Roy Cooper: Our ineffective counsel
McClatchy has been writing gleefully about Attorney General Roy Cooper’s criticisms of the GOP-dominated legislature and Governor Pat McCrory. Apparently, ol’ Roy is miffed that Gov. Pat has hired outside counsel to represent the state in the US DOJ’s lawsuit against the voter ID law:
Attorney General Roy Cooper said Tuesday that it is an “unnecessary expense” for Gov. Pat McCrory to hire an outside attorney to represent North Carolina against the Obama administration’s lawsuit challenging the state’s new voting law.
“Our office continues to have the primary responsibility to defend the state,” Cooper told reporters. “Our staff will continue to do that.”
Gov. Pat’s chief counsel defended the move by making the same argument we have: Having Roy Cooper represent the state is kind of like having an attorney represent you in court who has been running around town talking about how guilty you are. It’s hard to have confidence in the quality of your courtroom representation.
Seriously. What is it about Roy Cooper that should give us even an ounce of confidence in him or the North Carolina Department of Justice? This report by the federal public defender’s office certainly doesn’t.
Cooper has sent out fundraising letters attacking the voter ID law and the legislature. The feds have — in fact –included Cooper’s criticisms of the voter ID law in their filing. (Thanks, Roy.) Cooper and the DOJ have been johnny-come-latelies in some of the biggest cases in the state — from the Duke lacrosse case, to political corruption cases against Mike Easley and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Department. Routinely, ol’ Roy has showed up just in time to get in front of the cameras — after someone else has done all of the legwork in the case.
The personnel — and crime lab — issues at the State Bureau of Investigation have been all over the news. The state has had to pay out huge settlements and overturn criminal convictions thanks to those problems.
It’s looking like more than just a concern of political bias. By looking at Cooper’s record — you could quite easily make a case that he’s not competent to represent the people of North Carolina in court.
Ol’ Roy has made it clear that he’s running for governor in 2016. If he plans to spend the next three years attacking the executive and legislative branches of state government, how effective can he be as the state’s lawyer? In court, the other side would have a field day using Cooper’s comments and actions against him and US.
Instead of forcing us to subsidize his 2016 gubernatorial run, Cooper needs to step aside and let someone else — serious about representing and protecting the people of North Carolina — do his job. If he stays in office, and sticks with his current game plan, we – -the people of North Carolina — will have grounds for an ineffective assistance of counsel complaint.
Roy Cooper’s complete ambivalence to his fiduciary is a disgrace to his position, the Democrat Party, and the NC GOP for not having the gumption to find a candidate to unseat this mimbo.
With all the scandals swirling at the SBI, which is under Cooper’s jurisdiction, it was political malpractice for the NCGOP to fail to run a candidate in that race. They seemed more concerned about forcing Dority out of the Auditor’s race.
Thank you Robin Hayes.
Havent bothered reading the ol N&O in awhile, but I can just imagine they’re still going nuts over Gov. McCrory and voter ID 🙂
I have zero confidence in Mr. Cooper giving a full-out effort in defending this perfectly valid set of rule changes. Even though it seems like a pretty ludicrous and baseless lawsuit, I wouldnt be surprised to see him drop the ball, either through incompetence or his personal politics (or his staff’s).
Hard to believe he’d be much surprised by the Governor’s decision. Actions have consequences, eh?
I do agree… Mr. Cooper doesnt seem to spend an inordinate time taking easy stands and really trying hard to keep his name and face in front of a camera or get some favorable reporting from media like McClatchy (He falls right in with their general ideology, so not really a lot of effort on either part there) 🙂
Isn’t there some provision in the Hippocratic Oath that says a lawyer must give the best available advice to his or her patient. Or is the Hippocratic Oath for doctors? But don’t lawyers have ethics too? Or does politics trump ethics?
I am thinking that Ol’ Roy is more a politician than a lawyer. With Roy as the Attorney General this seems like one of those deals when your wife’s divorce lawyer is also her lover.
Cooper breached his ethical duty to his client, the state of North Carolina when he criticized legislation. He failed in two regards, first he violated his duty of confidentiality. If he was giving legal advice, he did so in public where everyone could hear his advice. That is a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Rules 1.6 and 2.1.
Second, he has violated his duty of diligence toward the client, the State of North Carolina by attempting to undermine our statutes. Rule 1.3. The comment to the rule is particularly troubling in the case of Mr. Cooper: “A lawyer should pursue a matter on behalf of a client despite opposition…and take whatever lawful and ethical measures are required to vindicate client’s cause or endeavor.”
Walt-in-Durham
Someone ought to file at ethics complaint against Cooper, and lets see how the Democrat hacks at the State Bar scurry to try to whitewash his actions.
Your honor, I represent the State of North Carolina although I really agree with the Obama administration. What I mean to say is that I am going to do my best for North Carolina but my best will not be good enough to win. I hope you understand, Your Honor. You see the Republicans in NC have passed this law which us Democrats do not like. So what I was thinking was that I could say a few things and then you would rule for the Obama administration. I really want to make the Republicans look stupid. Then maybe I could become the Governor and issue back in those halcyon days of Easley & Perdue. Those were the days, Your Honor. In closing, Your Honor, I throw my client on the ignorance of the court.
The most damaging indictment against Cooper is that he totally abandoned the state’s District Attorneys and the families of murdered victims by not opposing the misnamed Racial Justice Act. Cooper, of course, would not dare offend the Reverend Barber and the radical leftists. He is all to willing to criticize conservative legislation, but not liberal legislation that would effectively end the death penalty in NC. He is a total fraud and fake. Just ask any DA in North Carolina.
Cooper defending NC against the DOJ is akin to putting the fox in the hen house and the fox swears he won’t kill one hen. He truly must think we are as stupid as Holder, Hagan, and the rest of the Dimwits.
Cooper is totally damaged goods who needs to get out of
state government in NC. He should resign now if he plans
a meek campaign…what a slimeball.