Firstly my apologies for not blogging for a while, I have been pretty busy. Not a great excuse but it's the only I have.
The heading of this post refers to the three clients I have recently been involved with (in a purely legal sense of course). The trial on which I clerked last week ended in a guilty verdict for the counts of ABH and GBH. The length of sentence will depend on the pre-sentencing report which is being prepared.
On Thursday morning I was asked to go to Snaresbrook Crown Court to meet a client who was being produced on warrant, because of a failure to turn up to court on a previous date. Other than this I had no idea whatsoever why he was at court. With the barrister also being involved in three other cases I had to go down to the cells alone, fill in the legal aid forms with the client, and take instructions.
It turned out that the client was here for breaching his 18 month probation order he had been given for assaulting his girlfriend, and possessing two cannabis plants. Having established this I asked him what his instructions were, obviously informing him that the judge could re-sentence him for the original offences, or give him another chance with probation. The client looked at me and said,
"Well to tell you the truth I'm sick of probation so I would rather get a couple of months imprisonment, come out half way through and have it over done with".
Obviously I was a little shocked as I personally would do all I could to avoid going to prison, but looking at this client's form, doing a bit of bird would by like water off a duck's back (no pun intended). I informed the barrister of this, he spoke to the client, and agreed. He ended up in real terms with a two and a half month sentence. So that was two people in as many days who I had shook hands with before they were whisked off by the prison van.
On the Friday however I had the pleasure of going back to Croydon to clerk for the rape defendant (see previous post), because the CPS have decided not to go for a re-trial. I have never seen a man look so different in the space of a week. After five minutes in court for the Judge to enter a verdict of not guilty, I was able to shake the hand of a man who after a year has his life back. I know that some people that read this will say what about the alleged victim, and when will she get her life back, but I truly believe that to have found this man guilty would have imprisoned an innocent man. Obviously I welcome any comments to discuss this.
Well there is all of last weeks legal shenanigans, this weekend I went and helped my girlfriend move in to the house which will be our home for the next two years of undergraduate study. I am waiting to see if I will be required for work this week.
I also intend to post about joining an Inn (or deciding which one), and I also have a mini-pupillage to look forward to in the first week of September. Lastly thanks to all of the people who have added me to their blog links, please have a read of their blogs, which can be found in my links.
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4 comments:
Outdoor Clerking sounds as if it's interesting stuff - did you come by your position speculatively, through contacts or an agency? (just curious!)
The issue of Rape and Criminal Law is a deeply contentious issue, probably the only sort of crime where it all boils down to one person's word against another, often with sad consequences for both sides. I once wrote an assignment on the very issue, and found it hard not to get carried away thereby succeeding in transforming the paper into one enormous polemic.
As regards the choice of your intended Inn my advice would be to go and check out their respective web sites and see which one appeals to you. If you get the time and happen to be in London, go and visit them ( I think a visit makes a BIG difference to the ultimate choice, because its not a question of whether they will have you but rather one of whether you will have them!) see which one you think is going to suit you best.
Keep on Blogging.....!
Hi Law Minx, thanks for the comment. If you are in london I could email you the name of the company that I work for. Also if you read my post about clerking, the avenues open to you are discussed there. I came about mine because the company were actually advertising for clerks on their website.
Hiya BOB,
Thanks for the kind offer,of an e-mail, but I'm not in London, I'm afraid (other than for meals at the Inn!). I read your post about clerking with interest , though, and it still sounds as if it's quite good fun which also happens to pay some wonga!
Inner Temple is excellent.....advocacy training first class and easy to get to from Waterloo.
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