawyers, and legal aid have many very experienced lawyers on staff, and hopefully not over loaded as I think they might be?
Anyone have any experience with the staff lawyers??
When I was in MINOR trouble with Revenue Canada Trumped up charges, I could use any lawyer who accepted the very low rates that they were paying! The system probably still is the same? The trouble would be to find someone who will work for $9.95 per hour!

I was lucky to find an alcoholic , who would work for that pay schedule!

rosencrentz wrote:I was lucky to find an alcoholic , who would work for that pay schedule!

Lucky he was not a unionized alcoholic.

I didn't know that Legal Aid had lawyers on staff. I thought that there was a list and the LA just paid the bills.
With lawyers on staff, it may be a better idea...they call that plan a Legal Defender or something...a bit different than the way we have it set up.

All you really need is a lawyer familiar with the Chewbacca defense.

Legal aid has several staff lawyers. Often they are not available so it is up to the person needing the lawyer to find one that will do it for legal aid pay.

I have a novel idea. Lets not commit any crimes then you wont need to use legal aid.

There are other reasons for legal aid. For instance, child support cases.

I believe that the Legal Aid lawyers services have stopped for child support cases, but I could be wrong for the 1st time. They are so overloaded with criminal cases and of course there are lots of wasted cases regarding small amounts of cocaine and marihuana and drinking Crown Royal.

I think you are right