This post is directed to the 50% of readers of this web-site who do not despise lawyers just because.
Anyway, reading these postings compels me to write about something only tangentially on-point. It is about DHS, however.
Right now I represent someone on whose behalf I am suing the almighty Department of Homeland Security. The claim is a modest one. It is a run-of-the-mill lawsuit that would never be in federal court but for the fact that the offending individual just happened to be a DHS employee.
No matter the claim, and no matter the amount, any claim involving a U.S. employee requires a full-blown federal lawsuit.
Though I am certainly not objective in this matter (being his advocate), I will also say that it is a straightforward, legitimate claim that has nothing to do with state secrets, national security, civil rights, airlines, airports, or the Greek debt crisis.
In spite of the pedestrian nature of the claim, and despite the government admitting fault, my client is being subjected as we speak to the FULL WEIGHT of the U.S. Government and the FULL ONSLAUGHT OF POWER at the disposal of the U.S. Attorney's Office. This means endless, mindless, intrusive, overreaching, mind-numbing and burdensome investigation seeking to harass every public or private entity or person he has ever had anything to do with. It means that both my client and I are accused, for the hell of it, of being liars, thieves and unpatriotic. No amount of money is spared to delay and frustrate a claim where, again, fault has already been admitted!!!
I am not very forgiving of DHS. I would be if they appeared to spend their budget on worthy pursuits. The perception is that they waste honest folks' time on unworthy pursuits.
On a previous occasion, I was personally sued by the federal government -- with a full-blown federal lawsuit -- to recover the whopping sum of $27.00 that I sought to preserve for the benefit of a disabled Veteran client.
The Canadian government sometimes seems oppressive because there's not enough real work to do (i.e. the country is just too damn peaceful and safe) and the bureaucrats need something to do. This is especially true of Canadian Customs! On the other hand, the U.S. government IS oppressive in spite of having more than enough real work to do.
They do it because they can.
So there, I've vented.
