Ghostwriters in the courts
July 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Uncategorized
Ghostwriting lawyers, beware, warns another federal judge in an opinion released last month.
Alexandria Senior U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris became suspicious when he compared Wilfredo Sejas’ pro se complaint to a similar challenge to a foreclosure Sejas filed against the same mortgage company in Prince William Circuit Court in 2009. And the plaintiff’s motion for a continuance in the federal case was signed “Wyman P. Rodriguez, pro se.” The telephone number provided on the pleadings did not belong to Sejas, the judge said.
The earlier complaint, drafted by counsel, said Sejas could not speak, read, or write English. Remarkably, the judge said, the new federal complaint was written in English. Either the plaintiff’s language skills improved dramatically in two years, or the pleadings were ghost-written, Cacheris said in Sejas v. MortgageIT Inc.
Cacheris cited two other Eastern District cases to remind lawyers that ghostwriting pleadings for pro se litigants violates court rules.
If you’re working behind the scenes to draft complaints for pro se plaintiffs, you’re violating ethics rules as well, the judge admonished before he dismissed the complaint on res judicata grounds.
By Deborah Elkins
Please contact us if you have questions or need legal assistance.
Tucker Griffin Barnes - Where deep insight equals powerful advantage.
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Alexandria Senior U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris became suspicious when he compared Wilfredo Sejas’ pro se complaint to a similar challenge to a foreclosure Sejas filed against the same mortgage company in Prince William Circuit Court in 2009. And the plaintiff’s motion for a continuance in the federal case was signed “Wyman P. Rodriguez, pro se.” The telephone number provided on the pleadings did not belong to Sejas, the judge said.
The earlier complaint, drafted by counsel, said Sejas could not speak, read, or write English. Remarkably, the judge said, the new federal complaint was written in English. Either the plaintiff’s language skills improved dramatically in two years, or the pleadings were ghost-written, Cacheris said in Sejas v. MortgageIT Inc.
Cacheris cited two other Eastern District cases to remind lawyers that ghostwriting pleadings for pro se litigants violates court rules.
If you’re working behind the scenes to draft complaints for pro se plaintiffs, you’re violating ethics rules as well, the judge admonished before he dismissed the complaint on res judicata grounds.
By Deborah Elkins
Please contact us if you have questions or need legal assistance.
Tucker Griffin Barnes - Where deep insight equals powerful advantage.
Tucker Griffin Barnes P.C.
Charlottesville, Virginia
434-973-7474
It is possible for a non-lawyer to represent him or herself in court effectively; I've done it. However it's not for the faint of heart. You MUST be able to read and understand instructions, and go in with the idea that it's not about YOU, it's not about JUSTICE -- it's all about the rules. If you don't follow the rules, you won't ever get to present your case.
ReplyDeleteThe fiction is interesting as the line on the Cacheris cited two other Eastern District.!!
ReplyDelete