Over at the ABA Journal, a peculiar piece consisting of what may be either monologues or questions posted to an odd assortment of criminal defense attorneys on the pressing subject, what if you represented Osama bin Laden?
The lines-up is
Ron Kuby, talk-radio star and former protégé of Bill Kuntsler
Greta Van Susteran; former defense lawyer, Court TV host and current Fox News hottie
Alan Dershowitz, former radical Harvard law professor and current totally ordinary Harvard law professor
Roy Black, Miami criminal defense lawyer
Michael Tigar, former attorney for Terry Nichols and current American College of Law professor
Who is rip-roaring ready to defend the most hated man in America in homage to our most fundamental constitutional tradition of a fair trial before conviction? Well, nobody claims that they want the gig, but the only one of the bunch who doesn’t start out with an explanation of why he doesn’t want it but would only do it if he was forced to is Michael Tigar.
Besides his defense of the notorious Kansas City Bomber, Terry Nichols, whom he saved from the death penalty, Tigar defended New York criminal defense lawyer Lynne Stewart, maligned and convicted for her representation of the “Blind Shiek,” Omar Abdel Rahman. His approach is thoughtful and without self-aggrandizing hyperbole. Like a lawyer.
Of course, bin Laden has yet to be found, no less alive, and brought to the United States for prosecution. So why has the ABA Journal decided to interview lawyers on his behalf? The post doesn’t offer a reason, and I can discern none. But this hypothetical piece brings a few interesting bits of insight.
First, Ron Kuby is no Bill Kuntsler. Bill would have been first on line to represent bin Laden, having pushed everyone else out of the way for the chance. Ron’s idea is to flip bin Laden, under the premise that there is no one “too evil” or the government to make a deal with. But who would he rat on?
Then Greta, her foremost concern is that he get a fair trial, as near a perfect trial as America can muster. But not with her at the helm. She would, no doubt, be happy to interview him for Fox.
Dershowitz, the law professor, ironically is mostly concerned about how he would be paid. He would not take money form al-Qaida. He would insist that the money be clean.
Roy Black wants to use a CIA agency defense, though his source of information appears a bit shaky.
What about me? I don’t do advisory opinions. If bin Laden wants to find out, he’ll have to call.
The lines-up is
Ron Kuby, talk-radio star and former protégé of Bill Kuntsler
Greta Van Susteran; former defense lawyer, Court TV host and current Fox News hottie
Alan Dershowitz, former radical Harvard law professor and current totally ordinary Harvard law professor
Roy Black, Miami criminal defense lawyer
Michael Tigar, former attorney for Terry Nichols and current American College of Law professor
Who is rip-roaring ready to defend the most hated man in America in homage to our most fundamental constitutional tradition of a fair trial before conviction? Well, nobody claims that they want the gig, but the only one of the bunch who doesn’t start out with an explanation of why he doesn’t want it but would only do it if he was forced to is Michael Tigar.
Besides his defense of the notorious Kansas City Bomber, Terry Nichols, whom he saved from the death penalty, Tigar defended New York criminal defense lawyer Lynne Stewart, maligned and convicted for her representation of the “Blind Shiek,” Omar Abdel Rahman. His approach is thoughtful and without self-aggrandizing hyperbole. Like a lawyer.
Of course, bin Laden has yet to be found, no less alive, and brought to the United States for prosecution. So why has the ABA Journal decided to interview lawyers on his behalf? The post doesn’t offer a reason, and I can discern none. But this hypothetical piece brings a few interesting bits of insight.
First, Ron Kuby is no Bill Kuntsler. Bill would have been first on line to represent bin Laden, having pushed everyone else out of the way for the chance. Ron’s idea is to flip bin Laden, under the premise that there is no one “too evil” or the government to make a deal with. But who would he rat on?
Then Greta, her foremost concern is that he get a fair trial, as near a perfect trial as America can muster. But not with her at the helm. She would, no doubt, be happy to interview him for Fox.
Dershowitz, the law professor, ironically is mostly concerned about how he would be paid. He would not take money form al-Qaida. He would insist that the money be clean.
Roy Black wants to use a CIA agency defense, though his source of information appears a bit shaky.
What about me? I don’t do advisory opinions. If bin Laden wants to find out, he’ll have to call.
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Mike Tigar’s a badass. He makes the rest of those lawyers look like pikers (or maybe they do it to themselves).
As for me, I’m not sure I’d represent bin Laden. My job is to fight like hell to beat the rap. If bin Laden doesn’t value his life, and wants to use the trial as an instrument of his own martyrdom, I’m the wrong guy for the job.