Fake Attorney

[Jasman0717 9]

http://www.ilw.com/immigdaily/digest/2009,0226.shtm

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

Free: Immigrants Taken by Fake Lawyer Pack Legal Fair

By Noeleen G. Walder

February 25, 2009

Hundreds of immigrants were left angry and confused when the man they thought was their legal counsel, Victor M. Espinal, was arrested for allegedly posing as an immigration attorney.

Nearly 125 of Mr. Espinal's clients poured into the lobby of the New York City Bar Association on Monday evening to attend a free clinic where 54 attorneys volunteered to help them sort through their legal and immigration options.

During consultations lasting approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Espinal's former clients could ask "any question under the sun" about immigration, according to Elizabeth Reichard, a Fragomen fellow who organized the three-hour collaborative effort between the City Bar Justice Center and the New York City chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

And while the largely Hispanic crowd was told the free advice was a "one-shot" deal, clients could expect to leave with a "road map" of available options, and a list of attorneys who had agreed to provide services at a reduced rate or sliding scale, Ms. Reichard said.

If a case struck the lawyers as "particularly sympathetic," the Justice Center or other advocacy organization might take it pro bono, she added.

Arrested on Jan. 21, Mr. Espinal allegedly carried business cards identifying him as an attorney with the "Immigrant Affairs Office" of the "N.Y. Legal Defense Unit," licensed to practice in California and the Dominican Republic. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office began investigating Mr. Espinal after several of his clients alerted the Immigrant Affairs Program Hotline.

A spokeswoman from the district attorney's office said that Mr. Espinal is registered to practice law in the Dominican Republic but has no U.S. law license. Clients of Mr. Espinal, who has held himself out as an immigration attorney since at least April 1992, according to the district attorney, come largely from the Hispanic community.

Jeremias Quezada, 39, a native of the Dominican Republic, said on Monday that he had retained Mr. Espinal in 1997 to help him obtain U.S. residency. Every time he saw Mr. Espinal, he had "an excuse" about why he had failed to file papers or meet deadlines.

"We had to do everything over and over," Mr. Quezada said in an interview. However, Mr. Quezada only became suspicious of Mr. Espinal when he saw him leaving the office appearing to hide under a large hat. Shortly after, when a shocked Mr. Quezada learned of Mr. Espinal's arrest on television, he phoned his office, but no one answered.

That is when he knew Mr. Espinal was a fake, he said.

Lina Castro, whose husband was deported to the Dominican Republic last week, said Mr. Espinal treated people "with attitude" and gave her bad advice. A 60-year-old U.S. resident, Ms. Castro said she gave approximately $5,000 in cash to Mr. Espinal in less than a year. "In shock" after learning of Mr. Espinal's arrest, and with no copy of her file, Ms. Castro called the immigrant affairs hotline.

She learned about the free bar clinic in a flyer accompanying a letter from the district attorney's office, and said she felt better following her free consultation with an attorney.

"I spoke more to this lawyer" than to Mr. Espinal, Ms. Castro explained in Spanish, during an interview translated by a friend who had accompanied her.

Even though her husband is still in the "yard," a nickname used to refer to the Dominican Republic, Ms. Castro said, "I feel better because they will [bring this] guy to justice, and because it won't happen to other people."

According to Chen Tien, a solo practitioner and immigration attorney who offered advice at the clinic, scams like the one Mr. Espinal allegedly pulled off are not uncommon.

"Immigrants don't know the system, they are afraid to ask questions," Ms. Tien said. And when they do not speak the language, immigrants "tend to rely on others for information," she added.

Jason Abrams of Abrams & Abrams said the "real reason" immigrants frequently fall prey to fraud is because of the confusion engendered by the term "notario." In many of their home countries, unlike the United States, a "notario" or "notario publico," is a licensed attorney, and some notarios take advantage of this confusion, he explained.

However, it is infrequent that an unlicensed individual actually goes so far as to hold himself out as an attorney, Mr. Abrams said.

Like many of Mr. Espinal's victims, Mr. Abrams learned about Mr. Espinal's arrest on television.

"A couple of days went by before I realized he was in my building," said Mr. Abrams, whose immigration law office is at 7 Penn Plaza.

One of several attorneys from the American Immigration Lawyers Association to propose the idea of a free clinic to Ms. Reichard, Mr. Abrams said the low quality of Mr. Espinal's work became evident on Monday night.

Mr. Espinal filed motions a year late, told clients it was okay not to show up at court appearances, and "took advantage of every single one of these people," Mr. Abrams said.

