Jason “my law degree DOES NOT smell like Crackerjacks” Cherniak ponders his options….
I could start up a donation link on my sidebar and hold the money in trust, but I don’t want to try it only to find out that people aren’t really interested. I also don’t want to seem like a whiny person who wants everybody else to protect him. I think the answer is to put it all out there, as I have above, and let my commenters and other bloggers express their opinions. Hopefully, such an online brainstorming session will have some benefit no matter what the general view is.
Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. A lawyer is considering soliciting donations from his readership to pay the bills on a libel suit. Not a suit he’s defending himself against – a suit he’s threatening to file.
Because he can’t afford a lawyer.
He does not volunteer how the spoils might or might not be divided should he prevail.
Part of me hopes he goes ahead with this. The precedent could prove quite useful around here.
Warren Kinsella is a raconteur, bon vivant, and – occasionally – a Toronto-based lawyer, author and consultant. He is not profound, but it is said that he can be useful in a stick-swinging, bench-clearing brawl. He once wanted to be a Jesuit priest, but failed the entrance exam. Born in Montreal in August 1960, Warren has lived all over the place, but most often regards Calgary as home. Calgary is happy that he resides in latté-sipping, Volvo-driving, secular humanist Central Canada, with the rest of his smart aleck socialist pals. Warren has four children, all of whom love Bad Religion.
Accompanying this biographical note is a unique photographic portrait of Warren. His heroes are Malcolm X, Christ, Raoul Wallenberg, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, Joe Strummer, and his father. He’s also pretty sweet on his wife.
In May 2006, Warren set up a firm called the Daisy Consulting Group; his daughter liked the name, and that was good enough for Warren. Previously, he was a special assistant to the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, and chief of staff in a pile of federal ministries. Stephen Harper has said that “I really think that Warren guy is on to something.” Peter C. Newman, meanwhile, has said: “Warren Kinsella can have an effect on as many Canadians as The New York Times.” We cannot publish what the historical footnote named Paul Martin, Jr. says about him.
Warren has written six books: one on international terrorism, called Unholy Alliances (Lester, 1992); a national bestseller about organized racism, titled Web of Hate (HarperCollins, 1994, and republished in 1996 and 2001); a best-selling novel, Party Favours (HarperCollins, 1997); a book about political communications, called Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics (Random House, 2001); and Fury’s Hour: A Sort-of Punk Manifesto (Random House, 2005), about the punk movement. It contains exclusive interviews with Strummer, Joey Ramone, Sham 69, Eddie Vedder, the Buzzcocks, Joey Shithead, Blink 182, Stiff Little Fingers, Ian MacKaye, Bad Religion, Pennywise, and many, many swear words. If you buy more than five copies, Warren will come to your house and wash your car. The National Post called Fury’s Hour one of the best books of 2005, which was uncharacteristically nice of them.
His latest book, on strategic communications and stuff like that, is called The War Room (Dundurn, 2007). The Toronto Sun calls it a “must read.”
Among other things, Warren has been a newspaper and magazine columnist. At the moment, he’s a political pundit for CFRB, and he writes about rock’n’roll for something called accessmag, and politics for The Hill Times. He’s also a member of the legal affairs committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress, and he is a member of the executive of the Ontario Bar Association.
Currently, Warren plays bass and hollers in a punk rock group called Shit From Hell. Previously, he played in The Social Blemishes, The Hot Nasties, Chicken Realistic and the Fabulous Kevins, S, The Trial Continues, The Mesleys, plus Sick Dick and the Volkswagens. We are not making this up, as much as we wish that we were.
This web site was established, quite a few years back, to counter attacks on Warren by neo-Nazis and white supremacists. After that, it became a place where some people would go to read some of the things Warren has written, or to allow them to contact him directly. Recently, however, it has become a bizarre farrago of political commentary, music reviews, and musings about the nature of human existence. It is also a website to which a lot of folks are inexplicably referred by assorted celebrated bloggers.
