Article View: misc.rural
Article #1032Re: ADVENTURES WITH BLACK CLIENTS
From: charles
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 15:10
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 15:10
366 lines
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23707 bytes
"Godzilla Pimp" <GodzillaPimp@notme.net> wrote in message news:<N9yyb.29119$Rk5.3493@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net>... > URBAN LAW 101 > > ADVENTURES WITH BLACK CLIENTS. > > by Donald Williamson, Attorney > > published in American Renaissance Vol. 14 No. 9 (September 2003) > > I grew up in a suburb of a large northern city, and had no real contact with > blacks until I became a lawyer. After I got my law degree I naively looked > forward to a rewarding legal career. Little did I realize that 25 years > later I would be a self-employed attorney doing domestic and civil > litigation for a clientele that is overwhelmingly black. I didn't plan it > that way. I just wanted to do a lot of work in the courtroom, and the best > offer I got out of law school was with a small firm that specialized in > bankruptcy. Most of its clients were black. Several years later, I set up an > independent practice and many of my former clients came to me for domestic > work. > > Most people do not realize this, but outside the world of corporate or > securities law, in any big city the legal profession is to a large degree > fueled by the pathologies of blacks and other Third-World people. Of course, > whites hire lawyers, but in any city, especially one with a good-sized black > population, most of the people who need lawyers are black. In this respect, > lawyers are like police officers or social workers - they rarely deal with > ordinary white people. To a large degree, I became racially conscious > because of my black clients, who eventually destroyed all my preconceived > notions about race. My awakening did not come from one or even a few > incidents, but from the accumulation of thousands upon thousands of small > interactions. > > My black clients eventually destroyed all my preconceived notions about > race. Day after day my clients continue to amaze me. There is no racial > education quite so thorough and convincing as spending time with blacks, and > my clients are far from being the poorest and least competent blacks. They > are not indigent criminals for whom I am a court-appointed lawyer. They are > people who can afford (or think they can afford) a lawyer to get a divorce, > contest a custody judgment, beat a traffic ticket, etc. Some are government > employees who make $60 to $70 thousand a year, yet even this group is vastly > different from whites. > > THEY DON'T KNOW > > One of the most striking things about my black clients is the things they do > not know. Many blacks, for example, do not know their own telephone numbers. > They may think they do but they don't, and the problem has gotten worse with > the proliferation of cell phones. At least a third of the numbers they leave > with my receptionist or on my answering machine are wrong numbers. Often, a > potential client will call several times, each time leaving a variation of > the same phone number. I keep calling until they get it right. At first I > thought I was taking down the numbers incorrectly, but now I know better. > With caller ID, it is clear when what the client says does not match the > digital display. Some callers don't even leave a number. About a quarter of > the messages blacks leave do not include either a name or a number. Needless > to say, many calls are not returned. > > More than a handful of blacks who have come to my office do not even know > their own home address (they move often). Many cannot tell me their own > spouse's names. Now I know to tell clients ahead of time that they will need > this sort of information when they come in. Otherwise, if I ask for > someone's address he may look hurt and say, "If I'd known you were going to > ask me that I would have come prepared." > > Many black men know their children's names but do not know how to spell > them. With the proliferation of unusual names among blacks, I can only guess > at how they are spelled. One client who told me he couldn't spell his > children's names said I would need an encyclopedia to look them up. Many men > have admitted to me they are not even sure how to pronounce their children's > names. Black woman, on the other hand, often become incensed if you > mispronounce the very unusual names they have given their children. > > The most unusual name I ever came across was Iisszzttadda. I have never met > a person, white or black, who could pronounce it correctly. To my surprise > the name is pronounced, "I seize the day." Iisszzttadda had siblings named > Raheem, Utopian, Desiorme, Sid-Timothy, Kizzma, and Larilaril. I have > occasionally asked clients the reasons for such unusual names, but the most > common answer is "I don't know. It just sounded good." This is the answer I > got from a mother who named her child Latrine. (See sidebar for actual names > of blacks I have encountered in my practice.) I once had a client in my > office who did not know his own name. He had been called by his nickname for > so long he couldn't remember his given name. This is not as shocking as it > sounds. Some black names, like Phe-anjoy or Quithreaun or JyesahJhnai, are > so odd, it would be no surprise if they were never used and eventually > forgotten. > > Some Names of Blacks Encountered in My Practice > > Aaja (pronounced Asia), Acacia, Ajeenah, Akai, Aquanita, Aryan White, > Baleria, Barbertha, Callie (pronounced Kelly), CaAndi, Chetiqua, Cloteal, > Curly Top, Darhies, Dayphine, Debrasharme, Derecio, Dertiteriesa, Dikueria > and Dikuria (twins), Dildree, Dishon, Dovanna, Duanita, Dyiamond, Dwendolyn, > Effillyne, Elizabeth