Final Word from Monday, June 18, 2012
If an accused person has the right to a lawyer, a corrupt political
system should also have the right to legal representation when it
comes under attack in the court of public opinion, right? The
attorney who most often volunteers to play this role on behalf of
the accused Czech political system is Tomáš Sokol. When asked
about the CASA case, he said it will be very difficult to prove the
guilt of Vlasta Parkanová, but he admitted that he doesn't know
the details. An attorney defending the rule of law would say
something like, "I don't know the details, but I have full faith in
the country's law-enforcement agencies." But that could get
Sokol in hot water with his two paying clients in the David Rath
case, who will presumably base their own defense partly on a
conspiracy of the police and state prosecutors. With Sokol
providing such good service to the Czech state, it just doesn't
seem fair that he should be doing it pro bono.[Czech Republic corruption]
Glossary of difficult words
in hot water - in a situation of difficulty, trouble or disgrace;
pro bono - without charge; for the public good.