If you are looking for Warren’s blog – and the statistics strongly suggest that you are – you can read it over on the “Musings” page.
http://warrenkinsella.com/static.php?page=bio
why he hates those ten names and what his profit?
eewww!, Kate! You made me link to those blogs.
grrr
Classic. Poor Cherney. I really hope he does try to go through with it. It’ll be hilarity when Ezra teaches him that law school doesn’t make you smart — it only makes you a lawyer.
Those are some rabid, really creepy dudes.
Warren who?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I resent your saying that Jason’s degree smells like Crackerjacks, Kate. Crackerjacks smell wonderful–something I highly doubt about Jason’s degree.
Just a counter-point to one of the comments over there…
Who in the heck would google a lawyer’s name????
Is it the “backwater hick” in me that thinks that maybe, just maybe, a better source of information about a potential lawyer would come from, I don’t know, friends and family and the lawyer’s local reputation?
Heck, for that matter, couldn’t JC sue the Liberal party for damaging his reputation just by being associated with them?
A little mood music for the triumvirate of stupid;
“Lawyers in Love” by Jackson Browne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEULVyg1O_8
To be fair
Lawyers google each other all of the time, to see who they are and what background they have, a good tactic prior to going to court. Also my wife is a lawyer and she could not afford herself, when she was working her firm charged around $250 per hr, she made significantly less than that per hour.
I just can’t believe he’s serious.
His skin’s so thin, you can see the blood, bones and organs inside.
a rather quaint literary tag in the 18th and 19th century was to refer to the baccalaureate diploma parchment(most often sheepskin) as an “ass’s or a donkey’s skin.”
my mind always comes back to this silly old observation whenever lawyers and their credentials are mooted.
i’m sure I don’t know why…
When reading Cherniak’s post, I was reminded of this scene:
Raymond: Maple syrup is supposed to be on the table before the pancakes.
Charlie: We haven’t ordered yet, Ray.
Raymond: Of course when they bring the maple syrup after the pancakes, it’ll definitely be too late.
Charlie: How is that gonna be too late? We haven’t ordered the pancakes yet.
Raymond: We’re gonna be here the entire morning with no maple syrup and no – no toothpicks, I’m definitely, definitely not gonna have my pancakes w-with…
[Charlie grabs him by the neck]
Raymond: OW!
Charlie: Don’t make a scene!
Raymond: OW!
Charlie: Stop acting like a f*cking ret*rd.
Raymond: UH-OH!
[Pulls out red book and writes in it]
Charlie: What are you writing?… What the f*ck is this? “Serious Injury List”? *Serious* injury list? Are you f*cking kidding me?
Raymond: Number eighteen in 1988, Charlie Babbitt squeezed and pulled and hurt my neck in 1988.
Charlie: Squeezed and pulled and hurt your neck in 1988?
How can a pregnant woman tell that she’s carrying a future lawyer?
She has an uncontrollable craving for baloney.
Cheers
Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
Frankenstein Battalion
2nd Squadron: Ulanen-(Lancers) Regiment Großherzog Friedrich von Baden(Rheinisches) Nr.7(Saarbrucken)
Knecht Rupprecht Division
Hans Corps
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
“Lucy”, “Lying Jackel” and now Jason. All leftie lawyers out chasing ambulances looking for an accident at the public trough. They need to HIRE a lawyer to sue?
tsktsk…hope the “Offence fund” works as – well think of the possibilities?
I doubt this will go anywhere. Lefties are a notoriously cheap bunch. If the government won’t pay for it, they generally aren’t wiling to. Study after study has shown that Conservatives and right wingers donate more to charity, political parties, etc.
I guess it’s because they believe in nothing other than their own superiority.
Ezra and co no doubt got tens of thousands of dollars this past year. ($200,000 if you believe Cherniak’s post). I doubt Cherniak would generate 5% of that.
Sir Arsekiquer: For sooth, Sir Argonaut what vexes thou so?