Taylor, Endrissa, Equandolyn, Esaw, Everage, Floyce, > Franshawn, Ghia, Godzilla Pimp, Ivier, Jartavious, JyesahJhnai, Keithen, > Kentnilla, Lafondra, La,poo (yes, contains comma), Latronia, Lemonjello and > Orangejello (twins), L'Tonya, Machoda, Nau-Quia, Mayima, Minute, Miquel, > Nethel, Omnipotence, Ondra (pronounced Andre, Ozro, Padraic, Pecola, > Phe-anjoy, Precious Unique, Queen Esther, Quithreaun, Rincesetta, Sanja, > Saranus, Shanieja, Sharicus, Shiquipa, SiJourna'i, Silquia, Sinetra, Summer > Love, Termicka, Tequilla, Timphanie, Tryphenia, Tywana, Tzaddi and Tzavvi > (twins), Ulheric, Undlia, Undrea (pronounced Andre), Wsam, Xiomara, XL, Yaw, > Yuvodka Sharice, Wilida, Zaquan, Zufan, Zyneene. > > Since appointments mean so little to my clients, I decide each day when I am > available, and tell everyone to show up at the same time. Names are not the > only things blacks do not know. Once when I was filling out a form for a > female client I asked if she knew how old her husband was. She told me she > didn't know. I asked her the next question on the form, which was her > husband's birth date. Amazingly, she knew it - and was genuinely surprised > when I told her she could figure out her husband's age from his birth date. > > When potential clients call for the first time, often the hardest part is to > figure out why they are calling. Usually they begin in the middle of the > story. If you let them, they will go on and on, and say nothing. Clients may > call about papers they got in the mail, but never have the papers in front > of them. They may call for information, but never have a pen or pencil ready > to take it down. I have learned to ask direct questions: "What is your > name?" "What is the problem?" If a client cannot tell me in three minutes or > less what the problem is, I tell him to come to my office and bring a small > retainer fee. That way at least I will have to listen to their ramblings > only if they are prepared to pay. > > Blacks with whom I have already spoken seem to think I should know instantly > who they are when they telephone. After I get on the line, a typical > conversation may go like this: > > "Who am I speaking to?" > "I am your client." > "I have many clients, can you tell me which one?" > "I am your divorce client." > "Can you tell me your name?" > "Rufus." > "Rufus, can you tell me your last name?" > > The conversation may go on for some time before I finally figure out who is > calling. > > I do not take personal injury or product liability cases, but blacks are > always asking about bringing suits of this kind: "My vacuum cleaner broke. > Can you help me?" > > Most of my clients who are not black either show up on time for appointments > or call if they must reschedule. Amazing as this may seem, only about five > percent of my black clients show up on time, and by that I mean within an > hour of the appointed time. Only one in five show up on the appointed day. A > few trickle in a day or two later. Most just never show up. Missing an > appointment never embarrasses black people. They call repeatedly for new > appointments, making four, five or even six appointments and then miss them > all. I had one client who called more than 50 times before he finally came > to my office. Rarely do I ever get a call from a black client canceling an > appointment. > > When I first started out as a lawyer I would call clients in advance to > remind them of their appointments. They thanked me, but it made them no more > likely to show up. Also, I used to call clients and potential clients who > missed appointments, and try to have them reschedule. This did very little > good. The most common response was, "Why are you calling me?" and it was > never their fault that they didn't show up. They had many different excuses, > but I never heard, "I forgot," or "I'm sorry I didn't make it." > > Since appointments mean so little to my clients, I decide each day when I am > available, and tell everyone to show up at the same time. On Saturday > afternoons I can have as many as twenty appointments for the same time. > Usually it is not a problem because few show up and even fewer show up on > time. Only once in the last 20 years did everyone show up. > > Many of my clients are unable to explain even the most basic facts. Often > they must take the witness stand, and no matter how many times we have gone > over the testimony in advance, I can be surprised by what they say. Some are > simply lying and get tangled up in their lies, but most have such low IQs, > they cannot describe even the simplest things. Often they seem to say the > first thing that pops into their heads. When they are questioned further > they cannot remember what they said previously. > > I once had a client whose wife was suing him for child support. In > discussions before trial he told me he had two children from a previous > marriage. This was favorable for him because it meant he would probably owe > his current wife less money. At trial, his wife testified that my client had > no children outside of their marriage. When I asked him on the stand how > many children he had before he married his current wife, he said he had > none. Later I asked him why he had answered that way, when he told me before > that he had two other children. "Did I say that?" he asked. I never found > out which version was true. > > Many of my clients have a hard time following simple directions. Once I > appeared in traffic court with a client. In lieu of a conviction he was to > see a traffic safety movie. The courtroom was on the second floor of the > courthouse, and the traffic safety movie was shown on the first floor. The > client was to come back to the courtroom with proof - which would be given > him on the firsfloor - that he watched the movie. Both the judge and I > explained this to the client. At the designated hour my client did not come > back to the