# Saying I'm Fucked Doesn't Even Begin To Cover It **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 28, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641 "2006-04-28T19:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/81 "2006-05-06T01:28:02Z")
[QUOTE=lezlers] Dude, you haven’t seen stupid until you’ve worked in the public defenders office. I often say that there needs to be a new criminal enhancement entitled “felony stupid.” You know, for when some idiot asks a _cop_ if he can test the meth he just bought and tell him if it’s real. True story. And yes, it was. I used to read police reports and think “yeah right he consented to the search, who the hell would consent to a search when they’ve got shit on them?” Took me about a week before I realized they _did,_ and they do it _All. The. Time._ :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I’d vote for such a new enhancement. Can we make it a capital offense? Please? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/82 "2006-05-06T02:52:28Z")
re: public defenders - different jurisdictions have different set ups. some have a “PD” office, much like the prosecutor has an office. in this county, "PD"s are assigned from a list, mostly of brand new lawyers, who are paid by the case. Misdemeanors one price, felonies another. doesn’t matter how complicated the case (other than large scale felonies, like open murder, armed robbery and the like). It is very common that the PD has very limited experience, and not a lot of time to spend on the case. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/83 "2006-05-06T04:41:02Z")
Sorry you are having to go through this shit, as you seem like a cool dude. I just cannot fathom why you are talking about this on the board, or any internet forum for that matter. Your username, plus the rather narrow scope of interest (Tucker automobiles) makes me just say, in a polite way “shut the fuck up”, find a lawyer and deal with it. I simply can’t understand why people bring up their personal shit (especially wrt legal issues) on the fucking net. Call me paranoid if you wish, I don’t care, as they ALL are out to get ME! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/84 "2006-05-06T08:26:16Z")
[QUOTE=lezlers] Look buddy, I clerk in a public defender’s office and I’d like you to know that statements like that one are really, _really_ offensive. Contrary to popular belief, public defenders _ARE_ lawyers and deserve the same respect as any other lawyer (which can admittedly be minimal.) We go to law school and pass the bar just like the rest of 'em. In fact, if I were to ever get into any trouble, I would rather have some of the attorneys I work with represent me over a lot of the scummy private criminal defense lawyers I know. [/QUOTE] Hey, I don’t doubt that there are good PDs out there, but given that the state of TN (including the city where this could go to court) is in the financial toilet at the moment, the odds are that the PDs are waaaay over-worked and certianly underpaid. After all, it’s _easy_ to cut the budget for things like PDs since to the average voter the only thing PDs do is defend “criminals” (I put criminals in quotes because not everybody who is arrested is guilty, yet they are often perceived as such.), whereas shutting down schools due to lack of funds (which is happening despite population increases) tends to get people’s dander up. I’ve heard of folks having PDs tell them words to the effect, “Look, a private attorney would have no problem getting this thrown out of court, but I simply don’t have the time or the resources to do that kind of work. The best I can do is get it knocked down to a lesser charge.” If the state were flush with cash, and scandals involving the police, various city/state offices not so rampant at the moment, I wouldn’t have my doubts. ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/85 "2006-05-06T13:11:50Z")
**Tuckerfan** , right now your choice seems to be up-shit-creek alone or with a PD. So, what you need to do is be yourself. Your most charming, nice-guy, intelligent, witty, interesting self. Then a PD will probably pull for you. PD’s give short answers to those they can, and spend the extra time on those that need it. I’ve had a great PD that got in my face yelling about the murderers she had to deal with and my traffic ticket was ridiculous…but I smiled and played it and she went the extra mile, eventually. I think you should give the “Do you know what time it is?” question above a serious consideration. No more info to the cops. They’ve had plenty of time to take it to one level, don’t let them take it to another. Good luck- -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/86 "2006-05-06T13:52:31Z")
[QUOTE=Lizard] If YOU can’t figure out who might’ve stolen this stuff, the police probably can’t either, at least not until the stuff surfaces at a pawnshop or something like that. [/QUOTE] Two things: (1) The police have experience in investigating crimes; the OP apparently does not. (2) How common is it, really, for stolen goods to appear in a pawn shop. The one and only time I ever sold something to a pawn shop (sold to, not placed as collateral), they would not accept it without the receipt, which I did have. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/87 "2006-05-06T14:02:23Z")
[QUOTE=Monty] (2) How common is it, really, for stolen goods to appear in a pawn shop. The one and only time I ever sold something to a pawn shop (sold to, not placed as collateral), they would not accept it without the receipt, which I did have. [/QUOTE] one time I worked on a case where some guy stole a camera from a University, sold it i the bag labled "University (withheld) Department (withheld) to a pawn shop some 70 miles away. by the tme cops got there ‘gosh the camera was already sold, but golly we still have the bag’ and the card with the sellers fingerprint. it happens w/some regularity. