2006-07-30 05:57:04 · 13 answers · asked by kathy6500 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Like Jim Carey on Liar,Liar?
2006-07-30 06:00:23 · update #1
Nope. Being a lawyer means that you are a liar, and the very best lawyers are the ones who can lie over and over again and have no conscience
2006-07-30 06:35:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
Yes. And in fact, a lawyer must not lie if he wants to practice law. Lying is against the ethical requirements of every state bar. A lawyer caught lying to the court can lose the right to practice law anywhere.
Jim Carey's character could have gotten out so many those dilemmas if he'd been more intelligent. Take the court scene where he beats himself up to get a continuance. The court asks him whether can continue. A fully honest answers is "I'd rather not."
See, there is a legal difference between saying something that is literally true but causes someone to jump to a false conclusion, and saying something that is literally false.
Let's say I said "I have six fingers on my hands". That statement is literally true. But if I said "I have ONLY six fingers on my hands", that statement would be false. Yes, it's splitting hairs, but that's part of the legal profession.
That being said, there are times when a lawyer cannot split hairs. When speaking to a client, for example, or when speaking in an official capacity to the court (the judge), the lawyer must be scrupulously honest and must disclose any meaningful information that is not otherwise privileged or confidential.
Also, when it comes to arguing the law, attorney may use any colorable interpretation, as long as they do not know the interpretation is invalid. So, an attorney can argue what should be the definition of the phrase "breaking and entering", unless a higher court has already defined what that phrase should mean.
Finally, there are issues of privilege and confidentiality. A lawyer is not required to disclose information that would hurt their client. Nor can a lawyer say something they actually know is false. But if a client tells the lawyer something is true, and the lawyer doesn't have know that it's false, the lawyer can repeat that statement to the court. That's part of their duty as their client's representative.
I know several lawyers who lie to win their cases, and who give materially inaccurate information to the courts. I feel sorry for them, because they are risking sanctions and risking their carreer. And it's not necessary. Attorneys who need to lie to win are just not smart enough to win by telling the truth, and it'll cost them in the long run.
2006-07-30 09:42:53 · answer #2 · answered by coragryph 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ethics? Are you suggesting that lawyers should have ethics? Well they do have review boards when a lawyer's ethics are called into question, but guess who is usually on those review boards? More lawyers! Should you put a drug addict in charge of a Pharmacy? OK so that's not all that great of an analogy, but I am sure it's being done or tried somewhere.
I lived in a small town in Ohio for awhile where they were selling pot out the drive-thru window on the Burger King! Not much surprises me! I mean really, but a lawyer that doesn't lie or bend the truth probably could not be "effective counsel" how many times can we afford to retry a case because the defendants complain that they did not have competent counsel (although it may have been a "public surrender" (sorry I meant to type "public DEfender"...the truth is accidentally coming out) and it's difficult to speak of lawyers and truth in the same breath.
**Remember the lawyer of today is the politician of tomorrow! (you know I am laughing now!)
2006-07-30 06:23:57 · answer #3 · answered by ruthie_msw 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lawyers never lie. They just never can help without stepping on the big guys shoes. A difference there, when asked something, they have an answer for everything and it's always call this person or No I can't do that because it's not in my best interest.So anymore if you are not O.J Simpson then you better have just had a car accident, they can do that now. Get you a little for pain and suffering. What happened to the Lawyers that will fight for the people? They know what I'm talking about because they're not for the people. Just the people that are their working associates, which are the courts, police , oh Honey you name it!
2006-07-30 06:40:24 · answer #4 · answered by SecretUser 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. There are a good many who don't lie. Most lawyers dummy up when it comes to their client. The best lawyers drop or don't take cases if they feel that they could not ethically represent their client.
of course, the people who complain about lawyers the most are also the fastest to ask for one if they are ever in trouble and also the fastest to sue when they feel that they have been wronged. Go ahead and get rid of em! See who stands up for you when you really need it. Politicians? Don't be silly. A decent human being? Like those exist anymore... Less complaining about lawyers and more to change the way that the legal system works. That's the quickest way to lessen the amount of lawyers running around. By the way, about 40% are actually good people doing a good job. It's the other 60% that are chasing ambulances and getting people to sue over lost money in the stock market...
2006-07-30 06:10:16 · answer #5 · answered by celtfalcon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lawyers only interpret the law. And as any semi-educated person knows, laws can be interpreted in many ways. If a lawyer got caught lying in court, he could be jeopardizing his whole career. Many people think that all lawyer are creeps, but that's not true. I know it sucks when a seemingly guilty person gets off scot-free, but it's all a game. A game that helps keep the innocent out of prison. Nonetheless, in many cases, justice does prevail.
2006-07-30 08:19:15 · answer #6 · answered by Shawnie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. It's against the rules of their professional associations to lie, and it's generally a really bad tactic, anyway.
A *good* lawyer never needs to lie. In any court case, there's always a reason to see things from one perspective or another. The lawyer's job is to convince you that their client's view of the matter is correct.
2006-07-30 06:06:09 · answer #7 · answered by monkey_tester 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course. Many lawyers do not lie. They just keep their mouths shut if the truth can hurt the client.
Of course there are ways of spinning things, but outright lies are usually not necessary, and good lawyers don't do it for anyone.
2006-07-30 06:34:41 · answer #8 · answered by y_nevin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure you can - it happens all the time. You phrase things a certain way, or just don't answer. Only an idiot has to lie all the time.
2006-07-30 06:15:42 · answer #9 · answered by Catspaw 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i assumed they have been even stupider, on no account-the-much less, yet another sturdy piece of information that shows you may not have faith the regulation. Pity his undesirable soul, he grew to become into basically a stupid human. It cant be that undesirable can it?
2016-12-11 02:59:52 · answer #10 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