Sir Argonaut: The wench from yonder side of the pine bog has besmirched my good name as a practised jouster.
Jester?
No, jouster not jester!
Have I not diligently completed what is required to hang out my shingle as knight of the realm, jouster at large, have lance will travel?
Indeed you have!
But her harsh words imperil my livelihood, threaten my purse and impinge my good name.
Harsh words, harsh words, she’ll soon gather a new meaning for harsh words when she feels the point of your lance! Oh what great sport ye shall have. What better way to demonstrate your talent, that she so frivolously questions, than by personally showing the impudent cur your skills with the lance. Throw down thy gauntlet to the impudent vassal!
Indeed I should but I’ve pondered and fashioned a finer scheme. I shall prove my skills as a knight by employing another knight to disprove her slanders.
But I am truly vexed, how shall I recompense such a free lancer? Sir Arsekiquer would ye play thine lute and we shall gather the coins as they are tossed?
It’s rather assinine for a lawyer to blog publicly on whether or not to sue someone for libel, it sort of stinks of “Eliteness”. Jason is being used by the usual subjects, they lack the moxie or spine to sue the Conservative Bloggers so they goad him on hoping he’ll do what they lack the guts to do. It wouldn’t occur to me to google my lawyer’s name, now I would because it appears liberal lawyers are extremely thinned skined and lack the moxie to fight a dirty fight.
It’s also rather amusing, here we are on the right fighting the HRCs for our right to Freely Express our selves, and who are the left fighting well us and now one leftard is using his priviledged postions as a “Lawyer” to silence a conservative blogger. Threatening us with Libel will only make us fight them even harder, good luck raising funds Jason but I somehow doubt you’ll be very successful-Liberals are cheap tastards or just broke financially. Every decision you make today will effect you twenty years down the road and if youj aspire to run for public office the public will remember you as the “Lawyer who sued a chick cause she questioned your abilities as a lawyer”. Every client that passes through your office questions your judgment as a lawyer Jason, that’s what clients do if you can’t tolerate being mocked on the net how will you ever become successful practicing law?
This comment from Cherniaks site re Shaidles’ posts…Zoe said…
If I were you, I’d look into materials pertaining to cyber-bullying. This is exactly what this is.
LOL!!!
And yet I feel somewhat disgusted by Shaidle’s recent posts. Why so many people think it’s ok to take their political fights and attack someone’s career or drop a note to an employer “outing” an opponent is also a little disturbing. Jason shouldn’t be suing over it but I think a long look in the mirror by certain uber-partisans on the right side of the blogosphere would be a really good thing. (I’d suggest the same for some on the left but I don’t want the self-induced heart attacks on my conscience).
FUNDING Consider the unions, the NDP, or Sow or a multitude of other government funded organizations as possible contributors. I think a dumb idea, but you never know.
“And yet I feel somewhat disgusted by Shaidle’s recent posts. Why so many people think it’s ok to take their political fights and attack someone’s career or drop a note to an employer “outing” an opponent is also a little disturbing. Jason shouldn’t be suing over it but I think a long look in the mirror by certain uber-partisans on the right side of the blogosphere would be a really good thi”
Shaidle can sometimes be a little “over the top?” but Cherniak really does “put himeself out there”
But it looks like it is Blazing Cat Fur who mentioned that Cherniak is Rotbergs lawyer.
As I look at it Chderniak is thrusting himself into the public forum by having his (pathetic)blog and by going on Corhens radio program. It appears as though he desparately wants publicity-any publicity. Well, with publicity and notariety also comes some unpleasantries-some deserved,some not.
My advice to Cherniak(although he probably won’t even have the benefit of it because he banned me from his blog long ago)is to grow up.Either get a thick skin or get outa the game. Musing about people supporting him to launch a lawsuit just shows how immature he is.
Horny Toad
Perhaps things are different in Canada, but, here in the USA, he wouldn’t need money to file a libel suit. Just find a John Edwards type to take the case on a contingency-fee basis. Is that not possible in Canada? Or is it possible, but Cherniak doesn’t know it (which would say something about his legal “education”)?
