Tuesday, August 12, 2008

For Sharpe James, it’s ‘me, me, me, me’…”

There is an old lawyers' saying that a man who represents himself will have ….a fool for a client. And that is what Sharpe James has decided to do in his appeal: Represent himself.

In the end, this may not actually 'appeal' to him.

Our good friend, writer Jeff Whalen over at the Star-Ledger, has noted that, James filed ‘pro se’ [for himself in Latin]….. "signaling that he is not represented by attorneys in the matter.” In the past at different times, James was represented by Raymond Brown, and then Thomas Ashley and Alan Zegas.

This is the same guy who ruled Newark for twenty years, was named Mayor of the Year in 2002 by the US Conference of Mayors, and rode a bicycle through City Hall to file his re-election petitions in 2006.

There is a reason why a barber does not cut his own hair, a dentist does not work on his own teeth, and a person should not represent themselves in court.

It’s like trying to kiss your own elbow.

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