Should The Cps/taxpayer Pay Nigel Evans Legal Expenses?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27007764

[hc4361]

It's not just Nigel Evans, though. You and me could be facing a similar legal bill if found not guilty due to the changes in legal aid.
You don't have to be wealthy to not qualify for it.

[sandyRoe]

He's an innocent man who walked from court without a stain on his character. If they don't pay his legal costs it will be as though he was fined £130,000.

[hc4361]

Dave Lee Travis has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal bills and will have to find even more to fund his retrial.

[Farriercm]

Do you think Maria Miller could lend a hand.

[Gromit]

No.

There are plenty of people who have to fork out to prove their innocence, so no special case should be made for an MP.

That is not to say the system is fair. It quite plainly isn't.

[mikey4444]

Well, its hard on Evans, in the same way as everybody else who is found not guilty, but I'm not sure what can be done about the situation. I asked a similar question when DLT was in a similar position.

Its seem that under the British justice system, you have two choices if brought to court....you either fight your case and face financial ruin if you win, or don't fight your case and be found guilty, thus going to prison, and face financial ruin anyway. Its a bit like the old test for witchcraft, by ducking stool. If you survived, you were a witch and was burnt at the stake, but if you drowned you were innocent.

We have our share of legal eagles here on AB...perhaps they have some input that could be helpful. It would seem reasonable that if he could demonstrate that he was wrongly charged, then a refund of his legal expenses might be considered. But we would be opening up a huge flood gate if we simply allowed all "not guilty" people to claim their fees back.

[Svejk]

it's a tricky one isn't it. they get reimbursed at legal aid rates.
if they choose to use the most expensive legal teams, and I don't blame them, should we pay for that? should public money prop up a two tier legal system?

[DrFilth]

aog do you now understand why innocent people plead guilty to a crime they did not commit

[mikey4444]

Perhaps if the CPS knew that they might have to refund people expenses, it would make them more careful about whether to take someone to court in the first place.

It has been said over the last few days, that in these high-profile cases, the CPS has been guilty of cobbling together lots of weak cases, in order to make one concrete case to answer. I am not sure if Evans did the things that he was accused of or not. The Jury seemed to believe him. But he has admitted to acting inappropriately.

[Gromit]

It softens the blow a little when you are paid £100K for being Deputy Speaker.

[Svejk]

cant see why anyone would plead guilty to a crime they didn't commit. have you proof of this, dr f?

[youngmafbog]

If there are that many not guilty then maybe the cps needs to be looked ino.
If you are innocent,not just Evans, then state should pay.

[sir.prize]

If someone is guilty then they pay. Therefore if they are innocent the accusers should pay.

[DrFilth]

Gromit it says in the link he got £30,000 for that job

> The case also cost him the £30,000-a-year extra salary he had received as deputy speaker.

[DrFilth]

Svejk i pleaded guilty to a speeding charge that the police trumped up on me

£25 fine and £5 costs

[mikey4444]

I tend to agree ymb, but I am afraid it would make the CPS too timid and then they wouldn't prosecute the right people. Damned if they do and damned if they don't I suppose. Judgement of Solomon needed here.

Evans seemed to have a lot of people standing up for him since his acquittal...perhaps they could all rally round and make a collection for him ?

[Gromit]

DrFilth,

Surely that is a mistake. An MPs basic salary is £65,000. Someone with additional duties would be paid more, not half.

[chrissa1]

If I were to take somebody to court and they were found Not Guilty, in other words, the court rules that I was wrong to bring the action, then I would have to pay the other sides costs.

That's the way it works. Why should an MP be any different?

[Svejk]

its all very well saying the state should pay. what if he chose/was able to pay £10million, what about £100million?
poor people, like me, would be subsidising legal services only available to the wealthy.

[mikey4444]

Chriss...I think that is true in a civil court but Evans and the rest were tried in Criminal Courts, which are not the same things at all.

I still think his best way forward is to pass the hat around. Perhaps a brown one might be appropriate.