Thin skinned indeed. It reminds me of the best line I ever heard, which happens to come from the HBO series ‘Deadwood’:
“Pain or damage don’t end the world. Or despair or f*%king beatings. The world ends when you’re dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man… and give some back.” – Al Swearengen
Obviously Cherny wasn’t a fan of the show.
I am not a lawyer, so correct me if I am wrong. Isn’t threat of lawsuit illegal?
Sorry for the double post. Click my handle to see a clip of the quote I’m talking about. Language warning.
Two lawyers are walking on the beach and see a gorgeous girl in a tiny little bikini.
“Wow,” says the first lawyer, “I’d sure like to screw her.”
“Yeah?” says the second lawyer. “Out of what?”
Wow, What a concept!! Sell shares in a lawsuit…Brilliant!!!
The BEST part about Cherniak’s post is how he is “musing” over putting a donate bar on the side, but doesn’t want to in case people aren’t interested.
So he posts about thinking about doing it instead, so that we all don’t laugh at him when it’s a complete flop.
Is he so delusional that he is afraid to find out that virtually nobody will support him? Will finding out that the big, bad conservative bloggers have more supporters willing to pony up cash than he does shatter his fragile psyche?
Tune in next week to find out!
On the theme of movie references, a scene from Paper Chase comes to mind when Professor Kingsfield advises aspiring lawyer, Mr. Hart, in front of a packed lecture hall to call his mother and tell her he will not succeed through law school.
On that note, I will be donating $0.25 to Jason’s legal fund in the hopes you uses it for a similar purpose.
I always check Jason’s blog just to see what he has to say and the comments.
Sometimes he appears to be, how can it be put…punch drunk/happy(?) when he gets going on how imperative it is for the Liberals to get re-elected in order to save the country from the Conservatives. That propaganda minister for Saddam somehow comes to mind for some reason.
But his latest musings on his reputation as a lawyer being besmirched/questioned by a blogger sort of makes me laugh and at the same time sort of feel sorry for him.
I don’t think he has much time as a lawyer (believe he graduated about a year ago) to build a reputation to be held in any type of esteem. At the same time congrats to him, no small feat to graduate from university.
Any credibility as a lawyer can be questioned on what he sometime says on his blog. Like I said, I read his entries and I ask myself “Would I want him to represent me after reading this blather?”
Lawyers as a whole really don’t have a “good” reputation. Face it they do have an public image problem.
As for the conservative/right wing bloggers resorting to name calling and character assassination, I always believed that we as like minded people (tho I am not a blogger) were above that.
We discuss issues, solve problems, suggest solutions, keep our facts straight, be properly informed. Let the lefties resort to name calling and character assassination for it seems that they thrive on who can come up with the best insult/slander.
Calling each other names on the web is much like school yard taunts, but the difference is that everything is recorded, and in today’s age someone out there wants to justify their existence at someone else’s expense.
We as conservatives have to hold ourselves to a higher standard of decorum/manners. We cannot afford to be anything less.
Jason should really consider using Google to do a comprehensive search on how others view him, both as an individual and as a lawyer, it’s fascinating what turns up;)
Yawn
As someone who comes from a poor white background I’ve always thought that the term “White Trash” is racist, contemptuous and hateful. Follow the link and you’ll see the hypocritical liberal call someone trash. Imagine if someone used the term “Black Trash” or “Jewish Trash”! Do you here the racism when the switch is made? Sure call someone an Idiot for their views, but calling a person garbage means that they are worthy to be thrown out. Everyone is worthy of basic dignity.
Jason is biting on one of the oldest tricks in the book. The baiting a young, full of himself male coming out of university with a degree in hand.
One of our electricians used to play this game every summer with the engineering students. Throw out some provocative statements, hook one of them and then play him until the student quit coming for coffee or it wasn’t fun anymore. At that point the electrician would go out of his way to make amends with the gullible young fella. The rest of the guys would sit back and enjoy the entertainment (anything to break up the monotony of work).
