My Position on State Bar & Attorney General Complaints Against Lawyers

[Matthew Chan]

After recording a series of videos yesterday, I felt the need to make a video to give a clarification of my position of using and making State Bar Complaints and Attorney General Complaints against those Lawyers whose sleazy legal tactics cross the line in doing their so-called jobs. 

Lawyers don't get to abuse their powers in their extortion letter-writing. They don't get to lie or exaggerate rampantly. They don't get to over-twist and over-bend the law to their liking. And they have a certain code of conduct, they should follow. No one can really stop what they do if they want to do it. But we, as non-lawyers, can fight back or get payback in a very potent and forceful manner to get them to back the frak off. Like any good weapon, power should be used responsibility and with discretion, not trivially. I have written this before but if someone wants take what I have said out of context, I get angry.

In this video, you will see I get a bit angry to the point I trip over my tongue and words a bit. But I think most of you will get my meaning.

[SoylentGreen]

Great video, Matt.  Sounds like you took some criticism for stating that complaints can be made to the state bar?

My thoughts are that lawyers do have some power, and as such the state bar with its formal complaint process are necessary to ensure that the profession is regulated.
Regulated, if only to prevent what must be a tiny number of unethical people from doing a lot of damage.

In any case, a lawyer that has acted ethically and within the law really has nothing to worry about, regardless of complaints.
I suspect any lawyer that is agitated over complaints to the state bar probably has an ethics problem, and shouldn't be practicing law.

S.G.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

In any case, a lawyer that has acted ethically and within the law really has nothing to worry about, regardless of complaints.
I suspect any lawyer that is agitated over complaints to the state bar probably has an ethics problem, and shouldn't be practicing law.

S.G.

Couldn't have said this any better! When one decides to go to far, not only should it be reported on, but it should also be brought to the attention of the State Bar and possibly the Attorney General.

You can bet your ass if I had received that letter from Brandon Sand threatening jail time over a civil matter I would have filed complaints and been very vocal about someone somewhere taking some sort of action.

Bottom line as I've said before, if your willing and make the choice to step into the arena, be prepared for bumps and bruises, especially if you want to try to play unethically..This whole issue of the extortion letters from Getty Images, Timothy McCormack, Hawaiian Art Network, all stems from how THEY choose to do business, perhaps if they chose to do things differently they maight not find themselves in this position.

I'm all for protecting ones IP, and I resepct IP, but these jack wagons trying to collect extortionistic amounts for images that quite frankly are only worth a few dollars at most truly disgusts me. They have the choice to twist the law to their own selfish needs /wants or the choice to handle this in a more morally and ethically way..

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

« Last Edit: Today at 12:36:13 PM by Matthew Chan »

Did I inadvertently drop the F-Bomb?

[Jerry Witt (mcfilms)]

No but you did drop the "jack wagons" bomb. I like it. I am now making that term a part of my every day conversation.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

No but you did drop the "jack wagons" bomb. I like it. I am now making that term a part of my every day conversation.

Make no mistake I selected Jack Wagons, because I need to be somewhat civil on the forums, but rest assured Mr Brandon Sand does not fall into this category of ass-hats, he belongs in the F#$ckTard category..

[lucia]

Did someone complain because Matthew suggested that if an attorney writes a letter that goes over board people can consider writing a letter to the state bar association?  Seems to me Matt's suggestion is perfectly valid.  On the one hand it's true that one shouldn't waste time writing frivolous letters. But if the attorney is acting outrageously or just participating in a borderline activity, why should someone who is threatened not write the state bar association? 

Is an argument explaining why writing a letter is inappropriate online somewhere?

[SoylentGreen]

I was thinking along the same lines as Lucia.
Which lawyer is butthurt over this?

S.G.

[Mulligan]

Is an argument explaining why writing a letter is inappropriate online somewhere?

If such an argument is available, I'd sure like to see it.

Like most bullies, it seems that copyright trolls can dish it out with their scary and threatening letters full of misrepresentations (if not downright lies) but they can't take it when someone stands up and dishes it right back in spades.

My old man used to tell me, "If a bully starts giving you a hard time, make a tight fist and hit him right smack on the nose." That was good advice more than 50 years ago when he gave it to me, and it's still good advice today when you're dealing with bully copyright trolls.