courtroom. Later that afternoon I got a call from the judge, who > told me my client had completely misunderstood the instructions. He went to > the nearest commercial movie house, saw a movie, and brought back his movie > ticket stub. > > Long ago I stopped asking my clients why they did something. It is not worth > the effort. Most don't know. The ones who know usually cannot give a > coherent answer. Even if they can give a coherent answer, it usually changes > every time you ask. > > For example, one of my black divorce clients tried to hide assets from his > spouse - this is not uncommon. Through discovery it came to light that he > had secretly bought a piece of property after the divorce had begun. He put > his wife's name on the title, a very odd thing to do, since he was trying to > hide the property from her. I made the mistake of asking him why he did > that. True to my previous experiences, he could not give an answer that made > sense. > > Clients sometimes tell me they knew they were being cheated, but signed the > papers anyway. I have given up asking why they signed, because I know I will > not get an intelligible answer. > > My clients make mistakes in written and spoken English that are often > comical. One client in a criminal case told me he was telling the truth, and > was willing to take a "polyester test" to prove it. Another told me he > desperately wanted to see me, and needed an appointment "between Tuesday and > Wednesday." One who bounced a check told me the problem was "insignificant > funds" in his account. I have had clients who have "profiteering" plans at > work, want an "uncontestable" divorce (or a "detested" divorce, or an > "untested" divorce), had "insects" (incest) in the family, need an > "annoyment" (annulment), want a free "flirtation" (consultation), ask about > my "container" (retainer), want to "consultate" about a divorce, or had to > meet with "media people" (mediation counselors). One man told me, "I own a > car but it is not mine," and one who was accused of indecent exposure > insisted, "I didn't take my stuff out of my pants." > > It took me some time to understand certain kinds of black slang. Within the > first month of my independent practice a man called to ask if I could "put a > suitcase on a cat." After much inquiry I realized he wanted to know if I > could file a law suit against someone. Within the week I got another call > asking if I "did luggage." Since I now knew about suitcases, I said yes, I > do luggage. I pride myself on doing good work for my clients, but I cannot > remember even once being thanked or complimented by a black client. They do > not observe even the most common courtesies. Also, with rare exceptions, > blacks will never admit they made a mistake. When things go wrong, as they > inevitably do, it is always someone else's fault. The most common excuse > blacks give is, "They are putting me through the changes." I have yet to > figure out exactly what that means. > > Most people tell lies because they think a lie will help them. I have come > to the conclusion that most of my clients cannot distinguish between a > plausible lie and a wild fairy tale. They are convinced people will believe > anything they say. Clients often tell me some fantastic story I cannot > possibly defend in court. If I tell them what they are saying is > unbelievable the usual reaction is anger and screaming. Typically, they will > add, "I'm paying you. You have to believe what I say." > > One client was willing to take a "polyester test" to prove he was telling > the truth. Sometimes, despite my warnings, clients will get on the stand and > tell obvious, outright lies. The judge may interrupt the testimony and tell > me to go outside with my client to "get your story straight." They are not > going to sit in court and listen to fairy tales. I take my client outside > and tell him he has got to tell the truth, or at least say something > believable. My client then starts screaming. "Why are you talking to me this > way? You're supposed to be on my side." > > I once had a client testify about his assets in a divorce case, in which the > court was to determine whether he should pay his estranged wife temporary > support. My client was a store-front preacher, and testified that he lived > in the marital residence with his wife, though in separate quarters. His > wife testified that he was out living with his "ho." My client went on and > on about how this was impossible because he was a Man of God. I thought he > was lying. The judge ruled that if my client was living with his wife he > should share household expenses, which he was not currently paying. At this > point, my client realized there was a cost to pretending to be a Man of God > living with his lawful wife, and changed his tune. "Judge why are you > believing me?" he said. "Believe my wife. I am nothing but an old lying > nigger." No one in the courtroom could stop laughing. > > OUTSIDE KIDS > > "Outside kid" cases are one of my specialties. For those not in the know, > blacks call any child born out of wedlock an outside kid. Black men are good > at making children but not at supporting them, and this can be a terrible > burden under laws written with white people in mind. > > In my state, the parent who does not have custody - almost always the > father - pays a percentage of net income to the parent with custody - almost > always the mother. The mother gets 20 percent of the father's net income for > the first child, 25 percent for two children, and up to 50 percent for five > or more children. What if a man has children by several women? Each mother > gets 20 percent for the first child, so a man with five children by five > different women is supposed to be paying 100 percent of his income in child > support. I once had a client who had 12 different children by 10 different > women. Theoretically, he owed 250 percent of his income. These laws simply > don't make sense for blacks. Judges have to decide each case as best they > can. > > Not surprisingly, the average black client will not pay child support unless > it is deducted from his paycheck. Many refuse to work, or leave a job to > avoid paying. Job turnover is very high among blacks, and the court system > has a hard time keeping up with them. Some blacks quit on purpose, and move > to another job so as to keep one step ahead of the collections. > > Whenever I ask a potential client whether he has paid court-ordered child > support he will almost invariably answer with one or more of the following: > "I always helps my kids." "I gives the mother money whenever she asks." "I > am always there for my kids." "I buys my kids whatever they needs." It > almost always turns out they have paid no support, haven't seen their > children in years, and at best may have paid for some basketball shoes. > > Children do not always seem to have the same importance for blacks that they > do for whites. I was in bankruptcy court once waiting for my client's case > to be called. A black debtor - not my client - was before the judge trying > to convince him to approve his bankruptcy repayment plan. The judge told him > he could not afford both his Cadillac and his children, and had to give up > one or the other. The debtor immediately said he could not give up his car, > and therefore the judge would have to take his kids. The judge threw up his > hands and walked off the bench. On another occasion, the same bankruptcy > judge told a black debtor he could not afford both his Cadillac and his > house. The debtor replied, "You can live in your car but you can't drive > your house. Take my house." This was many years ago and tastes in cars may > have changed, but I learned how important Cadillacs were to blacks. > > In one respect my job is very different from that of a policeman or social > worker: I have to make sure I am paid. I try to get paid in full before I > agree to represent a client. If I am not paid in full before the case is > over I know I will never get any more money. Clients have a hard time > understanding they are paying for an attorney's time. Invariably, if a > client drops a case before it is over he asks for a full refund. Their > reasoning goes something like this: "I paid for a divorce and I didn't get > one, so I should get all my money back." > > Once I sued a client who didn't pay me.I finally garnished his wages and was > paid in full. About six months later he called to ask me to take his next > case. I told him I didn't want a client that doesn't pay his bills. He > became indignant. He said I got all my money, so what did I have to complain > about. > > To hear my clients tell it, banks are constantly "messing" with their > checking accounts. At least that is what they tell me when their checks > bounce. Most of my clients do not have checking accounts, and pay cash. The > ones who do have accounts have no idea how much money is in them. Many > clients have written me checks on accounts that were closed. > > Black clients yell and scream at me every day; I have learned that this is > normal. They are like young children who don't get their way. I usually > ignore these outbursts, though screaming back at them is usually more > effective. I have been threatened with physical violence only twice, and > once I had to call the police to escort a client out of my office. > > My experience is hardly unique. Most of the lawyers I know have practices > similar to mine. Most lawyers therefore are racial realists even if they do > not admit it openly. Their actions and comments are no different from mine. > People who have daily contact with minorities, who know first-hand that > there are racial differences, are likely to be the best prospects for any > movement that promotes racial consciousness. They don't like dealing with > blacks, but that is simply part of the business. If they can't take it > anymore they get into some other line of work. > > One lawyer I know moved to the country so he would have white clients. He > had lived in the big city all his life, but was willing to pull up all his > roots to get a different clientele. > > Recently the supreme court in my state ruled that a lawyer can be > disciplined for communications that racially denigrate litigants. For that > reason I cannot write this article under my own name, much as I would like > to. I must hide behind a pseudonym for fear of falling victim to our > politically-correct supreme court. > > Donald Williamson practices law in the Midwest. But dey bees Gawds chillen. Charles
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X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 10e1e4,80a6a849e3765cc0,start X-Google-Attributes: gid10e1e4,public X-Google-Thread: 1037c2,80a6a849e3765cc0,start X-Google-Attributes: gid1037c2,public X-Google-Thread: f514b,80a6a849e3765cc0,start X-Google-Attributes: gidf514b,public X-Google-Thread: 10a587,80a6a849e3765cc0,start X-Google-Attributes: gid10a587,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-12-01 07:10:12 PST Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!archiver1.google.com!postnews1.google.com!not-for-mail From: ccleland2000@yahoo.com (charles) Newsgroups: misc.rural,atl.general,neworleans.general,alt.appalachian Subject: Re: ADVENTURES WITH BLACK CLIENTS Date: 1 Dec 2003 07:10:12 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Lines: 366 Message-ID: <3be6f215.0312010710.ed68be8@posting.google.com> References: <N9yyb.29119$Rk5.3493@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.100.169.172 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: posting.google.com 1070291412 5230 127.0.0.1 (1 Dec 2003 15:10:12 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 15:10:12 +0000 (UTC)