How The Legal Profession Earns the Public’s Contempt

Police, who take a relentless battering from Those Who Are High-Minded  —  especially lawyers (and criminal defense lawyers in particular)  —  are trusted more than twice as much by the public as their finger-waving critics.  But it’s not lawyers’ hubris or hypocrisy that most earns them the the public’s distrust.  It’s spectacles like this.

This is today’s headline from Law.com:  Supporters of Attorney Accused in Molotov Cocktail Case Speak Out During Arraignment

Here’s how the story starts:

Colinford Mattis, a lawyer accused of helping throw a Molotov cocktail at an unoccupied New York City Police Department vehicle in Brooklyn during protests against police brutality, pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment during a short arraignment Wednesday.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the hearing for Mattis was held by conference call, which was briefly interrupted by enthusiastic supporters.

“Love you, Colin,” one voice called out as the hearing began.

“We’re here for you, bro … the whole squad’s here,” other voices said.

Mattis’ attorney Sabrina Shroff reminded the group that prosecutors were on the line just before the court reporter announced that anyone who spoke had to identify themselves….

The article continues:

Over the sound of dozens of beeps as call participants hung up, Mattis’ supporters took the opportunity to speak without reprimand from the court reporter.

“There’s more than 500 people on this call for you, Colin,” one said.

“You’re doing great, Sabrina, keep it up girl,” another said.

One voice described the case as an example of “true systemic racism.”

“You got the whole country behind you, man,” another said.

If a single one of those 500 lawyers or lawyer-affiliated people expressed even slight misgivings about a big firm associate’s chucking a Molotov cocktail at a police cruiser, the article does not mention it.