Good video. Thanks for making it, Matt.

[Moe Hacken]

There also this:

http://www.bbb.org/hawaii/business-reviews/art-galleries-dealers-and-consultants/hawaiian-art-network-in-honolulu-hi-27000881

Did you see that? An A PLUS! They must be doing something right, huh?

Also, a quote I stumbled upon during one of my Google vagaries:

Under US Code Title 18 §1951: “(a)Whoever in any way…affects commerce…by robbery or extortion…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. (b) As used in this section– (2) the term “extortion means the obtaining of property from another, with his consent, induced by…fear, or under color of official right.”

I'm not a lawyer but that sounds at least as serious as cropping out a copyright notice from someone else's copyrighted photograph. Just saying.

[SoylentGreen]

Also, look up "Barratry" which is a felony in some states:

Several jurisdictions in the US have declared barratry (in the sense of a frivolous or harassing litigant) to be a crime as part of their tort reform efforts. For example, in the U.S. states of California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, barratry is a misdemeanor;[4] in Texas, a misdemeanor on the first conviction, but a felony on subsequent convictions.[5]

• California Penal Code Section 158: "Common barratry is the practice of exciting groundless judicial proceedings, and is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months and by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000)."
  
  
• California Penal Code Section 159: "No person can be convicted of common barratry except upon proof that he has excited suits or proceedings at law in at least three instances, and with a corrupt or malicious intent to vex and annoy.")
  
  
• Revised Code of Washington 9.12.010: "Every person who brings on his or her own behalf, or instigates, incites, or encourages another to bring, any false suit at law or in equity in any court of this state, with intent thereby to distress or harass a defendant in the suit, or who serves or sends any paper or document purporting to be or resembling a judicial process, that is not in fact a judicial process, is guilty of a misdemeanor; and in case the person offending is an attorney, he or she may, in addition thereto be disbarred from practicing law within this state."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barratry

I brought this up some time ago... but maybe it seems more relevant in light of recent developments?

S.G.

[Matthew Chan]

Cry-baby attorney #1 cried to Attorney #2.  Attorney #2 then got huffy and cried to Attorney #3. I finally got wind of all this crying after an extended period of time and decided to clear the air.

As a result, there will soon be a follow-up video concerning "cry-baby attorneys" and how they operate. It will be a Rated-R video. Children under 17 not allowed to view it.

I was thinking along the same lines as Lucia.
Which lawyer is butthurt over this?

S.G.

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

I was thinking along the same lines as Lucia.
Which lawyer is butthurt over this?

S.G.

Why it's Mr. Rogers, I mean Timothy McCormack, according to the video, he likes to play dirty, but wants to stay clean himself...doesn't work that way Fred..

[Robert Krausankas (BuddhaPi)]

I think maybe this should be a team effort, as I might have a couple of things to say, that I have been holding back on for the last 3 years..

Cry-baby attorney #1 cried to Attorney #2.  Attorney #2 then got huffy and cried to Attorney #3. I finally got wind of all this crying after an extended period of time and decided to clear the air.

As a result, there will soon be a follow-up video concerning "cry-baby attorneys" and how they operate. It will be a Rated-R video. Children under 17 not allowed to view it.

I was thinking along the same lines as Lucia.
Which lawyer is butthurt over this?

S.G.

[Greg Troy (KeepFighting)]

I can't wait to see the video when it's ready. 

Also the A+ is just crazy for HAN on BBB.  Even Getty only has a C.  What I can't believe is that with all the letters and everything that have gone out they only have 56 filed complaints and 52 of them are for Billing and collection issues and 4 for advertising/sales issues.  I would have thought the numbers would have been a lot higher.

http://www.bbb.org/western-washington/business-reviews/photographs-stock/getty-images-in-seattle-wa-37000916

Cry-baby attorney #1 cried to Attorney #2.  Attorney #2 then got huffy and cried to Attorney #3. I finally got wind of all this crying after an extended period of time and decided to clear the air.

As a result, there will soon be a follow-up video concerning "cry-baby attorneys" and how they operate. It will be a Rated-R video. Children under 17 not allowed to view it.

I was thinking along the same lines as Lucia.
Which lawyer is butthurt over this?

S.G.