Legal issues- representing yourself in court?

[Bird]

In Texas, judges are elected, so if you want to be sure you win your case, whether as plaintiff or defendant, you need to hire the lawyer who has contributed the most to the judge's re-election campaign. And if you do that, you will win! That will be decided before you ever get into the courtroom. In fact, if you actually knew what goes on, you'd probably be surprised at the number of cases which are decided before any witnesses testify or any evidence is introduced. And frequently both sides know all about it, but the opposing lawyers put on a good act, pretending to be representing their clients.

 

[Double Orange]

In Texas, judges are elected, so if you want to be sure you win your case, whether as plaintiff or defendant, you need to hire the lawyer who has contributed the most to the judge's re-election campaign. And if you do that, you will win! That will be decided before you ever get into the courtroom. In fact, if you actually knew what goes on, you'd probably be surprised at the number of cases which are decided before any witnesses testify or any evidence is introduced. And frequently both sides know all about it, but the opposing lawyers put on a good act, pretending to be representing their clients.

Come on Bird, Tell everybody you where JUST KIDDIN!!

 

[ray66v]

Whats the difference between a good lawyer and a GREAT lawyer?

A good lawyer knows the law........

A GREAT lawyer knows the judge!!!!

 

[chh]

Jeez Bird! And I thought Oklahoma courts were bad.

 

[Bird]

Jeez Bird! And I thought Oklahoma courts were bad.

Chuck, are you old enough to remember Justice of the Peace Courts? When you were found guilty in a JP court, the fine was supposed to go to the state and the "court costs" was the only income for the JP. Of course, if you were found not guilty, no fine, no court costs, and the JP didn't make a nickle. Did you ever hear of anyone going into JP court as a defendant and being found not guilty. Not only was everyone guilty so the JP got the "court costs" but in many cases, he "forgot" to notify the state and send them the fine money; just kept that, too.

It was such a crooked system that Oklahoma (where I was born and raised and lived until I was almost 17) just did away with the Justice of the Peace courts, while Texas put them on a salary based on the population of their precinct. I don't know whether Oklahoma ever revived the old JP courts or not.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Whats the difference between a good lawyer and a GREAT lawyer?

A good lawyer knows the law........

A GREAT lawyer knows the judge!!!!

What do you call a lawyer with an I.Q. of 61?.........


A judge!

 

[chh]

Chuck, are you old enough to remember Justice of the Peace Courts? When you were found guilty in a JP court, the fine was supposed to go to the state and the "court costs" was the only income for the JP. Of course, if you were found not guilty, no fine, no court costs, and the JP didn't make a nickle. Did you ever hear of anyone going into JP court as a defendant and being found not guilty. Not only was everyone guilty so the JP got the "court costs" but in many cases, he "forgot" to notify the state and send them the fine money; just kept that, too.

It was such a crooked system that Oklahoma (where I was born and raised and lived until I was almost 17) just did away with the Justice of the Peace courts, while Texas put them on a salary based on the population of their precinct. I don't know whether Oklahoma ever revived the old JP courts or not.

I can't remember them, but I have heard some of the stories. I don't think there are any JP's anywhere in OK now. The court system in some of the counties still pull some good ones though. Ocassionally bad enough that the bar association and the OK supreme court have to step in a pull a judge out of office.

 

[Bird]

I can't remember them, but I have heard some of the stories. I don't think there are any JP's anywhere in OK now. The court system in some of the counties still pull some good ones though. Ocassionally bad enough that the bar association and the OK supreme court have to step in a pull a judge out of office.

In 1956, we were living in Marietta, OK, and my dad owned a service station across the street from the courthouse. There were 2 highway patrolmen who lived there and worked that county, primarily patrolling U.S. 77 (I-35 hadn't been dreamed up yet). When they stopped an Oklahoma resident for a traffic violation, they just issued a citation, but when the stopped a violator from out of state (primarily Texans) they took him straight to the JP, regardless of the time of day or night. If the violator wanted to plead guilty,the JP set the fine, if the plea was not guilty, the JP set a cash bond amount. And sometimes when they didn't have enough money to pay the bond or fine, but did have a Texaco credit card, the officers would bring them to our service station and we'd write it up as if we sold them a battery or tires or such and give them the cash so they wouldn't have to spend the night in jail. (Such a practice on our part later became illegal, I believe, but not back then as far as I know).

It might be a little hard to believe now, but back then it wasn't uncommon for the officers to take a violator to the JP's home in the middle of the night, knock on the door, the JP would yell for them to come in, but not even get out of bed, and the JP would hold court sitting up in bed with the officers and violator standing at the foot of the bed.

 

[EddieWalker]

I met a guy one time that told me he sat on a jury for a very prominent, very wealthy local guy who was accused of killing another guy in a bar room fight. Their family is well known around here for their "oil" money and business interests. The case was pretty clear cut, they got into a fight, this guy stabed the other and killed him. If I remember correctly, this was about 20 years ago.

The guy on the jury said that during the trial, the mother of the accused stood up and told the judge that she wanted to talk to him in private right then and there. The judge agreed, and she went back to his chambers with lawyers from both sides. When they came back out, the judge dismissed the charges.

Rumor has it, and it's just rumor, that the mother took out her check book, signed three blank checks and told them to put in the amount that they wanted to make it go away. This is a very common rumor and the guy who sat on the jury didn't know what happened either. Just that after they came out from their meeting with the judge, it was a done deal,

A few years ago, that same guy was arrested for selling cocain and is now in jail for that offense. At no time was his earlier arrest mentioned in the news.

Rumor has it that East Texas justice is based allot on how much money you have and who your family is.

Eddie

 

[Bird]

I can't remember them, but I have heard some of the stories. I don't think there are any JP's anywhere in OK now. The court system in some of the counties still pull some good ones though. Ocassionally bad enough that the bar association and the OK supreme court have to step in a pull a judge out of office.

I can't remember just when they did away with the Justice of the Peace courts in Oklahoma, but I'll never forget the night I learned about it. Before they did, it was quite common for Texans to go across the border into Oklahoma, frequently late at night, to get married, because it was quick and easy to get married up there, while they had to wait, 3 days I think, for the results of a blood test in Texas. Anyway, it was either 1969 or 1970 when a cousin of mine, and his girlfriend, showed up at our house one night at the north edge of Dallas, said they were going to get married and thought it would be fun to go to Oklahoma right now to do it.

So my wife and I take them in our car and away we go to Durant, OK (and nope, we weren't even drinking). We got to Durant around midnight, and didn't know where to find a JP, couldn't even find a service station open, but then did find a police car and asked the officers where to find a JP. That's when they told us the JP courts no longer existed. So we told them why we were there, and of course they were laughing, but said if the couple wanted to get married, to go out to the Lake Texoma Lodge and see their security guy, Fuzzy Knight (and nope, I'm not kidding about the name). We did wonder if those Durant officers were kidding us, but we went out to the lodge, in to the front desk, and the desk clerk called Fuzzy Knight on their 2-way radio to come to the office and he did. He told us to meet him at the courthouse in Madill, and we met him and the clerk who unlocked the courthouse at 1 o'clock in the morrning and sold them a marriage license. Then we followed Fuzzy Knight way out in the country on a dirt road to a Baptist preacher's house, where he and his wife were up and dressed, and got my cousin and his girlfriend married in the preacher's living room about 2:30 a.m.