More on Mandatory Public Service ("pro bono")

The more I think about the Missisissippi Supreme Court's desire to force attorneys to do mandatory pro bono, the angrier it makes me. I'm not affected at all by this, other than the way it affects all of us; the mindset of those in government to control every aspect of a person's life. It's not your time, it's the government's time. It's not your money, it's the government's money. These people have a philosophy that everything belongs to the government and you only get to have what they allow you to have, be it time, money or whatever.

While some lawyers have been charitable in their views on this, I will not relent on my opposition by this type of activity against any profession. There is no free lunch. Who does this court think will bear the cost of this increased burden on attorneys? The reality is that the cost will be paid by the lawyers' other clients. In other words, it is an indirect tax on consumers of legal services.

If the government wants to give away more goodies, then it should at least have the stones to step up and call it what it is - a tax. Why not tax consumers of legal services directly instead of stealing time from attorneys?

Mandatory Pro Bono in Mississippi

A current proposal in Mississippi would require attorneys to perform 20 hours of pro bono service or pay a $500 fine. Don't tell Obama about this, or he'll seek to put the same requirements on doctors so that the doctors get so pissed off over such involuntary servitude that they decide to change careers.

The people who come up with junk like this ought to be tarred and feathered. It sounds more like a sentence handed down from the bench. Just change "pro bono" to "community service" and you get: "you are required to perform 20 hours of community service or pay a $500 fine." Your crime? You chose the wrong profession and the government wants a pound of flesh so it can implement its pet project.

Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. said "I am interested in making sure that the poor have the same access to courts as those who can afford to hire attorneys. These are challenging economic times. We must be vigilant in making sure there are sufficient funds and people available to represent the poor."

Stealing time from attorneys will not solve the problems of the poor any more than stealing time from doctors will cure all the sick. Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. should be impeached for his lack of understanding of liberty and the individual rights set forth in the Constitution.