Mr. Abrams added that a liaison committee from the New York chapter of the immigration lawyers' association has been speaking informally with Andrea Quarantillo, who heads the New York district office of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, about making certain accommodations for Mr. Espinal's clients, including arranging for copies of their files to be sent to them, postponing upcoming interviews and withdrawing pending applications. However, he stressed in an e-mail that he had no formal arrangement in place.

Mr. Espinal, who has been indicted on multiple charges, including third-degree grand larceny, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison, is scheduled to appear tomorrow before Acting Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Obus (See Profile).

Clients of Mr. Espinal who need access to their files can make a freedom of information request to Citizen and Immigration Services. Requests will be expedited in the event of an upcoming court date.

A spokesman from the federal agency declined to comment on the matter.

story posted to save some clicking

link

[_Simpson_ 250]

this looks like a good segue(segway) for a lawyer joke -

Your in a room with a murderer, raiders fan and a lawyer. You have a gun but it only has 2 bullets in it. Who do you shoot?

You shoot the lawyer twice.

I wish I knew some tricks they used on the movie Wanted. I would make one of the bullets curve around and hit the raiders fan, there very annoying for those of you who dont know,lol.

[Nagishkaw 510]

From the Law Firm, Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Makes the choice of an attorney (for those who need/want one) that much harder, given that there are also bar-accreditted but quite incompetent attorneys (one of which I ran into with my own Labour-cert GC app).

[GaryC 7]

From the Law Firm, Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe.

[Jasman0717 9]

You shoot the lawyer twice.

[panamania79 2]

From the Law Firm, Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe.

And Shyster and Sons.

[panamania79 2]

http://www.ilw.com/immigdaily/digest/2009,0226.shtm

A plane crashes into the sea,the only survivors are a doctor,a priest,and a lawyer.Sharks come and gobble up the priest and the doctor right away but only swim around the lawyer,why is this ??????

Professional courtesy

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

http://www.ilw.com/immigdaily/digest/2009,0226.shtm

A plane crashes into the sea,the only survivors are a doctor,a priest,and a lawyer.Sharks come and gobble up the priest and the doctor right away but only swim around the lawyer,why is this ??????

Professional courtesy

what do attorneys use for birth control?

their personalities

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.ilw.com/immigdaily/digest/2009,0226.shtm

A plane crashes into the sea,the only survivors are a doctor,a priest,and a lawyer.Sharks come and gobble up the priest and the doctor right away but only swim around the lawyer,why is this ??????

Professional courtesy

what do attorneys use for birth control?

their personalities

[almaty 19]

A man went to a brain store to get some brain to complete a study. He sees a sign remarking on the quality of professional brain offerred at this particular brain store. He begins to question the butcher about the cost of these brains.

"How much does it cost for engineer brain?"

"Three dollars an ounce."

"How much does it cost for programmer brain?"

"Four dollars an ounce."

"How much for lawyer brain?"

"$1,000 an ounce."

"Why is lawyer brain so much more?"

"Do you know how many lawyers we had to kill to get one ounce of brain?"

The devil visited a lawyer's office and made him an offer. "I can arrange some things for you, " the devil said. "I'll increase your income five-fold. Your partners will love you; your clients will respect you; you'll have four months of vacation each year and live to be a hundred. All I require in return is that your wife's soul, your children's souls, and their children's souls rot in hell for eternity."

The lawyer thought for a moment. "What's the catch?" he asked.

Edited February 26, 2009 by almaty

[Saddle Bronc 124]

A man went to a brain store to get some brain to complete a study. He sees a sign remarking on the quality of professional brain offerred at this particular brain store. He begins to question the butcher about the cost of these brains.

"How much does it cost for engineer brain?"

"Three dollars an ounce."

"How much does it cost for programmer brain?"

"Four dollars an ounce."

"How much for lawyer brain?"

"$1,000 an ounce."

"Why is lawyer brain so much more?"

"Do you know how many lawyers we had to kill to get one ounce of brain?"

The devil visited a lawyer's office and made him an offer. "I can arrange some things for you, " the devil said. "I'll increase your income five-fold. Your partners will love you; your clients will respect you; you'll have four months of vacation each year and live to be a hundred. All I require in return is that your wife's soul, your children's souls, and their children's souls rot in hell for eternity."

The lawyer thought for a moment. "What's the catch?" he asked.Answered the lawyer, "eh, you're bettering the deal you gave me last time!"

Edited February 26, 2009 by CherryXS

[almaty 19]

lol

[Nagishkaw 510]