Coronation Street
Time for the start of what may turn out to be a very lengthy rant.
In Coronation Street.. possibly the only decent soap in the UK as it’s based in Manchester… we are building up for a murder trial. The portrayal of criminal lawyers on TV is one of my favourite things. It helps to remind myself the meaning of the word “fiction”.
I have to admit, I am often so bad when watching legal dramas that I have been officially banned from watching the likes of Judge John Deed. Mainly because it’s shit, but also because I have been known to throw things at the TV when he’s on.
Back to the point though. To update for anyone fortunate enough not to have watched Coronation Street, Charlie Stubbs (builder, dirty shagger and general all-round good quality character) has had his head caved in courtesy of his scheming and minging girlfriend Tracey Barlow. Worryingly, Techno Scouse took great interest in this plotline. For the record… If I am ever killed in supposed self-defence, it’s an elaborate plot so the little Scouse minxtress can try and get her hands on the flat.
Anyway… for some bizarre reason, Tracey wasn’t happy with her first solicitor. I was lucky enough to miss why, as I’m sure it was a very life-like scene. However, she has now instructed a second solicitor. To do this, her family are having to pay the fees directly. For some reason, the new solicitor has claimed that she will have to wait until the preliminary hearing before she can ask a judge to consider swicthing legal aid. Even more spectatularly, she has said that in the event the judge doesn’t grant the swap and they want her to do the whole trial it could cost £100,000.
It’s ridiculous shit like this that makes people think that working in criminal law is remotely financially rewarding! Last year, we ran a trial for an attempted murder case (not guilty…justice was done). Our fees for this were paid this week, and we received the exhorbitant sum of 2,500. This included 3 or 4 long meetings between me and the defendant, visiting an assortment of witnesses, and working my arse off making sure I had found every weakness in the Prosecution case (of which there were many).
I accept that for an actual murder, there would be a longer trial, and probably a bit more evidence to sift through. However, I somehow doubt that there would be any way in hell that we could run up fees of 15k. Add on fees for a barrister and QC, and I think you would still be safely below 35k (and that is a generous estimate).
My current firm doesn’t bring in anywhere near 100 grand in a whole year, let alone for a single murder case!
And as for the whole bollocks about waiting for the prelim before applying to vary the Representation Order… utter tosh. You’d write a letter to the othe solicitors and the Court, and if necessary make a formal application in Court. At this stage of proceedings, then there would be no problem provided the defendant had a good reason for wanting to switch.
It just annoys me… if you’re going to try and have these plots, is it really so much to ask to do some bloody research?
I have no comment really, I dunno what to say.
Pissed me off last night!
Story so far is that Tracey ” the murderer ” has got out of prison on bail as the lad from next door has come to her defense in order to slander Charley ” the dead guy ” who he is still jealouse of as the girl he likes is very upset about his death… she had an affair with him b4 he died, thus leading to his death really.
But what pissed me off was the stupid storyline that Tracey now wanted to go back to Charley’s house to get her things. This is where the murder took place so was now obviously open to any member of the public and not cautioned off at all!
I remember when I used to live in Lymm ( nice place shame about all the bloody snobs! ) There was a murder there and the area was cautioned off for nearly 6 months! Yet in soap land they only need 4 days…. pffft!