The Best Policy

I caught part of the new show Shark last night, and I was rather annoyed with the characters' blatant dishonesty. It probably makes for more exciting television, but portraying crooked lawyers is old hack by now. I've met my fair share of shady defense attorneys, but none of them were so blatant (or stupid) as the young A.D.A.'s in the show. I think it's one more reason why the world needs more conscientious and ethical attorneys. Ironically, this was one of the Reuters headlines this morning:

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A law student who used taxis to escape with loot from dozens of house break-ins has been jailed after police in Australia caught him red-handed in the back of a cab fleeing his latest heist.

When not studying for a masters degree in law, Phillip Ryan See, 27, used his off-time to rob 43 houses in Sydney's plush harbourside suburbs, netting goods worth more than A$110,000 ($83,000), the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said on Thursday.

See, who once worked as a legal assistant in a government law office, would load plasma televisions, cameras, jewelry and laptop computers into the boot of a taxi after each raid.

But when a surprised home-owner discovered See during a midnight burglary, police arrested the would-be legal eagle escaping in the back of another taxi.

During a search of See's flat, police found one of their own uniforms stolen during another break-in.

See was jailed for four years and nine months after the judge accepted he had a psychotic disorder.

I guess it's never too early to blow your legal career. Sometimes (read: all the time) honesty really is the best policy.