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Poultry Community Council News
This piece is taken from the Poultry Community Council News of Jay, Okla.
National Press: Attorney General’s Arrangement With Trial Lawyers Is Unethical, Bad for Business Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the poultry industry has attracted the attention of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. However, they were not the headlines the Attorney General was hoping for. | |
Edmondson garnered national attention for his decision to pay his lawyers a portion of any money recovered from the poultry companies instead of using lawyers on his staff or paying a firm by the hour. At last estimate, almost half of the potential settlement has been allocated for legal fees. The decision is being critiqued as a violation of public interest and reckless use of state money. | |
| Much national discussion around the lawsuit focuses on concerns of fairness. There is a fear that such a payment system may lead to an inappropriate relationship between politicians and trial attorneys. A lawyer hired by an elected official who benefits from such a settlement may be more likely to contribute a significant portion of their winnings to the politician’s next campaign. It also leads to worries about the separation of powers. The Oklahoma legislature bears the responsibility for allocating money. However, in this case, the Attorney General has taken that role upon himself. Click here to read the full Wall Street Journal article (PDF), and click here to read the full article featured in the New York Times (PDF). Click here for a full version of the op-ed article. | |