Flamboyant criminal defense lawyer calls ethics case 'a badge of honor'
A flamboyant Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer known for his volcanic personality and the one-month contempt term he served last year due to his in-court eruptions is now facing a legal ethics case.
Barry P. Wilson says he is not concerned about the Board of Bar Overseers matter, which could result in the loss of his law license. However, a past president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said the case could chill the ability of other members of the defense bar to fight for their clients.
“When the lawyer is afraid to punch [or feels] that a punch has to be pulled or he’s going to be in jeopardy, it’s the client that suffers, it’s the system that suffers, it’s the society that suffers,” attorney John Cunha told the Boston Globe.
Wilson, 63, is used to being at the center of contention. “They’ve been trying to get my ticket for a long time,” he told the newspaper. “And I view it as a badge of honor.”
If he was someone else, he wonders aloud, would the Board of Bar Overseers be pursuing this case?
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Judge Orders Lawyer to Jail for ‘Atrocious’ Behavior During Jury Selection”
ABAJournal.com: “Appeals Court OKs Summary Contempt Ruling re Lawyer Sentenced to 90 Days for In-Court Diatribe”
