Is There Any Point In Having Someone Opening Your Post For You If They Don't Tell You What's In It?

[sandyRoe]

http://sport.uk.msn.com/trending-blog/shaun-wright-phillips-escapes-jail-because-he-doesnt-open-his-own-post1298327

[boxtops]

How ridiculous. They should fine the agent for not passing on legal information!

[Spoonboy]

There he is trying to get a ball passed the goal post, no wonder he wants someone else to do all the really hard stuff for him!!

[Prudie]

What a crock! Actually my OH opens my post at my request as I have a phobia about official letters but he wouldn't keep that from me.

[Hopkirk]

He's lying

[FredPuli43]

It's the old story. Magistrates are pushovers for a decent lawyer. You can tell them any old rubbish and they accept it. I remember a QC turning up. The chairman looked at the slip we fill in , so the Bench knows our names. When he saw "Basil Wigoder QC", he passed it , nodding and pointing, to the others. After that, the case was won. They hung on every word from him as though it was divine revelation. No local solicitor could have achieved the result. We may safely assume that this defendant didn't have one.

[sandyRoe]

Could the magistrate not have called the agent to explain why the information in the letters wasn't passed on?

[FredPuli43]

They could ask why the agent wasn't present, if he wasn't, Sandy. The old line is "Have you seen this man lately? Was he fit and well? This is a matter of great importance to you. Have you done anything by way of telling him about it?" [You might add "No?Perhaps he hasn't opened your mail to him"]

The case is full of holes. He might have escaped jail anyway, but this is prima facie ludicrous

[Peter Pedant]

.


Lord Wigoder QC was detailed to defend Paul Hill - one of the Irish bombers and erm didnt quite get away with it so to speak - his client served 16 y in prison.

see: http://innocent.org.uk/cases/guildford4/guildford4.pdf

[sandyRoe]

Clarence Darrow couldn't have successfully defended a member of the 4 at that time.

[Jeza]

Not that I believe a word of it but not a bad defence though. Next time I get done for speeding I'll employ him. If I could afford him. People with money get away with murder (so to speak)

[FredPuli43]

Well,PP ,we can't win them all ! Would be nice to get a draw in a few, mind. I was in Chambers with Basil Wigoder. We once had an appeal for a child murderer but forgot to turn up. Their Lordships dismissed the appeal in our absence .We didn't think that this was very sporting. We did think to blame our clerk, for missing it in the list, but wiser counsel prevailed. After all, the clerk holds the purse strings. (I hope this story reinforces everyone's confident belief in British justice)