Stupid Criminal Files: What Good Is the Right to Counsel If You Hate Lawyers?

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Stupid Case File for May 20, 2007

What Good Is the Right to Counsel If You Hate Lawyers?

Check out this post on the Decision of the Day blog. It's funnier than ...

U.S. v. Baucom, 06-4229 (4^th Cir., May 16, 2007)

The Sixth Amendment right to counsel gives criminal defendants the right to be represented by a lawyer in good standing. It does not give them the right to have a non-lawyer buddy represent them in court. But you have to hand it to these tax-evading defendants for trying. This Fourth Circuit decision details the defendants’ extensive efforts to dissuade the district court of the conventional wisdom that “counsel” means “lawyer.” This affidavit is particularly noteworthy: