on trolling for pro bono assistance

Our wonderful Paralegal intern Linda was suggesting to me that some attorney just might wish to take on the State of Michigan with a class action suit, representing the many prisoners who cannot seem to get appropriate medical care. It was fresh in her mind, because our office was hit with several outrageous cases in the past week.

I was explaining that we have tried broaching the subject with some excellent attorneys who specialize in civil cases, but with no success. Apparently it's not easy to win against the state.

But, Linda insisted, somebody's gotta help these people.

And then the phone rang. The woman on the other end of the line was so hoarse I could hardly understand her. She apologized, saying that she had been crying since she opened a letter from her son today. Ronald, in the Michigan Prison System, was wondering why she hadn't received his earlier letters. By the time he wrote this note he had been sick for 14 days, bleeding rectally. And that's not all. He's also bleeding in his urine, and he's vomiting blood. In other words, he's bleeding from all outlets. I'm sure you know that a person cannot bleed indefinitely.

Linda and I had to terminate our conversation. It was time to get our hands out of our pockets and get to work on still another case of unacceptable medical care offered by the Michigan Department of Corrections.

More on the case later, but give this some thought. There must be an attorney out there who is willing to take the plunge. These prisoners need more help than HFP can give them. Somehow the state seems to respond to threats of legal action.

Meanwhile, don't forget us. Your prayers and financial support keep us on the firing line at times like this.

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