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It's not news to any of us who've been through Pennsylvania's
legal machinery that the system is utterly corrupt and biased;
lawyers, judges, courts, politics.
It's all foul.
Robert B. Surrick, an old-time lawyer from Delaware County in far Southeastern Pennsylvania, has published Lawyers, Judges and Journalists, a facinating if somewhat whiny account of the corruption and politics of Pennsylvania's courts, especially the appellate courts. Many aspects of Mister Surrick's story are alarming, indeed frightening, but it's all stuff known to every prisoner in the system. Lawyers, Judges and Journalists is essentially the self-aggrandizing autobiography of a Republican lawyer who's miffed that others get away with manipulating the system and he can't. While his politics and egotism leave a lot to be desired, in the process of patting himself on the back, Mr. Surrick performs a genuine service by showing ordinary citizens what the Pennsylvania legal industry is truly like. It seems a little strange for a Republican political hack to complain about corruption, power and money. Republican politics is built on cronyism and the dollar. Still, Mr. Surrick's style is clear, colorful and engaging. He's clearly had a long life of writing cogent and persuasive legal documents. It's equally clear that he's mad as hell at the courts, especially Pennsylvania's notoriously fickle Supreme Court. Fearlessly, Mr. Surrick names names and frankly lists many
of the facts which depict the Pennsylvania courts as beyond
redemption.
He offers no cures for the state's legal evils, but
makes it clear that the courts at every level are political
instruments, partisan and unjust.
"Ladies pinch, whores use rouge" You are welcome to use or republish
any of our material.
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