> I had the perhaps unrealistic idea that we could find "just the
> right person"--one who would care about justice and want Kriseya's
> case because of the wrong done to her.  I thought if an attorney
> took it pro bono . . .
This is not an easy call to make.  Consider the plight of one couple I
tried helping, here in Virginia.  They'd spoken first with an attorney
in Williamsburg, a part time juvenile court justice.  By all accounts,
he became enraged upon hearing what had been done to these people,
turning red with anger.  He was well aware of goings on in the agency
in question, having heard similar accounts from clients.  The bottom
line was that he'd have to close his doors for a years time, devoting
himself exclusively to that particular case.
He closed by offering that he wishes he would win the Lottery, just so
that he would be able to close his doors, devoting all of his efforts
to such pro bono efforts.  He also stated that he felt there wasn't an
attorney qualified in that particular town to handle such a case.
Other calls resulted in being quickly brushed off.  All of the
attorneys in the phone book that advertise "Civil Rights" wouldn't
even look at the facts in the case, simply because they share a common
perception that you can't fight the agency.
Yet another attorney with whom they had spoken looked over the case,
provided to her in a thick folder.  (I gather they had seen her on an
unrelated matter). She listened to tape recorded conversations, and
was stunned by what had happened.  She recounted somewhat similar
cases, though not quite as blatant, in her area.  Still, after three
weeks of time, she suggested to them that "sovereign immunity" may
apply.  It doesn't, but she didn't so much as check the statutes to
see how they are written.
I had a situation last summer, one in which the apartment complex I
was in at the time went up for sale. The order was given to evict all
of the black residents, and section 8 recipients.  After several
months with no evictions, suddenly 41 are scheduled, of which the vast
majority are black.  Sure enough, I found an attorney, a lovely lady,
who took a heartfelt interest in the case.  She took daily faxes from
me, relaying them to the ACLU.  She spoke with residents, helped file
appeals (which didn't go through because the judge imposed a 6 month
bond per case, and the ACLU couldn't come up with $20,000 on two
days notice). She devoted a great deal of her time trying to help.
The question is, as Golden as her heart is, how effective would she
be in handling a case such as yours?  Could she afford to?  Still,
I'll call her, as she seems well connected to the ACLU, and may just
have a name in your area.  I'm glad you reminded me.
In any event, we hear cases of attorneys taking cases pro bono, just
as we hear of surgeons performing open heart surgery or a transplant
on someone who can't afford the operation.  It is a rare enough event
that it makes Nightline.
One would think that with all of the glaring injustices, in light of
the fact that there is no shortage of attorneys, that you'd see more
pro bono activity.  Sadly, such is not the reality of the world in
which we live.  This doesn't mean that you can't find one, but there
are questions that need to be addressed quickly.
One of the key questions is that of can any additional material be
presented in this case under appeal?  If not, you have some time to
shop around while you await the decision.  If the answer is "maybe,"
you'd better tend to it quickly, as another brief may just make a
difference.  Will the court, under any circumstances, allow for
additional input from you, or have they heard all at this point?
Hope this helps.  What is that inner voice saying?
I'd be more than happy to look over the material you plan to send.
Also, please have the Ingram people send me some information.  As I
said, it is not possible to overload me with information.  My problem
is I can't seem to get my hands on enough of it quickly enough.
Once again, my new address is:  Box 366, Lacey Spring, VA 22833
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