Granted, this game is a little more high stakes but the method and point is much the same. Helping knock the huge chip off his shoulder and reducing youthful arrogance.
Gosh…do you think Cherniak is capable of requesting donations to pay an hourly fee of counsel while assigning the case on a contingency basis, and pocketing the donations?
Ontario, indeed, allows contingency billing, where the plaintiff counsel enters into a contractual agreement with the plaintiff for a percentage of the final reward/ settlement. In fact, it is becoming the norm on civil cases in that Province.
Personally, I believe anyone who doesn’t go with a contingency agreement on a Mickey Mouse Libel suit is a bit slow in the noggin. But…considering the source…(shrugs)
Gimme the lawyer whose law degree smells like whiskey.
My question is; If he puts the donation bar up, can we who have linked to his pathetic post can withdraw said money?.
“Gimme the lawyer whose law degree smells like whiskey.”
I spilled beer on mine once….
I don’t know for sure but something about a lawyer soliciting money to engage in a personal legal action seems more than a little bit off.
But I guess looking south at the ACLU there are plenty of other examples.
I have a question about Cherniak and his client.WHY woulds his client choose Cherniak? As far as I can tell he has no track record. After articling he could’nt find a job so he hung up his own shingle.
Horny Toad
Quote: I don’t know for sure but something about a lawyer soliciting money to engage in a personal legal action seems more than a little bit off.
But I guess looking south at the ACLU there are plenty of other examples.
Posted by: OMMAG at August 20, 2008 2:15 PM
I concur, his idea of getting donations prior to filing a libel suit well that’s just not normal is it? If he really felt libelled why not just file “Notice of Intent” why ask laymen leftards for advice and money?
A Liberal lawyer trying to get other people to pay for him to sue people he doesn’t like?
How… Liberal of him.
and I didn’t think my opinion of lawyers could go any lower:-)))))
Hahahahahahahahahahaaha
wot a hoot!!!!!
Kathy S, if the fool sues, I’ll donate sum fer yer defence!!!!
What Phantom said. Hilarious, remind me of the Onion from 5 years ago. Sadly, our world is now more absurd than phony satire.
i emailed little jason and said “threatening a law suit, is this the best your law degree can bring to the table? grow a spine buddy, take it like a man, or does a woman on top sort of intimidate you”
“If I can’t afford myself, should I raise or lower my fee?”
Thanks Kathy and Kate.
I’m old enough to remember when the Law Society prohibited lawyers from advertising their services. Presumably to ensure a certain level of dignity in the profession, or should we say, ensure a certain level of perception of such in the general public. I’m also old enough to remember when you’d not dare ask a lawyer what he thought it might all cost! You just covered your eyes, and peeked though unclenched fingers at the invoice.
What reputation is he claiming has been defamed? His reputation as a blogger? His reputation as a lawyer? What reputation would that be? Does he have a reputation as a lawyer? I’ll ask the downtown crowd over the next few days to see if any of them have even heard of him. Whatever reputation Jason has, it is being carved out as we speak in the court of public opinion as a blogger, not as a lawyer. He’d do well to consider the impact of that, and on what he wants a reputation for.
Then there’s his banner: “Cherniak on Politics: as influential as the mainstream media” Oh, really? This is based on what credible survey perhaps? Or, more likely, since he’s a lawyer…, isn’t this false or misleading advertising? Is he trying to convey that as a lawyer in politics, he offers more influence than the mainstream media? Influence to whom? Might this not be construed as influence peddling?
Sounds to me the law society would be interested in that advertisement.
Jason, you’ve chosen to hang your blogging shingle in the realm of the public dime. The citizens are exercising their franchise to challenge you in that realm.
Yes but to be successful defending a libel suit, all the respondent has to do is prove s/he was telling the truth. You’re screwed on all counts.
Great. Another entry in the “Liberal Hunting Dog Award”…