Jeff Blackburn, an attorney who has helped spring dozens of Texans from prison for crimes they did not commit, is under scrutiny for privately profiting off some of the exonerated by claiming a portion of the state restitution paid to them, reports the Dallas Morning News. Blackburn is chief counsel of the nonprofit Innocence Project of Texas. Accepting fees from exonerees for services not directly connected to his position is not illegal. But a public watchdog group says it appears improper, and a state legislator says he may file a bill to prohibit such profits.
Blackburn is being sued by one exoneree who says he shouldn't have to pay. Blackburn declined to discuss his work other than to say he was "shocked" at the lawsuit filed in state court by Steven Charles Phillips, a Dallas County man wrongly imprisoned for 25 years for a string of sex crimes. Phillips' lawsuit alleges that Blackburn used his position with the Innocence Project to hand-pick cases that would represent the greatest potential compensation funds. The lawsuit says he then referred the exonerated men to a lawyer colleague, with whom he divided what the lawsuit estimates to be about $8 million for fees from 13 clients exonerated in recent years.
Posted by David Baker
Monday, December 28, 2009 01:16
Hey, let’s not leave out the judges, witnesses, and others involved in these cases who might be expecting a ‘cut’ from the lawsuit proceeds. I’m 100% positive that none of these ambulance chasers would find such exculpating evidence in a murder/brutal rape case if the perpetrator committed the crime against THEIR relatives…
Posted by Gritsforbreakfast
Monday, December 14, 2009 09:34
I added some <a href="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2009/12/exonerees-lawyers-fees-and-innocence.html" rel="nofollow">additional perspective on that story here</a> on Grits for Breakfast. The critique here is basically that because getting innocent people out of prison and suing over civil rights claims in federal court is do-gooder work, lawyers shouldn’t be paid for it. Righteous causes, apparently, may only be pursued pro bono, by wealthy saints.
Posted by Johnny Law
Friday, December 11, 2009 02:00
It’s common knowledge in the panhandle these two have been in cahoots together for a couple of decades. As Deepthroat said in, All the President’s Men, “Follow the money!”.
Posted by Skeptic
Friday, December 11, 2009 01:18
They need to look back on the last 20 years with this guy and his colleague. I’m guessing the story could get real interesting.