The Liberal OC’s Chris Prevatt says defense lawyers like Darren Aitken are scumbags!
I always thought that Democrats stood up for the little guy. When it comes to the law, I generally consider that Democrats are on the side of the defendants – the accused if you will.
Well, apparently I was wrong. The Liberal OC’s Chris Prevatt wrote a post today ripping Fullerton Councilman Shawn Nelson for being a defense attorney. That is really unfair to Nelson, who is running for the 4th Supervisorial District, since his practice offers a broad range of legal services, including counsel regarding business litigation and personal injury.
The fact is, our legal system needs defense attorneys. Ripping them is really an insult to our entire system of law, which holds that one is innocent until proven guilty.
And Prevatt overlooks the fact that there are hundreds if not thousands of lawyers, just like Nelson, in the O.C. who are in fact Democrats. In fact a huge donor to the Democratic Party of Orange County, Wylie Aitken, is one of them. You may recall that Darren Aitken, Wylie’s son, defended Prevatt’s buddy, Matt “Jerbal” Cunningham, when Cunningham screwed up and outed the names of victims of molestation by Catholic priests, a couple years ago. That’s right. Prevatt’s buddy Cunningham needed a defense lawyer!
Matt “Jerbal” Cunningham needed a defense lawyer, after he posted the names of victims of molestation
In that case, Cunningham was defending a Catholic Monsignore named John Urell, who covered up for a lot of molesters. Cunningham started a website/blog, called the “Friends of Urell.” On that site Cunningham posted legal documents that were not redacted. That resulted in the posting of the names of the victims of molestation.
Cunningham never should have had access to the legal documents in question. He eventually took down the Urell Amigos website and hired Aitken.
So if we are to believe Prevatt, Aitken is a scumbag for defending Cunningham?
Cunningham had a right to mount a legal defense. Aitken did his job and defended Cunningham. Does that make Aitken a monster? No, although Cunningham’s actions certainly were monstrous.
Nelson makes a good living as a lawyer. As an ethical professional he does not assume that his clients are guilty. He takes their cases and defends them, just as Aitken defended Cunningham, who actually WAS guilty.
Chris Prevatt
It would be one thing for Prevatt to attack Nelson on the issues, but that isn’t what he is doing. Prevatt, who didn’t go to college, is attacking a college-educated professional, for doing his job. That just isn’t fair.
Nelson by the way runs his own business. Prevatt? He works for the County of Orange. That’s right. We the taxpayers pay him. Lord knows what the heck we are getting for our money!
Don’t think the issue is the attorney role or the types of cases/clients Nelson has, it is his not discussing openly his business practice/experience.
If his background is for the most part criminal defense and his partner focuses on business clients, say it! Likewise if he is primarily a corporate lawyer disclose that and be done with this an issue.
The problem is by most reports he is primarily a criminal defense attorney, a noble and important cog in our legal system. Unfortunately that is not what most conservative or tea baggers want to hear from one of their candidates. Your right on point that the same career choice is lauded by dem’s who are imagined to stick up for the “little” guy (and I don’t mean the “little sheriff”).
I think Chris’s point is run on your record and background, not from it. By being evasive he adds fuel to something that would otherwise have gone away. This issue is really only important to conservative nominating efforts.
just…asking,
The voters want to know where the candidates stand on the issues, period. Nelson has a longstanding reputation as a fiscal conservative. His opponents, Galloway and Sidhu, are carpetbaggers. That is to say that they are lying about where they really live.
Prevatt is going after Nelson because he is a lawyer and he handles defense cases. Nelson has a stellar record as a lawyer with no complaints about him filed with the State Bar.
Prevatt is attacking defense attorneys, period. I am guessing he will be getting a few calls today from some of the Democratic defense lawyers in Orange County…
Cunningham outed the names of victims of molestation by Catholic priests, and nobody is blogging about this??? But Chris Prevatt does look like a creepy molester by the way. What a tool.
Matt Cunningham outed sex-abuse victims.
I posted elsewhere, specifically to Chris, That this pesky documnet called the constitution is a pain in the ass.
Along with the right to representation, Chris needs to keep going, This Miranda thing is absolute bullshit, as is the right to speedy trial.
Don’t get me started on that silly right protecting against unlawful searches.
Of course you won’t read my comments on any other blog, because the are quickly deleted.
Way to go “Fighter”. Was it nice in LOS ANGELES COUNTY THIS WEEKEND CHRIS?
Shawn Nelson makes his living as a defense attorney.
Darren Aitken makes his living as a plaintiff’s’attorney, and handled the defense in a single case cited.
Ask Darren Aitken if he is a defense attorney. He will revile you for it. Ask Shawn Nelson if he is a defense attorney, he will tell you “uhh, yeah.”
From the post — I always thought that Democrats stood up for the little guy —- ha ha ha. I couldn’t get past this. Who wants to force unions on workers who don’t want to be in a union? Who wants to crush charter schools and other types of efforts to reform education for the least among us? Who wants to put so many regulations on business that only giant corporations can compete and small business is forced out. Which party gets more wall street money and has the super rich in their back pockets. ha ha ha ha. Keep believing those fairy tales.
Your take regarding the Democratics being on the side of the “little guy” is not the way it is at all. They would have one believe that put its not at all accurate. As for most defense attorneys, well most of them have sold their souls.