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/88 "2006-05-06T14:46:56Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Hey, I don’t doubt that there are good PDs out there, but given that the state of TN (including the city where this could go to court) is in the financial toilet at the moment, the odds are that the PDs are waaaay over-worked and certianly underpaid. After all, it’s _easy_ to cut the budget for things like PDs since to the average voter the only thing PDs do is defend “criminals” (I put criminals in quotes because not everybody who is arrested is guilty, yet they are often perceived as such.), whereas shutting down schools due to lack of funds (which is happening despite population increases) tends to get people’s dander up. I’ve heard of folks having PDs tell them words to the effect, “Look, a private attorney would have no problem getting this thrown out of court, but I simply don’t have the time or the resources to do that kind of work. The best I can do is get it knocked down to a lesser charge.” If the state were flush with cash, and scandals involving the police, various city/state offices not so rampant at the moment, I wouldn’t have my doubts. [/QUOTE] Well, those types of PDs are committing some serious ethical violations. Like I said, I clerk in the PD office (have one more year of law school to complete) and there are 8 of us who do a lot of the leg work (writing the motions that the attorneys will later argue in court) that the attorneys don’t have time for. We’re very knowledgable, and on occasion have had judges come down to our offices (the clerks, not the attorneys) and ask us legal questions. I’m not saying the attorneys aren’t overworked or underpaid, they certainly are, but they’re not doing it for the money (if they cared that much about money they’d go into private practice, that’s a lot easier in this county than getting in at the PD office) they’re doing it because they care and want to make a difference. And _that_ is why they deserve as much, if not more, respect than any other attorney. So please, just think about that the next time you’re tempted to tell someone who has a PD to get a “real lawyer”. If you think the PD is that much of a putz, fine, tell them to get a _private_ lawyer, it’s a lot less insulting for those of us busting our asses to make sure everyone has some kind of advocate. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/89 "2006-05-20T06:31:15Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] He doesn’t have time to read the thread. He’s too busy calling me a jerkhead dickwad cocksucker for no reason. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I was really hammered. I took 3 self-imposed weeks off the board for that very quote. And I do apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/90 "2006-05-20T11:28:04Z")
[QUOTE=wring] one time I worked on a case where some guy stole a camera from a University, sold it i the bag labled "University (withheld) Department (withheld) to a pawn shop some 70 miles away. by the tme cops got there ‘gosh the camera was already sold, but golly we still have the bag’ and the card with the sellers fingerprint. it happens w/some regularity. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the info, wring. So, what happens to the idiots at the pawn shop who took in the obviously illegal stuff? ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/91 "2006-05-20T13:34:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I get arrested and get a public defender (which could be worse than not having a lawyer, if some of the horror stories I’ve heard about PDs are true) They’re not all like whatever you’ve heard. My SO is a PD and works his ass off – yes, he’s a pretty new lawyer, and is indeed overworked and underpaid, but that doesn’t make him a bad lawyer. A lot of people think PDs suck because a lot of their clients are in such a bad situation that no lawyer could do much as far as keeping them out of jail. No, I’m not being pessimistic, I live with one and I hear a fair bit about what he does and what he’s up against. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/92 "2006-05-20T16:25:32Z")
[QUOTE=Monty] Thanks for the info, wring. So, what happens to the idiots at the pawn shop who took in the obviously illegal stuff? [/QUOTE] not a damn thing. sad to say. some things apparently aren’t ‘worth’ the effort to prosecute etc. I once packed up an inmates property, discovered a stack of law books (yes, ironic, I know) stolen from the local law school. I called all interested parties, so the chain of evidence could be maintained and all, prosecutor wasn’t interested in the case, cop came over and officially took the stack of books from me to give back to the law library. law school was amazed that the books had been stolen, “they’re wired to sound an alarm if they leave the building”. that lady coulda shoplifted a grand piano. any how, on several occaisions when folks I knew had been victimized, I told 'em to check the local pawn shops (especially for jewelry, electronics type of stuff which could be readily identifiable). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/93 "2006-05-20T19:10:34Z")
Has this situation resolved itself? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/94 "2006-05-20T21:12:29Z")
Not entirely. The police have declined to prosecute, but my ex-boss is threatening a law suit. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/95 "2006-05-20T21:54:05Z")
That sounds like a step in a good direction, **Tuckerfan**. My best wishes for you getting this situation resolved. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/96 "2006-05-20T22:29:29Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Not entirely. The police have declined to prosecute, but my ex-boss is threatening a law suit. [/QUOTE] WOO HOO!!! You had me worried for a while. But, now I’m sure that this is just one of those things that is supposed to make the audience think it’s all over, before you finally succeed against impossible odds, invent a flying car or something and become massively wealthy. So get back to work on those blueprints. ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/97 "2006-05-21T02:27:21Z")
So sorry about your cat. Hope everything clears up for you soon. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/98 "2006-05-21T02:41:29Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Not entirely. The police have declined to prosecute, but my ex-boss is threatening a law suit. [/QUOTE] A lawsuit? Sheesh, man, I don’t mean to insult you, but you’re pretty much judgmentproof, aren’t you? Your ex-boss is blowing smoke. Of course, you’d probably be better off not asking him to be a reference for you. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/99 "2006-05-21T11:58:02Z")
Consider suing **him**. False accusation, & all. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641/100 "2006-05-21T14:10:08Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Consider suing **him**. False accusation, & all. [/QUOTE] he did damage property. admitted doing it. left items that had been secured, unsecured. I am not certain that filing a police report is something that can latter be sued about (unless the person filing is proven to have lied). I think **etf** has the correct take on that situation. I doubt many lawyers would take this case (on either side) for contingency fees, and it quickly would become more expensive to pursue than could ever be realized, especially given lack of assets for **tucker**. also, if you didn’t work for him for very long I’d consider leaving this off the resume entirely unless this is a small town, small area of expertise and all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-im-fucked-doesnt-even-begin-to-cover-it/354641.md?page=6)